Scene #665: A Nogitsune And A Drunk Walk Into A Bar

Owner	Pose
Kagenashi	The festival at Dun Realtai was wonderful. A pleasant atmosphere brought about by the villagers' efforts, friends meeting and enjoying one another's company, and even the peaceful weather and nature's surroundings. There is little anyone would seem to be left wanting from such a gathering. Kagenashi, for whatever reason, chose to seek peace from that festival. After obtaining a brief dance from Bedivere and some minor discussion, she vanished, disappearing into the keep. The sounds of celebration still echo against the stones, and her slow, winding path leads throughout the keep as she makes her way to her room. Still dressed in her black yukata with various jewelry of agate magatama beads, she thinks of little but her wish for distance, for relief. When she finds her door, her eyes close and a weary sigh falls from her lips... When she next opens her eyes after pushing through the door, the nogitsune finds herself not in her room, but...at the Bar and Grill at the Edge of the Multiverse. Silver eyes widen in surprise, then confusion. She looks around as if trying to get her bearings, then, when it settles in that she's definitely /not/ in Dun Realtai anymore, she makes a quick turn to the door just behind her. Surely this must be some kind of mistake...
Shizune Nakamura	Shizune Nakamura, meanwhile, is seeking not peace, but food. Her past week or so has been trying, and while she isn't yet a hundred percent recovered, she is close enough that she felt willing to interact more directly in dojo today. The experience took a lot out of her, though, and in the aftermath of it, the newly-minted Legal Adult(tm) is simply hungry. Very hungry. She had planned to return home and fix something for herself following dojo, but when she steps through her front door and into the entryway of the Bar and Grill at the Edge of the Multiverse, Shizune is given pause. "...oh. Well. I suppose this will..." Her murmured words to herself die on her lips, as the woman in front of her turns around, and the young woman finds herself face-to-face with Kagenashi. "...work," she finishes. Her expression grows much more guarded and neutral, but even through that, Kagenashi can likely see the signs of someone just getting over the kind of illness that leaves you miserable in bed for most of a week.
Kagenashi	Kagenashi abruptly freezes when she turns around just in time to see Shizune, of all people, standing in front of the door she just entered through. Her surprise is only briefly apparent on her expression before it's swiftly replaced with that enforced look of neutral calm, tinted only slightly by what seems to be a light furrow of agitation in her brow. The nogitsune simply stares at Shizune in silence for a few moments. Her fingers curl slightly at her sides, the only other gesture of apparent tension she allows through her defensive mask. Silver eyes briefly flit over Shizune's form, looking the young woman over as if appraising the situation. Finally, she takes in a slow breath and releases it just as carefully through her nostrils before she speaks in a murmur. Her words do not come with anger, but perhaps only a slight tinge of weariness. "...Nakamura. I was not expecting to run into you here. Or to arrive here in the first place, I admit." A pause, then another glance. "You do not look terribly well."
Shizune Nakamura	Shizune is just as quiet and just as tense as Kagenashi, but when body language begins to make it apparent that neither side is going to actually /start/ a fight, she relaxes a little, and lets out a vaguely exasperated sigh. "I'm not really used to being sick," she admits. "It doesn't happen often at all. I suppose I'm bad at hiding it." She turns and looks behind herself, realizing they're both still standing in the doorway, and then steps to one side, making room. Well, if Kagenashi's going to be civil... "Is this your first time ending up here? This place has a tendency to surprise you a little when it pulls you in."
Kagenashi	"A result of whatever it is you did to me the other day, I suppose?" The nogitsune's arms lift, crossing over her chest. She steps aside once Shizune does, but her gaze flits over to the door and remains there, as if she would rather be heading in that direction than staying here. But a youkai's pride is a stubborn thing. Silver eyes glance back at Shizune when the girl questions her. Kagenashi remains civil, but she doesn't seem quite willing to relax at the moment. "Yes. I have had the good fortune so far to avoid finding myself here." Her frown grows slightly more apparent. "...I was on the way to my room in Dun Realtai, and ended up here somehow. Strange that our fortune should cause us to both arrive simultaneously." A quiet, tired sigh slips from between her lips as she looks down at Shizune. She really doesn't seem to have the energy to remain standoffish right now. "I assume you came for food. Is that correct? That is what I hear other people arrive here for, at least."
Shizune Nakamura	Shizune doesn't confirm or deny; it's fairly obvious regardless, but as long as she leaves even a little wiggle room of doubt, it makes her trump card's drawbacks just a little bit more uncertain to exploit. Instead, she opts to answer the nogitsune's other question, with a faint nod of the head. "That's correct, yes. You can get here by wanting to in specific, or simply by walking through a door while particularly hungry, as I understand it. I've been here a couple of times before myself." She leans against the wall, and glances out at the floor. "And given the workout I just had, I've got to keep my strength up, so I'm not particularly inclined to leave, either."
Kagenashi	That lack of an answer doesn't go unnoticed. Later, Kagenashi will probably ponder it and mull over the likelihood of whether it could be a silent confirmation or a silent denial, but for now, she simply listens to Shizune. Tactical considerations can wait for later. The statement she gets is not one she's particularly pleased by, but it's not one she can object to, either. She's not going to leave just because Shizune refuses to. Her pride simply wouldn't allow it. "...then I suppose we will have to be civil to each other for the evening, will we not? I hope your hunger allows you to manage that much." The nogitsune turns away with that, striding along toward the bar. Predicting what she may need to help her get through this evening, she takes a seat at one of the stools and orders a bottle of warm sake. Her hands fold in her lap as she sits upright, forcing her normal posture of strength and regality as she waits for her drink. It's almost defiant, the way she sits.
Shizune Nakamura	"My pride in my skills as a diplomat allows me to manage that much," Shizune replies with just a hint of defensiveness. But then she blows out a soft sigh. "Though I suppose after last week my pride has suffered more than a little bit of a wound." She finds herself following along with Kagenashi, surprising herself as much as anyone else, although when she slides into her seat next to the nogitsune, her order is a more simple bowl of ramen, the sort of thing one might get at a cart on the street in Tokyo. While she waits for her food, she is quiet for several seconds, before she finds herself speaking, to her own great surprise. "...I'm sorry that last week came to what it did. I consider it a failure on my part."
Kagenashi	Shizune is afforded a brief, wary glance when she settles in next to Kagenashi. The woman in black doesn't seem interested in sparking the conversation once again herself, however; her gaze returns ahead, and soon enough the sake is brought to her with a small cup...just as Shizune surprises her with those next words. Confusion flits over Kagenashi's visage again. She turns her head toward Shizune, watching the young woman curiously and thoughtfully for a few lingering moments. "Do not be foolish, little one." When her murmured words come, they hold no anger or insult; indeed, it may almost sound like Kagenashi is simply giving serene advice. She falls silent again for as long as it takes her silver gaze to settle on her cup and for her to steadily pour her drink into it. "You did what was needed to protect that which you cherished. You were not naive enough to believe your allies would arrive in time to spare whatever damage may be caused, you knew that you required greater strength to defeat me, and you were willing to embrace a last resort for the good of those who trusted you. If anything, that is to be admired." The nogitsune cradles her cup in her hands, then takes a slow sip of the warm liquid before lowering it again with a steady breath. She isn't entirely sure why, but she continues, though her voice has lowered somewhat, almost as if she were speaking to herself. "...my failure was allowing that sword to affect me as it did. For a time, my control was lost, and that is on my shoulders."
Shizune Nakamura	"...so that's what that look was," Shizune murmurs, just loud enough to be heard. "I don't remember much from that night. But I remember the look on your face at the end." She doesn't say more than that. Then again, she doesn't really need to. "But no. Not the specific instance. I'm sorry that it came to that at all. I'm sorry that I pushed you that far. I realized that I lost sight of my own nature. I'm a diplomat. A negotiator. My skill is in finding common ground. I should be looking to stop fights from ever happening, not win them. Regardless of my natural talents, or whether or not I have a taste for using them, my first goal should always be to understand both my friends and my enemies, and look for the solution without bloodshed."
Kagenashi	Mentioning Kagenashi's expression that night brings a slow, brooding frown to the nogitsune's face. She says nothing on the subject, but in that look it's clear enough that she resents something like that coming through at all. Her cup and the hands that cradle it rest on the bar, and her eyes stare into the gently rippling liquid inside as she considers Shizune's next words. "...and what, precisely, makes you think you can understand me, or that it would be worthwhile? Do you know how long I have lived, and how many people in that time have truly known anything about me? Have I given you any reason to believe that a solution to the problem I present can be stopped without bloodshed? It is a wise option, but I doubt its effectiveness." The vixen gives a soft, vague sound before taking another sip of her drink. "...if you truly wish to attempt that, little one, then go ahead. I cannot promise that it will be worthwhile."
Shizune Nakamura	Shizune sits back for a moment; her food arrives, and she takes the bowl in hand, but doesn't eat. She considers her answer, quietly. "I don't know if I can. I don't know if it would be worth the effort. I don't know if, in your long lifetime, anyone has ever tried, and if so how many of them have failed. It may be that nothing I learn about you will help me, and nothing I can say will help you. But I wouldn't be myself if I didn't try. And I feel as if having to resort to overwhelming, crushing power to defeat you, means that I've already failed in being the person I should strive to be." She sits back, and finally takes food up in her chopsticks. "And besides, I'm still not old enough for alcohol. It's not really proper for me to be getting completely drunk to fight."
Kagenashi	A small, faint smile curves Kagenashi's lips. Her eyes drift closed, and the next breath she gives is a slow, steady sigh of almost meditative relaxation. "Your determination is commendable. For your age, you gave greater conviction than many. It is an admirable trait, though I cannot guarantee it will not end up causing you further problems in the future. But...then again, can any mindset truly avoid that?" Her expression softens slowly, tension beginning to leave her form. She looks strangely peaceful now, a remarkable fact under the circumstances. "It is one of many points of pride I hold in myself that few, if any, have managed to learn much about me. It will be a great effort, perhaps even a battle in itself, for I will not grant understanding freely." Silver eyes crack open again, glancing sidelong to Shizune. "...and what if it turned out that you were the one who ended up being helped by me? Could your conviction endure that?"
Shizune Nakamura	"Well, it might be a blow to my pride," Shizune replies. "But no situation that allows me to learn about myself or grow as a person will do anything but strengthen my convictions. You have to understand that I'm willing to admit when I'm wrong, and change my conclusions with new evidence. We can't become better people if we keep stubbornly clinging to the wrong answer, and that's something that's universal." She's making her way through her food pretty well, despite the fact she's talking. There's more than a little practice there.
Kagenashi	"You have already demonstrated that rather well," Kagenashi remarks, looking back at her cup as she refills it with the bottle's contents. "I suppose you are more sensible than I imagined at first. Being willing to sit at an enemy's table and tell them that you were wrong without losing sight of your own opinions is a strong enough mark in itself." The cup is lifted again, so Kagenashi can take another slow, relaxed sip. "So how, then, might you go about attempting to understand? Your options appear to be rather limited."
Shizune Nakamura	Shizune's lips curl into a little smile. "/That/ would be telling. And I know better than to give you a chance to make my life harder." She sets her bowl down, half-finished, and calls for a glass of water before continuing. "But suffice it to say, I'm a good student. I do my homework, and I prefer to learn the basics on my own and then ask the teacher more advanced questions. I'm also not so crass as to start here and now. I believe both of us are still reeling from last week, and neither of us came here to do any soul-searching or self-reflection."
Kagenashi	A soft sound of amusement escapes Kagenashi, echoed by the light smirk that curves her lips. "Clever, little one." Her head lifts, then, staring across the bar in absentminded thought. "...yes, you would be correct in that regard. You are fortunate; rest has found you in the time since that event. I have been rather busy since then, myself." Her smirk fades, then, softening her expression to something more neutral. Her voice grows softer, too, almost distant. "But...if all goes well, soon that work will come to fruition. It is just a matter of time..."
Shizune Nakamura	Her food finished, Shizune sets down her bowl, and payment next to it. "I won't say something melodramatic like 'not if I can help it' or 'you'll have to go through me first'. But we do stand on opposite sides of the battlefield, and I'm sure you know to expect opposition from me by now." Finally, the girl stands... but pauses, for just a moment. "...What was I like? There's no video from that evening, and I'm so drunk when I use that ability that I don't remember much of it. I have no idea what my Drunken Fist looks like, or how I behave. And Sayuri wouldn't tell me about the latter."
Kagenashi	Kagenashi just smiles softly and gives a brief shake of her head. Nothing is said on the matter of opposition, but the nogitsune can't help but feel amused by it. Some things never change. She finally looks over at the girl once again, turning her head to regard Shizune. Her silver eyes gleam as she considers her answer, mulling over exactly how to describe Shizune's transformation. "...you held the strength of an oni," she finally replies, "with the demeanor to match. It is not a state I would wish to encounter you in again, if I could help it. Use it wisely."
Shizune Nakamura	Shizune closes her eyes for a moment, and lets a soft sigh out. "I managed to go over two years without, you know. And it was only the third time I've ever done it. Hopefully you can see why I avoid it if I can help it." She turns, and offers a polite bow to Kagenashi. "Thank you for your company. I should be heading home now, though. My parents should be back from their night out soon."
Kagenashi	Kagenashi's gaze doesn't shift away this time. Thoughtful curiosity gleams in her eyes as she watches Shizune, considering the young girl before her. Whatever thoughts come to her aren't voiced, however. "Yes. I can certainly see why." A respectful nod of her head is offered to Shizune in response to that bow, though she is still not quite certain what to make of it. This whole evening has been more than unusual. "...take care of them, Nakamura," the nogitsune replies. "And yourself. Such conviction is something to be cherished." Even once Shizune leaves, Kagenashi remains on her own, quietly drinking and considering the night's events. Quick of mind though she is, it may take her quite some time to settle on what her feelings should be. Strange how simple everything used to be.