Bleach: Derailed

[68] A dumpling street stand.
[40] A quiet cafe with privacy.
[30] A bar. Bars have alcohol.

You catch site of a cafe down an alley that seems to be set up for privacy, but pass over it and the obvious choice to sit down at a street stand instead. Actually calling it a stand would be a disservice, because it's big and has a low wooden wall around it, but you can clearly see that the kitchen is actually just three food carts parked together.

Takako pauses at the entryway, and then she gingerly sits down at the bar beside you while you order. "Kurosaki."

"Ichigo, I told you."

"Ichigo, I'm not sure that this is the kind of establishment that is appropriate for your... um..."

You glance at the woman. "Appropriate? I come here pretty often. They've got good food, so we can eat while we have a drink. You don't want to get drunk on an empty stomach."

"I meant, appropriate for your new status." Takako's spine is as straight as an iron pole. "As a noble, you have a reputation to uphold."

Is this a class thing? It must be a class thing. If nobles are like the really rich people in the living world, then you're basically slumming it by going to a cheap street stand like this one. That said, "Then I guess I'm going to get a reputation for eating good food." You say, as the plates of steamed dumplings are set down in front of you both. The chef also puts down a pitcher of wine, two small cups, and two larger glasses of cold water. You put the money on the counter. "So how's this work?"

Your friend gives up. With pursed lips she picks up the pitches, arranges the small cups just so, and slowly pours fills them both halfway. "Traditionally, we take turns toasting and drinking. I'll go first. To a new future!"

You hold your cup out and she taps it with her own. Without hesitating, you both down the smooth liquid. It's... surprisingly nice for a first serious taste of alcohol, not that you admit that.

"Whoo." Takako sputters. "That's pretty good. Is the food also well-done?"

In response you take a bite. The taste of hot pork melts across your tongue. Your dinner companion quickly follows suit, and soon enough the wine goes down even easier.

"To family."

"To our careers."

"To the future."

Warmth blooms in your belly, but you know how to pace yourself. You make sure that there's plenty of food to soak in your stomach to soak up the alcohol you drink, and water to dilute it.

Takako... doesn't.

"And then I said- I said that he jus' doesn't understand, because he only acts like a stupid." She mumbles, face splotchy and red from alcohol. "He's actually really smart, smarter than me. I'm the stupid."

You hold a glass of water, filled halfway, up to her face. "Come on. Drink."

"M warm."

"The water's cold." You promise.

Takako things about that for a while, and then accepts the offered water. "Skin and bones stupid." She mumbles, which is kind of fair. She could stand to get a little more meat on her bones.

Once she gets that down you help her to her feet, but on the way out the door your zanpakuto hits a stool and knocks it over. Worse than that, there was someone on the stool. Apparently you're a little tipsy after all. You should be used to how large Zangetsu is by now. "My bad."

"What kind of- what's wrong with you, running around knocking people over? And you call that an apology?"

You knocked over a woman. Glancing back, apparently she's a full-on soul reaper too. Oops. Clearly you should have been paying more attention to your surroundings, but is it really your fault that you missed noticing someone so small? Probably, yeah. "Sorry about that. I'm trying to get my friend back to the dorms, and I didn't pay attention to where my zanpakuto was."

But for some reason that only steams the girl up more. She blows her black hair back from her eyes and glowers, but turns away before she does anything else. "Then you should put that thing away! Puffing your spiritual energy up into your zanpakuto to make it oversized doesn't impress anyone."

"Hey! take that back! Zangetsu's not too large. You're just tiny!" You're not going to stand there and let her insult the man inside your soul like that!

In hindsight, you were completely correct in your allegations. The soul reaper whips back around, face as red as Takako's. "Tiny? As though someone so obviously screaming to be noticed should talk about another's looks!" She scoffs. "Your bleached hair, obviously falsely large zanpakuto say otherwise."

"I'm the only one who can shit talk my sword! And my hair's natural." You spit in retaliation.

"Oh?" The soul reaper says with exaggerated care. "A likely story. Far more likely is that you're simply a student, posturing after your own clumsiness ruins someone else' meal."

You know what? It's on.

You challenge her to...
[] a drink off, to unconsciousness
[] a spar, to prove that you're badass
[] just swallow your pride, and leave