๑๑๑๑As the boy darted to the right of him, Luo saw the terror in his eyes as he cried out before moving. He was seriously afraid, and rightfully so. Turning calmly, Luo watched him dart off, leaping from time to time. Sighing to himself as he shook his head, he jumped up and forward, feet hitting bamboo as he continued to give chase at what he considered a leisurely pace. With every jump he watched as the kid ran frantically, it was clear he didn't know the area too well. Then the boy hit a snag, quite literally as he fell out of view onto the ground. Dropping down from where he was onto the dirt, Luo walked forward calmly, twisting a small latch which held his blade in the umbrella. Pulling it out, the metal made a distinct noise, glinting as he walked closer to the boy.
Standing over him now sword drawn to the side, the boy protested quickly, death on the horizon in his mind. "You are right to be afraid, you've heard and seen quite a bit while hiding." In an instant, Luo's sword rose from his side as he turned his wrist, forcing the blade to face upwards during the movement. The strike was quick, and just as quickly as it had happened, the boy would hear the sound of it being sheathed. Twisting the latch back to its original position, the boy would find his leg free as Luo continued. "Luckily for you, I don't find killing unarmed children challenging in the least. Get up and explain yourself. Now."
Once more Luo folded his arms over his chest, staring at the boy as he waited for an explanation. If he ran Luo would have no problem catching him, the boy had to know that by this point. As bored as Luo was up until recently, he didn't mind playing a game of cat and mouse until the kid ran out of energy.
Shikaku stopped breathing entirely at the distinctive sound of a sword being drawn just out of his sight. This was it, the end. A moment later the man stepped into his view. His lips moved, but Shikaku didn't hear the words, his own heartbeat pounding through his head was too loud. The man swung, and Shikaku felt a release, but not the release he'd expected. He expected the sharp pain of sliced flesh, the feeling of slow death as his life flowed out, or even sudden nothingness if the kill was quick.
Eyes wide, he looked to his feet, and saw the bush had fallen away, his leg freed. His eyes trailed back up to the man, past his hands holding a strange umbrella, and to his face, eyes digging into him like blades of their own. This time he heard the man's words, and his eyes widened further. His lungs kicked back in and he drew a long gasping breath, heart skipping a beat at the realization that he was still alive, wasn't going to die. And then his eyes rolled back in his head, and everything faded to black.
Segare waited, eyes fixed in a cold gaze as the boy lay below him. He didn't move, except to follow the boy with his gaze as he finally shifted to crawl away. It was only after the boy had fully pulled away and stood again that Segare's sword shifted position. Coming up first to rest on his shoulder as he listened to the boy attempt to explain himself, and then when he'd finally fallen silent, being returned to it's sheath. The boy's explanation actually pleased him. Not because it justified his actions, but because the boy appeared to recognize that it did not.
Sliding his foot off of the boy's sword, Segare caught the hilt with his toe and flicked it up into his left hand, recently relieved of his own sword. Giving the weapon a quick flick to test it's weight, he nodded, before fixing the boy with his gaze again, no longer showing any anger, but a solemn expression indicating that what was to follow was important. "This is a weapon." the man began, holding the sword out and upright, blade set in a vertical line towards the sky. A weapon designed to kill. When you draw your sword, it is with the intent of causing someone harm." Switching to a horizontal position, Segare slid his right hand along the blade, intentionally letting his thumb run along the sharp edge, cutting a thin slit and leaving a light trail of blood along the length of the sword.
You do not draw your sword in jest. It is not a toy to be used as a prank or a joke, and it is never to be drawn against an ally." As he placed emphasis on the word never, Segare also gave the sword a quick swing, flicking the blood off and spattering it upon the ground. Before he spoke again, Segare released the boy from his gaze, shifting instead to look across the entire gathering behind him. "The only time I ever want to see a weapon drawn within this village, is in training. This is a place of safety and peace. Attacking your allies will not be tolerated, and you will face consequences." He spoke loudly, allowing his voice to carry across the entire clearing and beyond, to anyone who may have been listening.
Fixing upon Shinji again, Segare took a single stride forward, and held out his right hand. "Give me the sheath." he ordered firmly, at a lower, steady volume. The boy had screwed up, and since they didn't have any set punishments yet for crimes in the village, this would be his punishment for now. "You'll get this back when I think you're ready for it." he added, hefting the sword once more. And he would consider the boy ready for it when he'd tamed his self confessed anger problems, and could be trusted not to fly off the handle and attack someone with it again.
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❖ Chakra: [72/72]
Hinote Tosatsu Vice Captain
Eloquent Lunatic
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Hikaro_rin Crew
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Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 9:15 pm
As Timmy reached Segare, it dawned on him that something was very wrong. Segare had moved. He hadnt counted on that. He froze in place, as the confusion overwhelmed him. A cool trick while airborn. No. He wasn't airborn. His feet were on the ground. He felt the man's grip let go of him only moments after. Possibly less, Moments are notoriously difficult to track accurately. Timmy simply stood dumbfounded. I... I...am...not...a...ghost... He felt a tear crawl down his cheek, using its tiny claws to slow itself until it stopped and hung on his chin for dear life. Not that Timmy cared, for he knew to save a tear would inevitably mean the end of the world.
After a moment of shock, Timmy turned... slowly. Towards where Segare had grabbed him from. He wasn't there. So Timmy kept turning. A part of him had heard Shikaku scream, but it only half registered at this time. So even after he saw Segare he turned further, until he was facing the forest. At this time Timmy realized the other man was missing. Shikaku didnt stand a chance. He was even more clumsy than Timmy when he was scared. Timmy kept turning, until once more he saw Segare. He turned further. Until he was staring where Luo wasnt. He then turned even more to stare at the forest. Again he turned, until he was staring one final time at Segare. For a moment his mind toyed with the option that Segare was also a ghost, but he was interacting with humans normally. As the man sheathed his golden blade, he picked up another one, possibly the kids? What was his name again... Shin? Shiny? Shilling? Frank! no thats not it either. Shin sounds right. The kid was allowed to live, though Timmy had no idea what he had done. Frankly, (well Timmily, or something, since hes not Frank) he had no idea what to do. An unusual situation for Timmy the quirk. Shikaku had seen reason to run, which was a good reason to run, but shiny sword. after a moments thought, Timmy realized the only logical answer. Shiny Sword. At that, he began his stroll back over towards the crowd. The man wasnt going to hand his sword over to just anyone, so Timmy decided he needed to build his roots within the society. He had a plan! He would be the village blacksmith!
((Note I keep writing Segare only to prevent confusion, as Timmy does not know his name, and hasnt even heard it. Thus he hasnt given the man a nickname yet. Thus, taco))
Shinji paused for a second before slowly raising his head and listening to what segare had to say. He was a very lucky young boy to be surrounded by suck nice people. regardless if he lost his sword or not he still had his life and his new found home. these two alone where more important than any katana regardless if it was a gift from his father or not. "Yes sir" shinji would reply still a little shook up but fully functional at the least. at least he knew his father wasn't cheap on the gifts this time around. Segare's demonstration of how sharp it was was a clear showing of that. After a few seconds Shinji would take the sheath from his belt loop and hold it out sideways to segare sama for him to take it as he instructed and would bow before turning around and begin walking back towards the others. After taking a few steps he would stop and turn back around to face segare sama and ask. "excuse me segare sama?" Shinji would address the man in a rather cautious tone. " back in my homeland...back in the hozuki islands.... my father spoke of meditation as a way to control anger problem...tho in the islands nobody meditated to it was prertty hard to grasp the concept...maybe as a shinobi I can learn another method of controlling it?" after being granted his life for his foolish mistake and eger to earn his katana back Shinji now seeked advice from segare hoping to be led in the correct path.
Kensei watched as Segare 'bullied' the boy into submission. "Just like a Daimyo Dog, always picking on the young." Kensei said in a low tone. He began to walk away to one of the trees. "I'm getting out of here..." It seemed like a good idea at first to Kensei but he had no idea where he was or where he'd go. "...or not." He looked at the other kids around the area and began to study them. Maybe I can trust one of the kids to help me for now. it was going to be a touch choice since he didn't know anybody. The only interaction he had with in the village was Segare which didn't go well, and Rin which was one sided. It was starting to look like he'd have to interact with more people. But who?
Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 2:05 pm
HyashiMiya "You can use a bow? I've always wanted to learn how." Hyashi said looking down to Rin. "Do you think you could get a shot off if I can make it hold still for a short while, or maybe cripple one?" Hyashi asked, biting his lower lip. He really didn't like the idea of actually having to kill the deer, but Luo did say they needed the food. Why couldn't animals just... give them meat instead of being made of meat? Like cows and milk, or chickens with eggs. Hyashi let out a sigh, and ran a hand through his hair as he shifted his pose slightly. He'd become a lot more tense than he liked to be. He did however keep his eyes shifting only between Segare, Shinji, Timmy, and Rin. He didn't acknowledge the boy who was on the other side of Rin, he didn't really care to. He wasn't important at the moment, and someone had already been forced to the ground like it was nothing. Hyashi wasn't going to be subject of punishment number two. "So, what do you expect Timmy's specialty is? Think we'll luck out and it'll be laying traps?" Hyashi asked Rin, looking back to her for a short while, then back to Segare and Shinji. Timmy had decided to... begin spinning, shedding a single tear? "Is... is he okay?" Hyashi asked, not too sure what to do now. He decided to wait for Rin to say something before doing anything. Even though she was younger than he was, he wouldn't feel right without getting his teammate's input on the matter.
๑๑๑๑As he waited for an answer, Luo watched as the child gasped for air before his eyes rolled back, body slumping onto the small bush behind. Sighing, Luo muttered to hiimself "Great," as he walked over. Squatting next to the boy, Luo held two fingers to the right side of his neck for a moment. Nothing for a second, then a pulse, and soon another. Definitely not dead. From what Luo could tell, he fainted from fear. Hefting the boy over his right shoulder, Luo turned around, jumping up onto the bamboo. Out of boredom he kicked off the bamboo quickly, gaining his full speed after six strides forward. As the camp came into view however, Luo pulled back the reigns, slowing down to the trot he ran at earlier. He felt it best to keep his talents to himself for the time being, it was never good to display all of your cards at once after all.
Jumping down into a scene that seemed to already be unfolding, Luo placed the silver haired boy on his back on the ground carefully, squatting over him staring carefully. Turning his head back to look at Segare, Luo sighed a bit. "It seems this boy is more than likely one of the kids Shen lost earlier. The other?" At that, Luo's head turned slightly towards Timmy, the tall guy who had tried to hug the man earlier. Turning back around however, he continued to stare at the boy, assuming he'd wake soon.
It didn't take Luo long to grow bored of waiting, deciding a little water manipulation would sort this out. With his left arm resting on his knee, his right hand lazily hovered over the grass below. It seemed from the looks of it, there were still remnants of the morning dew on the blades under his palm and fingers. Slowly at first however quickly after a few seconds, droplets began to march up the blades and collect into a small sphere centimeters away from the young man's hand. With a light tossing motion to the right, the sphere slammed into the boy's face. "Wake up," Luo muttered still hovering over him. He didn't bother asking if he was alright, other than scared the boy looked fine.
((Sorry, Friday-Sunday is basically most if not all of my work week condensed into a lot of hours.))
Taking the sheath as it was given, Segare immediately slid the katana into place, before tucking the array into his sash, giving the boy a slight nod of approval. He had somewhat expected resistance, a lot of kids with the kind of attitude that led to showing off like that would have. That the boy submitted to him with so little fuss, and even relinquished his weapon without a word of protest, regained him a few points of respect that he'd lost with his earlier stunt. Seeing that the boy was quickly moving to leave, Segare shrugged and began to turn away himself, intending to scold the other a bit for starting the whole mess, intentionally or not, when Shinji spoke up again.
Turning to face him again, Segare frowned in consideration of the question. "Your father sounds like a wise man." he offered, nodding his respect for the man's suggestion. "I don't meditate a lot myself, but it does help with focus when you need it most. I would recommend asking Luo for pointers. Far as I can tell, he meditates at least once a day." As if summoned by his name, Luo arrived at about that same moment, regaining Segare's full attention as he quickly spotted the young man's cargo, and Luo shared his suspicions towards his identity.
"Later though." Segare added to his previous statement, turning again towards the group of kids. "For now," Segare began to speak, raising his voice loud enough for everyone in the clearing to easily overhear. "I want all of you to get to know each other. In fact, I want you to get to know everyone. The one who can tell me the most about everyone else by the first day of the academy, will receive a special prize!" The last sentence he nearly shouted, to ensure everyone would hear. It would be a test of subtlety and wit beyond even Luo's hunting trip, and less dangerous too, for the untrained youngsters. Each of them would now be trying in equal parts to dig into the other's histories, while simultaneously trying to hide their own. Hopefully it'd keep the kids occupied and out of their way while they dealt with things, rather than random fights starting up.
Satisfied with his work, Segare turned to Luo again, looking down at the boy he'd brought back. "He's just a kid..." Segare muttered, kneeling down on the child's other side, across from Luo. Luo's indication towards the other boy was noted, and Segare shifted a bit to watch him as well, just to see what his reactions to this one's presence might be. "Did you get any info from him before you knocked him out?" he queried, noting the boy's unconscious state, while noticing Luo's secondary actions out of the corner of his eye. "Neat trick." he said with a nod to the man's water ball, before focusing a bit more on the boy as it was tossed into his face.
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❖ Chakra: [72/72]
Meh post.
Edited: Bit better now, and attempts to give everyone something to do! Yay! I won't spoil the prize, but I will say this. You want it. Also, metagaming will not be tolerated, and any information gained should include explanations to how you got it.
Side note: None of your characters are good enough to completely hide themselves behind a mask and keep everyone out completely. So don't even try to claim you do.
๑๑๑๑Luo payed little attention to Segare's afterthought, choosing to nod once in agreement. It was certainly useful. Turning his attention back towards the boy, Luo answered the man. "Didn't have to," Luo muttered as he stared down at the child. "Kid knocked himself out. He tripped and panicked when I got close, fell unconscious without saying more than a word." Sighing lightly Luo continued to stare.
After a few seconds of silence, Luo's mind began to wander. In all honesty he was impressed with the kid. As close as he and Segare were to the bamboo, neither of them seemed to pick up on him being there. From experience, Luo knew children to be ill-equipped at hiding themselves appropriately. Most couldn't help but move after a few moments of being still, and some were outright bad at hiding altogether. The kid Luo stared at however, masked his presence very well. He had managed to blend in with his surrounding environment without any hiccups, at least until he revealed himself to the others. Luo was curious, very curious about the boy. He knew from the words Timmy had used in attempts to assimilate with the group that they were both hungry, and more than likely lost. He gathered they didn't have parents based on attire alone, and figured he could trade them a stable living environment and combat training for help around the village. He bet his weight in gold the kid he stared at would be a great shinobi, and more than likely an asset to Rin in particular.
Shikaku's eyes snapped wide open at the sensation of cold water hitting him in the face, only to be immediately covered by his hands as he lurched forward into a sitting position, trying to wipe the water off his face. "Tsivat choh! How many times have I told you to stop doing that Tim - my..." he snapped out, trailing off at the end as he lowered his hands, only to find a completely different person than expected in front of him. Two persons in fact. The two he'd technically been spying on. Shikaku's eyes widened as the memories came flooding back into place, and he scurried backward a few feet, thinking at first to run again.
The thought perished however, as another thought made it's way into his mind, taking the moment free of panic to finally work it's way into his thoughts. He was still alive, he wasn't tied up, and the weight at his side implied he even still had his stolen bag of weapons. None of those things would be true if the men intended to harm him, and their conversation from earlier, not to mention the younger one's statements before he... Had he knocked him out? Shikaku rubbed his head, but could find no lump, just a couple scratches among the many covering his body from his rush through the forest. Had, had he fainted? Timmy could never know about that. Ever.
Taking a deep breath, Shikaku looked back up, fixing a stubborn glare to his visage and crossing his arms as he looked at the two men who had captured and woken him. He may not have been worried about death anymore, but he still didn't trust them, and it was his job to keep the two of them out of trouble. He felt tempted to start asking questions, find out where they were and what was going on, but he didn't quite feel comfortable with speaking out just yet, so he waited. These two definitely had questions of their own, and, if they were like most adults he'd run into like this, they would be willing ready and prepared to lecture him and provide all the details he needed without him ever asking.
Rin took a moment to cool down, as Segare began his lecture proper. She saw Luo make his escape, but paid it little mind. He would return, and she could find out what happened then. Then Kensei spoke up, as if he didn't realize he was still surrounded by people. “I don't see any of the Daimyo's dogs here, these parts aren't exactly part of his hunting ground.” Rin said matter of factly, not ignoring the boys eagerness to leave. She doubted he'd catch on to her humor, as few knew or cared about the Daimyos regular dog assisted hunting trips. Then Hyashi spoke up. Rin had seen him in the village when she arrived, but had only gathered the basest info on him. Clearly he had certain weaknesses. “I umm.... never hit a moving target before...” she said modestly. She didn't miss the boys reluctance to hunt. “we aren't going to hurt it are we?” Her practiced eyes widened with a shocked expression and she stepped back. “Why would you want him to use traps? You ever SEE a trap? Those things are like death machines!! Like that one spikey clamp thing that grabs onto your leg and doesn't let go and...” tears began rolling down her sides. These were not hunters, they wouldn't be able to catch a deer with their current skills. They would be lucky if they didn't stumble into a panthers hunting grounds. “Luooooooo!!!!” she shouted, springing towards the man when he arrived.
When she got close she practically exploded. “Hyashi says that we have to hurt a deer and i dont want to they never did anything to hurt us and we might be attacked by angry pandas and-” she stopped, gasping for breath, before staring at the boy as if she hadnt already noticed him. “What did you doooo” It was likely her act would be seen as annoying by both Luo and Segare, but she wasnt going to break character just yet. However she took care to keep Kensei within her sight, in case he chose to make a suicidal “escape” attempt. Whatever the deal was, he couldnt be allowed to leave just yet. It was incredibly frustrating to Rin, a frustration she knew all too well. She knew how to get the information, but she wouldnt be able to without compromising her disguise. If they were going to teach these people how to be morons, it needed to be done right.
๑๑๑๑As the boy in front of him began to wake up, he muttered a few words groggily before seeming to realize he was not in normal company. His first exclamation intrigued Luo however, having never heard those words before. He wondered just what language the boy was speaking, if any. Standing to his full height as he backed away, Luo was ready to give chase as the boy's muscles seemed to tense at the possibility of running. It was then however, that Luo heard Rin calling him as she came towards him, complaining about the hunting trip. Speaking quickly and without breath, the girl at last heaved air into her lungs, asking what Luo had done as she looked towards the kid on the ground.
It didn't take Luo long however, to realize he'd be too busy around here with all that had occurred in the past fifteen minutes to lead a hunting trip. Even more so, the young man realized once more that he had forgotten these children did not hail from a shinobi clan. In fact, they had little to no training at all, making a hunting trip with them useless as well as dangerous for them all. If they couldn't hunt deer, they certainly couldn't defend against the big cats among other animals whom roamed the area. It was yet another source of annoyance for Luo, however he knew it to be his own fault to assume. He'd have to learn to remember the capabilities of each child. "I'll have some more skilled shinobi take on the hunting trip then, I'll be too busy here to lead one anyway. We'll attempt one again once everyone has enough skill to do so."
He didn't bother answering her question, figuring the girl behind the current facade didn't need much of an explanation. Turning his attention back to the boy, Luo stared for a moment before speaking. "Explain yourself," was all that Luo bothered to say, finding himself slightly irked at having to repeat his earlier question to the boy before he passed out. He hoped at least this time he'd get a response.
