A Short Walk and Small Talk

Cora almost bumped into someone as she went around the corner. She did not get too startled but raised up her left arm instinctively and her right one went to her belt. Only then did she realize that it was just some peasant, being more scared at bumping into a tall, blonde woman wearing a leather coat than she ever would have been.

He murmured a quick, "Sorry...", and then went away fast. Cora did not move any facial muscle and just grunted.

She sighed and prepared to reply to what Mitsuo said, "Do you really think you can take it? I mean...", she laughed shortly, "Alright, alright, it's probably bad if I continue to pester with it, you might end up saying no to coming with me.", she grinned and gave him a friendly punch on his right shoulder, "You know, I will make it as...Mitsuo-friendly as possible, it won't be a problem. I will watch out with the volunteers, as in I will not be as rough with them as I would be usually.", she stopped talking, "To be honest, I will not even do the main work in it, I know a few other people that are more skilled at searching for new ones."

She thought about her new ideas in terms of choosing volunteers and changing the pack, maybe she should consult Mitsuo in this as well. Or Auth. Cora shook her head, it was probably better if she decided it on her own. Or not? She sighed.

"Anyway, I am not sure how I will change the pack. I will do some changes for sure, but I do not know which ones....I want to go get working for the military, as you know."

Mitsuo chuckled, "You keep pampering if I'm ok with it started to make it sound like you don't want me to come with you. Never the less, I'll still come with you."

He then got the friendly punch on the shoulder to which he let out a whispered, "ow."
"You don't have to make it as Mitsuo-friendly as possible, you know. I actually want to see how serious you are about your... business."
Mitsuo smiled, half of it was fake and half of it was real. He was being honest about seeing how serious Cora is but was not completely comfortable in his idea of doing so.

"Getting work from the military might be difficult... unless you plan on getting it from the corrupted members, it would probably be more easier and better paid that way. At least, I wouldn't be surprised if it was."
He chuckled again and scratched the back of his neck.
"You'd have to know which ones are the corrupt, ones though. You don't want to approach the wrong people and be arrested for it."

Mitsuo suddenly stopped, "here it is!"
A one floor building stood in front of them. It was reasonable in size; fairly larger than an averaged sized house in Stohess.
Above the front doors of the building was a big shop sign showing the words 'Shimura Works' painted in silver, with the 'i' being a spanner and the 'o' being a gear.
The front doors had a small window sign on them saying, 'Temporarily closed. Sorry for any inconvenience.'

Mitsuo got out a key and unlocked the door before opening it and taking down the sign. He held the door open for Cora and gestured with a hand for her to enter, "come on in!"

Cora entered and mumbled something about "Ladies first" and that being the reason Mitsuo should have went in first, but did not mean it.

She was glad about him not caring too much how it would end up, but neither was she sure that he knew what he was getting himself into. He probably had no idea, well, he did not get involved so it would be less bad.

She just laughed at him mentioning the corrupt members, "I know, I know...everyone is corrupt if the money is enough!", she chuckled, as sad as it was, this was mostly true, "Even though, I do not plan on relying on corrupt members."

She looked around the shop, what a pretty place it was. Sadly she had no idea about most things.

Cora stood somewhere close to the door, waiting for Mitsuo to take the lead. She was not sure if he wanted to do something or if she was not allowed to go somewhere.

"With working for the military, you see, I do have some quite good conections, from whom I get stuff without relying on their corruptness.", she stretched her arms up in the air, "For now I will just go on and choose a few bodyguards for higher up members. They will certainly see our capability in terms of security.", she grinned, "And, if I have enough...and maybe...", she chuckled, "Something not too major happens, just an idea, not sure whom I will get into that. They will certainly prove themselves, that would get us more respect, and more freedom."

She took her arms back down again, crossing them in front of her chest, "But that would only be an extreme case.", she looked around again, "Tell me if you need security anywhere in your facility. I am very glad to help you."

Cora was slightly worried about her companions, they should show up at the shop eventually, unless they forgot. Well. If they did not find her where she left them, they would hopefully have the brain to think she might be here, given that Mitsuo was the reason she came to Stohess after all. If not...they would just get scolded, depending on how they reacted once she found them again. She had enough trust in them that they would find their way back to her though.

Mitsuo threw the temporarily closed sign behind the counter before reaching over and grabbing a closed sign.

He turned to the door and mentally debated if he should hang it up, briefly glancing at Cora as she mumbled to herself.

Mitsuo smiled, "I'm glad you have a plan for how you're going to go about running your business. I just hope it won't get too dangerous for you and, well... Let's just say I wish you the best."

The young Shimura then chuckled, "I appreciate the offer but..." he started to trail off, staring at the door behind the counter that has a sign saying 'Staff only', "... I shouldn't need security."

He looked back at Cora as he remembered he was going to show her his project a while ago but didn't get to however he decided now was not a good time to show her either.

"So shall we get going or do you want to wait around for awhile?" He asked with a smile.

Cora was a bit surprised at him saying that he would not need security. She loved security. She looked around the shop and grinned, given how inventive Mitsuo was it was no surprise that he did not need security. None at all.

She looked outside and tried to figure out the time she had already spent with Mitsuo and on the market, it really was about time for her companions to show up.

"So shall we get going or do you want to wait around for awhile?". Mitsuo suddenly asked.

Cora got slightly startled, "Oh.", she looked at him, "Well to be honest, if you want to leave like that, I do not mind it, but you might want to take a few things with you. I do not know how long you are going to stay but until we finally get to Krolva...might take a while..."

Even she herself had a few spare clothes packed with her horse. Apart from that, she never really minded sleeping in dirt, she was used to it, but Mitsuo just did not look like that, with his fancy clothing. Not that she minded it...

"If you don't want to take something with you I can always lend a few clothes to you, they will just...", she chuckled, "They will probably be too tight around the shoulders and too long at the arms...", she started laughing imagining the usually well dressed Shimura in baggy and not fitting clothing.

"I do not mind you wearing it, on the contrary it would most likely cheer me up!", she grinned and looked outside. Two familar figures were standing in front of the shop, back turned towards the door and looking as if they were guarding it. The last one was somewhere further away, binding a horse to some pole. The others were already bound. Great, they were capable of thinking for themselves. Cora was a bit proud of them. Esspecially for one of them, he ususally was just the 'I listen and do what you tell me to, but I shut off my brain for alot of the parts' type of person. She smiled happily.

"So, to get back to my point, if you want to not take anything with you, feel free to do so. We will get food on the way, anything else?", she looked up the ceiling, "Nope, I doubt it, I still have some time, feel free to take longer as well."

Cora looked outside again, "Oh. Right. I hope you do have a horse?"

Mitsuo chuckled, "I think I'll go pack quickly then. As for the horse... I'll have to see if I can get one for rent on the way."

'Great,' Mitsuo thought to himself, 'that means I have to go home... where my dad is.'
after his brief hesitation, he spoke up again, "I'll have to go to my house quickly to pack so I don't mind if you want to come with me."

Mitsuo smiled and headed for the door, "but if you do come with me... I have to warn you; my dad will seem... active."

He sighed, knowing what was going to happen when he got home, as soon as he would walk through the front door.

'This is going to be fun,' Mitsuo concluded in his head.

Cora quickly followed him.

"Renting horses won't be a problem, the pack does not have their own horses either, we rented them as well. There definitly is one somewhere in Stohess, close to the gate.", she grinned.

We should get ourselves our own horses.
Why?
Because then we would have our own horses...?
We just need to care for them, it costs alot and apart from that traveling is easier with just renting them as well.
Right. Because we can just switch horses. We still might need some when we are an actual part of the military again.
Well that is different.

Cora smiled at Mitsuo, "Your dad can't be too bad, really. Active older people are good."
Well they were definitly better than passive older people that just sat around all day, or inactive older people that were dead. She only vaguely remembered her real dad, she knew that he was quite tall and that everyone constantly made comments about that. But that was about it. She did, however remember her foster dad very well. She used to miss him, not too much anymore. And the last bit that still missed him died with her getting kicked out of the military.

She eagerly awaited his dad's appereance

Mitsuo hung up the closed sign before opening the door, "Come on then, it's just down the road."
He stepped outside and shoved his hands in his pockets, nodding at the goons that stood outside.

Mitsuo sounded displeased as he started mumbling to himself, "I can't wait. I'm gonna step through that door and say 'I'm home' which will make mother respond with 'welcome back honey' before my dad comes rushing down the hallway with a spanner in his hand whilst yelling 'YOU'VE CLOSED EARLY' and then he'll hit me over the head... and it's gonna hurt... a lot.'

The young Shimura pufffed before pouting and slowly made his way down the street. He checked his pocket watch, "Three in the afternoon, huh? I've closed up shop two hours early. Doesn't change the fact the he's still gonna complain."

He realised Cora was not with him so he stopped and waited, he didn't walk that far... he only made it a little distance away from the door.

As Mitsuo walked outside her companions greeted him the same way as he did, by nodding.
They did the same with Cora, no difference in greeting what so ever.

Cora listenend to him mumbling and started grinning, she patted his head softly. She did not hear everything he said, but enough to understand it.

"Don't worry, Mitsuo, he won't hit your head!", Cora's reflexes were quite good, she would most likely be able to put her arm between Mitsuo's head and his father. If not...she would be incredible disappointed in herself and would end up working out even more.

She always kept her distance to him, around a meter and walking diagonally behind him. She started humming happily, Mitsuo's family seemed quite funny, she would most likely enjoy staying with them.

Mitsuo walked a few blocks down and crossed the road. He stood in front of a polished wooden door. The house stood two stories tall and was slightly bigger than an averaged sized house. It's exterior was a pale cream colour, one which Mitsuo didn't like.

"Welp, here it is," he spoke up, "the humble abode I live in."
He fished out a key from his pocket and unlocked the door before swinging it open. Here it comes, the moment he's been waiting for.

Mitsuo stepped inside the house and called out, "I'm home!"

A voice replied, calling from somewhere inside, "welcome back honey!"

...

Wait for it, Mitsuo thought in his head.

Suddenly, loud footsteps could be heard approaching the door which was then followed by a yelling voice, "YOU'VE CLOSED EARLY!"
The footsteps cut off as stopped as quick as they started.

"Strange, normally he would b-" Mitsuo's words were cut off as a spanner came hurtling through the air and hit him dead center on his forehead.

Mitsuo fell back, startled and in pain, "ARRGH! DAMN IT! THAT HURT! THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU, OLD MAN!"
The young Shimura yelled, rolling about on the floor.

Now in front of the doorway stood a man that was slightly taller than Mitsuo. His hair was swept back but shaggy, only reaching the end of his neck, and was dark ginger - almost reddish - in colour but a noticeable amount of grey hairs were visible.
He had a 5 o'clock shadow and half-framed glasses that perfectly sat in front of his eyes.
He was wearing an outfit quite similar to Mitsuo's but reversed in colour, wear white would be black and black would be white.

Cora blinked slowly. What just happened. She saw it perfectly, he just threw that...thing against his head. She would not have been able to stop it, she was bad at catching apart from that she was way too far away. Cora made a mental note about keeping customers safe from flying objects and Vex suggested inviting this man and Mitsuo for practice.

She looked at Mitsuo, then at his dad, then at Mitsuo and then back at his dad and THEN she started laughing and made a step forward, stretching her hand out to shake Mitsuo's dad's hand.

If he would reach his own hand, she would grab it and just greet him usually, if he would not she would leave it there for a few awkward seconds before still greeting him usually.

"You must be his Dad, my name is Wolf. Cora.", she smiled and then kneeled down next to Mitsuo.

"Can I...help you?", she just ended up asking while poking him in the side.

Arata's angry expression that was obviously false changed to an honest, happy one as he turned from Mitsuo to Cora.

The old Shimura took Cora's hand and shook it, "Arata Shimura, you must be one of Mits' friends. We've heard so much about you."

He laughed at Cora's offer to Mitsuo, "you can leave him, he's fine! He's felt this before. In fact I'm surprised he hasn't got used to it yet!"

Mitsuo's father made a light hearted chuckle.

Mitsuo groaned, "I'm fine, thanks Cora."
The young Shimura got up from the floor, still rubbing his head in pain, "thanks for the concern, dad."

Arata waved a hand to show he brushed off Mitsuo's remark before calling out, "CHERYL! MITSUO BROUGHT AN UNEXPECTED GUESS!"

Lighter and less rushed footsteps can be heard approaching. Cheryl was now standing behind Arata, smiling, "welcome dear! Do come on in and make yourself at home! Your bodyguards too, if they'd like."

Cheryl did not seem to glance at the bodyguards, it seemed that she just knew they were there.

Cheryl stood taller than Mitsuo but shorter than Arata. She hand long, flowing chestnut brown hair - which was similar to Mitsuo's - that reached the small of the back. Her face was well sculpted, seemingly perfect with the same sea-foam eyes Mitsuo has.
She wore a long maroon Victorian style corset dress which had a skirt that hid her ankles.

"I shall be making dinner soon if you would like some," she politely offered.

Cora stood up and got the dust off of her pants. She was glad Mitsuo was okay and started doubting the effectiveness of throwing things against heads.

She grinned at his parents, what a nice couple that was. Everything but how she expected them to be.

She looked at her companions, "Bind the horses to something, then you can come here."

One of them secured the horses while the others trotted towards them. They looked on the floor not sure what to do. Cora just gave them a friendly punch on the back of their head, "Straight! You can't just stand there like some sort of beaten dogs!"

They straightened up and greeted them. Cora just sighed and smiled at them before turning around to Cheryl and Arata, "I excuse myself for their behaviour...and mine...we have never been invited to dinner.", they most likely already knew about where Cora was from, it was no use lying about it.

"We would love to stay over, if it's okay for you."

Cheryl closed her eyes as she smiled from ear to ear, "Of course!"

Mitsuo coughed to grab his parents' attention, "I need to pack. Me and Cora will be heading to Krolva... tomorrow, was it?"
He turned to Cora to check he got it right.

"Krolva, eh? Dangerous place you know," Arata started.
"Oh leave him be! He'll be fine," Cheryl smacked Arata, "he fights Titans for a living!"

Arata and Cheryl started arguing about what Mitsuo actually does for a living; debating whether if it's running the shop or fighting Titans.
Mitsuo rolled his eyes and turned to Cora, "follow me. I'll show you around."

Mitsuo budged past his parents and started heading down the hallway, further into his house, "they'll stop arguing when they've realised we've gone."

Cora nodded at Mitsuo asking if they will be heading to Krolva tomorrow.

She really enjoyed the little fight his parents had, it was a fun fight and therefore was a bit sad at him wanting to show her around, she would not be able to listen to the things his parents had to say then! She did not let him notice this, however.

Cora motioned with her hand to make her companions follow, "I guess it's alright if we...all...follow you?", she said quietly, then turned around to almost yell at them, "I hope your shoes are clean!"

They nodded. All four of them were quite impressed by Mitsuo's house.
"Have you always lived here?", one of them asked.

Mitsuo lead the group down the hallway, passing a set of stairs. Soon enough, as Mitsuo thought, the front door could be heard closing. That means his parents have stopped arguing.

"Yeah, it's fine for you all to follow... you're all staying for dinner after all," Mitsuo smiled.
He then heard one of the guards ask a question. This was strange to Mitsuo as he was used to them not talking, in fact he didn't know that they could talk.

"Yeah... I've lived here for as long as I can remember. Born and raised, I believe!"

The hallway - which wasn't actually that long - opened up to a kitchen and dining area. It had a window on the wall to the right which managed to let enough light in to keep the whole room bright.
The walls were painted a soft pale green colour which relaxed the mind and was easy on the eyes.
The room itself was a rotated L-shape and an oblong table took a majority of the longer space by being off center.
The shorter space was filled with cupboards and cooking supplies such as a coal cooker and wooden stove as well as counter-tops and the sink.

Mitsuo spread his arms in a grand gesture, "this is where we'll be dining!"

Mitsuo pointed to a room beyond the kitchen, "That room is a living space, beyond that is a garden and upstairs are the bedrooms and the bathroom."

Cora observed her companions, two of them did not really seem to mind the house too much. They were still quite impressed, of course, but one of them was even more so. It was the same one who had asked the question. Every time Mitsuo said something about the house and the fact that he had lived here for a while he got even more impressed. She smiled slightly.

They entered the kitchen, it was quite a small kitchen compared to what Cora was used to, every single one of them just grew up in huge kitchens that were able to feed houndreds of people. They still got set off by him saying that they would be 'dining' and not simply 'eating'.

Their amazement just continued to grow with every word he said. Cora made a hand sign signaling them to stay back and not listen. She leaned in to Mitsuo,
"I will need to talk to you without them later on, maybe even with your parents. It's about one of my companions."

Mitsuo looked around the dining room. Obviously it didn't seem like much to him but... he couldn't help but wonder what kind of shelter Cora was used to.

He was a little startled when Cora had spoke to him, mainly because he didn't notice that she leaned in.
"Uh, sure. We could go do that now if you want. I mean, I need to pack so I need to go to my room, so..."
Mitsuo trailed off to make sure he didn't mess up his sentences and get embarrassed. He didn't want to feel awkward in his own home.

At that moment Arata and Cheryl entered the room.
Cheryl headed to the cooking area of the kitchen as Arata headed to living area. Well, he was until Cheryl asked him to help prepare for dinner.
Arata groaned but did ask he was asked, even if it seemed reluctant.

Cora nodded and turned around to Cheryl.
"Is it alright if I leave those bastards with you for five minutes? I need to talk something with Mitsuo.", if she would say no she would just tell them to wait outside, if she would agree she would proceed with commanding them to behave and not touch, destroy or move anything around. They would most likely just see Cheryl and Arata as their temporary superior and follow their orders up to a certain degree. Cora taught them to think this way.

She went towards the door Mitsuo pointed at before as he referred to their bedrooms. She was not sure where to go and just proceeded to wait there

"Of course, they can stay here!"
Cheryl smiled politely however she was holding a knife at the time so it made it seem more murderous.
"If they'd like, they can help out with the cooking!"
She added.

Mitsuo nodded, a little bit scared of his mother with the way she looked... even though he knew she was not like that.

Mitsuo walked back down the hallway and called out behind him for Cora, "this way."

He then headed up the stairs and into the first room which was just a little off from being just at the top of the stairwell.

It was a reasonable sized room, he opened his wardrobe and pulled out a backpack.
He started folding up a set of clothes that looked similar to the ones he was wearing but were a different colour.
After he shoved them into the bag he started folding up his Survey Corps outfit and shoved them into the backpack as well.

"So," he started, "what do you want to talk about?"