Open for Business

It seemed like a day like any other but Camile was more lighthearted than usual. Despite the fact she worked in a pharmacy, due to her affinity to tea, everyone called it the 'tea shop' because to those outside the oriental community, the name of the shop was confusing. Sukoyaka Myou literally meant "healthy life" and was the creation of the Dr. Osaka, who actually owned the building. The place had been around a long time but didn't really become so popular until Taru started bringing in more exotic offerings. Perhaps everything she did wasn't always above board but she did her best to not get in trouble.

She was supposed to have a private tea tasting that night with a gentleman she met previously and she had to admit she was more than a little excited about it. One of the things she added to the place was two small tables and some chairs so people could have a sip of her teas. After preparing the shop for business, she puts on the water and waits for someone to grace her with their presence.

A clicking noise on the ground could be heard. As a visage stood in the distance, his pockets in his pants humming a tune. His deep blue eyes hiding behind the dark thin shades on his face. Black trench coat extended to his ankles with straps on the side hanging. A sleek silver tie with a white shirt and a full on black shirt with a deep rich colour. His jaw making a circular motion ravaging the gum in his mouth. His leather pants constricting to his muscular calves. He'd come across the "Tea Shop" he heard about so much. He'd briskly pushing his forearm against the door opening it. Quickly shifting his eyes scanning the area. Forcing his weight foward to make a powerful ackknowledged entrance. His semi-long white/silver dangling side to side. His Gold Desert Eagle with a .50 Caliber Barrel and a leather gripped handle tucked in his pants but purely visible.

She watched the man enter and she perked up, standing from the stool she was seated upon.

"Hi, can I help you? Or would you just like to look around a bit?"

Her eyes fell to his belt where his gun was located and her fingers twitched a bit. She had always wanted to shoot a gun but never really had the chance. She comes around the counter and approaches him, her hands clasping each other gently.

"Do you like tea? I just put some water on a bit ago. I could get you some if you would like."

She stands there quietly, awaiting his answer.

He would remove his sun glasses and put them in the his shirt picket. He didn't respond to her first question. He watched her eyes fall to his belt. He'd quickly pull out his gun quickly holding out his gun by the handle resting in his palm. The gun weight at 13.4 Pounds and place it on the counter table.

" Wanna fire it?"

He would have a grin on his face looking her straight in the eyes. The golden gun would shine on the counter table,

" I will have some tea, Jasmine Tea will be fine... "
He'd sit on the stool resting his soft butt on the stool. Cracking his back throwing his jacket on another stool pulling out an Automatic Rifle AK-47, " Or you can have a go at this? " his grin becoming even bigger.

She jumps, startling a bit when he draws his gun so readily.

"Oh! My goodness. I must say, that's a fine looking piece."

Her hands run over her hips as if to wipe sweaty palms as she stares at the. She looks at him then tentatively reaches out and touches the gun's handle. She was excited at the prospect of shooting a handgun such as this but when he pulled out the larger gun, her knees got positively weak. She is quiet for a long moment then cleared her throat.

"Yes...Jasmine. Let me go get that for you. I have some fresh flowers, I must get them from the back."

As she walked away from the counter, she watched the handgun as if it would walk away if she didn't return soon. Coming back, she held a few delicate stems in her hand. The fragrance of the jasmine pervaded the room and she smiled, waving them about to intensify. She plucked a few blossoms and dropped them into a cup. Soon this was followed by some other flavorings with dried leaves and lastly, the hot water. She was hoping he wasn't teasing her and her mind was searching, trying to think of a good place to go shooting.

It had been quite a long walk. But alas, his desired location had came into view. Kyo knew the owner of the spot very well, having performed countless successful deals in the past with her. He ignored the many comments of the city dwellers, for they- aforementioned comments- meant nothing to him. He didn't care if he was seen with this controlled substance; there was nothing anyone could do to him. He had arrived at the Sukoyaka Myou establishment, and proceeded to push the door open before he entered.

"Special delivery for one Taru!"

His voice rang out inside the room, letting anyone who hadn't noticed him to... well, notice him. He pressed himself towards the nearest empty chair, placing the rucksack at his feet and crossing his arms over his chest. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a dry hankerchief and began to mop up the sweat that was lingering on his forehead. It was rather hot outside. Kyo was glad to have slipped into the comforts of an air conditioned building.

She perked up immediately when she heard his voice. He was one of the main reasons the doctor's mother didn't approve of Taru very much. It was because she, as a young single female with no mother, had friends with single men of dubious occupations. She does a little skip and proclaims,

"Yo Kyo! Do you just want a surprise today?"

He was one of the best customers who would try almost any tea she got in...even the most foul ones. No matter, he would always at least try.

"What say you? My choice?"

She grinned cutely, the excitement evident in her eyes.

The city was loud--too loud for his tastes, and the noises ate away at his ears like maggots devouring flesh. How could people stand this!? There were too many people, too many noises, and far too many buildings and not enough flowers and trees. But, he had to tell himself, this was how so much of the world had been before his time in his homeland; vast cities and roads covering the planet and smothering out life. Before the Beasts came.

Something caught his attention and brought him out of his memories: the softest smell of herbs and the like. A subtle sliver of nature in this city seemed like heaven, and he followed the fleeting scent down the street to a large establishment--Sukoyaka Myou. With a subtle glance around the area, he slipped inside quietly, enjoying the coolness and the lack of noise. A few of the occupants of the building glanced around in curiousity and seemed to stare for a long moment. They all wore city clothing, whereas he merely wore a tribal sash-like garment that hung from waist to knees and decent covering underneath. A bare chest and a shoulder covered in a large tattoo, a bow and arrows on his back, and a large knife on his hip. He looked quite out of place indeed...but the smell of this place was very different from the city. He liked it.

Kyo had always been Taru's tester- regardless of the fact that they, the blends, were sometimes a little too bitter for his taste. Either way, he pushed himself to his feet, strolling over to Taru with his rucksack over his shoulder. Man this was a heavy load. He was surprised he had managed to walk this far with all the weight pressing down onto his shoulder.

"Of course I will. Mind you, the last one was a bit rough on my stomach. Might have been a reaction; I'm not sure."

His mouth watered at the thought of some tea. After all, he had just traveled a long way to get here. And his mouth, before being told he would be testing tea, had been dry the entire way.

"Hit me with the best blend you have."

"Will do! I think you will like this one!"

She always said that yet didn't realize she always said that. No one could like every single Tea Taru would have but she thought they would. She didn't hear anyone enter as she was busy preparing the tea for her friend and soft tinkling sounds could be heard from behind an ornately carved room divider. As she came out carrying the tea, she began to extol it's virtues.

"I just got this in! This is a tightly rolled, panfired leaf from Asia and is called gunpowder green. It is touted to produce a sweet, mellow brew. 'Specially good for those looking for a basic green tea for health benefits. The man who brought it to me, a very short, dark man, said that it is popular in Morocco blended with fresh spearmint, cardamom, cinnamon and honey. I have all of it here!"

Her voice trails off a bit when she sees Z but she recovers nicely.

"Hello there! I have plenty here for two. Would you like to try some?"

Extending an arm out towards the tray, he took a single cup and wrapped his lips around the rim of it. Tilting the cup back, he poured the liquids into his mouth. It tasted rather good. Taru had definitely out done herself this time. He swished the liquids around in his mouth, savoring the flavor.

"Taru... this is really good. Do you think you can have some delivered to my farm?"

Kyo's lips curled back into a friendly smile. The thought of having some tasty tea in the morning seemed excellent. No doubt, his partner Rei would most likely approve. But back to business.

"I come with an idea."

He bend down towards the rucksack, pulling out one of the two blocks of marijuana and holding it in front of Taru's face. Of course, the stuff was green- the purple hairs could not be seen for they were concealed inside of the box. But if one was to break off a piece, they would surely find the purple haze.

"A new tea... a blend with marijuana. I call it 'potty.' Get it? Pot-Tea."

Kyo chuckled to himself, amused by his own sense of humor... even if it wasn't very extensive.

Soft tinkling sounds met his ears, drawing his curiosity for a moment and he turned his gaze to seek out the origin. There, and as well the sweet smell of some blend of tea invaded his nose and took root; wonderous indeed. For a moment he was unsure whether to seek out this drink and try it, or to simply try and ignore it alltogether.

He got his answer soon enough, when the woman who had made the brew invited him to try some for himself. A moment of hesitation tugged at his mind--poison, death, killing--flashed through his mind. But this was not war anymore; this was life. There were no people here that hated Naturals--let alone knew of them, he reminded himself, and so he flashed a subtle smile; he was careful not to show the finely tapered fangs in his mouth.

"Why yes, thank you," he responded quietly, making his way across the small distance to the others, nodding in greeting to the other man, casting yet another subtle smile in their direction as he extended a hand to take a cup of tea from the tray. He lifted it to his lips and let the liquid slide into his mouth; an explosion of sweet flavor attacked his taste buds and he savored it for a long moment before letting it slide down the back of his throat. "Wonderful..." he murmured to no one in particular.

She was extremely pleased they both liked the teas and was almost giddy. She turned her triumphant gaze upon Kyo and said.

"I told you that you would like it."

After turning her head in mock haughtiness away from her friend, she smiled warmly at Z and nodded.

"If you like, there are some fruit biscuits on the counter just over there. If you would like to help yourself and look around, I need to get an order together here for my friend."

She turned back to Kyo and began asking him questions about how much he would like and if he needed all the spices with it too. She jotted all this information down on a small pad and tucked it in her pocket. When she was done, to her surprise, there was a huge block of weed below her nose. Snatching it from his grip, she pulls it close to her body and whispers through her teeth.

"Just because you won't get in trouble doesn't mean I won't!"

He glanced around the place, making sure no one was paying attention. Then he grabbed the block from Taru's hands and stuffed it back into the rucksack. After, he scooted a bit closer to whisper into Taru's ear.

"This stuff is grade-A. Perfection. Grown under the bright sun, and cared for by two of the best farmers in the world. Rei and myself; Rei couldn't make it."

With that said, Kyo nodded briefly.

"Keep it out of sight so you won't get into trouble."

His gaze fell onto Z... not very important. He could have his little conversations with Taru- didn't matter. As long as he didn't expect him, Kyo, to carry out his own conversation with him- Z. He leaned back against the wall, letting the rucksack lay at Taru's feet. He'd have to remember to give Taru the location of his residence. Why not now? He reached into his pocket and retrieved a small piece of paper. He wrote down the coordinates of the area, and buried it into Taru's pocket.

"Don't tell anyone... we have one issue already- and that's all we need. I trust you."

Kyo couldn't stay much longer. Already, he felt the many eyes on him. He was acting rather secretive.

"I must be off. It was nice seeing you, Taru."

He gave Taru a swift kiss on the cheek before turning on his heel and walking out the door.

With a gentle hand he replaced the cup upon the tray and politely made his way away from their business doings to the fruit biscuits. Z could not resist a glance back toward the other man, Kyo, who seemed to look upon him with contempt. With the thought came the anger, and with the anger came the desire to...no. He would not allow himself to be lowered to the level of meaningless violence.

He turned his attention to the aforementioned food item and took one, tasted it, and, satisfied with the taste, began to explore the general layout of the shop. Part of him was still amazed that he could find such a place in a city as bustling, but he should have known that even city-dwellers loved their little tastes of nature from time to time.

The thing he was curious about was another smell; something in the air that smelled of clinics and healing. Perhaps this was more than just a tea shop, but he told himself the he would not let himself give in to the curiosity of exploring. He soon found himself attracted to a various assorment of herbs in a corner of the shop, studying them intently. He would need some of these for when he left the city; they did not grow near his new home. He would need money first, however, and as of now he had no means of procurring such a luxury. A roll of his shoulders let the topic drip into obscurity, and he told himself that securing the herbs fromt he wild would be the best bet.

Kyo, as he always did, left her in a whirlwind and secrecy, intrigue, and confusion. He always talked so fast and in such tones as to raise the level of her heart rate. After he made his exit, she took up the rucksack and stuffed it behind the counter. She stands for a moment, trying to collect herself and smoothing her hair before approaching the other gentleman. Still though, her face was a bit flushed and her words a little too rushed.

"Is there anything in particular I could help you with? We have almost all your needs in medicinal and culinary herbs from all over the known world."

Taru was very proud of what she did and worked very hard to know what there was to know about everything she had in the shop. All he would need to do is point and ask. She suddenly remembered tell him about the treats and she threw in,

"Did you like the bicuits?"

Sometimes she was too eager and she didn't give people much room. Taru didn't mean to act in such a manner it was just that she had too much energy and no real way to lose it all up in that shop all day.

As the woman approached him, he turned his gaze to her and studie dher intently for a moment. She was fairly attractive, though she seemed to have a little too much energy. Her words were spoken a little too quickly, and there was the faintest hint of a flush in her face. Deeper down, he could feel the flutter of her heartbreat, a litle too rapid, a little too thready. It tugged at the predator in him, and for a moment too long his coal black eyes lingered on the pulse in her carotid arteries.

Dragging himself quickly from the sinful, passionate thoughts that followed he cast her a wonderous smile that inevitably revealed the fangs his lips had kept hidden earlier, "I'm fine for the most part, thanks...though I would like to know where you obtained the particular herbs here," he said with a gesture toward the ones he had been examining.

At her second question, he realized that he had indeed like the biscuits, so he answered her with another smile--again shamelessly revealing the pearly tips of fangs--and nodded, "I did, actually. You are quite the artist when it comes to food and beverages. My compliments."

There was something about his smile that calmed her yet made him seem a bit more feral at the same time. She had no doubt in his prowess as it was obvious this man could take care of himself in a scuffle. After he spoke, she remained quiet for a few moments with only the sound of a small fountain calming the air and soothing their ears. She appreciated his praise on her culinary abilities and she looked back towards the tray and simply said,

"Thank you. If you want more to take home, they are just a pence apiece."

Taru hated asking money for the things she made but that was the only way she ever had any cash. She worked off her rent by working in the shop here and never received any compensation for it. One of these days, she was going to have her own place..her own shop. It was why she was striking up promises with Kyo.

Her self-induced reverie was suddenly broken when she snapped back to herself and she reaches forward, taking a small leaf into her hand. She was all business again.

"Oh! This here is known as ocimum basilicum and it comes all the way from the Byzatinian empire. It is a culinary herb for pasta, vegetables, sauces. If you note here, it is not as green or sweet as it's locally grown counter part, and has a more anise-like flavor, pungent...economical."

Her voice dropped on that last word. The doctor's horrid mother always wanted her to sell the cheaper local stuff because there was always a higher profit margin. She was trying to let him know it was a better deal without letting that ever listening hag know what she was doing.