The Ace of Diamonds

Tachibana sighed and pulled a hand through his hair. “Listen.. It won’t be hard. Nothing will probably happen at all, so you’ll just need to stand around for a few hours. Just relax. I have some experience in… public security…” Tachibana shifted awkwardly. “It’ll be fine. Leave any of the hard stuff to me.”

"I can do that."  Ryoutaro winced at how he sounded a little too over eager to be handing the bulk of duties over.  "Uh, I mean that I will support you as best I can."  He wasn’t an amazing speaker and his fighting skills without assistance were downright not worth mentioning.  "Do you know the novelist at all? I had heard he was popular from a book he wrote about his real life adventures."

Tachibana took a deep breath and shrugged. "No... A friend told me about the job... She's a fan or something." He hadn't been listening much when Hirose had gone into detail about it. But a job was a job. "I'm not much for "adventure"... I try and live quietly these days."

Tachibana finished his sweep a bit sooner than Ryoutarou, used to looking for suspicious things and finding nothing really out of place. He checked the table where the novelist would be sitting and everything seemed in order according to what he’d be told. He came back to Ryoutarou, “Looks like everything’s good.” He noted how nervous Ryoutarou seemed, “Are you okay?”

"J..just a little nervous." He admitted.  "I’ve never really done anything like this before and now that Mo…most of it is unknown to me I’m at a loss as to what to do.  But you don’t have to worry, I won’t start or cause trouble."  Ryoutaro was going to do is best not to trip up and make this time horrible.  The man he was talking with seemed uneasy about him enough as it already was and he didn’t need to make the situation worse.

Tachibana sighed and pulled a hand through his hair. "Listen.. It won't be hard. Nothing will probably happen at all, so you'll just need to stand around for a few hours. Just relax. I have some experience in... public security..." Tachibana shifted awkwardly. "It'll be fine. Leave any of the hard stuff to me."

Tachibana was very unsettled by the drastic and complete change in Ryoutarou’s personality.”No hard feelings…” He said slowly with a small nod. He was very reminded of the distinction between Mutsuki and the Spider Undead and it made him very very worried. “That’s a good idea… If you see anything odd, call, okay?”

Tachibana finished his sweep a bit sooner than Ryoutarou, used to looking for suspicious things and finding nothing really out of place. He checked the table where the novelist would be sitting and everything seemed in order according to what he'd be told. He came back to Ryoutarou, "Looks like everything's good." He noted how nervous Ryoutarou seemed, "Are you okay?"

Tachibana, slightly annoyed by the boy’s attitude, expected him to just turn and walk away and leave him to handle security on his own. What actually happened was far more unnerving. The boy now seemed a little smaller, much frailer… Not the type to be working security at all. He gave a slow nod. “…Right… Let’s do a good job.” He checked his watch. “We have about 20 minutes before they start letting people in.” He looked around. “I guess the novelist should be here soon…”

"I’m really sorry for the trouble earlier.  I’ll do my best."  Ryoutaro stayed vague on the trouble but bowed his head, indicating he was more than willing to follow whatever the man said to do.  He had no idea, Momotaros was complaining a thousand miles an hour in his head, but he didn’t want to just wing it.  It was better to have a slightly negative opinion about himself to start and then just work into bettering it.  "Would it be a good idea to look around, make note of things?"

Tachibana was very unsettled by the drastic and complete change in Ryoutarou's personality."No hard feelings..." He said slowly with a small nod. He was very reminded of the distinction between Mutsuki and the Spider Undead and it made him very very worried. "That's a good idea... If you see anything odd, call, okay?"

Tachibana pressed his face into his hand. Deep breaths… Don’t get angry. “We’re supposed to prevent any action. it’s fine that you have experience with rough situations, but you can’t come into a job like this looking for a fight…”

Tachibana, slightly annoyed by the boy's attitude, expected him to just turn and walk away and leave him to handle security on his own. What actually happened was far more unnerving. The boy now seemed a little smaller, much frailer... Not the type to be working security at all. He gave a slow nod. "...Right... Let's do a good job." He checked his watch. "We have about 20 minutes before they start letting people in." He looked around. "I guess the novelist should be here soon..."

Tachibana sighed and put his hands into his jacket pockets. He really didn’t have a high opinion of this kid, but thinking too much about it made him feel old. Christ.. He was in his 30’s now… He took in a breath and let it out. “There’s a  novelist holding a book signing. You and I are working security. Do you have any experience in this?”

"I’ve got experience fighting, not so much working security.  The guy doing the interview just asked if I could keep people in line if needs be and I said yeah.  Why, is there something specific I gotta do?"  M!Ryoutaro frowned and rubbed his head.  "Man if this is gonna be a pain in the ass I’ll just let him deal with it.  I was hoping for some action."

Tachibana pressed his face into his hand. Deep breaths... Don't get angry. "We're supposed to prevent any action. it's fine that you have experience with rough situations, but you can't come into a job like this looking for a fight..."

Tachibana checked his watch. He’d arrived far too early. A little too eager for something to do, he supposed. He looked over, taking a moment to appraise his ‘partner’ for the job. Some young kid… He looked a bit like a punk too, which didn’t fill Tachibana with confidence. But he gave a polite nod and extended a hand. “Tachibana Sakuya.”

Tachibana sighed and put his hands into his jacket pockets. He really didn't have a high opinion of this kid, but thinking too much about it made him feel old. Christ.. He was in his 30's now... He took in a breath and let it out. "There's a  novelist holding a book signing. You and I are working security. Do you have any experience in this?"

Tachibana checked his watch. He'd arrived far too early. A little too eager for something to do, he supposed. He looked over, taking a moment to appraise his 'partner' for the job. Some young kid... He looked a bit like a punk too, which didn't fill Tachibana with confidence. But he gave a polite nod and extended a hand. "Tachibana Sakuya."

The Pasta That Will Walk The Path of Heaven (Tachibana)

Tachibana tilted his head slightly, not really understanding the… prophecy? Advice? He wasn’t really sure what to consider it as. “I do my best. I did a little research on how this was supposed to be done before I set out, and I do really love making it.”

"And with more time and practice you’ll be a pro." Tendou finished his bowl. “Not better than a pro but, that’s still good.”

Tachibana took the empty bowl and washed it. “I’m not lookign to be a pro or anything… I just want to feed hungry people. As long as they enjoy it, that’s good enough.”

"Hmm…" Tendou smiled and reached into his pocket. “So how much do I owe you?”

"700 yen." Tachibana smiled. It wouldn't be a lot, but it would be enough to at least buy some more supplies for the cart.

The Pasta That Will Walk The Path of Heaven (Tachibana)

Tachibana tilted his head slightly, not really understanding the… prophecy? Advice? He wasn’t really sure what to consider it as. “I do my best. I did a little research on how this was supposed to be done before I set out, and I do really love making it.”

"And with more time and practice you’ll be a pro." Tendou finished his bowl. “Not better than a pro but, that’s still good.”

Tachibana took the empty bowl and washed it. "I'm not lookign to be a pro or anything... I just want to feed hungry people. As long as they enjoy it, that's good enough."

The Pasta That Will Walk The Path of Heaven (Tachibana)

Tachibana wasn’t sure whether to be happy about the praise or insulted that whoever this was was saying he could make it better. “Thank you. I don’t really have a whole lot of experience cooking. It’s just something that I enjoy.” It kept him from getting wrapped up in the past, and he never went hungry.

Tendou paused and pointed to the sky. “Grandmother said this… During meals an angel descends, for it is a sacred time.” He lowered his hand and returned to his meal. “As long as you handle the food with care and do your best, good results will come from it.”

Tachibana tilted his head slightly, not really understanding the... prophecy? Advice? He wasn't really sure what to consider it as. "I do my best. I did a little research on how this was supposed to be done before I set out, and I do really love making it."

The Pasta That Will Walk The Path of Heaven (Tachibana)

Tachibana smiled as his customer ate, then checked his pots, put more spaghetti in to cook, and sat on his stool again. The man seemed to be enjoying it.. maybe? It was hard to tell when he had such a serious face. Sort of like Hajime.

After eating another fork of pasta Tendou, put down his utensils and looked over his shopkeeper. “Not bad.” Tendou explained. “I could make better but, there is love and care in this meal. You’ll get better…” He added before eating another fork full.

Tachibana wasn't sure whether to be happy about the praise or insulted that whoever this was was saying he could make it better. "Thank you. I don't really have a whole lot of experience cooking. It's just something that I enjoy." It kept him from getting wrapped up in the past, and he never went hungry.

The Pasta That Will Walk The Path of Heaven (Tachibana)

Tachibana nodded, straining out the spaghetti into a bowl and ladling tomato sauce from one of the pots over it. He set a chunk of bread on the side and set it in front of Tendou with a smile. “There you go, sir.”

Tendou nodded as he grabbed a fork and spoon. He picked up some pasta on the fork and twirled it on the spoon before eating it. “Hmm…” He reached back and twirled some more.

Tachibana smiled as his customer ate, then checked his pots, put more spaghetti in to cook, and sat on his stool again. The man seemed to be enjoying it.. maybe? It was hard to tell when he had such a serious face. Sort of like Hajime.

The man running the cart looked up from checking one of the pots of sauce. “Welcome!” He smiled a bit, glad to have a customer. Business wasn’t faring too well lately. “What can I get you?” 

"Hmm… Just something basic, just a bowl with a tomato sauce preferable." Tendou responded.

Tachibana nodded, straining out the spaghetti into a bowl and ladling tomato sauce from one of the pots over it. He set a chunk of bread on the side and set it in front of Tendou with a smile. "There you go, sir."