What the Heart Wants [Mature]

Rinko smiled. "She's the woman who owns the flower shop next door. She's a good friend of mine. She doesn't have family to spend time with, and she isn't very social, preferring to spend time at home. I Practically had to drag her over here to hang out after I met her... a lovely woman though."

'Sounds familiar... Though, I wasn't dragged anywhere.' Kanji thought to himself. He started to wonder just how difficult it would be in the future to decline Ms. Iori's hospitality. Or if it would even be possible. "Guessin' she runs it alone then, huh? It's good to have friends closeby."

Rinko nodded. "Yes, she used to run it alongside her adoptive father, but he passed many years ago, from what she told me. Anyway, what do you do outside of work, Kanji? Do you live near here?"

Kanji scratched his head. "Lessee... Odd jobs and whatever came along, I guess? I mess around with machines and cars sometimes, and I play games but aren't very good at 'em. I live in an apartment near Yamagura High; it's not that far a walk. I'm guessing you live close to the shop?"

Rinko giggled. "Actually, we technically live in it. Same with Clara's shop. Honestly, it's a bit of a theme in this neighborhood. Do you see that door over on the left of the cafe? That leads to the sitting room and living area, secondary kitchen, and bathrooms. Upstairs are the bedrooms and Sei's game room."

"Huh... that's pretty convenient, combining work and home. Wait, you got a game room??" Kanji asked Sei. He then thought about going up there. "Eh, on second thought.. I don't wanna get beat down that badly."

Sei smiled. "I can go easy on you if you want to play. I've got some good games." The bell at the front door rang then, as a beautiful woman walked in.

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" Rinko waved the woman over, pulling out a seat for her.

"Of course not! I'll get you some hot chocolate. Clara, this is Kanji, our newest employee! Kanji, this is Clara." Clara turned to Kanji, and held out her hand, smiling softly.

"It's a pleasure. It's nice to know Rinko will have a little extra help around here now."

"Heh, 'easy'. Right." Kanji chuckled. He was about to ask for more info on his games when the door opened.

Kanji stood as Clara approached and shook her hand firmly. "I'll be doin' my best. It's nice to meet you too, Miss... ehm... Didn't catch your last name." Despite growing older, he couldn't kick that formality habit with people older than him.

Clara just smiled. "Jameson. Clara Jameson. And your's?" She took her seat as Rinko set down her drink for her, making herself comfortable.

"Morioka Kanji. Sorry; didn't mean to get rude on ya." He lamented not introducing himself first for a moment as he took swig of his hot chocolate. 'If this is the company he keeps, it's no mystery why the Kid's got good girl standards...' Kanji mused.

Clara waved it off. "You were hardly being rude, Kanji. At least in my opinion. So, you've been hired here. How did that happen? Forgive me, but I hadn't heard Rinko was hiring, so it's a bit out of the blue."

Kanji scratched his head again. It'd be stupid to say "I kicked the guy's ass who was kicking Sei's ass so he helped me out". Not to mention he didn't want to blurt out Sei's business, so he omitted that part. "Ki--ah, Sei gave me a heads up. Said they needed help around here, so I came in and asked. I guess she wasn't lookin' but agreed that help was welcome, you know?"

Clara raised a brow at Sei, who immediately was looking at his drink. Clara just smiled and let it go. "Well, it's wonderful that you're helping out. Knowing Rinko, I'm sure she's paying you well, and they are great company, so hopefully you'll stay on for a long while. You should enjoy yourself here. Especially when Rinko decides that you should. She's rather stubborn." Rinko just shrugged, smiling.

Kanji chuckled and wasn't sure if it was out of humor or nervousness. "Heh, yeah I kinda got that feelin'. And work here seems like it'll be alright. Think I'll stay for a bit. It's not like choices are jumping out at me, anyway."

Clara responded by reaching out and patting his hand. "Don't look at it that way, dear. I like to think you end up with the job you were meant to have. Maybe not the job you are meant to stay with, but the one you were meant to have right then. Things have a way of working out."

Kanji crossed his arms with a small smirk, mentally brushing off the head pat. "Sounds about right; what will be, will be." A solid philosophy he lived by. That's not to say he didn't take chances, however. "Speakin' of jobs, wouldn't it make sense for you to be hirin' too? Must be tough sometimes, running the place on your own."

Clara shook her head, smiling. "I manage just fine. I've been doing it by myself for the past twenty years or so, I've got it down to a bit of a science."

"Twenty years? Heh." Kanji chuckled at that. Though, judging by Clara's expression and apparent candor, she wasn't kidding. "What... seriously? You ran that place since you were just a kid?" She looked way to young for the time frame she was giving.

Clara raised a brow, but smiled. "I was twenty-three, Kanji. I'm fourty-five, even if I don't look it. Rinko here is fifty-one." Rinko responded by sticking her tongue out and waving.

'Huh?!' Kanji was taken aback. Once again, she sounded serious. He looked from Clara to Rinko, then back again. "...Damn." Kanji immediately palmed his forehead after that slip. He usually tried not to curse in front of his elders these days. "Ah.. Sorry 'bout the language, there." Not looking your age wasn't uncommon, but these two... He wondered if Sei would grow up the same way.

Rinko waved it off, while Clara just smiled. "Please, Kanji, we are not delicate little flowers that can't stand cursing. Please, you can speak freely with us, I promise. And honestly, I'm half-Rynat, so that is why I look younger than I am. Clara, however, is human."

"Yes, but I was trained to utilize Natural Energy, and that has an effect on the body."

"Hm, point."

Kanji gave a small sigh in relief. He wasn't worried about them being faint of heart, but feeling disrespected by his language. Since they weren't, it was all good. Still, he was going to avoid sticking his foot in his mouth for the rest of the day. "'Natural Energy'? At the risk of soundin' like an idiot, that is...?" It sounded self-explanatory but he hadn't heard of it.

Clara held out her hand, which after a moment began to have a faint green aura around it. "Natural Energy is the energy that is naturally produced by the planet. It is hard to pick up, and even harder to master. I still couldn't be considered a master of it, and I have been training since I was a child. It's about balance, inner tranquility. Very few people can even use it, let one use it effectively. But when someone does get a grasp of it, the effects are rather pronounced, including keeping the body healthy and strong. Speaking of... how strong are you, Kanji? You look like you have some experience with fighting, I'd assume, so I'd assume relatively strong?"

"Sheesh. Leave it to a common soundin' energy to be the toughest to control..." Kanji oberved. "I guess you could say I'm strong. I can't do any of that energy-tranquil-whatever stuff, but I've taken some who could. I didn't really have a teacher or nothin', unless we're counting experience. I just... fight." Unbeknownst to him, there was a good deal of chi pent up within him. He simply never recognized its use.

Clara nodded. "Alright. Then what I want you to do, is simple." She held out her hand straight, palm down. "Try and push my hand down. I don't care how you do it, just push it down."