[Log] Ukitake, Zangetsu
Title: Pass the Chopsticks?
Characters: Ukitake (
lcpdragonslayer ), Zangetsu (
day_eight )
Timeline: August 10, 2007
Rating: PG-13
Summary: The two usuals at the Sake bar finally talk to each other.
Sake Bar Satsko was Zangetsu’s favorite place to go after work. Hell, it was the only place he went after work. Most of his nights were spent alone up in his loft, but every once in a while he got the urge to go out. Finding a spot he liked was a challenge-one that was simply ‘trial and error’. He hated crowds and noise, so any regular bar was out of the question. Most cafes and restaurants were too brightly lit and cheerful for his taste, but the diners that were less upbeat also tended to be a little hazardous to one‘s health.
His search for a quiet, decent place to relax led him to 7th street, where he happened upon Satsko’s, a little sake bar boasting an expansive sake collection and good food. Since he had always been a fan of sake, Zangetsu said ‘why not’ and decided to give the place a try. He was immediately impressed with everything about the bar-from the friendly family that owned it to its amazing food and drink. The place was usually busy, but not to the point where he felt uncomfortable. It was refreshing to sit back and enjoy a few cups of sake while observing the people around him.
He reached for his cup of Black Dragon sake, his favorite because of its dry softness, and watched a couple down the bar sneak kisses when they thought no one was looking. If it wasn’t for the soft breeze that came in through the door and the blur of snow white hair he saw out of the corner of his eye, he would not have even noticed the arrival of another customer.
He sighed, exhaling into the cool, night air as his gaze wandered around the vicinity. He enjoyed quiet nights - nights like these, where he could take a walk undisturbed. He had a long day at work, mostly on a wild goose chase for a '97 article that had gone MIA.
Only to find, of course, that it was slotted arbitrarily into the '99 shelf. It wasn't even filed in the same month, so he had no idea where the confusion came from.
That, and he was told to take the afternoon off because Mr. Kurosaki managed to walk in on him having one of his coughing-up-a-lung moments. He managed to sneak back into work to finish up for the day, and he now found himself here, in front of a place Shunsui introduced him to a few years ago. Shunsui, being, well, Shunsui, brought him here for the wonderful sake. And the sake was very nice - but he liked the food here too. The food, the atmosphere, the ambience... everything. He could just sit down and eat in his casual dress, and enjoy the halcyon night.
A small smile tugged at his lips as he entered Satsko, smiling at the familiar lady who began leading him to an empty table.
"Not working today?" she asked, noticing that he was in dark jeans and a black button up shirt that had the first two buttons undone, not in his usual shirt-and-tie attire he almost always came here wearing.
"Hm? Oh no - I took half the day off," he replied, smiling. As he took his seat, she asked him if he was going to have 'the usual' - a pan seared chicken breast and a coke. He laughed a little and nodded, his eyes lingering on her diminishing back for a while as she went to get his order sorted.
He then averted his gaze to the side, eyes scanning over the other patrons in the restaurant that night.
Zang shifted his weight and averted his gaze from the smooching couple. He wasn’t a voyeur, even if he did prefer watching real people rather than actors in movies. It always amused him to observe others and make assumptions as to where they came from and where they would end up. To him, the pair down the bar were most likely on their fifth or sixth date-still caught up in the whirlwind of emotions that came with a new and exciting relationship. He guessed that they were probably going to school in the city, and had met when they bumped into each other at some bar. In another seven months or so, the newness would wear off and they would start having problems. After a couple more months, they’d break up and go their separate ways, once again. It was these brief connections and changing of ways that intrigued him the most. Relationships were so fickle and often very short-one of the reasons he chose to remain so private.
He took another sip of his drink and glanced around the room. There were a dozen other people besides himself-the pair he had just been watching, a group of four friends, three middle aged women, an older couple, and a frail man with white hair sitting by himself. Zangetsu thought the latter could possibly be around his age; the man’s face looked young, even though the hair made him seem quite old. Turning his attention back to his sake, he drained his cup and set it back on the bar.
“Another?” asked the pretty lady behind the counter.
“Yes,” he replied in his smooth, deep voice, “and I’d also like to order the smoked salmon Onigiri.”
The lady smiled and nodded before refilling his drink and writing down his order. Zang took a drink from his full cup and sat back, listening to the different conversations wafting past his ears.
Music from the restaurant floated in his ears as his gaze wandered around the room, looking at the crowd tonight. It was a rather tame, small crowd - but perhaps that was only because the night was still young. Another reason he liked the place was because it was not bustling full of people. He liked his breathing room and personal space.
And although he had made it a habit not to try and knock himself unconscious in public, his antics usually had lesser impact on a smaller crowd than a big one.
His gaze fell upon the only other lone patron, clad in a peculiar, long, dark, worn coat. He had seen the man before - if his memory serves him right, that man was here the last time he came. And the time before that. And the time before that. He tended to sit in that area, too.
When their eyes met briefly, he turned his head away, averted his gaze and smiled, instinctively reaching up and scratching at his jawline. He was not very good at handling awkward situations.
Thankfully his food arrived, and he thanked the waitress as she left, depositing his chicken and coke on the table. His gaze wandered over the table, looking for eating utensils. After his epic hunt of four seconds, he realized she didn't give him any.
His gaze wandered off to the tables in the vicinity, looking for chopsticks. Dark irises settled on a container next to the lone patron he had been looking at moments before, and he looked at the man, smiling. "Hey-" he said, although it came out a little soft. "Hey uhm," he tried again, his voice carrying over the music and the distance this time. "Don't suppose you could pass over a pair of chopsticks?" he asked, smiling as he bit down on his bottom lip.
The quiet question pulled Zangetsu out of his daydreaming. He turned to see the white haired man smiling at him, looking a bit uncomfortable. For some reason, he looked very familiar. Perhaps he had shopped at The Blade's Edge before?
He reached for one of the sets of chopsticks from the container in front of him. Handing it to the man, he took a breath and asked, “Do I know you from somewhere?”
The sake had loosened his normally silent demeanor, and he didn’t want to offend someone who could be one of his customers. Plus, he figured a little light conversation might be a decent diversion from his normal routine.
Taking the other end of the chopsticks from the man, he smiled and nodded in appreciation before sliding the wooden chopsticks from the paper, pulling and breaking the joined chopsticks into two.
He contemplated the question in his mind. To his recall, he only ever saw the man in the bar. He didn't want to be rude and ask him about his profession, or his name, or anything like that, but he was adamant they had only ever seen each other at this place.
"Ah, no," he replied, shaking his head a little. "I don't think so." He lowered the chopsticks to the side of the plate and absentmindedly scratched at his nose lightly. "You come here often, though, don't you? I always see you around here whenever I come by."
Oh, so that was it. Zangetsu felt slightly embarrassed for not recognizing the man sooner. He did make a point of observing those around him, after all. He chalked it up to watching so many people at different places-getting faces mixed up was a common mistake, right?
“Yeah, I come here at least twice a week,” he said slowly, “I like the atmosphere.”
The girl returned with his plate of food and put it on the bar in front of him. Still feeling bad about not recognizing the fellow Satsko regular, he went out on a limb and did something he normally wouldn't.
“Would you like to join me?” he asked, motioning to the empty seat next to him.
His gaze alternated between his plate of food, the stranger and the seat next to him. He nodded and stood, picking up his chicken and placing it on the empty space on the table surface. Reaching for his glass of coke and the chopsticks, he climbed onto the barstool and shifted comfortably.
Holding the chopsticks in his left hand, he picked up a piece of chicken and placed it into his mouth, savouring the flavours on his palette.
His tongue flickered over his lips, lowering the chopsticks onto the side and picking up his glass of coke. Taking a nice sip, he lowered the glass to his lap and smiled at the stranger he sat next to.
"So..." He took another sip of the sugary drink, thinking of how to make conversation. "...I'm Jyuushirou," he said, extending his other hand toward the stranger, tilting his head as he smiled. "It's nice to... formally, meet you."
Zangetsu put down his own chopsticks and shook the hand offered to him. “Zangetsu, nice to meet you, as well.”
He took a bite of his onigiri, enjoying the different textures of the rice, salmon, mozzarella, avocado, and nori as they mixed together in his mouth.
Taking a sip of sake, he eyed Jyuushirou curiously. The man seemed to really enjoy his food. His obvious delight in each bite he took was rather amusing. Zangetsu watched him out of the corner of his eye for a minute or two while enjoying his own meal.
“So,” he said after a while, figuring he should say something to break the silence, “what is it about this place that keeps bringing you back?”
He contemplated the question at hand, careful to finish the food in his mouth before speaking. "Mmm..." He took another sip of coke, running his tongue over his bottom lip again.
"I don't know, really. It's a nice place. Not crowded, like almost every other restaurant bar place..." He began playing with his food idly, pushing it around a little with his chopsticks. "The place is nice, the staff are nice, the food is nice, the drinks are nice... I don't know." He shrugged. "I guess it's a place I want to be in, you know?"
He broke out into a bit of a nervous laughter, scratching the back of his head. "You like the atmosphere here too, right? Or are you really here for the sake bombs?" He grinned.
The corner of his lips curved ever so slightly at the question. “Sake Bomb Thursdays” were definitely popular-a little too popular for his taste. Besides, dunking a shot of perfectly good sake into a glass of beer seemed almost ludicrous.
“No,” he answered, “I come here for basically the same reasons. A quiet, relaxing place like this is hard to come by.”
Noticing the other man’s fidgeting, he averted his gaze and went back to his food. His appearance and demeanor were sometimes a bit imposing, and he didn’t want to make his new acquaintance nervous.
He ate another morsel of chicken, tasting and swallowing his dinner. He then worked away at the risotto cake, savouring the mixture of mushroom and coriander and other greens. The food was good - just as it has always been - it really was the perfect place to be.
"So, uh..." He washed the food down with more coke, draining it to about half the glass. "...if you don't mind me asking, what do you do?"
"Me, I uh... I work at a magazine... I'm an archivist." He smiled, eyeing Zangetsu. He was probably setting himself up for one of those 'Shunsui comments' - boring, mind-numbing - and 'not in a good way', apparently. "File papers, preserve old records, and the like," he briefly elaborated.
"I'm sure you do something more fun than me," he added swiftly, grinning. He looked Zangetsu up and down. If he had to take a wild guess, Zangetsu was... a pet shop owner. With all the cute little puppies and kittens and birds. He pictured Zangetsu with a white rabbit... And it really suited him.
Jyuushirou’s job sounded downright boring. Of all the things Zangetsu’s job could be, it was never boring. He drained his sake cup before answering the other man’s question. It was always a dilemma deciding whether to come right out and say he owned a sex shop or to gloss over the major details. Although he was never a fan of beating around the bush, he decided that this might be the time to do so, since he knew next to nothing about this man or his… personal morals.
“I own a business,” he said, “on the Lower East Side. It’s called The Blade’s Edge. Perhaps you’ve heard of it?”
Zang hoped that the man already knew about the store-it would save him the trouble of explaining it if he did.
The Blade's Edge... Well, it didn't sound like a pet shop... If it was, the name was a little... intimidating. He shook his head lightly. "No, I don't know it... Do you sell knives, or something?" he inquired.
Glancing over the man, it seemed as if he was the kind of person to be selling. Knives. And the such. Maybe a military memorabilia store? Or one of those antique medieval shoppes? Or maybe a shop that sells knives used in the kitchen, and other chefly items?
"Lower East Side, you say?" he reiterated, pondering. "Maybe I'll come by and visit sometime," he added cheerily.
Zangetsu arched one of his dark brows. Well… he did have a couple knives for sale…
Because of the name, quite a few people made that exact same assumption about The Blade‘s Edge. A few had even went inside, only to get embarrassed and leave quickly when they realized their mistake.
He supposed he should tell the inquiring man just exactly what the shop was-he didn’t want the poor guy to get appalled or shocked if he actually did stop by someday. Although, the image of the white haired man walking unknowingly into a sex shop was a fairly amusing one.
“You’re welcome to stop by if you’d like,” he said, “but it’s not a knife store.” He set his chopsticks down on his plate neatly and lowered his deep voice slightly. “It's a sex shop.”
He was drinking his coke when Zangetsu made his wonderful revelation. He choked on his drink, lowering the glass to the table as he coughed. It triggered one of his coughing fits, and he coughed into his curled hand for a good half a minute before getting his breath back.
Breathing heavily, he took the other half of a minute to restore his body back to its original state. "I'm sorry," he began, swallowing as he reached out and took another drink. That was definitely not his reaction to the revelation, and he was probably giving Zangetsu the wrong impression. "I'm... a little chronically ill. I get coughing fits and pass out all the time." He dismissed his condition lightly, as he always has. After all it hasn't killed him yet.
"I'll still come by and visit... I'm not sure I'll want to buy anything though," he said, managing a cheesy grin. "It does sound like a job that's... a lot more fun... than mine..."
Zangetsu’s eyes widened as Jyuushirou’s body convulsed with the coughing fit. He felt mildly concerned; it certainly wasn’t his intention to kill the man with his blunt statement. He looked around the bar, searching for something… anything that might help-but found nothing.
When the coughing subsided, he watched cautiously as Jyuushirou slowed his breathing enough to take a sip of soda. He began to relax a bit until he heard the statement about the man’s illness. Zang never knew what to do or say when people were ill. It reminded him of his mother-and that was definitely something he didn’t want to think about.
He was relieved when the topic was changed back to the store. It surprised him to hear that the man still planned to visit; his surprised reaction and hack fest had given Zangetsu the impression that he’d never set foot in such a place.
After putting his empty cup towards the edge of the bar where the girl working would notice it, he turned back and said, “It certainly isn’t a dull job. If you do stop by, you may be surprised… you never know what you might find.”
He mentally kicked himself for the dumb sales pitch and fought the urge to cringe. No matter who he talked to, that stupid line always managed to work its way out.
He laughed, his laughter a little more nervous than he would have liked it to sound. Given his age, it might be surprising if he did disclose that he had never been in one of those… kinds… of shops, but he was open to new experiences. He probably would not be interested in anything the shop had to offer, but it would be a fun experience nonetheless.
And then he can ask Zangetsu what everything in the shop was for. Sure he would understand the DVDs and the viewing booths, but he always wanted to know what those… instruments… that looked like steering wheel locks were for.
“I will stop by then,” he said, placing food into his mouth and chewing, managing a small smile. “I’m not sure if I’ll buy anything I find there, per se, but…” he shrugged a little. “It would be fun.”
“…So… You get lots of customers during the day? Presumably lots of regulars?”
Zangetsu nodded at the bartender when she refilled his cup and took a drink, swirling the sake around his mouth to get the full flavor. After he swallowed, the aftertaste and aroma became quite pleasant, and he sat silently for a moment to enjoy it.
“Mm…” he said after a moment. “Business is always good, and I do have quite a few regulars.”
He looked over at Jyuushirou and studied him. It wasn’t very often that he came across a guy that wouldn’t find something of interest if they wandered into The Blade’s Edge. True, there were the ones who were morally opposed to going into a sex shop, but that didn’t seem to be the case for the white haired man. Zangetsu wondered if perhaps he was a bit… old fashioned.
Hm. It was certainly a job much different from his own - Zangetsu must meet a lot of interesting people in his line of work. He met interesting people in his field too - but probably not the same kind of 'interesting'.
He was coming close to finishing his food when he looked up, and noticed that Zangetsu was looking at him most intently. He swiftly averted his gaze and managed an awkward smile, scratching at his jawline, pretending that he wasn't aware.
Picking up his coke, he finished his drink and lowered the empty, sweating glass to the table. He gazed up at Zangetsu and broke into a wide smile. "...Is something wrong?"
“No, nothing,” Zangetsu said quickly-he hadn’t meant to offend the other man by staring. He finished the last few bites of his dinner and pushed the plate away. Taking his cup, he swirled the sake around and watched as is reflected the light from the room.
Looking back over at the smiling man, he tried to think of something else to say. He wasn’t much of a conversationalist-he just didn’t like talking for the sake of talking. Just as he was about to clear his throat and turn back to his sake, a worthwhile topic sprung to mind.
His eyes widened in genuine surprise, dark irises sparkling, reflecting the light in the restaurant. The anniversary party… How did someone like Zangetsu find out about it? Not that he couldn’t, but… It was just a little odd, given his job, and whatnot.
He nodded. “I will be there. I work for Soul Society after all.” He was very surprised the man knew the magazine. It wasn’t a small company, but it wasn’t a hugely popular, international well-known magazine. “Are you coming?” They had invited all sorts of guests to the party - some celebrities, bands, record label companies - it was going to be a big night.
“If you are, I’d love to see you there,” he said cheerily, placing the last bit of food into his mouth. He picked up the serviette and wiped the edges of his mouth.
“So… Are you going to stay here a while longer?”
He hadn’t really thought about whether or not he’d be attending the party; crowds and big spectacles tended to make him feel uncomfortable. But, since he had been invited by Kisuke Urahara (a loyal customer of The Blade), he figured he would have to make an appearance.
“I’ll probably attend,” he replied. He watched out of the corner of his eye as Jyuushirou carefully wiped his mouth. The man had a quiet friendliness that Zang appreciated. Not once had he felt like his personal space had been invaded-something that seemed to happen quite a bit when he first met new people.
When asked about staying, he looked down at his cup and considered his options. He could either stay for a few more drinks, or go home and enjoy the rest of the night with a bottle of wine and a pack of smokes. The sake was tasting pretty good, and the company was surprisingly nice… so he supposed it wouldn’t hurt to stay.
“I’ll probably stick around for a while,” he said, turning back to the other man.
Staying for a while, hm? It sounded alright - he had nothing pressing to do this evening. In fact, he was free for the rest of the week.
As the waitress came to clear their plates, he asked for another glass of coke.
"Well, alright. Seeing as I don't have anything else to do... I'll stay for a while too." He reached into his pockets, shuffling around for something sweet. A smile broke out on his face as he pulled out a packet of gum. Opening it, he took a pellet out and placed it in his mouth. It wasn't the minty kind, or anything - it was Juicy Fruit's Citronic flavoured gum.
Unsure if Zangetsu liked gum, or had a sweet tooth for anything, for that matter, he offered it to the man anyway. "Gum?" he asked, almost grinning.
He looked at the package and then back at the smiling face offering it. There was a strange glint in the man’s eyes-like he enjoyed the odd flavored gum a little more than a… normal… person would.
“No thank you,” he said. “It would probably clash with my sake,” he explained, not wanting to seem rude.
The waitress arrived with Jyuushirou’s Coke, and Zangetsu eyed him curiously. This was a sake bar… and the man was drinking soda?
“Not a fan of sake?” he asked, motioning to the glass of Coke on the bar.
He savoured the burst of flavour in his mouth - one of the many reasons he liked gum was the explosion of taste. But of course it becomes tasteless after a while, and then it becomes a chore finding a place to dispose of it.
He followed Zangetsu's gesture to the coke, chuckling. He scratched the side of his forehead. "No - I do like sake..." Even though, admittedly, he was more of a sugar fan.
"...I'm not exactly a very good drunk, though..." He winced just thinking about it, but masked it swiftly with a scratch to the back of his head and a genuine-sounding laughter. "Wouldn't want to embarrass myself at our first encounter..." he said softly, averting his gaze. He coughed and took a sip of his coke, turning away from Zangetsu to mask the ever so subtle hints of a blush.
Zangetsu tilted his head. Not a good drunk, hm? He didn’t have that kind of problem. Perhaps it was because he had such a strong tolerance to alcohol… but even when he did drink a bit too much, he was always able to control his actions. Part of that might have something to do with his constantly guarded personality, though.
He saw the faintest trace of a blush creep over the other man’s cheeks as he turned to take a drink of his soda. It was beginning to appear as if Jyuushirou was a tad shy. Friendly… but shy. Not that Zang minded-he actually preferred it that way. Not having to answer prying questions or explain himself eased the tension of the moment a little.
“Embarrass yourself?” he asked, “You can’t be that bad.” He wasn’t expecting the man to elaborate, but felt like he should at least do his part to keep the conversation going.
He coughed, lowering his coke back on to the table. Last time he was drunk, Shunsui couldn't look at him straight, without bursting into shreds of laughter, for at least a week. He couldn't quite remember what had happened, and Shunsui would not say anything despite the grumbles and scowls.
It must have been something excruciatingly embarrassing.
"Apparently I am atrocious," he admitted, scratching the back of his head and laughing nervously, casting his gaze to the floor. "I wish I could remember, but..."
"Anyway I wouldn't want to pass out here," he said, grinning. "I spend enough time in hospital as it is."
Oh… the illness again. Zangetsu took another drink of his sake to hide his discomfort. He thought briefly that it might be amusing to watch Jyuushirou get completely wasted-it was always interesting to see how people’s best and worst traits came out after a few drinks.
Trying to steer the conversation towards something other than hospitals, Zangetsu said, “So, what do you do when you’re not filing papers, passing out after a few drinks, or coming here?” To his great surprise, he actually wanted to learn more about the friendly man… as long as it wasn’t about his sickness.
Now that was a really hard question to answer... He thought long and hard about it, and then smiled and shrugged. "I don't really know... I am very interested in preservation - of artefacts, of manuscripts, that kind of stuff. I sometimes give seminars about that..." And he really enjoyed that - teaching others about his passion.
"I don't actually need to do my job fulltime, so I do get around the office and help out sometimes. I also have a couple of very enthusiastic, competitive interns and they keep me busy... or entertained..." Sometimes he couldn't tell which. But they were wonderful, even though they often acted like bratty little kids. He took care of them.
"Mmm... I have a real sweet tooth, too," he said, grinning. But Zangetsu probably already knew that. "Candy shopping is the highlight of my week..."
"What about you, Zangetsu? What do you do?" he asked, smiling slightly, hoping his question did not offend the man. He hadn't realized he said the man's name unconsciously, either.
The preservation of artifacts and manuscripts? He supposed it fit… the guy was an archivist, after all. Jyuushirou didn’t really need to mention the sweets, however… Zang could have figured that out on his own. Not being very fond of sugary things himself, he found the other man’s candy addiction a bit puzzling. He had always been partial to savory, sour, and even bitter foods.
When asked about his own life, Zangetsu had to think for a minute, as well. After a few moments of staring into his cup, he said the most vague thing he could without sounding secretive. “My life is pretty simple… I spend a lot of time alone. The shop keeps me busy during the day, of course… but other than that, I tend to gravitate towards peace and quiet.”
Peace and quiet... He enjoyed that too, although he barely got any of it, with the two squabbling interns or Shunsui keeping him busy at work, or coughing his lung out when he was alone.
He took another sip of coke, holding the drink in his lap. "Mmm... It's not very fun, spending all that time alone." Sure, some people are more solitary than others, but it gets lonely, and loneliness often brings unhappiness.
"Get too much time to sit there, and think - about work, about life, about everything." And too much thinking can sometimes be destructive.
He took another mouthful of coke. The talk was heading into a strange, melancholic direction. And it wasn't a very pleasant one. He decided to change the topic as he put his coke down. "So... What do you like? Any interests? Surely something more exciting than thousand year old parchments and bits of wall..."
Exciting? He really hadn’t been exaggerating when he said his life was simple. Besides the shop, he really didn’t have much else going on. Most of his hobbies (if they could be called that) were things he could do in the quiet solitude of his loft. He didn’t mind being alone… in fact, he usually preferred it.
“Well,” he began slowly, trying to think of something he could say, “I like art.” It was true-he had been an artist since he was very young, and enjoyed collecting and viewing art as much as he liked making it.
Art? He was surprised that Zangetsu would be into art. He quite liked art himself - his general interest in historical objects as well as his appreciation of artistic, creative expression led him to his fascination of art, among other things like music, poetry and the like.
"I like art too," he said, smiling as he drank more coke. "But I guess that's no surprise, being someone who's interested in history, the arts and the like." More so than the sheer magnificence artists could produce, he loved the whole idea of being able to create something, from a completely blank, white canvas, and be able to claim it wholly your creation.
And behind each and every stroke, each and every bit of colour, there is the artist himself, the work itself, the thoughts and expressions that go unseen.
He could talk about art for hours, even though Zangetsu was probably not too interested.
"It's nice," he said finally, sighing softly. "Knowing someone, outside of work, who isn't a neighbour or anything." Truth be told, he had made little friends here in New York City, having spent his life in Canada up until about a decade ago, or so.
It was nice, especially for Zang. He didn’t meet many people he could have a decent conversation with. Usually, within a few minutes of meeting someone, the topic would be steered towards something that either he had no interest in, or was too personal for him to discuss. Jyuushirou had asked him about his profession and interests, but accepted his simple answers and didn’t prod for more. The man was somehow able to be extremely friendly without being overbearing.
“Mm,” he said after a moment, “I agree. Outside of work, I really don’t interact much with others.” He glanced at the clock on the wall and signaled the bartender for one last drink.
Turning to the white haired man, he asked, “Would you allow me to pay for your dinner?” It had been… years… since the last time he had paid for someone else’s meal. He figured it would be a good gesture… especially since he had sent the man into a coughing fit when he revealed his occupation.
He blurted out a small 'huh' at the question. Dinner? Pay, for his dinner? "Ah! No - it's alright. Really. Um..." He scratched at the nape of his neck, casting his gaze to the side.
It was a nice gesture, but he didn't want to impose on the stranger he had just met. But he didn't want Zangetsu to feel bad, or anything...
"Maybe next time?" he suggested. It certainly was not going to be his last time at Satsko, and he knew he would see Zangetsu again. And once they started buying each other dinners, they probably wouldn't stop. It was a good reason to meet up, and he really did enjoy Zangetsu's company.
"When will you be here again?"
Zang could appreciate Jyuushirou’s refusal… he probably would have done the same thing. Now that he thought about it, he wasn’t exactly sure why he had offered in the first place-it was definitely unlike him.
He thought for a moment about when it’d be most likely for him to come back. Satsko featured ‘sake tasting nights’ on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, something he enjoyed because of the interesting information the owners would dish out with the sake they served.
“I’ll be here Wednesday,” he replied. Tuesday was always busy for him… it was the one day a week that both his employees couldn't work.
Wednesday? That was one of the days they had sake tasting... Mmm. He had nothing pressing to handle on Wednesdays - Mondays and Tuesdays were always busy for him, too. And anything that needed to be done on Wednesday could probably be pushed on to the later half of the week.
"Alright. Wednesday it is." He almost finished his coke. "I'll buy you dinner on Wednesday," he said, grinning.
So, it was settled then. For some reason, the newly formed plans didn’t make him as uneasy as they normally would have. He supposed it might be good for him to make at least one friend in the city. Plus, he would come back on Wednesday whether Jyuushirou came or not. It was a comfortable arrangement… dinner with an acquaintance at a place they would both be at anyways.
He supposed that he would offer to pay for the man’s dinner again next week. If they paid for each other’s meals, it wouldn’t be as awkward. Being a stranger to the rules of etiquette and socializing, Zang simply did what felt comfortable.
Turning to the other man, he nodded and said, “Sounds good to me.”
So it was set - Wednesday, dinner with Zangetsu at Satsko. He'll remember it. He drained the last bit of coke and lowered the second empty glass of sugary drink to the table.
Glancing down at his watch, he slipped his tips under his glass, moving to stand. "I guess it's time to go," he said, sounding a little sheepish. "It was really nice meeting you, Zangetsu." He smiled and bowed a little. "I'll see you on Wednesday?"
And with that, he smiled and took his leave. He settled his bill at the counter, and before leaving he took one last look over his shoulder, smiling at Zangetsu.
He stepped out and inhaled the crisp night air, running his hand through his hair. It really was a good night. He popped another juicy fruit into his mouth before embarking on the trip home.
He watched as the other man stood and prepared to leave. “Yes… Wednesday,” he said, “and it was nice to meet you, as well.”
The cool night air swept into the room when Jyuushirou opened the door, and Zangetsu turned and nodded at him before he left. After draining his cup, he set it on the bar and took out some money to pay the bill. He handed it to the girl and told her to keep the change before putting on his sunglasses and walking out onto the street.
As his feet followed the familiar path back to his loft, he tried to remember the last time he had made dinner plans… it had been quite a while. He dug in his coat for his pack of cigarettes, taking one out and lighting it with his Zippo before crossing an intersection. He pulled the smoke into his lungs deeply, holding it there for a moment before blowing it out his nose. Even though he wasn’t a fan of meeting new people, he was actually beginning to hope he could be friends with the odd, white haired man.
Characters: Ukitake (
lcpdragonslayer ), Zangetsu (
day_eight )
Timeline: August 10, 2007
Rating: PG-13
Summary: The two usuals at the Sake bar finally talk to each other.
Sake Bar Satsko was Zangetsu’s favorite place to go after work. Hell, it was the only place he went after work. Most of his nights were spent alone up in his loft, but every once in a while he got the urge to go out. Finding a spot he liked was a challenge-one that was simply ‘trial and error’. He hated crowds and noise, so any regular bar was out of the question. Most cafes and restaurants were too brightly lit and cheerful for his taste, but the diners that were less upbeat also tended to be a little hazardous to one‘s health.
His search for a quiet, decent place to relax led him to 7th street, where he happened upon Satsko’s, a little sake bar boasting an expansive sake collection and good food. Since he had always been a fan of sake, Zangetsu said ‘why not’ and decided to give the place a try. He was immediately impressed with everything about the bar-from the friendly family that owned it to its amazing food and drink. The place was usually busy, but not to the point where he felt uncomfortable. It was refreshing to sit back and enjoy a few cups of sake while observing the people around him.
He reached for his cup of Black Dragon sake, his favorite because of its dry softness, and watched a couple down the bar sneak kisses when they thought no one was looking. If it wasn’t for the soft breeze that came in through the door and the blur of snow white hair he saw out of the corner of his eye, he would not have even noticed the arrival of another customer.
He sighed, exhaling into the cool, night air as his gaze wandered around the vicinity. He enjoyed quiet nights - nights like these, where he could take a walk undisturbed. He had a long day at work, mostly on a wild goose chase for a '97 article that had gone MIA.
Only to find, of course, that it was slotted arbitrarily into the '99 shelf. It wasn't even filed in the same month, so he had no idea where the confusion came from.
That, and he was told to take the afternoon off because Mr. Kurosaki managed to walk in on him having one of his coughing-up-a-lung moments. He managed to sneak back into work to finish up for the day, and he now found himself here, in front of a place Shunsui introduced him to a few years ago. Shunsui, being, well, Shunsui, brought him here for the wonderful sake. And the sake was very nice - but he liked the food here too. The food, the atmosphere, the ambience... everything. He could just sit down and eat in his casual dress, and enjoy the halcyon night.
A small smile tugged at his lips as he entered Satsko, smiling at the familiar lady who began leading him to an empty table.
"Not working today?" she asked, noticing that he was in dark jeans and a black button up shirt that had the first two buttons undone, not in his usual shirt-and-tie attire he almost always came here wearing.
"Hm? Oh no - I took half the day off," he replied, smiling. As he took his seat, she asked him if he was going to have 'the usual' - a pan seared chicken breast and a coke. He laughed a little and nodded, his eyes lingering on her diminishing back for a while as she went to get his order sorted.
He then averted his gaze to the side, eyes scanning over the other patrons in the restaurant that night.
Zang shifted his weight and averted his gaze from the smooching couple. He wasn’t a voyeur, even if he did prefer watching real people rather than actors in movies. It always amused him to observe others and make assumptions as to where they came from and where they would end up. To him, the pair down the bar were most likely on their fifth or sixth date-still caught up in the whirlwind of emotions that came with a new and exciting relationship. He guessed that they were probably going to school in the city, and had met when they bumped into each other at some bar. In another seven months or so, the newness would wear off and they would start having problems. After a couple more months, they’d break up and go their separate ways, once again. It was these brief connections and changing of ways that intrigued him the most. Relationships were so fickle and often very short-one of the reasons he chose to remain so private.
He took another sip of his drink and glanced around the room. There were a dozen other people besides himself-the pair he had just been watching, a group of four friends, three middle aged women, an older couple, and a frail man with white hair sitting by himself. Zangetsu thought the latter could possibly be around his age; the man’s face looked young, even though the hair made him seem quite old. Turning his attention back to his sake, he drained his cup and set it back on the bar.
“Another?” asked the pretty lady behind the counter.
“Yes,” he replied in his smooth, deep voice, “and I’d also like to order the smoked salmon Onigiri.”
The lady smiled and nodded before refilling his drink and writing down his order. Zang took a drink from his full cup and sat back, listening to the different conversations wafting past his ears.
Music from the restaurant floated in his ears as his gaze wandered around the room, looking at the crowd tonight. It was a rather tame, small crowd - but perhaps that was only because the night was still young. Another reason he liked the place was because it was not bustling full of people. He liked his breathing room and personal space.
And although he had made it a habit not to try and knock himself unconscious in public, his antics usually had lesser impact on a smaller crowd than a big one.
His gaze fell upon the only other lone patron, clad in a peculiar, long, dark, worn coat. He had seen the man before - if his memory serves him right, that man was here the last time he came. And the time before that. And the time before that. He tended to sit in that area, too.
When their eyes met briefly, he turned his head away, averted his gaze and smiled, instinctively reaching up and scratching at his jawline. He was not very good at handling awkward situations.
Thankfully his food arrived, and he thanked the waitress as she left, depositing his chicken and coke on the table. His gaze wandered over the table, looking for eating utensils. After his epic hunt of four seconds, he realized she didn't give him any.
His gaze wandered off to the tables in the vicinity, looking for chopsticks. Dark irises settled on a container next to the lone patron he had been looking at moments before, and he looked at the man, smiling. "Hey-" he said, although it came out a little soft. "Hey uhm," he tried again, his voice carrying over the music and the distance this time. "Don't suppose you could pass over a pair of chopsticks?" he asked, smiling as he bit down on his bottom lip.
The quiet question pulled Zangetsu out of his daydreaming. He turned to see the white haired man smiling at him, looking a bit uncomfortable. For some reason, he looked very familiar. Perhaps he had shopped at The Blade's Edge before?
He reached for one of the sets of chopsticks from the container in front of him. Handing it to the man, he took a breath and asked, “Do I know you from somewhere?”
The sake had loosened his normally silent demeanor, and he didn’t want to offend someone who could be one of his customers. Plus, he figured a little light conversation might be a decent diversion from his normal routine.
Taking the other end of the chopsticks from the man, he smiled and nodded in appreciation before sliding the wooden chopsticks from the paper, pulling and breaking the joined chopsticks into two.
He contemplated the question in his mind. To his recall, he only ever saw the man in the bar. He didn't want to be rude and ask him about his profession, or his name, or anything like that, but he was adamant they had only ever seen each other at this place.
"Ah, no," he replied, shaking his head a little. "I don't think so." He lowered the chopsticks to the side of the plate and absentmindedly scratched at his nose lightly. "You come here often, though, don't you? I always see you around here whenever I come by."
Oh, so that was it. Zangetsu felt slightly embarrassed for not recognizing the man sooner. He did make a point of observing those around him, after all. He chalked it up to watching so many people at different places-getting faces mixed up was a common mistake, right?
“Yeah, I come here at least twice a week,” he said slowly, “I like the atmosphere.”
The girl returned with his plate of food and put it on the bar in front of him. Still feeling bad about not recognizing the fellow Satsko regular, he went out on a limb and did something he normally wouldn't.
“Would you like to join me?” he asked, motioning to the empty seat next to him.
His gaze alternated between his plate of food, the stranger and the seat next to him. He nodded and stood, picking up his chicken and placing it on the empty space on the table surface. Reaching for his glass of coke and the chopsticks, he climbed onto the barstool and shifted comfortably.
Holding the chopsticks in his left hand, he picked up a piece of chicken and placed it into his mouth, savouring the flavours on his palette.
His tongue flickered over his lips, lowering the chopsticks onto the side and picking up his glass of coke. Taking a nice sip, he lowered the glass to his lap and smiled at the stranger he sat next to.
"So..." He took another sip of the sugary drink, thinking of how to make conversation. "...I'm Jyuushirou," he said, extending his other hand toward the stranger, tilting his head as he smiled. "It's nice to... formally, meet you."
Zangetsu put down his own chopsticks and shook the hand offered to him. “Zangetsu, nice to meet you, as well.”
He took a bite of his onigiri, enjoying the different textures of the rice, salmon, mozzarella, avocado, and nori as they mixed together in his mouth.
Taking a sip of sake, he eyed Jyuushirou curiously. The man seemed to really enjoy his food. His obvious delight in each bite he took was rather amusing. Zangetsu watched him out of the corner of his eye for a minute or two while enjoying his own meal.
“So,” he said after a while, figuring he should say something to break the silence, “what is it about this place that keeps bringing you back?”
He contemplated the question at hand, careful to finish the food in his mouth before speaking. "Mmm..." He took another sip of coke, running his tongue over his bottom lip again.
"I don't know, really. It's a nice place. Not crowded, like almost every other restaurant bar place..." He began playing with his food idly, pushing it around a little with his chopsticks. "The place is nice, the staff are nice, the food is nice, the drinks are nice... I don't know." He shrugged. "I guess it's a place I want to be in, you know?"
He broke out into a bit of a nervous laughter, scratching the back of his head. "You like the atmosphere here too, right? Or are you really here for the sake bombs?" He grinned.
The corner of his lips curved ever so slightly at the question. “Sake Bomb Thursdays” were definitely popular-a little too popular for his taste. Besides, dunking a shot of perfectly good sake into a glass of beer seemed almost ludicrous.
“No,” he answered, “I come here for basically the same reasons. A quiet, relaxing place like this is hard to come by.”
Noticing the other man’s fidgeting, he averted his gaze and went back to his food. His appearance and demeanor were sometimes a bit imposing, and he didn’t want to make his new acquaintance nervous.
He ate another morsel of chicken, tasting and swallowing his dinner. He then worked away at the risotto cake, savouring the mixture of mushroom and coriander and other greens. The food was good - just as it has always been - it really was the perfect place to be.
"So, uh..." He washed the food down with more coke, draining it to about half the glass. "...if you don't mind me asking, what do you do?"
"Me, I uh... I work at a magazine... I'm an archivist." He smiled, eyeing Zangetsu. He was probably setting himself up for one of those 'Shunsui comments' - boring, mind-numbing - and 'not in a good way', apparently. "File papers, preserve old records, and the like," he briefly elaborated.
"I'm sure you do something more fun than me," he added swiftly, grinning. He looked Zangetsu up and down. If he had to take a wild guess, Zangetsu was... a pet shop owner. With all the cute little puppies and kittens and birds. He pictured Zangetsu with a white rabbit... And it really suited him.
Jyuushirou’s job sounded downright boring. Of all the things Zangetsu’s job could be, it was never boring. He drained his sake cup before answering the other man’s question. It was always a dilemma deciding whether to come right out and say he owned a sex shop or to gloss over the major details. Although he was never a fan of beating around the bush, he decided that this might be the time to do so, since he knew next to nothing about this man or his… personal morals.
“I own a business,” he said, “on the Lower East Side. It’s called The Blade’s Edge. Perhaps you’ve heard of it?”
Zang hoped that the man already knew about the store-it would save him the trouble of explaining it if he did.
The Blade's Edge... Well, it didn't sound like a pet shop... If it was, the name was a little... intimidating. He shook his head lightly. "No, I don't know it... Do you sell knives, or something?" he inquired.
Glancing over the man, it seemed as if he was the kind of person to be selling. Knives. And the such. Maybe a military memorabilia store? Or one of those antique medieval shoppes? Or maybe a shop that sells knives used in the kitchen, and other chefly items?
"Lower East Side, you say?" he reiterated, pondering. "Maybe I'll come by and visit sometime," he added cheerily.
Zangetsu arched one of his dark brows. Well… he did have a couple knives for sale…
Because of the name, quite a few people made that exact same assumption about The Blade‘s Edge. A few had even went inside, only to get embarrassed and leave quickly when they realized their mistake.
He supposed he should tell the inquiring man just exactly what the shop was-he didn’t want the poor guy to get appalled or shocked if he actually did stop by someday. Although, the image of the white haired man walking unknowingly into a sex shop was a fairly amusing one.
“You’re welcome to stop by if you’d like,” he said, “but it’s not a knife store.” He set his chopsticks down on his plate neatly and lowered his deep voice slightly. “It's a sex shop.”
He was drinking his coke when Zangetsu made his wonderful revelation. He choked on his drink, lowering the glass to the table as he coughed. It triggered one of his coughing fits, and he coughed into his curled hand for a good half a minute before getting his breath back.
Breathing heavily, he took the other half of a minute to restore his body back to its original state. "I'm sorry," he began, swallowing as he reached out and took another drink. That was definitely not his reaction to the revelation, and he was probably giving Zangetsu the wrong impression. "I'm... a little chronically ill. I get coughing fits and pass out all the time." He dismissed his condition lightly, as he always has. After all it hasn't killed him yet.
"I'll still come by and visit... I'm not sure I'll want to buy anything though," he said, managing a cheesy grin. "It does sound like a job that's... a lot more fun... than mine..."
Zangetsu’s eyes widened as Jyuushirou’s body convulsed with the coughing fit. He felt mildly concerned; it certainly wasn’t his intention to kill the man with his blunt statement. He looked around the bar, searching for something… anything that might help-but found nothing.
When the coughing subsided, he watched cautiously as Jyuushirou slowed his breathing enough to take a sip of soda. He began to relax a bit until he heard the statement about the man’s illness. Zang never knew what to do or say when people were ill. It reminded him of his mother-and that was definitely something he didn’t want to think about.
He was relieved when the topic was changed back to the store. It surprised him to hear that the man still planned to visit; his surprised reaction and hack fest had given Zangetsu the impression that he’d never set foot in such a place.
After putting his empty cup towards the edge of the bar where the girl working would notice it, he turned back and said, “It certainly isn’t a dull job. If you do stop by, you may be surprised… you never know what you might find.”
He mentally kicked himself for the dumb sales pitch and fought the urge to cringe. No matter who he talked to, that stupid line always managed to work its way out.
He laughed, his laughter a little more nervous than he would have liked it to sound. Given his age, it might be surprising if he did disclose that he had never been in one of those… kinds… of shops, but he was open to new experiences. He probably would not be interested in anything the shop had to offer, but it would be a fun experience nonetheless.
And then he can ask Zangetsu what everything in the shop was for. Sure he would understand the DVDs and the viewing booths, but he always wanted to know what those… instruments… that looked like steering wheel locks were for.
“I will stop by then,” he said, placing food into his mouth and chewing, managing a small smile. “I’m not sure if I’ll buy anything I find there, per se, but…” he shrugged a little. “It would be fun.”
“…So… You get lots of customers during the day? Presumably lots of regulars?”
Zangetsu nodded at the bartender when she refilled his cup and took a drink, swirling the sake around his mouth to get the full flavor. After he swallowed, the aftertaste and aroma became quite pleasant, and he sat silently for a moment to enjoy it.
“Mm…” he said after a moment. “Business is always good, and I do have quite a few regulars.”
He looked over at Jyuushirou and studied him. It wasn’t very often that he came across a guy that wouldn’t find something of interest if they wandered into The Blade’s Edge. True, there were the ones who were morally opposed to going into a sex shop, but that didn’t seem to be the case for the white haired man. Zangetsu wondered if perhaps he was a bit… old fashioned.
Hm. It was certainly a job much different from his own - Zangetsu must meet a lot of interesting people in his line of work. He met interesting people in his field too - but probably not the same kind of 'interesting'.
He was coming close to finishing his food when he looked up, and noticed that Zangetsu was looking at him most intently. He swiftly averted his gaze and managed an awkward smile, scratching at his jawline, pretending that he wasn't aware.
Picking up his coke, he finished his drink and lowered the empty, sweating glass to the table. He gazed up at Zangetsu and broke into a wide smile. "...Is something wrong?"
“No, nothing,” Zangetsu said quickly-he hadn’t meant to offend the other man by staring. He finished the last few bites of his dinner and pushed the plate away. Taking his cup, he swirled the sake around and watched as is reflected the light from the room.
Looking back over at the smiling man, he tried to think of something else to say. He wasn’t much of a conversationalist-he just didn’t like talking for the sake of talking. Just as he was about to clear his throat and turn back to his sake, a worthwhile topic sprung to mind.
His eyes widened in genuine surprise, dark irises sparkling, reflecting the light in the restaurant. The anniversary party… How did someone like Zangetsu find out about it? Not that he couldn’t, but… It was just a little odd, given his job, and whatnot.
He nodded. “I will be there. I work for Soul Society after all.” He was very surprised the man knew the magazine. It wasn’t a small company, but it wasn’t a hugely popular, international well-known magazine. “Are you coming?” They had invited all sorts of guests to the party - some celebrities, bands, record label companies - it was going to be a big night.
“If you are, I’d love to see you there,” he said cheerily, placing the last bit of food into his mouth. He picked up the serviette and wiped the edges of his mouth.
“So… Are you going to stay here a while longer?”
He hadn’t really thought about whether or not he’d be attending the party; crowds and big spectacles tended to make him feel uncomfortable. But, since he had been invited by Kisuke Urahara (a loyal customer of The Blade), he figured he would have to make an appearance.
“I’ll probably attend,” he replied. He watched out of the corner of his eye as Jyuushirou carefully wiped his mouth. The man had a quiet friendliness that Zang appreciated. Not once had he felt like his personal space had been invaded-something that seemed to happen quite a bit when he first met new people.
When asked about staying, he looked down at his cup and considered his options. He could either stay for a few more drinks, or go home and enjoy the rest of the night with a bottle of wine and a pack of smokes. The sake was tasting pretty good, and the company was surprisingly nice… so he supposed it wouldn’t hurt to stay.
“I’ll probably stick around for a while,” he said, turning back to the other man.
Staying for a while, hm? It sounded alright - he had nothing pressing to do this evening. In fact, he was free for the rest of the week.
As the waitress came to clear their plates, he asked for another glass of coke.
"Well, alright. Seeing as I don't have anything else to do... I'll stay for a while too." He reached into his pockets, shuffling around for something sweet. A smile broke out on his face as he pulled out a packet of gum. Opening it, he took a pellet out and placed it in his mouth. It wasn't the minty kind, or anything - it was Juicy Fruit's Citronic flavoured gum.
Unsure if Zangetsu liked gum, or had a sweet tooth for anything, for that matter, he offered it to the man anyway. "Gum?" he asked, almost grinning.
He looked at the package and then back at the smiling face offering it. There was a strange glint in the man’s eyes-like he enjoyed the odd flavored gum a little more than a… normal… person would.
“No thank you,” he said. “It would probably clash with my sake,” he explained, not wanting to seem rude.
The waitress arrived with Jyuushirou’s Coke, and Zangetsu eyed him curiously. This was a sake bar… and the man was drinking soda?
“Not a fan of sake?” he asked, motioning to the glass of Coke on the bar.
He savoured the burst of flavour in his mouth - one of the many reasons he liked gum was the explosion of taste. But of course it becomes tasteless after a while, and then it becomes a chore finding a place to dispose of it.
He followed Zangetsu's gesture to the coke, chuckling. He scratched the side of his forehead. "No - I do like sake..." Even though, admittedly, he was more of a sugar fan.
"...I'm not exactly a very good drunk, though..." He winced just thinking about it, but masked it swiftly with a scratch to the back of his head and a genuine-sounding laughter. "Wouldn't want to embarrass myself at our first encounter..." he said softly, averting his gaze. He coughed and took a sip of his coke, turning away from Zangetsu to mask the ever so subtle hints of a blush.
Zangetsu tilted his head. Not a good drunk, hm? He didn’t have that kind of problem. Perhaps it was because he had such a strong tolerance to alcohol… but even when he did drink a bit too much, he was always able to control his actions. Part of that might have something to do with his constantly guarded personality, though.
He saw the faintest trace of a blush creep over the other man’s cheeks as he turned to take a drink of his soda. It was beginning to appear as if Jyuushirou was a tad shy. Friendly… but shy. Not that Zang minded-he actually preferred it that way. Not having to answer prying questions or explain himself eased the tension of the moment a little.
“Embarrass yourself?” he asked, “You can’t be that bad.” He wasn’t expecting the man to elaborate, but felt like he should at least do his part to keep the conversation going.
He coughed, lowering his coke back on to the table. Last time he was drunk, Shunsui couldn't look at him straight, without bursting into shreds of laughter, for at least a week. He couldn't quite remember what had happened, and Shunsui would not say anything despite the grumbles and scowls.
It must have been something excruciatingly embarrassing.
"Apparently I am atrocious," he admitted, scratching the back of his head and laughing nervously, casting his gaze to the floor. "I wish I could remember, but..."
"Anyway I wouldn't want to pass out here," he said, grinning. "I spend enough time in hospital as it is."
Oh… the illness again. Zangetsu took another drink of his sake to hide his discomfort. He thought briefly that it might be amusing to watch Jyuushirou get completely wasted-it was always interesting to see how people’s best and worst traits came out after a few drinks.
Trying to steer the conversation towards something other than hospitals, Zangetsu said, “So, what do you do when you’re not filing papers, passing out after a few drinks, or coming here?” To his great surprise, he actually wanted to learn more about the friendly man… as long as it wasn’t about his sickness.
Now that was a really hard question to answer... He thought long and hard about it, and then smiled and shrugged. "I don't really know... I am very interested in preservation - of artefacts, of manuscripts, that kind of stuff. I sometimes give seminars about that..." And he really enjoyed that - teaching others about his passion.
"I don't actually need to do my job fulltime, so I do get around the office and help out sometimes. I also have a couple of very enthusiastic, competitive interns and they keep me busy... or entertained..." Sometimes he couldn't tell which. But they were wonderful, even though they often acted like bratty little kids. He took care of them.
"Mmm... I have a real sweet tooth, too," he said, grinning. But Zangetsu probably already knew that. "Candy shopping is the highlight of my week..."
"What about you, Zangetsu? What do you do?" he asked, smiling slightly, hoping his question did not offend the man. He hadn't realized he said the man's name unconsciously, either.
The preservation of artifacts and manuscripts? He supposed it fit… the guy was an archivist, after all. Jyuushirou didn’t really need to mention the sweets, however… Zang could have figured that out on his own. Not being very fond of sugary things himself, he found the other man’s candy addiction a bit puzzling. He had always been partial to savory, sour, and even bitter foods.
When asked about his own life, Zangetsu had to think for a minute, as well. After a few moments of staring into his cup, he said the most vague thing he could without sounding secretive. “My life is pretty simple… I spend a lot of time alone. The shop keeps me busy during the day, of course… but other than that, I tend to gravitate towards peace and quiet.”
Peace and quiet... He enjoyed that too, although he barely got any of it, with the two squabbling interns or Shunsui keeping him busy at work, or coughing his lung out when he was alone.
He took another sip of coke, holding the drink in his lap. "Mmm... It's not very fun, spending all that time alone." Sure, some people are more solitary than others, but it gets lonely, and loneliness often brings unhappiness.
"Get too much time to sit there, and think - about work, about life, about everything." And too much thinking can sometimes be destructive.
He took another mouthful of coke. The talk was heading into a strange, melancholic direction. And it wasn't a very pleasant one. He decided to change the topic as he put his coke down. "So... What do you like? Any interests? Surely something more exciting than thousand year old parchments and bits of wall..."
Exciting? He really hadn’t been exaggerating when he said his life was simple. Besides the shop, he really didn’t have much else going on. Most of his hobbies (if they could be called that) were things he could do in the quiet solitude of his loft. He didn’t mind being alone… in fact, he usually preferred it.
“Well,” he began slowly, trying to think of something he could say, “I like art.” It was true-he had been an artist since he was very young, and enjoyed collecting and viewing art as much as he liked making it.
Art? He was surprised that Zangetsu would be into art. He quite liked art himself - his general interest in historical objects as well as his appreciation of artistic, creative expression led him to his fascination of art, among other things like music, poetry and the like.
"I like art too," he said, smiling as he drank more coke. "But I guess that's no surprise, being someone who's interested in history, the arts and the like." More so than the sheer magnificence artists could produce, he loved the whole idea of being able to create something, from a completely blank, white canvas, and be able to claim it wholly your creation.
And behind each and every stroke, each and every bit of colour, there is the artist himself, the work itself, the thoughts and expressions that go unseen.
He could talk about art for hours, even though Zangetsu was probably not too interested.
"It's nice," he said finally, sighing softly. "Knowing someone, outside of work, who isn't a neighbour or anything." Truth be told, he had made little friends here in New York City, having spent his life in Canada up until about a decade ago, or so.
It was nice, especially for Zang. He didn’t meet many people he could have a decent conversation with. Usually, within a few minutes of meeting someone, the topic would be steered towards something that either he had no interest in, or was too personal for him to discuss. Jyuushirou had asked him about his profession and interests, but accepted his simple answers and didn’t prod for more. The man was somehow able to be extremely friendly without being overbearing.
“Mm,” he said after a moment, “I agree. Outside of work, I really don’t interact much with others.” He glanced at the clock on the wall and signaled the bartender for one last drink.
Turning to the white haired man, he asked, “Would you allow me to pay for your dinner?” It had been… years… since the last time he had paid for someone else’s meal. He figured it would be a good gesture… especially since he had sent the man into a coughing fit when he revealed his occupation.
He blurted out a small 'huh' at the question. Dinner? Pay, for his dinner? "Ah! No - it's alright. Really. Um..." He scratched at the nape of his neck, casting his gaze to the side.
It was a nice gesture, but he didn't want to impose on the stranger he had just met. But he didn't want Zangetsu to feel bad, or anything...
"Maybe next time?" he suggested. It certainly was not going to be his last time at Satsko, and he knew he would see Zangetsu again. And once they started buying each other dinners, they probably wouldn't stop. It was a good reason to meet up, and he really did enjoy Zangetsu's company.
"When will you be here again?"
Zang could appreciate Jyuushirou’s refusal… he probably would have done the same thing. Now that he thought about it, he wasn’t exactly sure why he had offered in the first place-it was definitely unlike him.
He thought for a moment about when it’d be most likely for him to come back. Satsko featured ‘sake tasting nights’ on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, something he enjoyed because of the interesting information the owners would dish out with the sake they served.
“I’ll be here Wednesday,” he replied. Tuesday was always busy for him… it was the one day a week that both his employees couldn't work.
Wednesday? That was one of the days they had sake tasting... Mmm. He had nothing pressing to handle on Wednesdays - Mondays and Tuesdays were always busy for him, too. And anything that needed to be done on Wednesday could probably be pushed on to the later half of the week.
"Alright. Wednesday it is." He almost finished his coke. "I'll buy you dinner on Wednesday," he said, grinning.
So, it was settled then. For some reason, the newly formed plans didn’t make him as uneasy as they normally would have. He supposed it might be good for him to make at least one friend in the city. Plus, he would come back on Wednesday whether Jyuushirou came or not. It was a comfortable arrangement… dinner with an acquaintance at a place they would both be at anyways.
He supposed that he would offer to pay for the man’s dinner again next week. If they paid for each other’s meals, it wouldn’t be as awkward. Being a stranger to the rules of etiquette and socializing, Zang simply did what felt comfortable.
Turning to the other man, he nodded and said, “Sounds good to me.”
So it was set - Wednesday, dinner with Zangetsu at Satsko. He'll remember it. He drained the last bit of coke and lowered the second empty glass of sugary drink to the table.
Glancing down at his watch, he slipped his tips under his glass, moving to stand. "I guess it's time to go," he said, sounding a little sheepish. "It was really nice meeting you, Zangetsu." He smiled and bowed a little. "I'll see you on Wednesday?"
And with that, he smiled and took his leave. He settled his bill at the counter, and before leaving he took one last look over his shoulder, smiling at Zangetsu.
He stepped out and inhaled the crisp night air, running his hand through his hair. It really was a good night. He popped another juicy fruit into his mouth before embarking on the trip home.
He watched as the other man stood and prepared to leave. “Yes… Wednesday,” he said, “and it was nice to meet you, as well.”
The cool night air swept into the room when Jyuushirou opened the door, and Zangetsu turned and nodded at him before he left. After draining his cup, he set it on the bar and took out some money to pay the bill. He handed it to the girl and told her to keep the change before putting on his sunglasses and walking out onto the street.
As his feet followed the familiar path back to his loft, he tried to remember the last time he had made dinner plans… it had been quite a while. He dug in his coat for his pack of cigarettes, taking one out and lighting it with his Zippo before crossing an intersection. He pulled the smoke into his lungs deeply, holding it there for a moment before blowing it out his nose. Even though he wasn’t a fan of meeting new people, he was actually beginning to hope he could be friends with the odd, white haired man.