Shopping for a new team.

[sada]

It was a bright, sunny morning. The skies where calm and only a few cotton ball clouds where in sight. Sada wished fleetingly that her day would match the weather. This was the perfect time to be training and practicing for the up coming exams. Not wandering around with her ice queen of a sister, looking for their missing third team mate. She glanced over at her forced companion and the frown only seemed to grow stronger.

"You had better not get us lost..." Sada growled, crossing her arms over her chest. It was starting to get a little breezy, and Sada took a few calming breaths. Naara was carrying the picture of their quarry and the directions to where they where supposed to meet him. Sada leaned over, purposefully closer then manners qualified, and plucked the photo from her sister's finger's.

"So this is him?" she commented, looking less then pleased. What he looked like was really all either of them knew. Even his country of origin was a mystery. "And they're sure its a boy?" Sada muttered, more to herself. "Looks kind of scrawny if you ask me." she held the picture out to Naara and tried reaching for the other paper. Their 'directions' consisted entirely of a small scrap of paper with a street address on it. 'If I didn't know any better, I'd say this was a test.' Sada thought. It was unlikely, but it made her feel better thinking that this time spent wandering around actually meant something.

[lucia]

Naara rolled her eyes at her sister's pestering. Sada was no good with directions, but with her none stop questions and comments were starting to wear the younger sibling's patience thin. Ignoring the threat Sada spat at her, Naara looked around the bustling street. On either side was a wall of shops, each one guarded by the shop keeper, their stony glances beating down on any nin that passed by.

Caught glaring coolly back at them, Naara was off guard when Sada leaned over and snatched the photo from her hand. Huffing to herself and crossing her arms, Naara rolled her eyes yet again before speeding up her pace. The directions they had been given were vague, but the restaurant they were to meet their new team member in wasn't the hardest to find. It was well known to the locals. Though it's humble outer appearance told nothing of what truly went on inside, many a ninja sought refuge in it's walls.

Looking back as she stopped in front of the shop, Naara spoke just above a whisper to her sister. "Appearances mean very little. If anything, you should be more worried about his skills, dear sister." She said, snapping the picture back. "This is it. Let's go get a seat." Briskly passing through the entrance, Naara was at once greeted by the thick smell of smoke and sweat. A light haze rested over the heads in the room, and the constant chatter of people mixed with the clatter of plates made an ambience the younger Tomoyo was all too familiar with. Looking around, there weren't many tables left open, but with some jostling around of other patrons, they would fit. "Hurry up, Sada."

[Aize Seikeimannen]

Aize had been contacted a while ago informing him that since this year the chuunin exams were going to be held in a somewhat different manner he was being teamed up with two complete strangers... he wasn’t even told weather they knew each other.
He had been given vague directions and a description of them... but after some legwork by his staff he was presented with more detail.
He was to meet at a restaurant... how embarrassing, it was a good thing that he had send messengers ahead and with a little persuasion and some ryou he had managed to reserve himself and his team mates a better table, one where they might be able to speak in peace and quite.

Aize had arrived a few hours early and was standing at the far side of the room, looking a little out of place while most people were moving or seated.
He decided to do this entirely without his staff. He stood and stared at people while he waited, looking for anyone that fitted the bill of his teammates in case they were as early as he was.
It was then that he looked up at the two new entrants to the room, they pretty much fitted the bill, there was some inaccuracy but nothing that could not be put down to his misunderstanding or incompetent staff.

He raised his left arm and motioned with his hand for them to come over, he wasn’t sure if they saw him but he would wait for a minute or two before actually calling them over.

[sada]

Sada had opened her mouth to fire back an insult at Naara when a movement caught her eye. 'Of course he's already here.' she thought, snapping her teeth shut. Sada just stared at the boy for a moment, the only other one standing still in the busy eatery besides them. She knew love at first sight was impossible, but Sada wasn't entirely against hate at first sight. 'Well,' she amended in her head, a little smirk pulling across her lips before she remembered to keep her expression cool. 'Maybe just dislike. For now.'

She glanced over at her sister, Naara looked blank as usual. Taking an unexpected comfort from this, Sada quelled her nerves. He was a kid no older then either of them, so she shouldn't be getting nervous about crossing the room to go talk to him. Even if he did look much more confident then she ever felt at the best of times. But Sada still felt a little scared. 'If worst comes to worst, I can take him!' she thought, promising herself to not hold back if this well dressed kid decided to get an attitude.

So with her emotions under a firm thumb, Sada began to make her way through the people to get to the table. She wrapped only slightly sweaty fingers around her sisters wrist to pull her after. 'I am not holding her hand.' Sada kept repeating in her head. But despite her denials, the contact with something so familiar made her feel better and calm down. "Dammit." Sada cursed under her breath as they both came to a stop before their new team mate. After a moment of silence, Sada couldn't take it any more. "So, you're it huh?" her tone was less then excited and her eyes went up and down his figure. And not finding what they where looking for.

[lucia]

Naara scoffed quietly at her sister's nervous air. How immature. She thought, frowning slightly as Sada cursed. What thoroughly disturbed the younger sibling, however, is when the older grabbed her wrist. Sada's palms were sweaty, and Naara's frown deepened underneath her wraps as she was then dragged along. To think she keeps up such a tough outer appearance. It's a shame she's so pathetic under that facade. Her thoughts cleared the instant a gust blew a halo of clear air around the pair. Though as she avoided getting frustrated inside her own mind, Naara's voice was filled the brim with venom as they approached the pompous looking boy. "Let go."

Snapping her hand back from the more emotional Tomoyo, Naara's bi-eyes looked with disinterest at the person they had been scheduled to meet. "I apologize for my sister. Manners are a vague language to her." Looking their new teammate over, Naara assumed from his clothes and the way he carried himself that the boy was of wealthy blood. A spoiled brat, are we? Naara's thoughts traveled to her own clan. They were of lower class origins, but had fought their way to just below the noble class level. Her gaze turned cold as the kunoichi thought of how this boy had to work for his place. We'll see how useful this pompous boy is soon enough.

[Aize Seikeimannen]

He flinched a little at the crassness of the older looking of the two as she questioned his worthiness as a partner, but it was to be expected. He allowed it to drop and continued to listen, he was pleasantly relieved that his other partner had at least a small amount of common sense and civility, well as far as he could tell from face value anyway.
He had always been taught that when you meet new people to always be respectful not matter how uncivil they seemed at first, and with this thought fresh in his mind and ignoring the social fop a the elder of the two had stumbled face first into he introduced himself with a bow.
” Good afternoon..., it is indeed a pleasure to meet you both and i look forward to working with you, my name is Aize Seikeimannen heir to the Seikeimannen legacy” Not that they would know what that was, but once he had finished his almost rehearsed introduction he stood up and beckoned them to follow him to one of the quieter rooms upstairs, not waiting to see if they followed him right away he walked towards the stairs. He knew they would probably be suspicious of him for the first little while, it was only natural in these troubled times.

[sada]

Sada gritted her teeth and refrained from saying anything. Barely. She's only just met the kid and already she wanted to smack him one. If they where just team mates then why was he using such a polite and distant tone? 'He had better not turn out like that one.' she thought, following quietly up the steps. Although, if his cloths and stuffy manners weren't just airs Aize put on, and he really was a well off as he acted... Sada smirked a little. Maybe this wouldn't be such a bad thing. After all, many an allegiance had been forged for less.

But Sada was getting ahead of herself. There wasn't any point in getting her hopes up when she could very well be unable to stand him. Her brow wrinkled a little at the thought. It could get a little exhausting, being angry all the time. 'Not that I get any help either way.' Sada thought, glancing over her shoulder at Naara following, obedient as ever, behind her.

"So, where exactly are you taking us?" she asked, trying not to sound too terribly suspicious. Sada tried to keep in mind what her sister had said about manners being a foreign language to her. As much as it galled her to admit that maybe, maybe Naara had a point, Sada wanted to prove her point even less.

[lucia]

As their new teammate, Aize, introduced himself, Naara thought to the legacy his family supposedly held. She remembered hearing of them, though only for a brief moment. It was true they were wealthy, but Naara was left unsure of their capabilities outside of the economic and political circle. It left her awkwardly unaware. Though as they ascended the staircase, she put what little faith she had in the silver haired boy.

Staring passively at the back of Sada's head as she took up the rear, Naara stifled a snort of disgust as her sister's prying tone blatantly flaunted her suspicion of Aize. Though it must have been more subtle to those around, to Naara, having lived with Sada her entire life, it spilled what one can not see through her eyes out into the air. Naara knew what each minute change in the tone of her voice meant. It came naturally, as even the slightest shift in Sada's emotion could bring disaster to anyone in the area. Rounding out at the top of the stairs, the younger sister waited for further direction.

((I apologize now for my crap post. My muse is playing a cruel game of hide and seek with me...Also explains the ridiculous wait for a reply.))

[Aize Seikeimannen]

(( Its no problem please don’t feel you have to apologise ))


Aize was a mere half way up the stairs when he was again verbally assaulted by questions, he decided to continue to the top of the stairs before answering her.
As both Sada and Naara reached the top of the stairs he glanced up the hall and down the stairs behind the girls and finely when he was confident the coast was clear he turned to them, now that he was out of ear shot of everyone but his target audience he began to talk.
“ I have procured us a room, a private room where we will not be disturbed i have made sure of it, once inside we may discus all that needs to be discussed along with getting to know one another and of course sampling the finest food money can buy” With that he smiled and whistled sharply in two distinct tones, from the door closest to he came a serving girl from the restaurant.” i would like you to listen closely, i will give you enough Ryou to retire on if you will take these fine girls orders and fetch us what they request from the best cook and supplier in the village” He said in a slightly harsher but still not unpleasant tone to the girl, he then smiled seeing the look on her face, it had gone from irritancy to confusion and through most stages of shock and had now landed on gleeful disbelief... well it did when he pulled out one of his bank books and showed her the string of numbers. She took the book and bowed, ” Ladies first “ he said motioning to the serving girl to take their orders, He wasn’t hungry... he needed little sustenance because of his legacy. Once he was happy that she would take their orders he entered the room she was preparing and awaited the girls to order and follow... unless this display of blatant disregard for moral value had put them off

[sada]

To say that Sada was taken aback by Aize's actions was perhaps a bit of an understatement. 'Nearly blown out of the water' was closer to what she was feeling. As the boy had passed the serving girl his bank book, she'd gotten a brief glance at the numbers inside. No wonder the waitress had looked so smug.

"I'll wave water." Sada said bluntly, her mind going a little blank. Anything she wanted? How much did a hit man run for these days. But with her chance lost, the serving girl moved on to Naara, looking a little predatory. After all, the sooner she got their orders the sooner she could retire at the rip old age of sixteen.

Sada moved out of the hall way and into the room. A low table was set for three, sitting pillows arranged around three of it's sides. From below the much softened noise of the busy restaurant floated through the floor. It wasn't annoying at such a low volume, more like pleasant back ground noise. Despite herself, Sada felt her shoulders relax a bit and she took a seat at the table.

((Blargh. The writer's block is catching. ))