The Night of the Long Pickled Vegetables

Scene Information
Logger: Satomi

Participants: Tsihiro, Satomi, Akihiko(Koba), Anara(Lita), Goh

Location: Konohagakure - Ramen House

Log
The sizzling of beef, fish and chicken on noodles are the first things smelled and heard within this small shop known solely as 'Ramen House'. The sights and sounds are not too brilliant however this small square place boasts the most amazing Ramen treats in the entire village. At all times of the day, even late at night a customer will be sitting at one of the counters ordering and consuming their choice.

Each plate is brilliantly prepared by the head chef, it is often that stacks upon stacks of plates could be ordered. Drinks such as sake and wine can also be bought here with a meal. People of all ages from the village come here to enjoy a snack, often making this place the start and end of rumors in the village.

A figure walks through the curtains of the Ramen shop, sitting down at the bar, and waving the cook over, "Cook-sama, how are you tonight?" He asks kindly. His reed hat was lowered so his normal height for a male would make it a task of bending down just a touch to see his eyes. "Can you make me some of that garlic ramen? With some of that stuff..." he snaps his fingers lightly trying to remember, then, "Honey! Yeah, honey seasoning you have?" The cook nods, and gets to making the odd flavored ramen that actually starts sending an uncannily sweet-garlic smell through the ramen shop. It's not overpowering but it's not going away any time soon either.

The village had gone dark, the sun sinking below the horizon at last and marking the end of yet another work day. Most of the laborers that had come to Konoha for work would now return to their respective camps for rest until the next day would begin. Some however would frequent the few places that were still open after dark settled in, places like the pubs and various food places. The Ramen shop was one of those places, the place was semi loaded with small groups of carpenters and construction workers, all enjoying a quiet dinner before turning in for the night. One such laborer would be seated at the bar as well, already feasting on a nice big bowl of his favorite pork loaded ramen. The smell of garlic and honey filling the air causes his nose to twinge as he looks up from his bowl. "Huh...? Garlic? Great, now this place is going to reek for hours." the man mutters to himself.

To anyone who bothered to give the man a second glance, he seemed to be middle aged, wearing some well worn work clothes of thick denim and leather with a belt of assorted carpenters tools around his waist. His hair was a grizzled dark gray of sorts and he wore a bushy beard on his face as he carefully went about enjoying his dinner. His skin was tan, weathered by years of constant working and his voice was a bit burly, but full of warmth. Clearly a friendly sort of mountaineer. "Interesting choice of ramen you have there boy. Should try the Pork Deluxe... it's to die for." the man says with a hearty laugh.

Tsihiro turns his head to entertain the man's joke for a light chuckle, "Yeah, I already died a couple times, tired of digging myself out after waking back up. Heh." His own joke was lighthearted, but humor just the same. When his ramen came, he snapped apart the chopsticks, and went to town, finishing the bowl in probably record time. The chopsticks swirl around the lip of the bowl a half a time, pointing up at the cook. Tsihiro clears his throat, and wipes his mouth with his napkin. "Mmm, always love that for a starter, Cook-sama, please, three more?" Yes, he was a heavy eater. His diet mainly consisted of his whole paycheck, sprinkled with a little bit of debt to the ramen shop.

Satomi slides in to the ramen house shortly after Tsihiro has received his delicious combination of bizarre delights. The young woman seems a little bit tired herself, her robes are smudged with dirt, and her hair looks just a touch disheveled and there is the familiar hint of fatigue in her eyes. To say that she was unused to doing a hard days work for a fair days wage would be unfair. It is just that generally, her version of a hard days work tended to revolve rather more around the cerebral than the physical, and she'd done her best to pitch in amongst the workers today. It had been a faltering effort, and the cause of much embarrassing amusement amongst her fellow workers, but it had helped her get to know them. The fact that she was pathetic when compared to the amount they were shifting was really beyond the point. She was there, she was pitching in... and to be fair to her, she wasn't getting paid a penny to do it. So the fair days pay is still a way beyond her.

Slowly, the miko eases herself into a seat at the front of the ramen shop, producing a small pouch from inside her robes, she pulls out a couple of coins and places them on the bar top, "Plain noodles and water please, Cook-san." She murmurs, closing her eyes and beginning to clean her glasses of dirt.

The well built carpenter took another few slurps of his ramen, taking a napkin to his rugged looking beard to make sure that none of his food remained in his beard for leftovers. Upon the boy's response, he gives another laugh. "Quite the troublesome situation to find yourself in then." he says with a slight grin to the boy before spectating the sudden disappearance of Tsihiro's entire bowl of ramen within an instance. It took a few moments to register on the man's face before slams a hand on the bar counter with a laugh. "Haha, amazing! Did you just devour that entire bowl before I could even blink? You must be one of those Konoha shinobi I've seen all over the place. A remarkable lot you all are." continuing to laugh in amusement before he finally settles down a bit. "No match for a lad like you. I only eat at regular speed it seems." he notes, taking another bite of his food. It wasn't long after the two had begun their idle chatting when a new face appeared in the shop, a girl garbed in the dressings of a familiar person. As Akihiko turned in his stool to look, he stared at her for a few moments in the faintest of surprise to see Satomi here, but he wasn't himself, so he couldn't just blurt out what was going on. The girl finds a seat near the duo at the counter, ordering simple plain noodles and water. "Ohohoho, nonsense my dear girl. You need more than just noodles to survive. Feel free to order something a bit more hearty, on me." he declares generously, giving the girl a sly little wink.

Tsihiro turns his head to look at the girl, at least what he could see with a tilt of his head so only his left eye could be seen from under his reed hat, and in the shadow at that from the few lights that were inside the ramen shop up above them. Made it hard to really make out his face, especially at night. "Well, yes, sadly eating is one of my more renowned abilities, other than running, and basically having everything happen to me to keep me from living life. Except.. life itself." He looks down at the three bowls in front of himself, and starts to eat the second one slowly, taking in the flavor this time, slurping up a big bite though, and chewing slowly. Of course, a belated nod and a tip of his hat to Satomi when she would be able to see with her glasses finaly clean and back on kindly.

Satomi gives a short smile to Tsihiro, nodding her head in turn, before she looks to Akihiko, and shakes her head lightly. "No thank you, Sir." She says, calmly. "I've had a very long and exciting day. I would like to round it off with something very simple and unexciting. Some nice, plain noodles and some clean, refreshing water are all I feel comfortable tackling at this late hour."

The explanation for her remarkably bland meal thrown out there, she turns her attention to the meal. Snapping her chopsticks and starting to eat at a slow, steady pace. She was hungry... but she wasn't ravenous, and she certainly wasn't going to rush herself with it. She might overexert herself, and have some sort of excitement-induced psychotic episode!

With things starting to settle back down with all of Akihiko's loud laughter, the shop was still abuzz with customers who were still enjoying their own meals and laughing it up with their own groups of people. "I see, well, everyone has something their good at it would seem. Seems I'm learning that each day I stay here in Konoha." he says, pausing in his thought to take another good deal of noodles into his beard shrouded mouth with food. "Mmm... delicious." he says to himself, but loud enough for his countermates to hear. With his offer to get the girl something a bit more filling than plain noodles declined, he gives a simple nod. "As you wish, lass." he says giving her a firm pat on the back while she cleaned her glasses before turning to the reed hat wearing speedster. "So tell me, lad. What sort of interesting stories can you tell me about this village? Sadly, I hail from a more secluded part of the country, and word of Konoha doesn't quite reach where I live." he says, sounding somewhat dismayed that this was the case.

"YOSHAAAA!" Cries a voice from outside, sounding to get nearer with every step. "I can't wait to eat me some ramen noodles! It's been the only thing I was looking forward to when healing. Well, aside from the obvious." By the sounds of it, the source of the voice is by himself. For indeed, there is no reply. As a hand moves to push open the small flags at the entrance to the stand, it is confirmed that he's by himself. But the figure, Goh, doesn't need company! He's his own company! "Old man! Pickled vegetables in my ramen, please! Potato, carrots and celery. Mm-mm!" Stepping in, the blonde Chuunin looks around. His own form seems to be healing up nicely, with only one bandage around his torso and one about his forehead. "..stupid bandages. Makes me can't see with my magic eye. Hum... oh! People!" Bright eyes with a broad, toothy smile sweep across the gathering. "Hey guys. Goh's the name; Pickling's my gam--Tsihiro! Hey man, long time no see. What's up?" Sliding himself onto a stool, Goh prepares himself some chopsticks and such. "Been a while since I've seen visitors around here. Welcome to Konoha and stuff."

Entering a bit late after everyone else was Lita as she looked like she was working some overtime at the site. She sighs as she walks through giving the place a once over with her alluring mixed gaze to spot her partner Kenta. 'Figures i'd find him there...' she murmurs as she makes her way towards the table. "Hello all, I do hope i'm not intruding on anything." She'd look to Kenta especially as she awaited to take a seat at the table. To the other familiar looking woman she'd smile to, but give no indication that she knows her just yet.

Tsihiro smiles as he is given the nod from the 'simple noodles' girl, and he returns to take another slirping bite of his garlic-honey ramen (his own flavor request, yes it smells like garlic in here, no please don't ask why he likes those flavors together), and that's when Goh enters. Tsihiro reaches a hand out to shake hands for a moment, then after either waiting or shaking he would look to the burly man (Akihiko) and nod, "Well..." he swallows that bite quickly, making a slight face, but still hidden under the shadow of his reed hat, "As Goh here could probably tell you," setting down a chopstick and patting him on the back, "we have nice health care plans." Another joke? Maybe serious underlying the comedy overlay. In any case, he uses that moment to gawk at what oh-my-stars what just walked in? Did he just die again or was that body of hers real? He got really quiet, that's all anyone would be able to tell, but he would nod in her direction, the movement of his oversized reed hat would be the indicator, and go back to his noodles quietly, letting Goh take center stage.

Satomi winces just a little bit at the sheer /noise/ that comes from outside. She was feeling rather brittle to begin with, and then all that racket! It was pretty terrifying. Still. The noodles are very good quality, even if she's having a rather bland meal, and she does her best to concentrate on those. Goh's enthusiastic arrival, though, really does a lot to draw her out of her shell. Obviously curious, she shifts in her seat to regard the bandaged boy for a few moments. Despite her tiredness, that attitude is somewhat infectious. A smile working its way onto her features, she folds her hands into her lap.

"Magic eye?" She asks, obviously a little bit curious. "I know a little bit about healing, would you like me to take a look?" She hesitates for a moment, before she blushes softly, "Ah, but... you are already bandaged, I imagine you've already been looked at by people who know it much better than me, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be presumptuous... I am Satomi, it's nice to meet you, Goh-san." If she recognizes Lita, she doesn't seem to show it, adding, as an afterthought, "We're just eating dinner after a long day. Sit down, I'm sure nobody would mind."

And to think that things were going to remain quiet, the sound of someone shouting aloud during their trek to the Ramen House. Sure, it turned a few heads as Goh entered the ramen shop with such extreme vitality despite his injured appearance. The spirited youth, sporting bandages all over the place, signs of a true warrior! Or just a really unlucky dope... One couldn't be sure of which was the case just yet! When Goh places his order for a strange ramen combo, he lets out another hearty laugh. "It seems Konoha is going to be known for its varied tastes in ramen! A splendid choice of ingredients, lad! A real man's meal! To put hair on your chest. And maybe your tongue if you're not careful." he says with a grin to the bandaged up companion that seems to know Tsihiro. The Ramen shop seems to be nearing max capacity as yet more people wander their way into the place, a familiar face indeed for Koba(Akihiko) who sat on the bench. Though he was fairly certain that Lita had no idea just who was sitting at the counter. "Of course not lassie. Have a seat and enjoy the ever growing merriment of the Ramen House Counter Club!" he declares with another raukus laugh, giving Lita a sly wink before turning his attention to Tsihiro once more after he had another mouthful of food. His attempt to fish for interesting stories derailed by a joke about Konoha's health care, stirring a chuckle from the burly man. "It provides some comfort to those of us who are working hard everyday to rebuild this great village, knowing that if we are injured, we'll have the best of care, hm?" he asks with a grin before Tsihiro is smitten by Lita's arrival. Quite the lively festivities going on here, the most boisterous was the young Goh and his obvious love of all that was pickled vegetables and something about a 'magic eye' also stirs his curiosity, even as Satomi pipes up about it after offering her services as a healer. "Magic eye you say? Do tell lad! Can you see the future with this all seeing eye? Or maybe... something of a more devious nature?" he says with a mischievous grin that only men would know to deal with troublesome antics!

"Damn straight," Goh replies to Tsihiro as his bowl of ramen is delivered. "Some of the best medics in the world! Good enough to bring me all the way back from the dead. Yep." Scarfing some noodles down his throat, he noisly makes an introduction to Anara as she comes to visit. What he says? Well, who knows.. he can be a bit rude sometimes. A big swallow. "Pull up a pew." He leans backwards a little waving his chopsticks a little at Tsihiro. Yes, he noticed the he was checking out the new girl! "So how goes, Tsi? Ooou." A keen nod is given to Satomi. And then to Koba. "Yeah, I'm part of the Akuu clan. I have a third eye on my forehead. Let's me hit stuff with an invisible third force on top of repelling stuff and seeing better. It's actually called the Daisanseiryoku, but I just say magic eye. It's.. uh, sort of a rare-ish bloodline with only a handful of us left in the world. But it's good! I went public after I was promoted at the Chuunin Exams in hopes of trying to reunite the clan. I reckon I'm strong enough to hold off any bounty hunters trying to wipe the rest of us out." He frowns briefly at that, before shrugging at slurping some pickled ramen down. "Haha! And yeah, already healed mostly. Thanks though. I got crushed under a million tonnes of rubble. I was clinically dead for a few hours. Or so Koga said when he found me." This doesn't seem to affect his appetite--the blonde continuing to chew down his meal. "That was months ago now, so I'm nearly all better. But it's lovely to meet you, Satomi. Welcome to Konoha." Hearing that the elder man liked pickled vegetables, Goh gasps. "A fellow pickled vegetable lover! No way! Welcome a million times to you! I can finally have someone to talk to about the fine details of vinegar and time-sitting.. Ingreidents and aroma. Huu!" Throwing his head back to laugh, he continues. "I maybe a shinobi, but my prime love in life is pickled vegies. I'm Konoha's Number One Pickler, you know. They're known in heaps of different villages. Pretty awesome."

Lita would smile as she takes a seat at the counter and orders some mizu soup and some potstickers with herbal tea. "So you all seem to be so lively during the wanning hours? Is it because work is over or is there some other secret that i'm not privy to just yet?" Her mixed eyes would look towards the rather loud one and smile as she would wave, then to the other one wearing his hat indoors and wave as well. She couldn't see his face or his reaction to her walking in so there was no teasing for her at this point. Her eyes had to readjust for a moment as the burly man looked like someone she knew and openly apologizes. "Oh i'm sos sorry you reminded me of someone I knew back in my old village. Sorry..." She'd then wave to Satomi as she would say, "So what is it that you do?" Apparently she wasn't listeninng to the conversation that transpired not long ago.

Satomi takes a long sip of her water as Goh explains everything. She seems pretty impressed. It wasn't every day you met someone as open as Goh, let alone someone as open as Goh with all the awesome powers that Goh also has at his disposal, even if he is injured at the moment. The tales of Konoha's medical ninja prowess is, of course, committed to memory as well. A way to bring back someone who had been dead for that length of time... now that was impressive. How much had Goh suffered, how much had he struggled? The amount a man would have to grow to survive that kind of pain. Well, suffice it to say that Satomi is firmly impressed, and Goh has her absolutely undivided attention. To the extent that she doesn't even seem to notice that Lita, or anyone else for that matter, has even said anything. When she puts down her glass, the young miko just shakes her head.

"I don't think I'll ever understand." She says, with a soft laugh. "You've been through so much, but you are so cheerful, and ... carefree. It is inspirational, really. That you can overcome such suffering. That you have people capable of guiding you through it, and helping you to grow from it. Amazing. It really is an honor to be allowed to try and assist this place, in whatever small way I can. It's ninja are such extraordinary people."

The miko sounds genuinely awed, picking up the bowl of noodles again, she resumed eating, but... still can't seem to take her eyes off Goh. As though half-expecting him to admit that, actually, it was all just a joke and he'd fallen down some stairs. Somehow, though, she doubted he was lying. He just didn't seem like the sort of guy who /would/.

The elderly carpenter pays careful attention to all of the things being said at the counter, since most had an interesting tale to tell! Save for the one named Tsihiro who only seemed good for bad jokes. While Koba wore the warm smile of a seasoned worker, beneath that the true visage behind the ruse was making quite the sour face at all these losers. - Feh! How did I get caught up in all this nonsense... - he would think to himself while enduring all the stories being told around the dinner counter. What Goh had to say by far trumped anything that Tsihiro had disclosed thus far, and Koba was damned sure that the other two that were with him were sure to pay careful attention to what was coming out of Goh's mouth. Portraying himself as genuinely enthralled by what was spoken of this endangered shinobi clan of the Akuu who possesed a kekkei genkai known as the Daisanseiryoku. "My my, quite the tale there laddie. Though to hear that your clan is on the verge of disappearance is a sad thought, and I wish you all the luck in the world that you will find more of your clan out there!" he says with a blazing sense of passion in his words before slamming his fist heavily into the counter, "Amazing! And even after such terrible injuries you return from the brink of death as spirited as ever? You Konoha shinobi are quite awe inspiring to us normal folks. If only I was a few years younger, and a bit more talented. I could also speak of such tales." he says with a laugh, surely several of the bowls on the counter were shaken by his fist pounding. With Goh getting all hyped up at the prospect of another pickled vegetable fanatic, Akihiko would be wincing behind his disguise. - Blech! This kid is crazy as hell. I'm surprised HE isn't a pickled idiot. - he thinks to himself before putting on a grin, "Perhaps not quite the master pickler as yourself, but it's a staple for those who wish to be true men of the world!" he declares before turning his attentions towards Lita who apologizes to him for a mistaken identity. "No worries lass, I guess I have that familiar sort of face. I could be your grandad probably. Ohohoho!" giving a laugh before going back to work on his ramen, draining the bowl and sliding it away from himself before patting his belly and expelling an air of satisfaction. "Ahhh! That hit the spot." he almost bellows, glancing over at the well mannered girl with glasses.. Satomi was it. "No doubt in my mind. Truly remarkable people. I'm glad I came all the way here to assist in even the smallest way I could." he replies with a nod.

Finishing off his ramen, Goh waves cheerily to Lita as she takes a seat to join them. Some noodles hanging from his face, the teen sucks them up into his mouth and swallows completely. "Mmm.. Nom. Tasty stuff. Can't beat ramen with mixed vegies, that's for sure." With Satomi commenting quite thoughtfully, the Chuunin shakes his head a little bit. "I...hm. It's difficult to explain. I can either be sad and affected by it, or I could move on with life. I'm alive, fine and well. That's all that matters now, right? The medical ninja who saved me though was Koga. If you wana thank anyone, probably be good to thank him. He's... not a Konoha shinobi. Just some wanderer from who-knows where. But he's working at the Konoha hospital, I'm told. Not much of a fighter. Wicked good healer though." Feeling her steady gaze on his form, Goh quirks a brow a little bit, peering over at her carefully. "Er... everything alright over there, Satomi? Not enough vegies?" "Haha, indeed! True men of the world eat pickled vegies. Speaking of... Old man! Another bowl." Watching as its prepared, he tilts his head a little. "So... exactly why are you guys around here, anyways? Helping to rebuild the city?"

Lita would bow towards Koba as he welcomed the girl and dismissed her mistaken identity making her a bit more at ease with the crowd. She does however feel dejected by Satomi as she didn't respond to her, but leaves it be as she sips on her tea and listens to everything people at the table had to say. As Goh was the talkative one, she decided to move in on Tsihiro as he was being very quiet at this point and asks, "So....you like pickled veggies too like these guys or do you have a more sophisticated taste for the finer things?" Her eyes piercing through to him as she stared and moved in a fashion to entice him to answer her questions. When her mizu soup and dumplings arrived, she would eat one of the dumplings and look back to the boy awaiting an answer from him.

The reed hatted nin maintained his quiet demeanor for now, and slurped on his noodles. A green glint from underneath his hat might be seen by someone, in the shape of an iris. Some light from far off maybe reflecting perfectly off his emerald orb that was closest to the group at the counter-association. Slurp. "Goh, how long until you are back in full service?" He finaly asks.

The reed hatted nin maintained his quiet demeanor for now, and slurped on his noodles. A green glint from underneath his hat might be seen by someone, in the shape of an iris. Some light from far off maybe reflecting perfectly off his emerald orb that was closest to the group at the counter-association. Slurp. "Goh, how long until you are back in full service?" He finaly asks. When Lita approaches him, he maintains that silence once more, but can't help but have to be a gentleman and at least answer her question. "Mm, can't say I really ever liked them too much." he mumbles, waiting for Goh to go on a pickled veggie extravaganza rampage and maybe shove one down his throat later for that comment, but whatever! "I prefer some garlic, seafood, spices and herbs. Not too much into putting everything healthy I eat into vinegar to rot for a week." Oh yeah, that would do it to piss off Goh. But, he didn't mean to piss off his fellow konoha nin, he just offered his opinion on the foods he liked and didn't like. He remembers trying some one time, and his stomach turns. Ahh, garlic honey noodles to fix that, and he slurps up another bite.

Satomi smiles bashfully, "Oh... I'm fine." She says, rather demurely, and finishes her water. That done, she slides out of her chair, and gives a little bow to the others. "It was very pleasant to meet all of you, I'm sure. I shall have to see about meeting this amazing doctor... but, for tonight, I think I am done. I am tired and I have been working for a very long time. I need to get some sleep."

The young miko then simply... leaves. She had arranged for a small room in a local guest house, and the bed there was calling to her. It had been a very long day, after all, with a lot of lessons learned, and much of the feel of the village already experienced.

If things kept up any longer, Koba was sure to be victim of a bowl of ramen littered with pickled vegetables. He was already pushing the needle on full for his stomach, and he wouldn't be able to stomach another bite... along with the noxious smell of vinegar and garlic filling the air. It was enough to knock out a small child probably. "Words of the truly wise, lad!" Koba would say in regards to real men eating pickled vegetables. Poor Goh, must have been so excited by meeting another avid entrepeneur of pickled goods that he had missed out on why they were here. Though he didn't quite spell it out for him, he had thought it was hint enough. "Ah, well. Many of us here are workers, carpenters and construction workers and the like. We were contracted out to come help with the rebuilding of Konoha after the unfortunate attack that occured. So, here we are. Doing our part, however small." explaining this to those who were around him and were listening to his rather unavoidable voice. With his meal done, and people departing, it was probably a good time for Koba to also depart. It was getting late afterall. Dragging himself off his stool, the burly carpenter approaches Goh, and applies a firm pat to the man's shoulder. "It was an honor meeting such a manly shinobi such as yourself lad. Remain strong!" he says all fiery eyed, "It's time for me to head on out. Unlike you young folk, I need all the rest I can get so that I can work hard the next day." he says with a nod, offering a wave to those who were still behind before following after Satomi not long after.

With a new bowl of ramen arriving, Goh chows down. "Oh yeaahhh! Tasty. You have no idea how much I've looked forward to this since being buried. Super tasty, that much is sure." Nomnomnom. With Lita not paying much attention to him, he of course doesn't share much attention to her. But his ears flicker a little teensy bit at the mention of fine foods. "I'll have you know," Goh begins, his mouth full of ramen. "That there is no food finer in all the world!" Probably not very convincing with noodles and pickled celery hanging past his lips. And indeed, the rank smell of it does little to instill confidence. "Hm?" A lean back gives him a better view of Tsihiro. "I'm actually back in the game now, but I quit the ANBU corps. So I do normal missions starting from yesterday. No more ANBU missions though. Sort of.. uh, a bit too dangerous for me. That, and I sort of let it slip when I thought I was gonna die. Heh. Why do you ask?" Conveniently, he doesn't seem to hear what Tsihiro has to say. Must be lucky! With the people starting to depart, Goh nods enthusiastically. "Ooou! I'll have a bowl for you as well, old man!" A big toothy grin, before he slides off the stool. "...man, I gotta run to the bathroom." And with this, he makes his leave as well. "Nice seeing you again, Tsihiro. And meeting you, random girl!" And with this, he departs. Maybe he's planning to go for a long time?