Picking Strawberries

[Toku]

OoC: This happens after the events of Pushing Pencils.

This thread is open, but will only remain so for a short while as this storyline needs to get moving.

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Tik-Tok

Tik-Tok

Tik-Tok

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Another page turned, fingers edging the pointed corner of the flimsy material. Finger raised, and another page turned, carefully holding the sheet as if it were the most volatile chemical in the world. As a devoted and dedicated reader to the most talked about fashion magazine in the whole universe, this child of Valentine's made sure not to damage the pages and preserve the contents. Eyes grew larger and larger as they read every single detail outlined in the paragraphs, from the skimpiest diet to the most controversial summer outfit.

"Oooooh that's really pretty. How do they get their hair to look so shiny?"

A large fold-up picture detailed a short and sweet summer outfit consisting of a pale blue short strap top and a pair of denim short shorts, assisted with a delightful boater that completed a nice summer trend that Toku was now going to strive hard to get into. Whatever trend was hot in the fashion world, Toku would work to the ends of the earth to get a piece of that action. Not today of course, today was just going to be a bit of relaxing from her meeting with Cell Five.

Oh, there she goes again, thinking about her squad. Why was she still thinking about them, on a day she was going to be breaking from the work? Or was that the other day? Wait, what day was today? Why wasn't the calender telling her what the day was? Looking at her planner, she sighed at the typed claimer of Tuesday. Tuesday. Wait, Tuesday? No. More like.

"WAIT. TUESDAY!? WHAT THE HECK? NO SALT? I MEAN ICE CREAM?"

Quickly withdrawing her head into the shelter of her magazine, she meekly peered down the isle line of magazines, thankfully no one being around to catch her surprised outburst. She was sad for the most important reason that on the most sought after day of the week in Toku's mind, there was no delivery of strawberry passion ice cream to DiDi's. She honestly felt like crying, her heart crushed without the awesome of awesome flavor of passion that came only in that one ice cream.

Sniffling, she quickly erupted into a fountain of tears that seemed to be endless. Wailing, she gathered the planner lying open on the ground and childishly ran out of the store, not caring for who was outside of the store. On the way out of the store, the store manager, Izabera watched like a protective owl, feeling a little sad for the most frequent customer of her shop.
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[Toku]

There was other people littering the streets of Kumogakure, some even placed carefully along the street that led up to DiDi's. One such person, a young woman was walking gently along the pathway, kicking up the slipping grocery bags that seemed to be harder to hold onto than a fish flipping out. Of middle age, named Karia, she was working hard to get to her home to start the dinner this evening for her family. Beef stew ran through her mind as she put a little more into he step, the lettuce peeking out of the bag as if it wanted some action in her plan.

Smiles were given to people she passed by, and it seemed like she would have time to spare for her favorite soap when she got home. Is life always that easy? No, of course not. Almost instantly, she heard the wailing cries of a young girl in distress, or something close to that. Immediately, she witnessed DiDi's door fling open wide as a blur of black and blue raced out the shop. There was no time to react as that blur, which looked like a girl up close, came barreling into her, sending her groceries flying slowly into the air.

The many different food items scattered about their location on the street, as well as startling the woman badly enough that she fell onto her bottom. Eyes wide with shock, she looked up to see a stumbling black-headed girl, probably a Genin. The girl shook her head after the crash and also gave a shocked look back. Karia was about to ask the girl if she was okay, before she yelled out,

"Hey watch where you're going!"

The girl took off down the street, leaving Karia with a distressed look on her face. Children were so rude these days, she thought to herself as she quickly went to start picking up her groceries, fruits and vegetables up. Hands worked fast, as apples were pushed a little away and as bystanders gawked at the sight. People merely looked before returning to their walk, or others stared and then went to conversing between themselves.

People talked, and it wasn't really anything out of the ordinary. Karia's hand reached for a stray piece of lemon grass, before another hand reached onto it. Brown eyes looked up to the stature of a man probably in his early twenties. The man smiled and placed the lemon grass into the bag, before moving to help Karia up from the ground. Dusting her dress, Karia bowed and meekly smiled back.

"Thank you kind sir. Kids these days, they're always causing such a ruckus."

The man gave a nod back and that was when Karia noticed his piercing blue eyes. They were, mesmerizing to be put bluntly, like calm pools of ocean waters.

"It was no problem. If I may, do you know this person here?"

__________-00

"Oh, oh yes. I ran into her just a while ago. Energetic little girl she is. Quite rude."

The man tucked the picture into his trenchcoat, still retaining his smile the whole time. Another picture was taken out and quickly shown, this one strikingly familiar to the woman.

__________-03

"Oh, she's the owner of DiDi's correct? Izabera?"

"That's all I needed to know. Thank you for your time."

He made a turn to leave, before Karia spoke up to stop him.

"I ah, uh, it was no problem. Um, may I know you're name?"

Feet stopped in it's trek, black spikes moving along to the wind. An audible sigh was breathed and the man started in his walk again.

"It's, Ishin."

As he walked off, Karia looked more dumbfounded than she was before. At least, Ishin was a nice man, reinforcing Karia's thoughts that there were still good people in the world. With that, she started for her house once again. Ishin, smiling carefully, slowly went into a stern look as he entered DiDi's.

[Toku]

"Ba ba ba de."

The owner of the have-a-good-time shop DiDi's was happily reading her novel, "The Solemn Watcher", a classic to some of those older folk in the community. She combed her black bangs, trying hard to make up for the time she lost helping Toku pick out a good powder color a few days ago. Izabera looked up from her book for a second, thinking on how she seemed to be coming across Toku more often than back in the past. Maybe it had to do with what she was talking about a while back, on how she was getting a new squad to join. Izabera hoped for the best in that girl, she really did. She looked to Toku as if she was her own daughter, if not her most favorite customer.

"Toku Toku Toku. I'll have to make up to her for not ordering the ice cream she wanted today."

A smile, and Izabera looked back at her book, turning the page once again to read. Her eyes shrunk for a second as she read the next passage, a paragraph of almost eerie tells of a woman being murdered while out in the streets of her town. She caught her breath as she frightened herself of the words, each one dark and gloomy. These words were more than just fiction however, more like dark omens.

Ding-Ding!!

A new customer, the ringing of her door bells that notified her that someone was looking to buy from her store. She was startled, albeit slightly, not really looking for someone to distract her from her story. But, it was her job as a store owner to pay attention to the customer, as the customer is always right. She placed the paperback novel down onto the counter, smiling as she raised her head to see who had entered. To her surprise, it was a man with striking black hair spikes, and a somewhat moody looking trenchcoat. If this were some sort of mystery case, he looked like the main detective, or the prime suspect.

"Hello sir. Welcome to DiDi's."

A generic greeting of the manager, and from someone who would work at any store, even small convenience one. She was about to move to go back to her book, before she noticed the man was heading towards the counter she stood behind. Odd was a lackluster word to put it in, earning an eyebrow raise that was noticeable for a second, before being replaced by a soft look.

"Ah, may I help you?"

"You just might be able to. Are you by any chance Matsuoka Izabera?"

Her eyebrow went back to a raise, finding it odd that someone would come out and ask a question like that. Well, this character hadn't done anything to give reason for hostility towards her so far save the question, so she replied.

"Y-yes, I am Izabera. May I ask why you'd like to know?"

Ishin's eyes opened enough that Izabera could see the bright blue that took Karia away in a world lost in itself, the mystic qualities undefinable, even in her favorite novel. She was lost, mesmerized, a little dazed even. It was probably all in her head, as she blinked and a small pain started to well up in her temples. She rubbed them unaware that Ishin was still staring at her.

"I am, a friend, of a girl named Tensho Toku. I heard you were close to her?"

Iza nodded quickly, happy to hear of her favorite customer. She was glad that Toku had many friends outside of herself, even if they seemed a bit older than she was.

"Toku? Yes I know her. Oh she's a doll. That Toku, she's just so lovable at times, y'know?"

"Heh, yes, I know. She really is."

They both shared a calm and comfortable laugh together, one that was long enough that one could tell how much they loved that adorable little girl. Izabera cleared her throat a bit and smiled back at the man, finding him to be a little bit more than he was first seen as.

"So, what is it you want to know about Toku anyways. Oh, and I didn't catch your name?"

Ishin gave a small smile, trusting or soft.

Small.

But underneath the shell, devious?

...

[End Thread]