It was a very dark day when everyone began to stir. The heavens had decided it was time to open their arms and sprinkle the land with warm wet water. Evelyn had groaned when she woke in the morning, feet flicking at the floor to find purchase as she made her way to shower. She could hear the trickle of rain hit their make-shift accommodation and sucked in a mouthful of air, releasing it as a deep sigh. There was just one thing that she hated about Japan, and that was the damn rain. It wasn't just any old water that hit you, it was warm, and sticky and the humidity was a killer. She breathed in again and grimaced at the presence of heated air that rushed into her lungs. Now she wasn't just hot outside, but inside too! Forcing that thought to the back of her head, she quickly grabbed a towel and her morning utensils and darted out through the fabric flap of a door. Around the backs of the main tents were in essence, portable shower cubicles. They were private, slightly roomier than a port-a-potty and certainly better than walking around under the sun stinking like an unwashed dog. She shuddered at the thought and yanked open the door to the only vacant shower. Seconds later she just about jumped half a mile as her brother exited the cubicle next to her smelling faintly of lemon and mint. He grinned mischievously and threw his dirty towel at her, laughing when he heard the high-pitched squeal and 'MICHAEL YOU ARSE!" as she skittered into the shower with a slam.
After drying off his hair Michael grabbed an umbrella from the sibling's tent and headed towards the direction of the communal area they used as a cafeteria. He could see people scrambling to get equipment prepared for the wet weather, and many of his team looked like they'd forgotten to bring umbrellas as they all looked a little too fresh from the shower. He dodged a couple he recognised, Frank, and sniggered at the frantic look on his face while entering the communal tent. It was apparent by the reactions of everyone not from Japan that they hadn't expected the weather to change all of a sudden, yet both he and Evelyn had known. It paid to have friends in the right places, it seemed. However, the common sense of some people still baffled him, especially when there were such things as weather forecasts available pretty much everywhere.
When things were a little less chaotic, Michael made a beeline for the breakfast buffet table and waved at Takao as he passed him. Evelyn still had yet to arrive, but he knew she wouldn't want to miss breakfast. Spread across the table were all sorts of delicious foods to accommodate both foreign and local tastes, and he knew that somewhere within the mass of food he'd be able to find his favourite.
On the opposite side of the site, Evelyn sighed in relief as she stepped out of the shower, hair damp and clothes already sticking to her frame like a second skin. She brushed aside some loose strands with a wet splat and ventured back out into the rain, intent on getting some food. She figured that even if she got wet it wouldn't matter, her sweat was already beginning to ruin what clothes she'd put on. As her team rushed around her, she thought back on their arrival a few days ago. Many had never been to Japan before and you could tell by the wide-eyed wonder that some of them had, yet about twenty per cent of them wore a look more of bewilderment and disbelief than actual astonishment. That was partly her brother's fault. He'd apparently forgotten to mention the absurdity of some parts of their culture, because people from the West certainly weren't used to being called "Master" in a public cafe…
Shaking her head at the thought, she walked leisurely towards their food tent and almost drooled at the thought of some freshly baked melon pan. There were a myriad of noises coming from within, the most boisterous of them being her brothers obnoxious laughing, and the brunette felt a twinge of nervousness well up inside of her. It was D-Day today. They were going to open that last door and find out what the bloody hell those drawings were leading them to. Deep down she almost felt a small pit of dread open up, making way for her doubts about opening up such a treasure and what the negative consequences of it could be. Threading her fingers through her hair helped relieve the tension in her head, but not the feelings surfacing inside. Pushing her all of these aside, she entered for breakfast and was pleasantly surprised to see that Michael, Takao and Kurt were seated around a round table near the buffet table. Apparently, Kurt had already grabbed a plate of her favourite foods and her brother was just making her a mug of green tea as she moved closer. Her heart warmed at the sight of the three of them and a smile twitched at the corner of her lips. Takao, ever observant, noticed immediately and bowed his head in greeting with a reflective smile as well.
"Ohaiyou Evelyn. I take that you slept well?" He inclined his head to the side as she sat down and nodded.
"Ohaiyou, Takao! Yes, very well in fact. Can't say that I enjoy the weather though." Kurt slid the plate of food he'd collected for her across the table, a light blush covering his cheeks and one in which the blue-eyed woman missed completely. Michael, on the other hand, saw the entire exchange and nudged his friend with his elbow as he sat down.
"You aint doing too well either, Ev. What's with the drowned rat look you have going on there?" He shot her a wink, then placed her drink in her hands. She shrugged in response, but a grateful look flickered through her eyes.
"And everyone else is doing better than me? Kurt looks like he's been dragged through a hedge, backwards might I add, and you've got a soaked jacket even with the umbrella you had!" Her eyes twinkled in amusement as she stuffed a piece of melon pan in her mouth. The fresh sweet bread was like heaven on her tongue, and she almost groaned in satisfaction, causing Kurt to flush once again and dig deeper into his own food. There was a quiet chuckle from the resident expert, Takao, and he tilted his head while smiling at them. The twins could see he wanted to say something, so their attention immediately drew to their friend...and their breakfast, of course.
"The rain will not stop us today, I guarantee it. My team has already prepared the necessary steps to open the last door...If you're all acceptable to the idea, then we will start straight after food." Evelyn's eyes widened at the idea, and she nodded vigorously, chewing frantically so she could finish her plate and get to work. Michael just laughed at the scene, patting Takao on the back with a smirk and replied with a cheerful "I think that means 'yes'." The narrowed eyes that glared their way even made Kurt snort in laughter, because what Evelyn didn't know was that giving someone a glare with your cheeks stuffed full of food, like a hamster, did not give the desired effect. It did, however, manage to crack the composure of their Japanese friend. You could hear his, Michael's and Kurt's laughter from outside the communal tent.