[P; KIRI TO KUMO] Green Apple Tea with Tapioca Pearls.

Posts : 423

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we gon’ light it up
MAKESHI SUZU
like it’s dynamite
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6 tea shops, 3 grocery markets and 15 general stores later, Suzu came up with the conclusion that Kirigakure did not have a single supply of green apple tea powder with tapioca pearls. Her sudden craving for this rare delicacy was unexplainable, seeing as she had never heard of this type of tea, but after trying various different types, Suzu developed this unusual need. Green apples were Suzu’s favourite fruit and tapioca pearls were apparently the appropriate treat to go with such a fruity flavor of tea. So, what started as an on-and-off craving soon evolved into a 24 hour ongoing need.

The more she thought about green apple tea with tapioca pearls, the more she wanted green apple tea with tapioca pearls. Many store merchants and workers have told her that Kumogakure supplied the original green apple tea and the added tapioca pearls could be found in many grocery markets in that region. Suzu wasn’t sure which was more surprising; the fact that Kumogakure had an endless supply of this tea, or the fact that Kirigakure store merchants were informed of this international information. But business is the same wherever you go, and Suzy highly doubted Kumo was fortunate enough to have even a taste of Kiri’s famous halibut.

It would be utterly stupid to go overseas all the way to the Lightning Country for tea and have her craving die down halfway during the boat ride, but the fact that she had a few weeks off from the hospital and no other ongoing plans (as far as she knew) overruled the stupidity. It wouldn’t just have to be a trip for tea; other arrangements could be made in order for Suzu to enjoy all that Kumo could offer a tourist. Hopefully her lack of knowledge about the international ties between her village and the visiting one won’t come into question…

Two days later with a boat ticket in her hand, Suzu departed her apartment once more. She refused to understand the meaning of “lightly packing,” and as a result, she would be enjoying a rather long walk to the harbor, accompanied by two drag-along suitcases and a carry-on. Usually, Kiri villagers would stare and whisper about the lunatic carrying mass amounts of luggage through the town, and that’s exactly what they did when they saw Suzu rolling her suitcases down by the town marketplace. But the whispers and pointy fingers were ignored; all she could think about was her green apple tea with tapioca pearls.

The only passengers the harbor welcomed were the ones travelling with the exports to other countries. Seldom were the boats used for human transportation purposes, but since people still demanded their right to travel to foreign countries, its existence couldn’t end just yet. This made the cost of the ticket rise increasingly, but boat passengers were treated with the utmost respect and soon, transportation via boat was considered a luxury and a privilege. Something most people couldn’t afford.

Arriving at the harbor, Suzu felt a sudden chill due to the dropped temperatures near the shoreline. The waves crashing against the rock wall that bordered the island of Kiri was strong enough to cause a cool wave upon those near the harbor. ‘Good thing I packed 5 sweaters…’ Suzu thought to herself, beaming. The weather in Kumo was something she hadn’t got to figuring out, but she knew her over packed luggage wouldn’t let her down.

It seemed Suzu wasn’t the only one eagerly waiting for the boat to dock; nearly 50 people as fervent (if not more) were in line near the docking area; some huddled against each other for warmth. She made her way down to the crowd of people with an unexplainable feeling in the pit of her stomach which soon developed into nervousness. This would be her first big trip alone and away from home for a significant amount of time. What started as a search for tea could most likely end up as a full vacation. But she considered it more of an adventure than anything, and hopefully, it will prove to be just as exciting.

Caught up in her thoughts, Suzu hadn’t noticed that the boat had arrived. The 23,000 tonned beauty wore a coat of baby blue, with three horizontal white strips along the middle and mirrors from the many rooms took up most of the ship’s space. The deck, clearly visible from the spot Suzu stood on, was polished with a nice wood finish and the national flag of Kiri, over the edge of the deck, hung proudly, waving to the wind’s demands.

“ALL ABOARD!”

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FROM KIRI TO KUMO
wordcount : 769
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Posts : 423

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we gon’ light it up
MAKESHI SUZU
like it’s dynamite
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The final horn blared, signaling all passengers to be seated in their rooms, or contained inside of the boat. Absolutely no one was to be allowed on the sky deck until twenty minutes after the departure. But none complained; twenty minutes in their assigned rooms was nothing compared to the 24 hours of luxury they could spend wherever they wanted. The S. S. Hitomi offered a variety of extra and added services, such as a complimentary breakfast buffet, served on the sky deck every morning, free access to the hot tub and swimming pool, and a free evening show every night, al; to be enjoyed by all passengers. Weather permitting, of course.

Suzu stayed in her room, occupying herself with unpacking her luggage. The necessities, a few sweaters and sweatpants and cozy shoes were sprawled out on the bed in a non-organized manner. Her suitcases were placed one beside the other in the middle of the room, the zipper open and the contents slowly pouring out from within. Peering outside from the window, Suzu looked at the horizon and the sun slowly rising. The rays radiated over onto the calm sea, changing the colour and producing a multitude of blue-orange hues.

What started as a quick nap, turned into a seven hour rest. Suzu never thought she’d be capable of staying in bed for seven hours, on top of the ten hour sleep rest she got the night before. She figured it had to do with her body needing time to repair itself from the explosion of nerves mixed in with excitement. It seemed to have been effective; Suzu woke up with energy levels high enough to keep her occupied for the next few hours until the sunset.

Navigating herself through the fifty or more people in the elevator and on the sky deck was no joke. Everyone wanted to experience all of the ship’s luxuries, even if it meant swerving through the crowd, ready to fire their elbow-jab at anyone who stood in their way. Despite the fact that these people were all from Kiri, most, if not all, were new faces to Suzu. It was crazy to think that all these people from such a poor country had enough money in their pockets to experience such a lavish cruise, and it reminded her of the less-fortunate, who, if her timing was correct, had gotten their man-made signs out, ready for another day collecting loose change from anyone and everyone who marched down the streets of Kirigakure. Suddenly, the enjoyment was sucked out of her. But hopefully, her green apple tea with tapioca pearls will be able to replenish her lost excitement.

Unfortunately, most of the passengers were busy with their in-pool pilates or sugar-free candy poker. The closest thing to Suzu’s age were the hotel employees, and just like the front-row seats for the evening show reserved for the senior-citizens, they were off limits. Pity, the juice-bar boy looked as if he was about to drool all over her Mango and Passion Fruit smoothie. But it wasn’t possible for the employees to avoid flirting; even they sent out subtle hints, such as a wink. However, no matter how sly they think they were, every enticing move was met with a stern look from the not-so-friendly supervisor, who looked a lot like the council assistant. Scary.

But despite it all, it was a rather relaxing journey. She wasn’t responsible for cleaning her cup, doing her laundry, or even making her bed. Every demand was met with a kind and gentle, “certainly, ma’am, it would be our pleasure” and even the oddest requests were fulfilled (not that she had any). By morning time, few hours before when they would reach their destination, Suzu was hesitant on getting off the ship. With one phone call, she could buy a ticket for a week-long cruise around god-knows-where, but really, she’d be in for the in-ship luxuries. But she knew that would be out of the question; until she got her green tea with tapioca pearls, everything else had to wait. It was still her number one priority.

She departed the ship with high hopes. The sky looked to be clear, which was an improvement already. No sign of heavy clouds was a good thing; it meant she could start her expedition for her tea today, leaving more time to enjoy all that Kumo had to offer. Let’s go…

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FROM KIRI TO KUMO
wordcount : 736
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