#japbela

"Oh! Look, we're finally here! Wow, I never knew that the Swiss Plateau was this gorgeous!" The young woman nodded shortly to indicate that she heard her energetic older sister, slightly irritated by the rocking of the train that caused her pencil lead to snap more easily than it should have. Her attention, however, was focused on a sketchbook and its current page that her pencil lay on. The drawing in front of her depicted an intricate necklace with a draconian pendant. However, her feigning attention span was brought into the spotlight as someone else approached her. "Natalia. This location is a haven for the arts and is virtually unknown to the rest of the world. We have more important things to be doing right now," a man said in a thick Russian accent, making her jump in shock. "Y-yes, brother!" the woman stammered hurriedly, shutting her sketchbook instantly and stowing it in a cremé-colored messenger bag at her side. She stood up from the train's velveteen seats and straightened her navy-blue dress, scowling because of her stutter from earlier. The woman had attempted to speak coherently as was customary of her. However, the fact that her brother was the one who let her know she shouldn't have been goofing off caused her strong front to falter-if only momentarily. The woman who had proclaimed their arrival approached, her excited demeanor instantly breaking the tension that the man and young woman were feeling. "Ivan, Natalia! If we don't hurry, we won't have time to explore the city today before we set to work! Let's go," she encouraged to her younger siblings. "Sure, Katyusha," the younger girl muttered, pausing momentarily to look at her brother with a slightly guilty expression. "That's sweet, using my nickname. Don't forget that you have to call me Yekaterina in public, dear sister," the older girl trilled with a joyous expression as she pulled on a thick coat. The younger sibling shut her eyes and blushed lightly as her brother patted her head tenderly. Once he turned away though, her dark blue eyes met the ground. Despite how none of the three were related by blood, Natalia Arlovskya had felt like the odd one out. As her brother reminded her, the things she did in her spare time were virtually useless. At one point in time, she had attempted to advertise some of her designs. Of course, her keen-eyed brother was able to pinpoint every flaw in every deal and call it off before Natalia was royally screwed over. While she should have cut drawing off from her life after this failure, designing trinkets and whatever else came to mind served to keep her mind off of more pressing matters—mainly her bitterness aimed at her continuous dependency on the older siblings. The girl was reaching for the wall where her jacket was suspended by a hook before she paused. Natalia tugged her dress a bit tightly around her leg to where one could see the outline of two sheathed bladed weapons and moved them slightly higher up her leg so they wouldn't fall too easily. "Natalia, do you really need these...?" Yekaterina asked as she gazed over the impression with a worried look. "Please, don't carry those around in such a neutral area..." "It's my job," the young Belorussian girl stated firmly as she let go of her dress and put her own coat on, as if her statement was a definition of her whole life. She trailed after Ivan and Yekaterina, her face meeting cool mountain air. Despite how indifferent Natalia looked on the outside, the tranquil location of the green fields surrounding the train instantly put her at peace. ::-:::-:: Natalia lay down on her bed, sighing as her head hit a down pillow. "Brother, when are we supposed to be meeting our next clients?" "We'll be leaving around 5:30 to meet two Italian brothers," Ivan announced as he pulled a light beige scarf tighter around his neck. "We'll be having dinner with them tonight to discuss business. I suppose we'll need to prepare proper clothing now to avoid time constraints." "If so, does that mean we have time to explore the city?" Natalia asked as she pushed herself into a sitting position again. "What's with the sudden interest?" the Russian man asked, looking at his sister with a slightly curious expression. "I need these sharpened," the younger sister answered, indicating the daggers that were still strapped around her thigh. "At least put them in your bag rather than around your leg. It's not like you're going to be ambushed," the platinum-haired woman asserted. "Are you going to need help finding somewhere to get your weapons fixed?" Yekaterina asked Natalia, smiling when the blonde shook her head. "I'll go on my own. This is my responsibility to upkeep," Natalia replied as she turned away from the two in order to pull her dress up slightly to reach for her weapons. With a thud, two sheathed daggers fell near her feet. "Oh really? I wanted to go out, too. This climate is very nice..." Yekaterina replied with a far-off gaze and an accompanying smile. "Where were you thinking of going, Katyusha?" Ivan inquired, eyes traveling to his sister curiously. "There's an outdoor theatre that I saw when we were on our way here. I'm still very curious about it, so I really wanted give it a look!" Natalia sighed while her siblings chatted, sitting back up and stowing the daggers in her messenger bag. She glanced at the clock for a few seconds. "It's noon now. I don't think I should be too long." With that, she walked briskly to their room's door and exited, desperate to get out of the lodge and explore the area properly without Yekaterina having to be behind her. The mountain air from the neighboring Alps grazed the girl's face and knocked some of her sunflower blonde hair from behind her ear. Her black boots made a slight clack against the granite street as she took in the sight of the local shops. "A haven for the arts..." Natalia recalled as she saw the amount of local crafts that seemed to surround everyone. Perhaps it was all for tourism or trade purposes, yet the girl was slightly interested in purchasing some before her family traveled far away again. She could probably have a look at some of these shops after she got her weapons tended to. Natalia found herself stopping in front of a shop that wasn't as remotely busy as the rest of the shops. Somehow, it seemed vaguely different from the other shops. There was something about the way it was built. Then, it hit her that this wasn't a Western-styled building. Despite how quiet it looked, the sword emblem hanging on a sign above the door had piqued her interest. "I spent an hour looking for somewhere to repair my weapons. If there are any other places, they lose out since I really don't have the time." With that, the girl fixed up her headband and entered the shop, hearing a small tinkle and looking up to see a glass wind chime. Her heart seemed to calm down after seeing the small glass ball, and she returned to observing the shop. It was filled with weapons of all sorts—ranging from firearms to staffs- and she instantly knew she found the right place. "Ah, welcome. How may I help you?" a low voice said from the counter not far from the entrance of the store, making Natalia turn her head in that direction. ::-:::-:: The style of the shop made more sense to her now that she saw the shopkeeper. The Asian man behind the counter had a slender build and slightly pale skin, covered by a dark blue kimono that was adorned with a wine-colored obi. She couldn't tell if his hair was dark brown or black from the shop's lighting, though his eyes were unmistakably brown and he appeared to be quite young. The air he gave off seemed welcoming, but forlorn at the same time. Just by his slightly excited smile, Natalia was able to tell that the man didn't get many customers. "I'm lucky for finding this shop. Weapons aren't really needed in a neutral area like this," Natalia remarked as she walked to the counter, reaching in her messenger bag and pulling out her daggers to set them on the counter. "I would like these sharpened, please." Although the man's eyes seemed flat and void of emotion, he still had an expert gaze as he handled the blades. "Miss, I can tell you right now that you have taken great care of these." Natalia's chest seemed to swell with pride until she heard his next words. "However, it seems that the blades have reached the end of their lifespan." At that moment, her heart seemed to fall towards the pit of her stomach. "E-end of lifespan? Could you explain...?" she asked, trying to keep her voice from breaking. The shopkeeper looked to her as he gently set the daggers back on the counter. "If I were to sharpen these any further, the blades will eventually become brittle and shatter. It is not good news, but it is what I know will happen. I'm very sorry, miss." "B-but my sister and brother-" Natalia started before she shut her mouth, holding back her words. She waited a few seconds before letting out a sigh. "...Thank you." The girl reached up to take them, then her gaze flickered to some papers nearby. Her breath nearly stopped as she saw several designs scrawled and crossed out on them. "Is there something else I can help you with?" the man asked, slightly tilting his head. "Are those weapon designs? Can I see them?" Natalia requested, pointing at the papers. She saw the man let out a soft, hesitant sigh before he complied. Her fingers clasped around the papers. "They're designs that I have been drafting all week. There is still something wrong with them-" the man started before Natalia cut him off. "Let me make some modifications," she insisted, quickly reaching into her bag and pulling out her pencil. She looked up at him to see his surprised expression at her confidence. "...In that case, please take a seat at the table over there while I prepare some hot tea," he told her with an incline of the head, waiting for her to go to the oak table and sit before he left to go prepare the drinks. Roughly five minutes later, the man came back to the table carrying a tray full of snacks, two handle-less cups, and a small kettle of steaming green tea. He set them down carefully and poured Natalia some of the drink before himself. When he finished setting up the consumables, his eyes drifted over to the modified design and he let out a small gasp. "Hm? Are they...bad?" Natalia asked, his voice surprising her. Was the shopkeeper disappointed with what she was doing to his hard work? "This is a...wonderful design," the man answered as he looked to her for permission to take a closer look. Suddenly, her heart raced. "Wonderful, he said? Was I hearing things?" she asked herself, hesitating as she paused her pencil. It took a few seconds for her to snap back into reality and she passed the paper to him for critique. "Yes...somehow, you completed it," the man half-laughed, turning to Natalia. "This is flawless." "F-flawless?" Natalia asked in a high tone, her face heating up from his description of the sketch. "N-nonsense!" she stammered, sinking down into her chair and furrowing her eyebrows. Nothing she ever did was good enough. "I'm not lying, miss. You noticed how often I scratched out the previous designs," the man asserted, pointing to the failed drawings before letting out a sigh and setting the paper down. "While I am a craftsman, my weapons are often seen as more intricate than practical. I suppose that this is why my business isn't going very well," he added, pausing to take a drink. "That...makes sense," Natalia replied flatly as she sat straight in her chair again, not sure of what to make of this. However, business was still business, she thought as she looked to the tea and lifted the cup to her lips. While she had never had any authentic green tea before, she remembered that her brother wasn't fond of it and her sister didn't mind it. The drink was still relatively hot and the slightly bitter taste left Natalia licking the roof of her mouth and grimacing slightly while the cup acted as a cover. "With your modified design, it still incorporates the detail I wish for my weapons to have while still making it practical," the man said when he set his cup down. "It is something that I have trouble designing. And so...here you come, suddenly able to finish an extremely useful design!" Useful. It was the one phrase that clicked in Natalia's mind at that second. Was she being praised too much, or was this blissful feeling welling her in her a natural thing? Of course, she shook her head clear of the praise. She wasn't going to let it get to her and inflate her ego. "In fact, I am very grateful to you, miss. I have an offer to make you," the shopkeeper continued, looking at Natalia and getting her attention again. "An offer!" Natalia thought excitedly, composing herself instantly. "...Craftsman," she started in a calm voice, "I am but an amateur trader and request that you speak with my brother and sister, both of whom are more experienced in offers like these." "I see," the man replied after a few seconds, and Natalia swore that he frowned shortly. Did he catch the exasperated sigh after she stated "experienced"? Natalia took the time to look at a bamboo clock nearby. "I have to be back with my siblings very soon for a business meeting!" she said in alarm, staring in horror at the hour hand on the large five. "Since you are pressed on time, I'll give you a business card to show your family should you decide to take my offer," he stated, standing up from his chair and extending a hand to her. Natalia looked at it before also standing up, reaching out, and shaking his hand. The woman began to straighten the table, but the man shook his head. "You have other plans. Please, let me clean this up. Here's my card to show your siblings," he stated, pulling one out from his kimono's sleeve and giving it to the young woman. "I will be expecting you, miss..." he said, smiling softly as she thanked him. "Natalia Arlovskya." The man paused before he nodded. "Miss Arlovskya. Until later," he said as she nodded shortly and broke into a run once exiting the shop. ::-:::-:: Throughout the dinner, Natalia was doing her best to pay attention to the brothers who were hosting the dinner that night. One of the Italian brothers seemed to be rather high and mighty while the other was excessively friendly. Both of those personalities were annoying to Natalia personally, but she couldn't let that get in the way of business. Instead, she opted to listen to her brother negotiate a deal. "-and he offered us textiles! We have many of these here already," the older sibling said with an annoyed sigh. "I see. Well, we came prepared knowing that this area is not scarce on textiles," Ivan replied with a smile that Natalia knew was his attempt to be convincing. "We...can offer raw minerals and crude oil," he suggested to the other as he took a sip of wine, although Natalia could also tell that her brother missed the taste of vodka. "That sounds good, seeing as we actually have a use for those. Right, Feliciano?" the elder Italian said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Lovino, you're so blunt," the other Italian replied with a wide smile. "That would be a wonderful deal, Mr. Braginsky!" he continued. When Ivan shook Lovino's hand, Natalia took the opportunity to glance over the business card she had picked up earlier, knowing that she would have to face her brother soon to meet with this man—Kiku Honda.