endless_scrolls (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
endless_scrolls) wrote2010-03-11 02:02 pm
endless_scrolls) wrote2010-03-11 02:02 pm
Entry tags:
Log: LS Bare Necessities
Title: Bare Necessities
Type: RP log
Fandom: AU!Naruto
Character(s): Aburame Shino, Tenten
Pairing(s): None, really
Warning(s): None
Disclaimer: I own only the part that I played in this.
Note: Log originally started for the![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
last_stretch comm. 'Sometimes people need tea. Sometimes they need kittens. Usually they need a friend.'
Dedicated to: Shino, Tenten, and kittens ♥
The weeks just kept on going. Shino couldn't remember his first year of upper level schooling being this painfully slow. Perhaps it was that he hadn't had to work his first year, perhaps it was that he hadn't been in quite so many mixed level classes or dealing with his core requirements outside of the hard sciences, perhaps it was the final crippling knowledge that he was stuck in a hive of people he barely connected to on any level. True, he'd finally learned the names of most of the other biology majors and true, he could nod at people who threw his own name at him while wandering across the quad. That wasn't anything like making a connection.
He had barely even gotten to know any of the arachnids passing through the labs. Unlike his childhood remembrances of being allowed to sit for hours watching tarantulas molt and recluses stalk their prey, labs were shut and closed at ungodly early hours, their bright florescent glimmer removed from the world of the waking for many hours. Having just been kicked out of that bright cocoon, Shino had plenty of time to marvel in how amazingly unfair this was.
At least he now had his tea to escape to at the end of the day. Not unlike florescent lights and hemiptera, Kabusecha had been a staple in his life from a very young age. Tugging the collar of his coat a little higher, the young Aburame stepped out into the fading light. It was comforting, as he'd been forced to admit, to know he could head out for a while and be wrapped up in the darkness without having to speak to anyone and arrive at a warm cup of tea that smelled just like his father's office. He enjoyed knowing he could end his day in such a calm introverted way. The air was just starting to hit the right level of crisp that it made everything a little darker and quieter early. The streets were longer and less bustling with activity, if only by a minute degree. The big city was never as quiet as some of the rural towns he'd found himself in, but at this time of night with the cooler air, things got a little closer. Taking a deep breath, Shino allowed himself to drift quietly along with the ebbing crowd until he ended up at the door of the cafe it had taken him over a year to discover.
Screwing up his lips a little in what he hoped was a quietly friendly expression, the prospective entomologist slipped inside, keeping his collar tight and high as he scanned the cafe.
During cases of extreme heat, cold, rain, and the occasional snow, the doors to the outside area were kept closed so that customers could find an escape from the weather. But on nights like these, when the air was just the right combination of cool and crisp, the doors were kept wide open. Or at least one was. The one right next to the table she was sitting at. After all, only one was needed. With the flow of traffic and customers down to a mere straggle, Tenten had finally had time to sit down and tackle the mountain of reading and assignments that had been piled on her for the day. At least to get a headstart on them before concentrating on tomorrow's classes. And right next to her textbooks and papers sat Itoshii in her kitty carrier, mewing every so often when she felt her owner was devoting too much attention to her studies. "I know, sweetie. We'll head home in a little while."
In the two years that she had been working at the Far and Wide Cafe, Tenten had seen it undergo a number of changes. Improvements, Tochiro liked to call them -- Tenten viewed them as nothing more than proof of their growing popularity -- The open area just outside of the cafe was one of those additions. And proved to be a temporary salvation to her little cat problem. At least while the weather held.
It had been a hard-pressed debate between Tochiro and herself. But in the end, Tenten had gotten what she wanted. With all health-codes still in tact and up to code just as long as the cat carrier stayed in the outside area of the cafe. Technically, it was not within the establishment, and nowhere near the food or drinks that would be served there. And it still allowed the young woman to keep an eye on her baby Scottish Fold while tending to the customers. It was a hassle to deal with during huge rushes of people. But when the cafe was quiet like it was now? Itoshii was just nice company to have while dealing with philosophical theories and historical events.
The soft click of the main door, however, introduced the entrance of a new customer. And thus marking a brief end to her personal time until they were properly served. "Welcome to the Far and Wide Cafe. I'll be right with you."
Really, ordering tea at a cafe was an easy thing. You stood still a moment, quietly answered a few questions and then boom, someone handed you either a warm paper cup or set down a steaming pot on a table. Just like that, you were left alone again, free to burrow down into the warm quiet aromas and be lost to the world for a bit. Shifting slightly onto his other foot as he gave the barista a little nod, Shino tugged absently on the strap of his pack. There were a few rather unweildy texts stuffed away in there, just waiting to be meticulously sifted through before exhaustion got the best of him and he could bide his time waiting for the lab to reopen in a state of unconscious. It was a simple but good plan, the sort that couldn't go wrong because the bedrock was solid and stable in a firm, unshakable logic.
Kittens, of course, were not logical by necessity. The fact that his eyes fell on a cat carrier was horribly out of place. What was not out of place was that, upon noticing the creature's existence, Shino felt a few muscles in his shoulders tense, both of his eyebrows lift a hair and his jaw slacken a tiny bit behind still-closed lips. A relative would have called it an expression of surprise. The average human being would likely have called it the mildest of interested expressions.
There wasn't a particularly easy way to get at the cat. 'Excuse me, Miss, you seem to have a kitten' wasn't the sort of thing that rolled off the tongue; then again, neither was 'please can I see what you've got in there?' It posed an imminent threat to the stability of his logical bedrock. The student couldn't recall the last time he'd been so sorely tempted not to pull out his books and dive into his own little world. Here, just beyond his reach, was a reason to engage in brief conversation with another human being. True, it felt horrible to use someone for their cat, but didn't everyone use everyone else for their own advantage on a daily basis? Wasn't that part of how the game of life worked? Surely a person wouldn't bring a cat to a public place like this and not expect that others might want to watch the fuzzy little thing purr for a moment.
If only he had the words to go with something like this.
Quickly finishing the last passage in the paragraph, Tenten placed the bookmark between the pages and went straight to work. If her shift manager was going to turn the other cheek when it came to keeping Itoshii here (even by perfectly legal technicalities) the least she could do was be an exemplary employee. Making a customer wait longer than necessary when they were practically the only ones there, tended to fall under the category of inconvenience where the patron was concerned.
His surprise or any sort of attention concerning Itoshii's carrier went unnoticed as the young woman hopped up from her seat and easily made her way towards the counter where... she assumed he would make his order. "I apologize for the wait. How may I help you this evening, sir?"
It was a routine, really. Take the order. Procure the appropriate amount of money. And service the customer as they requested, either in a to-go cup or at the table of their choosing. The only real change was the food and beverage that each would select. And after two years, it all began to look and sound the same. So the real interest and , at least for Tenten, resided in the people themselves. Or rather, guessing their order in her mind before they had a chance to make it.
For instance, this young man, looked more like a tea drinker than a coffee buff. Perhaps coupled with a light pound cake. Or... maybe even a soft cookie for that little burst of sweetness. Who knew? Reading a person was not as easy as reading a book. Reading a complete stranger was even more difficult. It was a fun game all the same and it kept the hours mildly interesting. Especially when new faces appeared at the cafe. "Do you know what you want, or do you a need a moment?"
...right. Actually ordering. That's why he was here--to order himself some of the best tea he'd had in a very long time and get lost in a book on Odonata. With a slight shake of his head, barely an action so much as the slightest flick of his body, Shino reached down into his coat pocket to begin rummaging for some cash.
"Just kabusecha," he replied quietly, attention averted from both kitten carrier and server as he dug deep. It was one of the only disorganized thing about him, really; the Aburame was not good at keeping his money all in one place. His personal books were in alphabetical, his clothes were folded in their drawers, his notebooks were covered in tiny neat handwriting, but he never seemed to remember to buy himself a wallet. It was a strange reaction to having limited amounts of money in his life--most people coming from his level of means were specifically very good with their cash. Shino tended to squirrel; there wasn't another word for it.
Still barely paying attention, he carefully began tugging out coins. Somewhere between his pockets and bags he knew he had exact change. It was simply a matter of quiet determination to pull out each last cent.
Shino was good at quiet determination.
Now that... that was different. Not many people, she recalled, ordered the kabusecha tea. And it showed in the way her brow lifted just slightly at hearing the request. Interesting indeed. As she put in the order and rang up the price for him, Tenten could not help but study the young man a bit more. A lot could be said in the way a person conducted themselves and behaved. In this case, it came in the form of his choice of beverage. Many prefer something with a lot of flavor and/or a strong smell. The cafe's most popular blends fell under those categories. But kabusecha was milder and held a more subtle color than most other teas. What that said about him, however, she would have to contemplate later. "Will that be for here or to go?"
Then came the novelty of how he chose to pay for his tea. By using every coin currently floating around his pockets. It certainly marked him a patient man as each coin was plopped down on the counter and counted towards the total of his bill. And frankly, Tenten found the sight amusing. Almost endearing if not for the amount of time it would take to count it all up. But there was no rush in tending to the needs of other customers, so the wait was not so bad.
In between his search, she could not help but steal the occasional glance to Itoshii's carrier to ensure herself that the young kitten was still there and fine. Dusk was closely at hand and that meant the world being covered in relative darkness with only the brief reprieve of the street lights to illuminate the night. Animal theft was not very common, but still. Tenten was much like a lioness tending to her cub, ever vigilant and watchfully concerned over leaving the little darling alone and in the open for long periods of time. She had no intentions of keeping a pet when she had found the shivering and drenched ball of fluff in the back alley behind her apartment. But Itoshii had did well to capture her interest and her heart after only a week of being nursed back to health. And Tenten would be fierce to fight anyone who dared take that little ray of sunshine away from her now.
Exact change. Just like always. It was a small point but a comfortable one to be pleased with about himself. Of course, it was always a small miracle that he managed to find exact change, but he could usually pull it off like some sort of plan. Shino was good at plans. It meant he was fairly good at faking plans on the spot as well. It was almost exclusively the way he tended to always hold his face in the same calm expression as though he were moving ten steps ahead of everyone else, even when he was in his average mind-space of two moves ahead or in a moment of being completely lost.
Then there was the question. For half a second Shino ran through the options again. The cafe was quiet enough that he could really just curl up at the table in the back corner and completely lose himself to the words printed neatly across the pages of the thick technical books weighing down his bag. Alternately, he could go home or to the nearest library and calmly quietly continue some research for his class the next day. Both were perfectly viable uses of his time.
It was largely that the kitten throwing in a variable factor. Not that he thought staying would increase his chances of actually seeing the cat-- it was unlikely the creature would be let out in the dining establishment, and thus illogical to conclude that he'd see anything more than the slight hulk of the carrier during the course of drinking tea in the back corner away from the feline. Still, there was something oddly comforting about the fact that the kitten was there, that it would possibly make soft sounds, that it would be making the nice girl on the other side of the counter smile and that he hadn't actually been in the same room with a cat since his second year of high school.
"...for here, please."
They were standard questions, nothing prying or personal. Just the normal sort of inquiry that came with serving drinks and food that could either be enjoyed here at the cafe, or in the comforts of home. And they had been practically ingrained into the poor girl's memory for all time. But sacrifices (of body and of mind) were apart of life, and she dealt with the consequences as best as she could. The atmosphere was comfortable enough, in Tenten's opinion. In fact, she had spent many nights of studying there when she was working. And sometimes when she was not. It was easily quieter than the library at times. Once you learned the natural ebbs and flows of the business and knew just when to come in, that is.
Humans were, after all, creatures of habit.
One extra body to take up space would not be so bad, though. And he seemed like the fairly quiet type. Co-existence while she finished up the last of her readings and her shift would not be a difficult task at all with him there. "You're pot will be ready in just a moment. Feel free to have a seat wherever you'd like."
And she would have pivoted on her heels to prepare the young man's kabusecha tea without hesitation... if it were not for the small glimmer of the cat carrier that caught the corner of Tenten's eye as she made to turn. Itoshii would most definitely be out of her sights while she filled out the order. And if anything were to happen to the little kitten while her back was turned, even if only for a few seconds, she would never forgive herself. But surely Tenten could not ignore the customer's order...
The customer.
It was... probably a lot to ask this of a stranger. Especially one who seemed to simply spend the night in relative isolation from the world. But Tenten's options were limited, and it would not hurt to just ask. No regrets in trying, as the saying goes... right? "Excuse me, but... would you mind doing me a favor while you waited?"
Setting himself straight again didn't take much. Shino was fairly insular like that. Whatever little bits of himself had been unfolded to find the last bits of change were quickly tucked back away, pulled in as though by invisible strings as he retreated back out of the level of social interaction into his own personal self again. It was time to go back and sit at his table. The last thing he needed to do was hole up and be prepared to nod at the barista when she brought over his pot of tea.
Only she was still talking to him.
They had both begun to turn away, in their minds if not their bodies. He had distinctly seen the side-shift of her head as it began to lead her body in a turn away from the register. And yet here they still were, her attention again focused on him in her politely directed manner, his hand slightly frozen in the air over his shoulder-strap in the moment of reaching to readjust. It took a moment to process, to properly work through the fact that they were still talking, and to wipe the look of genuine surprise (that is, the slight arch in his left brow and sudden millimeter of space between his lips) off of his face for a look of consideration (lips fully closed and eyes briefly lowered).
"What sort of favour?" It seemed like a reasonable enough question. After all, this was another highly irregular variable factor. Social interactions in the customer service industry rarely took these sort of intriguing little turns, particularly when facing the relatively blank face and unconcerned monotone which marked most Aburame interactions with the outside world.
"It's nothing much, just..." The young woman paused as the thoguht and words slowly formed in her mind. Even in there, they sounded impossibly strange. Slightly deranged if she were to go further from there. But Tenten had already begun stating her request to the other. And he seemed to be listening so attentively. No point in turning back now. "I know it's not my place to ask, but could you watch my cat for me while I make your order?"
Tenten was nothing if not a unique individual. One with equally strange quirks and tendencies, some would say. These were things that set her apart from the other girls. Possibly from other people in general. After all, it is not a common practice in Japan, or any other nation for that matter, to have an apartment decorated with various pieces of weaponry. Yet have it she did. And it was generally unorthodox to ask something like this of a customer when it was her place and job to serve them. And yet...
Still, he had not immediately declined as she had thought he would. So there was a very slim possibility that he would say yes. "You wouldn't have to do much, just keep an eye on the carrier and make sure no one takes her."
At that, Tenten shifted her gaze to the pile of school books and papers that surrounded Itoshii's temporary prison. And for the briefest of moments, she saw a tiny paw peek out from behind the bars to tentatively reach for the edge of the tassel that hung from her bookmark. "She's still pretty young and I've grown rather attached. I'd hate for anything to happen while my back was turned."
"..."
There was a pause. To someone else, it might have felt like an awkward silence or the preparation to say no. To Shino, it felt very natural. The few seconds it took to make most people feel uncomfortable were enough time to map out a situation, run through permutations and create something like a reasonable plan to run with. There was some hope that in this particular situation, given the oddity of the request, it must have made some sort of sense to the young woman that he needed a minute to process.
"...what's her name?"
It was about as logical a question as her request had been. Perhaps this awkward conversation could be pieced together after all.
Years spent studying philosophy and surrounding herself with people who tended to think extensively about their thoughts before voicing them, Tenten had learned long ago how to recognize when someone was considering a concept. Mulling over their options, as it were. Perhaps even debating the pros and cons concerning the matter before finally settling on a decision. In this case, the choice of babysitting (for lack of a better term) her kitten while waiting for his tea to be prepared. Or to simply decline and wait quietly for his order to be filled out. All the while, the barista could not refrain from glancing every few seconds to the cat in question, the slight crinkle in her brows the only indication of the young woman's worries.
And just like that, as his words registered in her brain, Tenten's expression brightened up. Shifting from the slightly embarrassed hesitation of before to the cheerful gratitude of now. Although he had not exactly agreed in so many words, with the way the conversation was going, a yes was almost assured. Almost.
"Her name's Itoshii. Itoshii Fishcake," Tenten replied to his question. Then as an afterthought and feeling a need to explain the name itself, she added with a laugh, "My best friend named her."
She had a nice little smile. It was much nicer than the slightly nervous glances, a cheerful glow that certainly suited her features. Her laugh was particularly comfortable, as, well... was the rather silly name of the kitten he was about to be... kitten-sitting.
It was still a strange bit of situation, and really, Shino felt the instinctive desire to avoid those sorts of things. Abnormal interaction with the world was usually what made things uncomfortable in real life. In this case, however... He shot another glance in the direction of the kitten. The young man gave the barista a nod and the slightest flash of a smile. This could potentially be a very nice night after all--tea and a kitten.
And that was all the confirmation she needed before continuing on with her duties at the cafe. After all, the conversation itself had delayed his order long enough. Still, an appreciative grin and a nod in return -- of thanks and gratitude -- was the least Tenten could give him before finally getting started on that tea. "I'll be right back with your kabusecha."
Disappearing into the back, Tenten started by filling up a kettle with water from the tap and placing it on the heating stove. Because all of their beverages and pastries were made fresh for the best and most favorable results. It generally made the wait a little longer than other chains. But ultimately, it was the attention to the little details when preparing them that made the drinks at the Far and Wide Cafe so popular.
"You can go ahead and sit at the table with her, if you'd like," Tenten called over her shoulder, in the midst of waiting for the water to start steaming, "She gets lonely sometimes and might enjoy the company."
The moment she'd turned her back, Shino had begun the quiet slink over toward the carrier. He paused at the comment tossed over the barista's shoulder, frozen in the classic attitude of a small child unsure of the rectitude of his actions. The words, however, were very reassuring, and it was a matter of seconds before he was gently setting his bag down next to the carrier, politely shifting the girl's books back from the edge of the table and leaning down to examine the contents of the plastic container.
Nori had been nothing like this kitten, apart from being a feline. The cat he remembered had been much older than this, and had always behaved even older than she was. Her fur hadn't been shining and her paws had been a little too small, her whiskers not quite glossy and her eyes more hazy than curious. The kitten here had no tumors, no signs of obvious jaundice or anemia. It was much more uplifting than he'd thought it could be.
"...Itoshii-hime," he greeted politely, voice hopefully soft enough not to be overheard by the barista. Whether or not she asked strange questions or allowed her kitten to live with a very unusual moniker, there was no sign that she thought it would be normal for strangers to have conversations with animals they'd just been introduced to. "Do you mind if I sit with you for a bit?"
If Tenten had noticed the soft whisper of the other's voice in the empty cafe, she did not give any indication or attention towards it. The words were not for her, and the moment was an instance that would only be shared between him and Itoshii. It was his business. And he seemed very knowledgeable about keeping such things private.
No. Tenten was too busy humming to herself and waiting for the soft rush of steam to catch the young man's deeper voice. An upbeat and quaint little tune she had been forced to sing earlier when another customer had been... all too kind as to add a few yens to the tips jar sitting on the counter. Company policy, they had called it. And in the beginning, Tenten had not been so adversed to the notion of bringing a brief moment of entertainment for all those watching. But the day had been long and she had not exactly been in the mood. Still, time and some moments of solitude had done well to fix that.
Lifting the lid of the kettle after a few long minutes, she smiled to herself at the soft swirl of the water. Not yet boiling, but still steaming. Just perfect to add in the kabusecha leaves.
"Your tea will be ready in about three more minutes," she called out.
It took a moment of brief analysis to determine why the kitten was so adorable. Clearly the overall shape and size were something to be considered--like all baby animals, Itoshii was endearingly small and charming mal-proportioned, with head, feet and eyes all delightfully overlarge to create a protective instinct in the parent creatures. The kitten also had a sweet little nose, which was adorable for no reason that Shino could easily discern. Perhaps it was because of the diminutive size, the furthering of tiny proportions.
Really, though, he had to believe that it was the ears. They had an aesthetic little curl to them, something that could only be described as completely adorable.
Without much thought to the display it presented, Shino reached over carefully to hook two fingers over the bars of the carrier. It was something he could remember doing on car trips to the vet, careful little touches for Nori while she nuzzled closer to the bars, waiting for something soothing in her quiet existence. He was vaguely aware that the barista was calling to him. She didn't seem to be saying 'get up and step away from my kitten,' so he stayed where he was, crouched quietly over the chair and quietly smiling at the little ball of fluff.
A year ago, Tenten would have thought twice about leaving Itoshii with anyone other than herself or Naruto. After the ordeal of surviving through a fairly harsh week of storms and torrential downpour, the sweet little kitten had been in a perpetual state of fright around others. As small and near to death as she was when Tenten found her, it was understandable. The world had not shown Itoshii a reason to trust it except for one saving grace. One Guardian Angel. So it was with little thought that she had allowed the ball of fluff to follow her around whenever they went out together, sticking close to her adoptive mother like a flock of ducklings would to theirs.
But a year surrounded by people and personalities like Naruto and Kiba - particularly together - along with Akamaru had done well to strengthen Itoshii's curiosity.
So it would have been no surprise to see Itoshii tentatively poke her nose towards the other's hand with an inquisitive sniff before littering his fingertips with small kitten licks. Or a paw peeking through the bars to explore more of this new stranger. That is... if Tenten were not so busy in the back making the young man his tea.
There were a few moments in any person's life when rules were completely broken. One of Shino's rules was not becoming overly emotional at the drop of a hat. Things could shake him, move him completely to the quick, and still he'd trained himself to sit silently, taking things as they came without much of a blink. This moment, however, felt somehow like one of those important ones that would stand out in his life, to be brooded over in his later years, insignificant though it might seem to others.
Without thought, Shino smiled.
The kitten's nose was cold even from a centimetre away, a quiet shock of sensation like the little bristle of whiskers before the rough sand-paper sensation of the little creature's tongue brushing his skin. Slowly, gently, with a sort of brotherly tenderness the young man lifted his other hand to carefully brush a kind touch over the paw now peeking out of the crate--something to sink claws into possessively or bat away playfully. It was strange, reverting back to this feeling of knowing what something else was really thinking, of not being confused by ulterior motivations or baffled by the illogical way people twisted their words away from their meanings. Itoshii felt very simple, very easy to follow. Very easy to smile at.
Sometimes, Tenten forgot how very quiet she could be. How she could arrange the cups and spoons on the serving tray in a manner that made little to no sound. Even in the dead of evening when there was no hum of customer's conversations to drown out the white noise of nothingness. How her steps seemed to be just as soundless as the barista stepped out from the back and behind the counter to finally give the young man his order. And at times like these, when such things allowed her to bare witness to a moment like that, Tenten found herself glad for it.
He... had a nice smile, she thought. It seemed very natural. Very handsome. Strange, that thought seemed since she had gotten the impression he was not one to smile often. Or at the very least, did not find reason to smile as much as others. If at all. In her experience, over analytical types tended to be that way. Then again, appearances could be deceiving.
"Do you have a cat too?" Tenten inquired gently with a smile of her own. She had not wanted to interrupt the moment, precious as it was. But he had waited long enough for his tea. Any longer and it was liable to get cold on the spot.
It felt a little bit like muscles freezing when they haven't been used in a while. The sound of the barista's voice didn't jerk him oddly, but it did part his lips in a slightly surprised version of his smile. For the moment, however, it didn't knock the corners of his lips out of the upward turn they'd fallen into, which probably helped the air of innocence he was striving for at the moment.
Fingers remaining latched over the bars of the crate with a certain stillness (one which attempted to betray calm rather than the frozen moment of being caught), Shino flicked his attention up to the young woman standing over them with his tea. She had an amazingly sweet smile on her face, the understanding sort which complemented the reassuring question. It took a beat to get his lips moving properly again, voice as calm and monotonous as ever.
"...I used to. When I was much younger."
For a brief moment, she tilted her head in a questioning gesture, although the smile remained where it was, small but gently present across her face. A general and default state of expression when Tenten was working. But this was more genuine for the simple fact that... it had been a sweet moment. And a fairly honesty and innocent answer. The gesture was not meant to convey anything in particular. Just simply a moment to process the information he had given so that a bit of understanding could form.
A childhood pet. That made a bit of sense. That explained his familiarity with cats and kittens in general as well as his willingness to watch the carrier while she was busy making the tea. And why he seemed so fond of Itoshii already. Then again, the fact that she was completely adorable was probably a factor. Still, the pieces were all coming together.
Of course, that did not mean that he would wish for her to point such things out. After all, he had come there for tea. Not a character analysis of himself. "You're tea is ready."
There was something very graceful about the way her face settled into expressions. Unlike most, she seemed to subscribe to the school of thought that unnecessary lines ought to be left off of the slate. It was quietly refreshing. Perhaps he could reschedule his regular visit to better coincide with the schedule of such a reasonable individual.
Perhaps that was horribly irrational. Impulsively emotional. Likely related to the unusual presence of the kitten still doggedly pressing paw against his outstretched finger.
Her words elicited a calm nod and a gentle removing of his finger from the grip of the beautiful little Scottish Fold. Of course he wasn't going to spend the rest of the night on the floor, leaning against the chair while the woman sat and worked and the kitten batted at shadows. Unfolding from his crouched position up to his full height again, Shino gently knocked his glasses back into place and offered a little sideways tilt of his head in the direction of a nearby table.
It was almost sad to see him pull his finger away from under Itoshii's little paw. Even more so when she mewed softly for her new friend to stay. But as nice as that thought had been and as content as he seemed with sitting in quiet amusement with the kitten, there was little that could be done on the matter. Tenten had always considered herself rather bold when it came to certain matters. But asking a complete stranger to join the young woman and her kitten for the night was too much, even for her standards. He had not come into the cafe to spend the rest of his night with them. And she was certainly not going to derail his plans even further than she already had by asking him to join them. Especially when it had been clear that the young man seemed to wanted nothing more than solitude before.
She was many things, but oblivious to the needs of others was not one of them.
So it was with another gentle smile and a brief moment of taking in just how tall and looming he seemed in his full height -- was he that tall before while she had been standing behind the counter? -- that Tenten set the tray down at the table he had indicated.
"Here you go," Tenten said softly, her tone light and cheerful, "Will that be all?"
There really was something about baby animals. Shino had never been able to put his finger on what part of their multiple evolutionary developments of 'cute' struck home the hardest--the mal-proportioned head and feet, the high-pitched vocalizations, the wide-eyed helplessness with which they seemed to constantly be looking at the world around them. At the moment, he had to vote for the little mewling noises that small creatures had the capacity to make. The kitten's pathetic little whining tugged at what he could only assume were his heartstrings, adding a moment of hesitation to the time it took to step away from his spot by the side of the carrier.
As before, there was no real need for words. It was nice; although he tended never to use words apart from when they were strictly necessary, there was always a calm satisfaction to know that words really were unnecessary. It came of finding other 'old souls,' as his grandmother likely would have put it--others who could sit in silence and understand the simple beauty of the uninterrupted sounds of the world. The barista struck him as one of those from the series of little expressions and general sparseness of words. She didn't seem the type who was curt because she was bored or wanted to expedite an interaction. It seemed to be her way.
With a calm nod and a twitch of his lips like a smile, Shino moved carefully around the cat carrier to his table, casting an appreciative glance up at the young woman as the warm scent of his tea properly reached his senses.
There was a gracefulness to how he moved, she had to admit. The way not a single gesture or shift was wasted in conveying just what he intended so that useless conversation became unnecessary. It was refreshing in that sometimes mindless and pointless chatter only made a situation more uncomfortable than it should have been. Added awkwardness to a situation. Past experiences had taught Tenten that little lesson. And for the most part, she would rather nothing be said at all than having to pick and grab at conversations for the sake of keeping it going.
"Well, my name is Tenten and if you need anything else, feel free to ask." Then again, in a profession where constant interaction with the masses required a bit of talent for small talk. So to encounter one like this young man, it was like a fresh breeze on a humid day. "I'll be right over here."
Job done and her task completed, the young girl left it at that. Her lips quirked up a bit more as she flashed him a genuine smile before giving a small bow. And then she was turning to return to her own table. To continue her studies and keep Itoshii company. Until the next customer stumbled in or until the end of her shift, he supposed. But by the looks of the empty cafe, Tenten was placing her money on the latter.
"You enjoy your evening," the barista called over her shoulder, stopping mid-step again to express her gratitude one last time, "And - Oh!... thank you for watching Itoshii for me."
"...Tenten."
It wasn't a particularly common name; at least, not in his understanding of the city. It was possible that, having grown up in only the fifth largest city in the country, Shino hadn't heard them all before. The scientist in him decided that it probably was worth testing the hypothetically correct thought that IF he had never heard the name before coming to Tokyo AND he had recently become acquainted with his first mere days before meeting this (potentially second) Tenten AND considering how close they were to the university THEN it was very possible that this was the person he'd recently been in communication with END IF.
The antisocial scientist in him, however, hesitated the further communication of the mental program. After all, there was probably a way to write in an ELSE: it wouldn't be worth the discomfort to the girl if his conditional was vastly incorrect and he then proceeded to spend a few hours nursing his tea and wandering through his biology textbook.
Sometimes the young woman forgot that she was not exactly a native to Tokyo. To Japan, really. That her start had began in the prosperous city of Chengdu, Sichuan Providence, China. Especially when Tenten had spent more than half her life living in the land of the rising sun. To a point where her accent was no longer noticeable unless one was looking and searching for it. Not until someone took note of her name. Because while it did hold its roots in the Japanese language of her father, there was a clear influence from her mother's Chinese background as well.
"Yes, Tenten," she said with a soft smile. And refrained from saying anything further. Because it came as an afterthought that maybe the young man had simply repeated the name to make sure he had heard it right. In case he would have need of using it later.
So she only partially kept her attention on him while pulling out a philosophy book from the pile of reading material and took a seat. In case there was more that he wanted to say.
Lots of words got thrown around about Shino. Some of the more complimentary words were along the lines of 'keen' and 'observant,' and even 'tactically attentive' when he wasn't blocking the world out forcefully. If he had a fault, it wasn't lack of ability to discern the 'underneath the underneath' of a situation.
It was his general assumption that the rest of the world kept up with him.
Settling into his seat, face still turned toward the girl and a calm (perhaps almost friendly) line keeping his lips out of their habitual slight frown, the young Aburame gave a nod of recognition. Not that he recognized her in a particular way; he recognized the patterns, the way she'd been using her words, the lack of tension in her fingers as she touched a text on philosophy, the gently protective air around the parenting of her kitten.
"...Shino."
Surely she had followed him on this one.
There were many things in the world that Tenten did not know. Things that she was willing to concede ignorance on. Not for a lack of want for knowing, but because there was simply too much information in the universe for one person to possess, although that never stopped the young woman from trying to indulge in her love of knowledge. But that name in particular was something that did not fall under such a category. That name, she had heard before.
Admittedly, she had not recognized it instantly and had only registered it with a lingering familiarity that burrowed curiously into the back of her mind. And then in the next instance, it all clicked together. Like a metaphorical Big Bang theory playing out within Tenten's psyche to connect the dots. The mannerism. The quiet way he seemed to analyze each and every one of his decisions. For goodness sakes, the Kabusecha.
Why had she not picked up on it before?
Her hands stilling in their idle attempt to search through the pages to find the place where Tenten had left off reading, the barista shifted in her seat to look back at the young man. The look on her face was the epitome of curiosity, shock, and disbelief. "...The biology major?"
Most women with this particular aesthetic arrangement of features were pleasing to watch. Tenten, the Aburame noted, was charmingly fascinating. There was such an understatement to the surprise that rippled across her face before the thought properly registered. She made rather lovely lines in the movement of her brow as realization took her, and then everything melted into a dazzling array of impractical emotions.
It almost made him smile.
Instead, he simply nodded, head coming soon enough to rest at a slight angle as he continued to watch the young woman. In person, she seemed much more vibrant than a scientist might have imagined from the faint philosophical thought process she tended to put forth. There was something substantial to the way she held her shoulders which was easy to approve of, a certain final weight to the corners of her lips. She was, Shino decided with the slightest tap of one finger against his tea cup, much more logical as a full package of information.
The instant he confirmed her suspicions, it was like someone had flipped on a switch. Her face fell away from the mixed look of confusion that clouded her expression before. Melted away and replaced with one that was somewhere along the lines of cheerful. Brighter and more fitting for the soft lines that made up Tenten's face. A positive react to what she considered to be a rather pleasant surprise.
But in that moment, as the young woman found herself pausing in thought as to what exactly she could say to him, Tenten took the opportunity to give him another quick glance over. To take in the full effect now that his identity was revealed. Certainly not what she had expected of a biology major who enjoyed his kabusecha tea. Then again, as Neji had always proved, one cannot judge solely on outer or inner appearances alone, but a combination of both.
"Well, it's nice to finally meet you," she finally said with an almost fond tilt of her head, "I was wondering when you'd show up."
It was truly beautiful.
Shino had always enjoyed watching people with guarded faces. From the quick little flip, it was easy to tell that this girl had had some amount of practice keeping a calm exterior in times of duress. It made changes pop just a little more than usual. People who never hid emotions always had a natural arc to their changes of expression, a smoothness which was easy to follow the flow of without much training. A face which changed like this, in a rapid little start like a switched turned on, was a face which had been taught how to hold a smile or smooth out frown lines without missing a beat (or at least much of one).
That aside, she really did make lovely expressions. It was a comfortable smile which suited her eyes well, a calm composed fashion to the tilt of her head as she apparently gave him a once over. Shino couldn't begin to imagine what she thought of him. As always, it didn't particularly matter.
"...good tea is hard to stay away from."
"Especially after a year of searching?" she quipped with a playful shift of her head.
And it was much like how it had been on the school's journal system. Easy. Simple. Comfortable. Despite the fact that this was their first meeting face to face. And that their first translation over the internet had been through a series of circumstance and random clicking that led her to his post. Then again, if their online conversation had proven anything, it was that perhaps this was meant to happen in such a way. The tea her had scoured the city for was only made in the one cafe where she worked.
Tenten was not generally a strict believer of fate and destiny. That there were choices along the way for them to make. Decisions that led them down one among many possible outcomes, with planned consequences as old as time itself. Because she could have very well ignored the path of breadcrumbs that day and done her reading on Imperialist China. But even she could not deny the possibility that someone was guiding their steps in this instance.
"Your patience must be amazingly resilient," the young woman added after a brief moment of thought, "Either that, or your determination astoundingly persistent."
It felt strange, in a way. First encounters with new people typically felt like rubbing at a serrated edge the wrong way, bristling something along the thin line of social interaction. This was entirely easy. Perhaps it was because their first communication had been in a much simpler format than face-to-face interaction. It was amazingly likely that he came off as much more personable over the internet, that the brief moment of translation between thought and keystroke really did take a bit of the edge off of his somewhat abrasive personality. Or, perhaps more simply, they were simply rare types who had managed to brush the paths of their lives together in a comfortably compatible fashion.
Still studying her face calmly, face still devoid of any particularly settled emotional state other than polite inquisitiveness, Shino simply offered the slightest of shrugs in response, fingers gently smoothing over the cup to leech warmth from it. "Persistence is an important trait to cultivate. In the name of a good cup of tea... it is simply to be expected of a person."
It was spoken in the same calm monotone as the rest of his words, but the faint moment of ellipsis seemed to imply a sense of playfulness. Shino wasn't entirely sure that the young woman was the sort to pick up on the subtleties of air in a conversation, particularly when confronted with a person who used it with such frequency, but it came as naturally as the rest of his mildly over-polite speech pattern.
Her eyes narrowed slightly at that, both in curiosity and skepticism. Although the smile still remained, so it was more like Tenten was gauging her options. Because while it was better and made more sense to believe that the young man was simply joking -- she and Neji had always teased and taunted in the same manner so it was not like Tenten was not accustomed to it -- sometimes assumptions were wrong. All the same, the young woman chose to believe the former and widened her smile to a soft grin in reaction.
So there was a sense of humor in there somewhere as well.
"Good tea... and maybe a cookie?" she offered. Without ever asking the exact words. An implied offer, more like, that he was more than welcomed to decline. But she was already moving her chair back in anticipation either way. Because if he did not wish for one, she at least did. Not to mention a refill of her own drink.
The words did not preclude the end of their conversation. Nor, in fact, did the otherwise decisive way the young woman pushed back her chair. There was a level of finality to it, of course; an underscoring of the sentiment being understood between the two of them. It was a very good sign. Conversations needed to be punctuated with the little movements that spoke more easily to the finer points of communication between two individuals. Knowing that ones conversational partner could be understanding of the finesse was completely appealing.
His own movement was also not the end of a conversation. It was a gentle lifting of his right hand, three middle fingers splayed very slightly in a dismissive fashion. The gesture from another person would likely have meant something less accepting and more final. From the slight tilt of Shino's hand and gentle curve of his fingers, there was a sort of layer of familiar ease added. He was confident that a person like Tenten would be able to read the motion properly: no thank you, please go ahead, I'll be here when you're back.
Then the hand was dropped again, a calm unemotional look resting over the young man's features as both hands wrapped properly around the cup in front of him. It was about time he lifted it to his lips, new friend or no. The tea was the perfect temperature, the aroma subtle and familiar.
Certainly, the night was far from over. And while she would have been glad to leave him to his solitude if he wished it, the young man's actions had stated otherwise. The joke could have easily been replaced with a shorter and more direct comment that would have ended further interaction then and there.
But that was not the case.
Another tilt of her head was Tenten's reaction. Combined with a seemingly dismissive shrug, it seemed give off the thought of 'if you're sure, alright, it's your loss, I'll be back in a second' before easily standing up from her seat to make the trek across the cafe. That he would watch Itoshii while she rooted around in the back hung in the air as a wordless request if not an implied one. Although the barista could not help but pause in her step halfway to the counter to glance questioningly back at the young man. A silent inquiry that she hoped he understood.
Shino had already agreed to it once before that same night, and had seemed to enjoy the few minutes of solitude with the kitten. Another few moments should not be enough to tip him over the edge of irritation with her silly little requests. Still, it was only polite to ask.
Type: RP log
Fandom: AU!Naruto
Character(s): Aburame Shino, Tenten
Pairing(s): None, really
Warning(s): None
Disclaimer: I own only the part that I played in this.
Note: Log originally started for the
last_stretch comm. 'Sometimes people need tea. Sometimes they need kittens. Usually they need a friend.'Dedicated to: Shino, Tenten, and kittens ♥
The weeks just kept on going. Shino couldn't remember his first year of upper level schooling being this painfully slow. Perhaps it was that he hadn't had to work his first year, perhaps it was that he hadn't been in quite so many mixed level classes or dealing with his core requirements outside of the hard sciences, perhaps it was the final crippling knowledge that he was stuck in a hive of people he barely connected to on any level. True, he'd finally learned the names of most of the other biology majors and true, he could nod at people who threw his own name at him while wandering across the quad. That wasn't anything like making a connection.
He had barely even gotten to know any of the arachnids passing through the labs. Unlike his childhood remembrances of being allowed to sit for hours watching tarantulas molt and recluses stalk their prey, labs were shut and closed at ungodly early hours, their bright florescent glimmer removed from the world of the waking for many hours. Having just been kicked out of that bright cocoon, Shino had plenty of time to marvel in how amazingly unfair this was.
At least he now had his tea to escape to at the end of the day. Not unlike florescent lights and hemiptera, Kabusecha had been a staple in his life from a very young age. Tugging the collar of his coat a little higher, the young Aburame stepped out into the fading light. It was comforting, as he'd been forced to admit, to know he could head out for a while and be wrapped up in the darkness without having to speak to anyone and arrive at a warm cup of tea that smelled just like his father's office. He enjoyed knowing he could end his day in such a calm introverted way. The air was just starting to hit the right level of crisp that it made everything a little darker and quieter early. The streets were longer and less bustling with activity, if only by a minute degree. The big city was never as quiet as some of the rural towns he'd found himself in, but at this time of night with the cooler air, things got a little closer. Taking a deep breath, Shino allowed himself to drift quietly along with the ebbing crowd until he ended up at the door of the cafe it had taken him over a year to discover.
Screwing up his lips a little in what he hoped was a quietly friendly expression, the prospective entomologist slipped inside, keeping his collar tight and high as he scanned the cafe.
During cases of extreme heat, cold, rain, and the occasional snow, the doors to the outside area were kept closed so that customers could find an escape from the weather. But on nights like these, when the air was just the right combination of cool and crisp, the doors were kept wide open. Or at least one was. The one right next to the table she was sitting at. After all, only one was needed. With the flow of traffic and customers down to a mere straggle, Tenten had finally had time to sit down and tackle the mountain of reading and assignments that had been piled on her for the day. At least to get a headstart on them before concentrating on tomorrow's classes. And right next to her textbooks and papers sat Itoshii in her kitty carrier, mewing every so often when she felt her owner was devoting too much attention to her studies. "I know, sweetie. We'll head home in a little while."
In the two years that she had been working at the Far and Wide Cafe, Tenten had seen it undergo a number of changes. Improvements, Tochiro liked to call them -- Tenten viewed them as nothing more than proof of their growing popularity -- The open area just outside of the cafe was one of those additions. And proved to be a temporary salvation to her little cat problem. At least while the weather held.
It had been a hard-pressed debate between Tochiro and herself. But in the end, Tenten had gotten what she wanted. With all health-codes still in tact and up to code just as long as the cat carrier stayed in the outside area of the cafe. Technically, it was not within the establishment, and nowhere near the food or drinks that would be served there. And it still allowed the young woman to keep an eye on her baby Scottish Fold while tending to the customers. It was a hassle to deal with during huge rushes of people. But when the cafe was quiet like it was now? Itoshii was just nice company to have while dealing with philosophical theories and historical events.
The soft click of the main door, however, introduced the entrance of a new customer. And thus marking a brief end to her personal time until they were properly served. "Welcome to the Far and Wide Cafe. I'll be right with you."
Really, ordering tea at a cafe was an easy thing. You stood still a moment, quietly answered a few questions and then boom, someone handed you either a warm paper cup or set down a steaming pot on a table. Just like that, you were left alone again, free to burrow down into the warm quiet aromas and be lost to the world for a bit. Shifting slightly onto his other foot as he gave the barista a little nod, Shino tugged absently on the strap of his pack. There were a few rather unweildy texts stuffed away in there, just waiting to be meticulously sifted through before exhaustion got the best of him and he could bide his time waiting for the lab to reopen in a state of unconscious. It was a simple but good plan, the sort that couldn't go wrong because the bedrock was solid and stable in a firm, unshakable logic.
Kittens, of course, were not logical by necessity. The fact that his eyes fell on a cat carrier was horribly out of place. What was not out of place was that, upon noticing the creature's existence, Shino felt a few muscles in his shoulders tense, both of his eyebrows lift a hair and his jaw slacken a tiny bit behind still-closed lips. A relative would have called it an expression of surprise. The average human being would likely have called it the mildest of interested expressions.
There wasn't a particularly easy way to get at the cat. 'Excuse me, Miss, you seem to have a kitten' wasn't the sort of thing that rolled off the tongue; then again, neither was 'please can I see what you've got in there?' It posed an imminent threat to the stability of his logical bedrock. The student couldn't recall the last time he'd been so sorely tempted not to pull out his books and dive into his own little world. Here, just beyond his reach, was a reason to engage in brief conversation with another human being. True, it felt horrible to use someone for their cat, but didn't everyone use everyone else for their own advantage on a daily basis? Wasn't that part of how the game of life worked? Surely a person wouldn't bring a cat to a public place like this and not expect that others might want to watch the fuzzy little thing purr for a moment.
If only he had the words to go with something like this.
Quickly finishing the last passage in the paragraph, Tenten placed the bookmark between the pages and went straight to work. If her shift manager was going to turn the other cheek when it came to keeping Itoshii here (even by perfectly legal technicalities) the least she could do was be an exemplary employee. Making a customer wait longer than necessary when they were practically the only ones there, tended to fall under the category of inconvenience where the patron was concerned.
His surprise or any sort of attention concerning Itoshii's carrier went unnoticed as the young woman hopped up from her seat and easily made her way towards the counter where... she assumed he would make his order. "I apologize for the wait. How may I help you this evening, sir?"
It was a routine, really. Take the order. Procure the appropriate amount of money. And service the customer as they requested, either in a to-go cup or at the table of their choosing. The only real change was the food and beverage that each would select. And after two years, it all began to look and sound the same. So the real interest and , at least for Tenten, resided in the people themselves. Or rather, guessing their order in her mind before they had a chance to make it.
For instance, this young man, looked more like a tea drinker than a coffee buff. Perhaps coupled with a light pound cake. Or... maybe even a soft cookie for that little burst of sweetness. Who knew? Reading a person was not as easy as reading a book. Reading a complete stranger was even more difficult. It was a fun game all the same and it kept the hours mildly interesting. Especially when new faces appeared at the cafe. "Do you know what you want, or do you a need a moment?"
...right. Actually ordering. That's why he was here--to order himself some of the best tea he'd had in a very long time and get lost in a book on Odonata. With a slight shake of his head, barely an action so much as the slightest flick of his body, Shino reached down into his coat pocket to begin rummaging for some cash.
"Just kabusecha," he replied quietly, attention averted from both kitten carrier and server as he dug deep. It was one of the only disorganized thing about him, really; the Aburame was not good at keeping his money all in one place. His personal books were in alphabetical, his clothes were folded in their drawers, his notebooks were covered in tiny neat handwriting, but he never seemed to remember to buy himself a wallet. It was a strange reaction to having limited amounts of money in his life--most people coming from his level of means were specifically very good with their cash. Shino tended to squirrel; there wasn't another word for it.
Still barely paying attention, he carefully began tugging out coins. Somewhere between his pockets and bags he knew he had exact change. It was simply a matter of quiet determination to pull out each last cent.
Shino was good at quiet determination.
Now that... that was different. Not many people, she recalled, ordered the kabusecha tea. And it showed in the way her brow lifted just slightly at hearing the request. Interesting indeed. As she put in the order and rang up the price for him, Tenten could not help but study the young man a bit more. A lot could be said in the way a person conducted themselves and behaved. In this case, it came in the form of his choice of beverage. Many prefer something with a lot of flavor and/or a strong smell. The cafe's most popular blends fell under those categories. But kabusecha was milder and held a more subtle color than most other teas. What that said about him, however, she would have to contemplate later. "Will that be for here or to go?"
Then came the novelty of how he chose to pay for his tea. By using every coin currently floating around his pockets. It certainly marked him a patient man as each coin was plopped down on the counter and counted towards the total of his bill. And frankly, Tenten found the sight amusing. Almost endearing if not for the amount of time it would take to count it all up. But there was no rush in tending to the needs of other customers, so the wait was not so bad.
In between his search, she could not help but steal the occasional glance to Itoshii's carrier to ensure herself that the young kitten was still there and fine. Dusk was closely at hand and that meant the world being covered in relative darkness with only the brief reprieve of the street lights to illuminate the night. Animal theft was not very common, but still. Tenten was much like a lioness tending to her cub, ever vigilant and watchfully concerned over leaving the little darling alone and in the open for long periods of time. She had no intentions of keeping a pet when she had found the shivering and drenched ball of fluff in the back alley behind her apartment. But Itoshii had did well to capture her interest and her heart after only a week of being nursed back to health. And Tenten would be fierce to fight anyone who dared take that little ray of sunshine away from her now.
Exact change. Just like always. It was a small point but a comfortable one to be pleased with about himself. Of course, it was always a small miracle that he managed to find exact change, but he could usually pull it off like some sort of plan. Shino was good at plans. It meant he was fairly good at faking plans on the spot as well. It was almost exclusively the way he tended to always hold his face in the same calm expression as though he were moving ten steps ahead of everyone else, even when he was in his average mind-space of two moves ahead or in a moment of being completely lost.
Then there was the question. For half a second Shino ran through the options again. The cafe was quiet enough that he could really just curl up at the table in the back corner and completely lose himself to the words printed neatly across the pages of the thick technical books weighing down his bag. Alternately, he could go home or to the nearest library and calmly quietly continue some research for his class the next day. Both were perfectly viable uses of his time.
It was largely that the kitten throwing in a variable factor. Not that he thought staying would increase his chances of actually seeing the cat-- it was unlikely the creature would be let out in the dining establishment, and thus illogical to conclude that he'd see anything more than the slight hulk of the carrier during the course of drinking tea in the back corner away from the feline. Still, there was something oddly comforting about the fact that the kitten was there, that it would possibly make soft sounds, that it would be making the nice girl on the other side of the counter smile and that he hadn't actually been in the same room with a cat since his second year of high school.
"...for here, please."
They were standard questions, nothing prying or personal. Just the normal sort of inquiry that came with serving drinks and food that could either be enjoyed here at the cafe, or in the comforts of home. And they had been practically ingrained into the poor girl's memory for all time. But sacrifices (of body and of mind) were apart of life, and she dealt with the consequences as best as she could. The atmosphere was comfortable enough, in Tenten's opinion. In fact, she had spent many nights of studying there when she was working. And sometimes when she was not. It was easily quieter than the library at times. Once you learned the natural ebbs and flows of the business and knew just when to come in, that is.
Humans were, after all, creatures of habit.
One extra body to take up space would not be so bad, though. And he seemed like the fairly quiet type. Co-existence while she finished up the last of her readings and her shift would not be a difficult task at all with him there. "You're pot will be ready in just a moment. Feel free to have a seat wherever you'd like."
And she would have pivoted on her heels to prepare the young man's kabusecha tea without hesitation... if it were not for the small glimmer of the cat carrier that caught the corner of Tenten's eye as she made to turn. Itoshii would most definitely be out of her sights while she filled out the order. And if anything were to happen to the little kitten while her back was turned, even if only for a few seconds, she would never forgive herself. But surely Tenten could not ignore the customer's order...
The customer.
It was... probably a lot to ask this of a stranger. Especially one who seemed to simply spend the night in relative isolation from the world. But Tenten's options were limited, and it would not hurt to just ask. No regrets in trying, as the saying goes... right? "Excuse me, but... would you mind doing me a favor while you waited?"
Setting himself straight again didn't take much. Shino was fairly insular like that. Whatever little bits of himself had been unfolded to find the last bits of change were quickly tucked back away, pulled in as though by invisible strings as he retreated back out of the level of social interaction into his own personal self again. It was time to go back and sit at his table. The last thing he needed to do was hole up and be prepared to nod at the barista when she brought over his pot of tea.
Only she was still talking to him.
They had both begun to turn away, in their minds if not their bodies. He had distinctly seen the side-shift of her head as it began to lead her body in a turn away from the register. And yet here they still were, her attention again focused on him in her politely directed manner, his hand slightly frozen in the air over his shoulder-strap in the moment of reaching to readjust. It took a moment to process, to properly work through the fact that they were still talking, and to wipe the look of genuine surprise (that is, the slight arch in his left brow and sudden millimeter of space between his lips) off of his face for a look of consideration (lips fully closed and eyes briefly lowered).
"What sort of favour?" It seemed like a reasonable enough question. After all, this was another highly irregular variable factor. Social interactions in the customer service industry rarely took these sort of intriguing little turns, particularly when facing the relatively blank face and unconcerned monotone which marked most Aburame interactions with the outside world.
"It's nothing much, just..." The young woman paused as the thoguht and words slowly formed in her mind. Even in there, they sounded impossibly strange. Slightly deranged if she were to go further from there. But Tenten had already begun stating her request to the other. And he seemed to be listening so attentively. No point in turning back now. "I know it's not my place to ask, but could you watch my cat for me while I make your order?"
Tenten was nothing if not a unique individual. One with equally strange quirks and tendencies, some would say. These were things that set her apart from the other girls. Possibly from other people in general. After all, it is not a common practice in Japan, or any other nation for that matter, to have an apartment decorated with various pieces of weaponry. Yet have it she did. And it was generally unorthodox to ask something like this of a customer when it was her place and job to serve them. And yet...
Still, he had not immediately declined as she had thought he would. So there was a very slim possibility that he would say yes. "You wouldn't have to do much, just keep an eye on the carrier and make sure no one takes her."
At that, Tenten shifted her gaze to the pile of school books and papers that surrounded Itoshii's temporary prison. And for the briefest of moments, she saw a tiny paw peek out from behind the bars to tentatively reach for the edge of the tassel that hung from her bookmark. "She's still pretty young and I've grown rather attached. I'd hate for anything to happen while my back was turned."
"..."
There was a pause. To someone else, it might have felt like an awkward silence or the preparation to say no. To Shino, it felt very natural. The few seconds it took to make most people feel uncomfortable were enough time to map out a situation, run through permutations and create something like a reasonable plan to run with. There was some hope that in this particular situation, given the oddity of the request, it must have made some sort of sense to the young woman that he needed a minute to process.
"...what's her name?"
It was about as logical a question as her request had been. Perhaps this awkward conversation could be pieced together after all.
Years spent studying philosophy and surrounding herself with people who tended to think extensively about their thoughts before voicing them, Tenten had learned long ago how to recognize when someone was considering a concept. Mulling over their options, as it were. Perhaps even debating the pros and cons concerning the matter before finally settling on a decision. In this case, the choice of babysitting (for lack of a better term) her kitten while waiting for his tea to be prepared. Or to simply decline and wait quietly for his order to be filled out. All the while, the barista could not refrain from glancing every few seconds to the cat in question, the slight crinkle in her brows the only indication of the young woman's worries.
And just like that, as his words registered in her brain, Tenten's expression brightened up. Shifting from the slightly embarrassed hesitation of before to the cheerful gratitude of now. Although he had not exactly agreed in so many words, with the way the conversation was going, a yes was almost assured. Almost.
"Her name's Itoshii. Itoshii Fishcake," Tenten replied to his question. Then as an afterthought and feeling a need to explain the name itself, she added with a laugh, "My best friend named her."
She had a nice little smile. It was much nicer than the slightly nervous glances, a cheerful glow that certainly suited her features. Her laugh was particularly comfortable, as, well... was the rather silly name of the kitten he was about to be... kitten-sitting.
It was still a strange bit of situation, and really, Shino felt the instinctive desire to avoid those sorts of things. Abnormal interaction with the world was usually what made things uncomfortable in real life. In this case, however... He shot another glance in the direction of the kitten. The young man gave the barista a nod and the slightest flash of a smile. This could potentially be a very nice night after all--tea and a kitten.
And that was all the confirmation she needed before continuing on with her duties at the cafe. After all, the conversation itself had delayed his order long enough. Still, an appreciative grin and a nod in return -- of thanks and gratitude -- was the least Tenten could give him before finally getting started on that tea. "I'll be right back with your kabusecha."
Disappearing into the back, Tenten started by filling up a kettle with water from the tap and placing it on the heating stove. Because all of their beverages and pastries were made fresh for the best and most favorable results. It generally made the wait a little longer than other chains. But ultimately, it was the attention to the little details when preparing them that made the drinks at the Far and Wide Cafe so popular.
"You can go ahead and sit at the table with her, if you'd like," Tenten called over her shoulder, in the midst of waiting for the water to start steaming, "She gets lonely sometimes and might enjoy the company."
The moment she'd turned her back, Shino had begun the quiet slink over toward the carrier. He paused at the comment tossed over the barista's shoulder, frozen in the classic attitude of a small child unsure of the rectitude of his actions. The words, however, were very reassuring, and it was a matter of seconds before he was gently setting his bag down next to the carrier, politely shifting the girl's books back from the edge of the table and leaning down to examine the contents of the plastic container.
Nori had been nothing like this kitten, apart from being a feline. The cat he remembered had been much older than this, and had always behaved even older than she was. Her fur hadn't been shining and her paws had been a little too small, her whiskers not quite glossy and her eyes more hazy than curious. The kitten here had no tumors, no signs of obvious jaundice or anemia. It was much more uplifting than he'd thought it could be.
"...Itoshii-hime," he greeted politely, voice hopefully soft enough not to be overheard by the barista. Whether or not she asked strange questions or allowed her kitten to live with a very unusual moniker, there was no sign that she thought it would be normal for strangers to have conversations with animals they'd just been introduced to. "Do you mind if I sit with you for a bit?"
If Tenten had noticed the soft whisper of the other's voice in the empty cafe, she did not give any indication or attention towards it. The words were not for her, and the moment was an instance that would only be shared between him and Itoshii. It was his business. And he seemed very knowledgeable about keeping such things private.
No. Tenten was too busy humming to herself and waiting for the soft rush of steam to catch the young man's deeper voice. An upbeat and quaint little tune she had been forced to sing earlier when another customer had been... all too kind as to add a few yens to the tips jar sitting on the counter. Company policy, they had called it. And in the beginning, Tenten had not been so adversed to the notion of bringing a brief moment of entertainment for all those watching. But the day had been long and she had not exactly been in the mood. Still, time and some moments of solitude had done well to fix that.
Lifting the lid of the kettle after a few long minutes, she smiled to herself at the soft swirl of the water. Not yet boiling, but still steaming. Just perfect to add in the kabusecha leaves.
"Your tea will be ready in about three more minutes," she called out.
It took a moment of brief analysis to determine why the kitten was so adorable. Clearly the overall shape and size were something to be considered--like all baby animals, Itoshii was endearingly small and charming mal-proportioned, with head, feet and eyes all delightfully overlarge to create a protective instinct in the parent creatures. The kitten also had a sweet little nose, which was adorable for no reason that Shino could easily discern. Perhaps it was because of the diminutive size, the furthering of tiny proportions.
Really, though, he had to believe that it was the ears. They had an aesthetic little curl to them, something that could only be described as completely adorable.
Without much thought to the display it presented, Shino reached over carefully to hook two fingers over the bars of the carrier. It was something he could remember doing on car trips to the vet, careful little touches for Nori while she nuzzled closer to the bars, waiting for something soothing in her quiet existence. He was vaguely aware that the barista was calling to him. She didn't seem to be saying 'get up and step away from my kitten,' so he stayed where he was, crouched quietly over the chair and quietly smiling at the little ball of fluff.
A year ago, Tenten would have thought twice about leaving Itoshii with anyone other than herself or Naruto. After the ordeal of surviving through a fairly harsh week of storms and torrential downpour, the sweet little kitten had been in a perpetual state of fright around others. As small and near to death as she was when Tenten found her, it was understandable. The world had not shown Itoshii a reason to trust it except for one saving grace. One Guardian Angel. So it was with little thought that she had allowed the ball of fluff to follow her around whenever they went out together, sticking close to her adoptive mother like a flock of ducklings would to theirs.
But a year surrounded by people and personalities like Naruto and Kiba - particularly together - along with Akamaru had done well to strengthen Itoshii's curiosity.
So it would have been no surprise to see Itoshii tentatively poke her nose towards the other's hand with an inquisitive sniff before littering his fingertips with small kitten licks. Or a paw peeking through the bars to explore more of this new stranger. That is... if Tenten were not so busy in the back making the young man his tea.
There were a few moments in any person's life when rules were completely broken. One of Shino's rules was not becoming overly emotional at the drop of a hat. Things could shake him, move him completely to the quick, and still he'd trained himself to sit silently, taking things as they came without much of a blink. This moment, however, felt somehow like one of those important ones that would stand out in his life, to be brooded over in his later years, insignificant though it might seem to others.
Without thought, Shino smiled.
The kitten's nose was cold even from a centimetre away, a quiet shock of sensation like the little bristle of whiskers before the rough sand-paper sensation of the little creature's tongue brushing his skin. Slowly, gently, with a sort of brotherly tenderness the young man lifted his other hand to carefully brush a kind touch over the paw now peeking out of the crate--something to sink claws into possessively or bat away playfully. It was strange, reverting back to this feeling of knowing what something else was really thinking, of not being confused by ulterior motivations or baffled by the illogical way people twisted their words away from their meanings. Itoshii felt very simple, very easy to follow. Very easy to smile at.
Sometimes, Tenten forgot how very quiet she could be. How she could arrange the cups and spoons on the serving tray in a manner that made little to no sound. Even in the dead of evening when there was no hum of customer's conversations to drown out the white noise of nothingness. How her steps seemed to be just as soundless as the barista stepped out from the back and behind the counter to finally give the young man his order. And at times like these, when such things allowed her to bare witness to a moment like that, Tenten found herself glad for it.
He... had a nice smile, she thought. It seemed very natural. Very handsome. Strange, that thought seemed since she had gotten the impression he was not one to smile often. Or at the very least, did not find reason to smile as much as others. If at all. In her experience, over analytical types tended to be that way. Then again, appearances could be deceiving.
"Do you have a cat too?" Tenten inquired gently with a smile of her own. She had not wanted to interrupt the moment, precious as it was. But he had waited long enough for his tea. Any longer and it was liable to get cold on the spot.
It felt a little bit like muscles freezing when they haven't been used in a while. The sound of the barista's voice didn't jerk him oddly, but it did part his lips in a slightly surprised version of his smile. For the moment, however, it didn't knock the corners of his lips out of the upward turn they'd fallen into, which probably helped the air of innocence he was striving for at the moment.
Fingers remaining latched over the bars of the crate with a certain stillness (one which attempted to betray calm rather than the frozen moment of being caught), Shino flicked his attention up to the young woman standing over them with his tea. She had an amazingly sweet smile on her face, the understanding sort which complemented the reassuring question. It took a beat to get his lips moving properly again, voice as calm and monotonous as ever.
"...I used to. When I was much younger."
For a brief moment, she tilted her head in a questioning gesture, although the smile remained where it was, small but gently present across her face. A general and default state of expression when Tenten was working. But this was more genuine for the simple fact that... it had been a sweet moment. And a fairly honesty and innocent answer. The gesture was not meant to convey anything in particular. Just simply a moment to process the information he had given so that a bit of understanding could form.
A childhood pet. That made a bit of sense. That explained his familiarity with cats and kittens in general as well as his willingness to watch the carrier while she was busy making the tea. And why he seemed so fond of Itoshii already. Then again, the fact that she was completely adorable was probably a factor. Still, the pieces were all coming together.
Of course, that did not mean that he would wish for her to point such things out. After all, he had come there for tea. Not a character analysis of himself. "You're tea is ready."
There was something very graceful about the way her face settled into expressions. Unlike most, she seemed to subscribe to the school of thought that unnecessary lines ought to be left off of the slate. It was quietly refreshing. Perhaps he could reschedule his regular visit to better coincide with the schedule of such a reasonable individual.
Perhaps that was horribly irrational. Impulsively emotional. Likely related to the unusual presence of the kitten still doggedly pressing paw against his outstretched finger.
Her words elicited a calm nod and a gentle removing of his finger from the grip of the beautiful little Scottish Fold. Of course he wasn't going to spend the rest of the night on the floor, leaning against the chair while the woman sat and worked and the kitten batted at shadows. Unfolding from his crouched position up to his full height again, Shino gently knocked his glasses back into place and offered a little sideways tilt of his head in the direction of a nearby table.
It was almost sad to see him pull his finger away from under Itoshii's little paw. Even more so when she mewed softly for her new friend to stay. But as nice as that thought had been and as content as he seemed with sitting in quiet amusement with the kitten, there was little that could be done on the matter. Tenten had always considered herself rather bold when it came to certain matters. But asking a complete stranger to join the young woman and her kitten for the night was too much, even for her standards. He had not come into the cafe to spend the rest of his night with them. And she was certainly not going to derail his plans even further than she already had by asking him to join them. Especially when it had been clear that the young man seemed to wanted nothing more than solitude before.
She was many things, but oblivious to the needs of others was not one of them.
So it was with another gentle smile and a brief moment of taking in just how tall and looming he seemed in his full height -- was he that tall before while she had been standing behind the counter? -- that Tenten set the tray down at the table he had indicated.
"Here you go," Tenten said softly, her tone light and cheerful, "Will that be all?"
There really was something about baby animals. Shino had never been able to put his finger on what part of their multiple evolutionary developments of 'cute' struck home the hardest--the mal-proportioned head and feet, the high-pitched vocalizations, the wide-eyed helplessness with which they seemed to constantly be looking at the world around them. At the moment, he had to vote for the little mewling noises that small creatures had the capacity to make. The kitten's pathetic little whining tugged at what he could only assume were his heartstrings, adding a moment of hesitation to the time it took to step away from his spot by the side of the carrier.
As before, there was no real need for words. It was nice; although he tended never to use words apart from when they were strictly necessary, there was always a calm satisfaction to know that words really were unnecessary. It came of finding other 'old souls,' as his grandmother likely would have put it--others who could sit in silence and understand the simple beauty of the uninterrupted sounds of the world. The barista struck him as one of those from the series of little expressions and general sparseness of words. She didn't seem the type who was curt because she was bored or wanted to expedite an interaction. It seemed to be her way.
With a calm nod and a twitch of his lips like a smile, Shino moved carefully around the cat carrier to his table, casting an appreciative glance up at the young woman as the warm scent of his tea properly reached his senses.
There was a gracefulness to how he moved, she had to admit. The way not a single gesture or shift was wasted in conveying just what he intended so that useless conversation became unnecessary. It was refreshing in that sometimes mindless and pointless chatter only made a situation more uncomfortable than it should have been. Added awkwardness to a situation. Past experiences had taught Tenten that little lesson. And for the most part, she would rather nothing be said at all than having to pick and grab at conversations for the sake of keeping it going.
"Well, my name is Tenten and if you need anything else, feel free to ask." Then again, in a profession where constant interaction with the masses required a bit of talent for small talk. So to encounter one like this young man, it was like a fresh breeze on a humid day. "I'll be right over here."
Job done and her task completed, the young girl left it at that. Her lips quirked up a bit more as she flashed him a genuine smile before giving a small bow. And then she was turning to return to her own table. To continue her studies and keep Itoshii company. Until the next customer stumbled in or until the end of her shift, he supposed. But by the looks of the empty cafe, Tenten was placing her money on the latter.
"You enjoy your evening," the barista called over her shoulder, stopping mid-step again to express her gratitude one last time, "And - Oh!... thank you for watching Itoshii for me."
"...Tenten."
It wasn't a particularly common name; at least, not in his understanding of the city. It was possible that, having grown up in only the fifth largest city in the country, Shino hadn't heard them all before. The scientist in him decided that it probably was worth testing the hypothetically correct thought that IF he had never heard the name before coming to Tokyo AND he had recently become acquainted with his first mere days before meeting this (potentially second) Tenten AND considering how close they were to the university THEN it was very possible that this was the person he'd recently been in communication with END IF.
The antisocial scientist in him, however, hesitated the further communication of the mental program. After all, there was probably a way to write in an ELSE: it wouldn't be worth the discomfort to the girl if his conditional was vastly incorrect and he then proceeded to spend a few hours nursing his tea and wandering through his biology textbook.
Sometimes the young woman forgot that she was not exactly a native to Tokyo. To Japan, really. That her start had began in the prosperous city of Chengdu, Sichuan Providence, China. Especially when Tenten had spent more than half her life living in the land of the rising sun. To a point where her accent was no longer noticeable unless one was looking and searching for it. Not until someone took note of her name. Because while it did hold its roots in the Japanese language of her father, there was a clear influence from her mother's Chinese background as well.
"Yes, Tenten," she said with a soft smile. And refrained from saying anything further. Because it came as an afterthought that maybe the young man had simply repeated the name to make sure he had heard it right. In case he would have need of using it later.
So she only partially kept her attention on him while pulling out a philosophy book from the pile of reading material and took a seat. In case there was more that he wanted to say.
Lots of words got thrown around about Shino. Some of the more complimentary words were along the lines of 'keen' and 'observant,' and even 'tactically attentive' when he wasn't blocking the world out forcefully. If he had a fault, it wasn't lack of ability to discern the 'underneath the underneath' of a situation.
It was his general assumption that the rest of the world kept up with him.
Settling into his seat, face still turned toward the girl and a calm (perhaps almost friendly) line keeping his lips out of their habitual slight frown, the young Aburame gave a nod of recognition. Not that he recognized her in a particular way; he recognized the patterns, the way she'd been using her words, the lack of tension in her fingers as she touched a text on philosophy, the gently protective air around the parenting of her kitten.
"...Shino."
Surely she had followed him on this one.
There were many things in the world that Tenten did not know. Things that she was willing to concede ignorance on. Not for a lack of want for knowing, but because there was simply too much information in the universe for one person to possess, although that never stopped the young woman from trying to indulge in her love of knowledge. But that name in particular was something that did not fall under such a category. That name, she had heard before.
Admittedly, she had not recognized it instantly and had only registered it with a lingering familiarity that burrowed curiously into the back of her mind. And then in the next instance, it all clicked together. Like a metaphorical Big Bang theory playing out within Tenten's psyche to connect the dots. The mannerism. The quiet way he seemed to analyze each and every one of his decisions. For goodness sakes, the Kabusecha.
Why had she not picked up on it before?
Her hands stilling in their idle attempt to search through the pages to find the place where Tenten had left off reading, the barista shifted in her seat to look back at the young man. The look on her face was the epitome of curiosity, shock, and disbelief. "...The biology major?"
Most women with this particular aesthetic arrangement of features were pleasing to watch. Tenten, the Aburame noted, was charmingly fascinating. There was such an understatement to the surprise that rippled across her face before the thought properly registered. She made rather lovely lines in the movement of her brow as realization took her, and then everything melted into a dazzling array of impractical emotions.
It almost made him smile.
Instead, he simply nodded, head coming soon enough to rest at a slight angle as he continued to watch the young woman. In person, she seemed much more vibrant than a scientist might have imagined from the faint philosophical thought process she tended to put forth. There was something substantial to the way she held her shoulders which was easy to approve of, a certain final weight to the corners of her lips. She was, Shino decided with the slightest tap of one finger against his tea cup, much more logical as a full package of information.
The instant he confirmed her suspicions, it was like someone had flipped on a switch. Her face fell away from the mixed look of confusion that clouded her expression before. Melted away and replaced with one that was somewhere along the lines of cheerful. Brighter and more fitting for the soft lines that made up Tenten's face. A positive react to what she considered to be a rather pleasant surprise.
But in that moment, as the young woman found herself pausing in thought as to what exactly she could say to him, Tenten took the opportunity to give him another quick glance over. To take in the full effect now that his identity was revealed. Certainly not what she had expected of a biology major who enjoyed his kabusecha tea. Then again, as Neji had always proved, one cannot judge solely on outer or inner appearances alone, but a combination of both.
"Well, it's nice to finally meet you," she finally said with an almost fond tilt of her head, "I was wondering when you'd show up."
It was truly beautiful.
Shino had always enjoyed watching people with guarded faces. From the quick little flip, it was easy to tell that this girl had had some amount of practice keeping a calm exterior in times of duress. It made changes pop just a little more than usual. People who never hid emotions always had a natural arc to their changes of expression, a smoothness which was easy to follow the flow of without much training. A face which changed like this, in a rapid little start like a switched turned on, was a face which had been taught how to hold a smile or smooth out frown lines without missing a beat (or at least much of one).
That aside, she really did make lovely expressions. It was a comfortable smile which suited her eyes well, a calm composed fashion to the tilt of her head as she apparently gave him a once over. Shino couldn't begin to imagine what she thought of him. As always, it didn't particularly matter.
"...good tea is hard to stay away from."
"Especially after a year of searching?" she quipped with a playful shift of her head.
And it was much like how it had been on the school's journal system. Easy. Simple. Comfortable. Despite the fact that this was their first meeting face to face. And that their first translation over the internet had been through a series of circumstance and random clicking that led her to his post. Then again, if their online conversation had proven anything, it was that perhaps this was meant to happen in such a way. The tea her had scoured the city for was only made in the one cafe where she worked.
Tenten was not generally a strict believer of fate and destiny. That there were choices along the way for them to make. Decisions that led them down one among many possible outcomes, with planned consequences as old as time itself. Because she could have very well ignored the path of breadcrumbs that day and done her reading on Imperialist China. But even she could not deny the possibility that someone was guiding their steps in this instance.
"Your patience must be amazingly resilient," the young woman added after a brief moment of thought, "Either that, or your determination astoundingly persistent."
It felt strange, in a way. First encounters with new people typically felt like rubbing at a serrated edge the wrong way, bristling something along the thin line of social interaction. This was entirely easy. Perhaps it was because their first communication had been in a much simpler format than face-to-face interaction. It was amazingly likely that he came off as much more personable over the internet, that the brief moment of translation between thought and keystroke really did take a bit of the edge off of his somewhat abrasive personality. Or, perhaps more simply, they were simply rare types who had managed to brush the paths of their lives together in a comfortably compatible fashion.
Still studying her face calmly, face still devoid of any particularly settled emotional state other than polite inquisitiveness, Shino simply offered the slightest of shrugs in response, fingers gently smoothing over the cup to leech warmth from it. "Persistence is an important trait to cultivate. In the name of a good cup of tea... it is simply to be expected of a person."
It was spoken in the same calm monotone as the rest of his words, but the faint moment of ellipsis seemed to imply a sense of playfulness. Shino wasn't entirely sure that the young woman was the sort to pick up on the subtleties of air in a conversation, particularly when confronted with a person who used it with such frequency, but it came as naturally as the rest of his mildly over-polite speech pattern.
Her eyes narrowed slightly at that, both in curiosity and skepticism. Although the smile still remained, so it was more like Tenten was gauging her options. Because while it was better and made more sense to believe that the young man was simply joking -- she and Neji had always teased and taunted in the same manner so it was not like Tenten was not accustomed to it -- sometimes assumptions were wrong. All the same, the young woman chose to believe the former and widened her smile to a soft grin in reaction.
So there was a sense of humor in there somewhere as well.
"Good tea... and maybe a cookie?" she offered. Without ever asking the exact words. An implied offer, more like, that he was more than welcomed to decline. But she was already moving her chair back in anticipation either way. Because if he did not wish for one, she at least did. Not to mention a refill of her own drink.
The words did not preclude the end of their conversation. Nor, in fact, did the otherwise decisive way the young woman pushed back her chair. There was a level of finality to it, of course; an underscoring of the sentiment being understood between the two of them. It was a very good sign. Conversations needed to be punctuated with the little movements that spoke more easily to the finer points of communication between two individuals. Knowing that ones conversational partner could be understanding of the finesse was completely appealing.
His own movement was also not the end of a conversation. It was a gentle lifting of his right hand, three middle fingers splayed very slightly in a dismissive fashion. The gesture from another person would likely have meant something less accepting and more final. From the slight tilt of Shino's hand and gentle curve of his fingers, there was a sort of layer of familiar ease added. He was confident that a person like Tenten would be able to read the motion properly: no thank you, please go ahead, I'll be here when you're back.
Then the hand was dropped again, a calm unemotional look resting over the young man's features as both hands wrapped properly around the cup in front of him. It was about time he lifted it to his lips, new friend or no. The tea was the perfect temperature, the aroma subtle and familiar.
Certainly, the night was far from over. And while she would have been glad to leave him to his solitude if he wished it, the young man's actions had stated otherwise. The joke could have easily been replaced with a shorter and more direct comment that would have ended further interaction then and there.
But that was not the case.
Another tilt of her head was Tenten's reaction. Combined with a seemingly dismissive shrug, it seemed give off the thought of 'if you're sure, alright, it's your loss, I'll be back in a second' before easily standing up from her seat to make the trek across the cafe. That he would watch Itoshii while she rooted around in the back hung in the air as a wordless request if not an implied one. Although the barista could not help but pause in her step halfway to the counter to glance questioningly back at the young man. A silent inquiry that she hoped he understood.
Shino had already agreed to it once before that same night, and had seemed to enjoy the few minutes of solitude with the kitten. Another few moments should not be enough to tip him over the edge of irritation with her silly little requests. Still, it was only polite to ask.