Kiyoko was silent as she went to grab a piece of beef, only for it to be snatched away from her chopsticks by Aldrich. She gave the little creature a hard stare, a glare that managed to be visible under the shadow of her hat. But she just grabbed another piece of meat. โItโs disappointing really. The Land of Rivers probably has such a wonderful history." The woman lamented, mixing the beef with some rice and vegetables. โBut for the last five years, the countryโs been split due to war. So putting the history together is like doing a puzzle where other people refuse to give you the pieces.โ While this was true, Kiyoko knew what slumbered within the Land of Rivers, the secret of the land that only a few people knew. For a moment the woman remembered just how her and Usagi uncovered it, completely by accident as young teenagers. Usagi never seemed bothered by the information, but that was just how the Kage was.
โSo tell me more about these Monsters, Sir Iksin.โ Kiyoko rested her elbow in the counter and held her head up with her gloved hands. โNot demon or Yokai, you say? How did you encounter such creatures?โ
Iksin just sighed, watching Aldrich act like a fool. Kiyoko's explanation of the land made Iksin feel...even more upset than he was before. That would make it very hard to figure out things it would. "A puzzle that others refuse to give you pieces for. That's some land I guess." He said, not adding anything to it or really responding to it simply speaking in a way that made Kiyoko aware he acknowledged her answer. As she asked about the monsters he looked towards Aldrich, who would look back at him with a huge sinister grin on his little dragon face. Iksin sighed and closed his eyes as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"Well, I guess I'll start with when I first came across them. I went out to sea for a bit, saved a ship from a Yokai that would have sunk it. Really big fish, the oil it secretes doesn't mix well with ships. After I noticed the fish had fresh wounds on it...really fresh. Now this fish is a lot more like a sea serpent, it's actually big enough that it'd probably be able to wrap around this village a few times over and still have some space. Sharks and the like wouldn't mess with something like that, and where I was at orcas were definitely not the cause." Iksin began explaining his first encounter with these beasts. His eyes opened now as he practically stared at the food. "I turned and saw these things, they were like animals in a more humanoid form, and shark-like but also not at the same time. Yokai Chakra is...distinct, not really much different from the chakra that a normal animal or a human uses but if you have the skills to do it you can distinguish a Yokai from a normal being through their chakra. It's part of why things can be used to control yokai specifically. It affects the yokai chakra in them. These sharkthings were similar to that. Their chakra was abnormal, similar to how a Yokai's is...but not the same. It was more, primal I guess is what I would call it?" As Iksin continued explaining to Kiyoko he stopped for a moment. Leaning back in his chair to think about it. As if in the middle of the conversation he was trying to figure out what this all meant himself.
"I managed to find only two things out about them. That they were referred to as Monsters, specifically. The ones I encountered were Ladon. Apparently they're sometimes thought to be experiments to recreate Samehada and others think they're the ancestors of the Hoshigaki. And when I thought back to it, I could faintly sense their connection to nature. The other thing I found out about, was a dragon-like figure flying around in the Land of Mountains, and terrorizing some small villages up there. That was Aldrich, I made my way up there and as I explained I fought him. I hoped that him being my partner would incline him to telling me more about monster bu-"
"But I ain't telling him nothing about my kind." Aldrich quickly chimed in, stealing another person's food rudely. Iksin of course letting him as he simply didn't feel like confronting the beast while they were in a small building.
"Yeah, he's being difficult. Annoying, but it's fine." Iksin said, shaking his head and then looking towards Kiyoko. "Since then, no leads, well not really. A giant worm in the land of wind, and another dragon like beast that shows up where there are large masses, and I don't mean congregations of small chakra." Iksin continued thinking about it for a moment. "I think that one is probably the most dangerous but also the one I least have to worry about, but I need more information about it before anything. About it and all the others monsters that could be out there." Iksin simply sighed, as he would resume eating his food. Unsure of what to do, however having explained his current knowledge and encounters was sure there was a lot more to all of these beasts. Yokai, Monsters...what exactly were they...
Kiyoko took a sip from her tea while she listened intently to Iksin. Her expression was thoughtful as she contemplated the existence of new creatures. The Jonin was quiet still as she placed her cup down, the tiny cup clinking against the matching saucer. Dragons, sea serpentsโฆ it was a lot to take in. But. โThe world sure is an amazing place, wouldnโt you say Sir Iksin?โ Kiyokoโs mouth upturned into a small smile again as she turned her eyes to the Sage.
โWe share this land with some quite extraordinary beings, and yet we always manage to discover more and more. Itโs like each new discovery is just the potential for something more. And thatโs quite inspiring, if you think about it.โ Kiyoko pushed her finished food to the side and met eyes with Iksin. โIโd like to help you with your research, if thatโs okay, Sir Iksin.โ
Iksin would finish his own food, and place it to the side about the same as Kiyoko did. He envied the words that she spoke, the world being an amazing place, it being inspiring and full of potential. And the girl sincerely believed that too. Not that what she was saying was untrue, in fact he agreed, deeply so. She even offered to help with his research into these things about the world. A genuine smile would fill his face as he looked at the girl. "I'd love your assistance Kiyoko." He said to her. His genuine smile however did not last. It feel into a bit of a frown. He would in no way attempt to deter her from helping him. In fact he firmly believed that she should help him. Perhaps it was meant to be, perhaps they would help to better each other. It certainly seemed like that may be the case. It affirmed the white haired male that he was right in returning to Tani in order to join. If he hadn't he wouldn't have had this conversation with anyone likely.
However beyond that, if she were going to help him...she needed to know exactly what she was helping him do. Everything he did had a much higher purpose to it, and it wouldn't be fair to her. Many people could laugh at his goals, many people could place a target on him for it. However he felt perhaps, not her. Besides it would simply be wrong to not let her in on his lofty goal. Iksin took a deep breath ending in a bit of a stressed exhale. "If you are going to help with my research, I should let you know more about what I intend on accomplishing with it." He said at first, fiddling with the chopsticks from his meal a bit. "I'm looking to achieve some form of divinity. Maybe not becoming a divine being myself, but access the powers of one." He started his explanation with the probably most dramatic part of it. Him being very to the point about it, not beating around the bush.
"I agree, the world is amazing. There's so much potential. The creatures are varied and things can change along with time." He continued, placing the chopsticks down and looking at Kiyoko with a serious and almost angry expression on his face. "However I also believe the growth of our world as it is has been stunted. Perhaps it is not their faults, but the gods did not create the world and leave it to grow as it could. They are an ever present phenomena, existences capable of rewriting the rules of the world as we know it. As it stands I do not feel like this world is truly ours. I want to make this world truly ours, not just a toy for these gods to play with." Iksin's explanation might have sounded crazy, but he himself was not. He was of sound mind, and he knew himself. He wished nothing but for his world to be the better place he wanted it to be. He knew it could never be perfect, he did not want perfection though. "Are you willing to help me? Knowing that you will be assisting a man who wishes to harness the powers of the gods themselves?"
Kiyoko went silent as she averted her gaze from Iksin, allowing the weight of his words to have their full impact. โPower of the divine, huh?โ She said quietly. The shinobiโs mind flashed with images of her time in TORNA. Of the atrocities that her former group had committed, under the guise of controlling divine power. How her and Usagi had to kill the man whoโd taken them in as orphans.
She felt as if the small food stall had gone entirely quiet after Iksinโs speech, so it was up to her to break the silence. โMister Iksin, your words surprise me. But Iโd be lying if I said I wasnโt more surprised that youโre the second person Iโve met with that goal.โ Kiyoko placed a hand on the bar and turned to look at the newcomer with a hardened gaze. She knew there wouldnโt be much she could do against Iksin if it came to a fight. But the woman wanted him to know of her own conviction regarding the situation. โYou arenโt the first person with that goal, Mister Iksin. And the carnage and atrocities Iโve witnessed in the name of obtaining divinity far outweigh the sins others have committed.โ
Kiyoko rose to her feet, then, and looked at Iksin. โTo become god is the loneliest achievement there is, Mister Iksin.โ The woman turned on her heel to leave the stall. โI believe Lady Tanikage should be ready to see you now.โ
Iksin was already not a particularly talkative person in general, at least not recently anyways. However after Kiyoko spoke and explained their situation he became even less so. To Iksin this mostly meant that her opinion on the matter was tainted with her past, a past in which a person seek to become a god and would commit atrocities to accomplish their goal. Of course, he didn't think himself to be the only person with such a goal, but unlike many others he thought himself to at least have the goal for good reason.
Iksin would rise to his feet as she did. Following after her with her words in his mind. The loneliest achievement? Is that also how he felt about it, would it truly be a lonely achievement? Perhaps it was that way, perhaps this interaction proved exactly that. Her previous willingness seemed gone once his truth was aired. Iksin would quietly follow after placing a bit extra money to handle Aldrich's mess. The dragon being once more following.
Hatsumomo walked through the Village Hidden in the Valley, it was a beautiful place. It was a village covered in verdant green and hugged by the very earth itself, giving way to the open sky above. Growing up right outside of the village, she watched it grow from when she was a child. She was finally ready now to give it what she could to see it grow further, her father sent her out into the world to explore and she thought of no better way. Aligning herself with the village that she had grown fond of from afar seemed more than fitting for this end. Each one of her sisters set out to make a life for themselves and now it was her turn. The scars of past shinobi battles littered the landscape but were gently healed by the grass and trees that swallowed them.
She rubbed her fingers together and felt her raiton chakra passing between them. It was more of a nervous habit but she was confident in what she knew and she was going to prove it. Her parents have all the faith in the world for her but she wanted to do this for herself. She wanted to learn everything that she could and become something greater. She inhaled deep and exhaled slowly, there was a slight tremble underneath her feet; she carried on. She looked in front of her and saw the leaders' office come into view.
Mizuhara found herself in the ever lavish office of her father, standing at attention in front of his desk with a look of dissatisfaction as clear as day on her face. Despite coming from such heinous origins, the building she came to be inside would be one of the of more ornate interiors in the village. The wall was adorned with swords of untold origin but great value presumably. Paintings, vases, it was the entire definition of the word, "vanity". Mizuhara did think of it as a bit overbearing for just some kind of office where her father spent less than a tenth of his time at, but she knew better than to question his taste in decoration. Or pretty much anything for that matter. The lone genin would remain standing upright while she paced around the room in wait for the host to appear. Her eyes locked onto a frame that was off center on the wall while her brows burrowed. It was when he had first met her mother, the woman wearing a beautiful wedding gown while her father was in a tacky kind of suit. By comparison, both were quite vastly different in terms of backgrounds, but they were happy. A hand came to brush through her mane of orange hair, same as her mother's. The earrings in the picture were the same style as which had belonged to hers. Mizu had found them incredibly pretty and asked for a pair of her own when she was of age. There was a crack near the top right corner which she could only guess was from somebody's head making contact with it. She had been the one sticking the bill out when it came to repairs for his "business". So much so that one of the first fuuninjutsu she had learned when she was twelve was sealing the photograph so it wouldn't get any more stained that it already had. Some blotches as of Mizuhara could only guess was blood stained some brief parts of the image. It wasn't noticeable to her until she was roughly about fourteen or so. Time had a funny way of granting one foresight that they didn't think would be revealed as often. Her hands carefully would adjusted the bottom corner to raise it in line with the others. The first attempt was much too high for her liking. The second wasn't much any better than the first. She continued adjusting it in small increments until it would be perfectly balanced. An exasperated sigh left her lips while the ticking of the clock behind her on the wall opposite of her would sound.
The door opened a short while after what felt like an eternity as Mizuhara turned around to see a pair of familiar shapes. The first was of her father, his hair kept in a short style that sat upon his head. The passage of time had turned the once predominantly black color to be peppered with bits and pieces of a whiter color. He wore more simplistic clothing than before. The kind that you might see a father going to his son's sports game in if the father couldn't be asked to dress fancifully. The inside of her mind made a mark against him but kept her composure as always. Behind him would be one of the people sent to guard him in the event that her father was the mark for an arrow to find its mark. His frame and large suit gave the impression of a strong male, days spent cultivating such mass to attain such a body. His cocky, hazel colored eyes were hidden behind a pair of sunglasses while his hair was longer and tied into a neat ponytail that trailed behind him. "Sorry to keep you waiting." he said to Mizuhara, the girl simply nodding her head and awaiting him to remain seated. The man shadowing her father would begin to step foot inside before her father held a hand up to cease his movement. "Please, we need some privacy. Stay outside and watch" Despite his biggest attempts in the past, Shinzo knew better than to question his boss like this. Instead, he would only nod his head and close the doors behind them as he stood outside. The room became silent as the lock turned in the door behind them. Once there, he would form several hand seals as a thin layer of chakra would cover the exterior of the room, erasing any signs of life that would be inside. Anybody peering inside would only be able to tell it was a part of the walls surrounding it.
"Thank you for coming." he began as Mizuhara would tense up, eyes forward as he would turn to face her after being seated. His own pair of sunglasses were removed to reveal those some gold eyes that she had inherited from him. "How are you doing with this whole "shinobi" business?" Mizuhara paused while her mind filtered out every answer that he wouldn't be most fond of. She soon settled for something that was almost repeated ad nauseum. "It's busy but rewarding. Better than sitting in an office all day doing nothing." Those words made her father chuckle while looking towards one of the photographs on his desk of Mizu when she was only just a baby. It almost seemed like a lifetime ago that she was that small. "Still against settling down and joining the family? Tanigakure has enough problems for us already, you know." Mizuhara said nothing, staring forward out the window again while that same look of rebellion as clear as ever on her face. It was the kind that her father had grown well used to and didn't even stop to offer any solace. "It's not getting any easier to keep your name out of our meetings, you know." His hands dug inside of his coat pocket for a cigarette and lit it with the smoothness of a freshly forged blade. A puff of smoke blew from his mouth while he turned to face the large window overlooking the streets below. "You worry me more than any knife in my heart would, Mizu. It's time for you to face the facts. You can't keep this charade up forever." Mizuhara looked to him with surprise. The audacity of him to speak of such a manner in which she'd rightfully give up any resistance to joining with this seedy world she had been born into! "And give up every wall I've conquered? Are you out of your mind?" Her father crossed his arms and would turn around to face the same window that his daughter would be so focused in. "We can't keep having these talks where I say the same things, you give me empty promises, and then a month or two later, we end up right where we began." Mizuhara would finally muster up the courage and look at her father. The emotion on her face had changed to that of scorn and fury. She balled her fists and would meet his eyes.
"I...don't care." His head raised out of interest with an expression that remained untrained. "Oh?" he asked in a tone that was almost egging her to go on. "This is my life. I don't want to end up like every other person here. To live every day, worried that it'll be my last. I want to make this world a better place. To make Tanigakure the best it can be." She remained silently as her father would look at her and say nothing. His stoic face only fueled her anxiety up while he would get up from his chair and sigh, flicking the end if his cigarette in the ash tray while then looking to her as a finger came to run across her cheek. "You know that your mother and I only want what's best for you. But..." He paused and took his hand away for a moment, as if debating something over his mind. She watched him wipe his hand on that rag near the edge of the table and then disappear from sight.
The next second, Mizuhara felt a shattering blow to her midsection.
She crumpled, holding her stomach as the wind was knocked from her. In the same movement, her father would pin her against the wall, his right hand pressing against her throat. "Maybe you've forgotten who you're speaking to, but allow me to jog your memory. The same person who foots the bill for your studies, the same person who sacrificed more than you'll ever be aware of for your sake." His grip tightened, Mizu struggling to continue the flow of air to her chest. "The same person who kept your head off the chopping block for your little mistake all those years ago." She looked down at his left hand, the pinky finger absent while she recalled her very first mission as a genin. One of the people she had unknowingly helped chase down was a runner for her father which held a parcel that was a gift to their sister clan: a large sum of money. The night she came home, her parents were furious with her. Bits and pieces had been gone from her mind that day, but could recall wincing every time something hit against the wall at her father's anger. His grip was to the point where it hurt to even attempt to breathe. After several seconds, he dropped her as precious oxygen filled her lungs. After letting her cough for a moment or so, he picked her up by the hem of her shirt and then forced her onto the desk chest up. A flash of light came before a knife planted itself firmly by the side of her head, mere inches from her ear.
"What's going to happen when I'm not around? When I walk into my office and see your name on our hit list? Will you come back and beg me to help you then?" She was speechless, looking up at her father and shaking. Her heart was beating as fast as it ever had before. Despite the jutsu she knew, despite how she could kick him away, she...felt powerless. Like a simple child against this mountain of a man. "I've seen you walking around like you think you're two steps ahead of everyone. You can tell yourself about how you'll be who they write stories about, but you can't fool me. In this great world of mine, you're a little fish in a pond you can't even see the bottom of. And when you're a shark like me, you can't have loose ends ready to be taken advantage of." He grabbed her hand as Mizuhara desperately struggled to wriggle it free from his grasp. His heavy hand laid hers flat while the take was taken out and held to her own pinky. Mizuhara could feel the bottom of her stomach hit the wall as the cold steel would just graze her skin. "Wh-What are you doing! D-Dad! Let me go! Stop! Stoooop!" "You want to know what we do to avoid an offense to our boss like this? It's one quick and clean cut to your finger. You don't feel it at first but after the first minute, it's pure hell." Her struggled continued while tears flowed out of her eyes. She didn't want this to happen, it just couldn't. Yet no matter how hard she struggled, he wouldn't come off. Eventually, she would wince and await the pain of this wound coming towards her.
But the door would be knocked upon as Shinzo spoke outside. "Boss, it's 3. The Asasagi family will be here shortly."
Her father paused and would soon release the knife from her position, taking the knife back to his side and would begin to step away from the desk. It was only after he had hit the middle of the room that he would speak. "You can pretend that you're a paragon of virtue, a modern day saint, but you've got dirty blood in you, Mizu. You're trapped in this abyss that you can't escape from no matter how hard you climb. You're a tool. A pawn in a game that can be used against me. So when the family watches you playing hero, it comes down on me. And if you think that I have five more little fingers to gracious give, then I'll save them the trouble of dealing with you. Do I make myself clear?"
"Y-Yes." Mizu spat out while he would nod and continue on his way in a huff. "Good. I've got a lot of work to get done, so see yourself out." He walked outside as the echoing footsteps down the hall grew ever distant. It only took a short while for Mizuhara to pick herself up and walk back outside to the street. Once she had left the building and would be far away enough form the building, she just ran into an alleyway and would hide behind a wall there while just finally allowing her emotions to release themselves. She threw a stray rock at a nearby wall and would just scream in frustration and pain. Why was she so unable to find where she belonged? This crime oriented family she had come to know hated what she actually wanted to do with her life at every whim, yet she was powerless to go against them. She carried on with kicking, punching the wall, pacing and mentally checking herself. She would just have to be stronger than them. Strong enough that she wouldn't be forced to live like how anybody else wanted. She'd become the person she so destined to be: free ot any chains tying her to a fate she had little choice of deciding upon. Mizuhara dried the water from her eyes and covered her face with her hands with her head against the wall. One day, she'd be free of this hell she found herself in.
Around the market square where vendors pedalled their wears and citizens milled about with the murmur of all the hubbub rumbling gently through the air with the throng of activity. Among the disharmonious sounds was a rather attractive and unfitting sound within the mix, the swift and energetic calls of an electrical instrument and a girls voice singing along in tandem. The source of this sound was a girl sat down on a bench near one of the food vendors, her hands holding a rather intense looking blue and yellow electric guitar which was plugged into an amp that her booted feet rested upon. The blonde was leaning her head back and looking upward as she enjoyed making up lyrics on the spot with unabashed enthusiasm. โ....... This Takoyaki is a six out of ten, too much cost n wonโt be buyin againโ, at least you coulda smiled, maybe say โCOMEEE AGAAAAINNNAA!!!โ Oh-oh I preferred the stall yonder down that street, yo yo itโs taste is so frikkin sweeeeeet, so much so I shall repeeeeeeeat! Ooooh Oh-OH I preferred that stall thatโs yonder down that street, yeah yeah itโs taste could be my each and every day cheat! Da-da da dahh da dahhh.โ She trailed off into lyrical noises as she reached over and popped a Takoyaki ball into her mouth, swiftly returning to strumming with the tips of her nails with decreased Vigor.
The packaging beside her indicated that the girl had bought a lions share of Takoyaki from the vendor ten or so meters to her left, realizing that as much as she wanted to binge on the specific food.... this vendors was rather mediocre and likely not something she wanted to eat in such quantity. Now maybe she was just too used to what she bought back at her old village, the Arashigakure and was simply being picky and childish because of the lingering sting of moving and also being that she was eating alone, all by her self in a village that seemed to have a lot less going on within its walls. Sheโd only been here a few months but knew little about the village, not actually getting to leave her home due to various reasons for almost two months and had only been out and about a couple of times, that being all it took for her to realize she didnโt know what to do. The village being so much less commercial and industrious than Arashi made it feel like there was nothing to do, the lack of the multimedia and social networking of the โinternetโ that was all the rage in the Arashi was a hard blow to swallow, in the end it was only a few things she owned that were totally compatible with the Tanigakure.
She was disturbed by the cart owner approaching her with a rather flustered expression, cheeks red with the combination of annoyance and embarrassment. Holding out a small bottled drink her asked that she โstop publicly slamming his businesses products.โ Offering her the drink on the house as a technical bribe to politely have her desist her negative advertising. Pulling herself up so as to sit up straight so as to look at the man, pausing for only a couple seconds and making slightly exaggerated motions to parody the depiction of mulling over the offer, the girl deciding that the tea flavoured water would be a fine addition to double up on the less than stellar products he served. Snatching the bottle from him and blurting out โYeah... ok, whatever you want man, โppreciate the drink I do.โ She said sardonically, slapping her empty hand upon the strings of her guitar to cut the sound it was producing to show willing to the fellow that went back toward his stall.
(Yes the songs awful, I made it up, imagine itโs somehow done well please :p)
Amelia left her home not far from the village square after being doted on by her mother. The older woman worried about her daughter nearly all the time, but each time that Amelia wanted to venture into town those worries became more of a caution, and this caution often played itself out as overly caring. "Have you eaten breakfast at all? Did you need new bandages? Oh! Have you even made an effort to brush your hair?" Her mother's raven hair cascading below her shoulders and she bent over to run her fingers through the girl's hair, which was covered with a hood. Amelia shook her head and took a step back towards the door after tucking some hair behind her ear. "It's okay mom. Nobody is going to pay attention to my hair anyway. Duh." As if to make her point, the girl stuck out her left leg to showcase the tightly wound cloth that covered every inch of skin below the waist. Her mother gave a half-grin and shook her head. "You should still do something with it, otherwise it's just going to get ratty and fall out." This was more of a suggestion as she waved her hand to indicate that her daughter could just leave. Before she did, however, Amelia ran up and pulled her mother's arm down so that she could kiss her cheek before running outside.
It didn't take long for the young aspiring girl to make it to the market square. Her green hair, hidden by the tattered cloak she wore, bouncing slightly as she made her way beyond the stalls and vendors squabbling with customers over the price of wares. People milled about with either a dedicated sense of purpose or an aloof feeling of passing the day away by enjoying the fresh air in the streets. Not many people were paying attention to Amelia as she moved past them, but Amelia was paying attention to the people. And one, in particular, had caught her interest with a song about the poor quality of some takoyaki. Without much real stealth, the bandaged youngling followed behind the other girl several feet back while listening to her on-the-spot music. The instrument was interesting as well. Something unique and obviously foreign.
After the other girl's song was interrupted by a man who Amelia assumed the song was about, she had stopped playing. A shame really, as the hooded girl was rather enjoying the made-up lyrics. Once the stranger had stopped moving for good, Amelia decided to make her move by walking up and tapping the blonde guitar player on her shoulder. "I thought your song was good. Maybe he should just make better food huh?" A little blunt, maybe, but if music was about expression -- as her father had told her -- then not much else could really be said about it. "Hi! I'm Amelia. Who are you? And where did you get your cool music thingy?"
Annaisha was reluctantly pulling the outer wrapping from the bottle when the other girl had approached, the tap up her shoulder had slightly surprised her with the result of her fumbling and also dropping it. โGeh!โ Was the first sound and perhaps word that she would offer Amelia as caught the drink and turned after twitching in surprise. Annaisha maintained an expression of mild bewilderment as the other girl spoke, a little younger by the looks of things but it was had to say as most of her features were hidden beneath a dark and let say a well used cloak, bandages covering each and every one of her appendages. Not having time to consider what she thought about the girls sense of fashion as her blunt comment about the vendor expressed exactly what the young musician had felt and couldnโt help but crack a grin and nod in agreement and reflectively add the comment โIKnowright?.. he should.โ At a breakneck speed.
Surprise had turned into immediate acceptance as the one introducing herself as Amelia had both complimented her music and also said something that likely made the vendor flinch. โAmelia!? Hey yeah, I be Annaisha and itโs cool ta meetโcha!โ She said with a playful and well meaning salute, extending a hand to slap at and offer the free space on the bench to Amelia as she shuffled over a foot or so to make space. โAnyways thanks, Iโm glad you enjoyed the song, the music was basically stolen mind you but the lyrics are all original though and based a true story, wanna find out for yourself?โ She asked the other girl, picking up and offering one of the small card boxes containing the non binge worthy food, which was still warm and not terrible... even less so if Amelia took one of the packets of various sauce packets there were to choose from.
Now she was about to address the question about her guitar, not needing to look at it she would focus on the other girls face politely. As she had begun talking she quickly noticed something and would flip topics mid sentence โThis here is my baby, itz a Ibanez Genesiโ Hold up a sec, your eyes are actually diff colours for reals? Thatโs super cool, Iโve never actually met anyone with heterochromia before as itโs rather rare... and yours is so vibrate too, wow thatโs super pretty! Let me have a better lookโ The note of pride in her tone had been lost and replaced by realization and amazement as she gently but quickly placed her โbabyโ down, leaning it on the side of the bench with expert balance. Annaisha bent forward to look closer at the girls blue and red eyes with her own magenta eyes like a weirdo, leaning a bit to the side so as to avoid blocking the light and miss the extent of how vivid Amelias eyes were, cueing the question before consideration โWere you born with your eyes like that or was it something that you developed at some point? Wait Iโm sorry Iโm not making you uncomfortable am I? Its just a couple people I know like to wear coloured contacts n would pretend itโs real, so it was a exciting to see you were not wearing contacts.โ She managed to slow the roll as she was getting ahead of herself and express part of her reason for such sudden excitement, lowering the intensity a couple of points before as she next spoke. โWould you mind if I took your picture? Iโd like a better look at your eyes and that way I could manage without coming off like a complete weirdo and getting in yer face yโknow?! Sโok if your not alright with it and of coarse either way Iโll tell you all you wanna know about my baby afterward, how you how to use it if youโd like!โ Annaisha having already pulled her semi useless Arashi cellphone and flipping it open, not pointing the camera in the direction of Amelias face without her permission.
Amelia jumped slightly when the other girl made a noise in surprise. She didn't mean to startle her, and almost dived immediately for the bottle when it looked like she was going to drop it. Fortunately, it was caught before hitting the ground, and the bandaged girl didn't have to legitimately dive to the ground for it from where she was. When the older girl introduced herself and made room on a bench for her to sit, Amelia didn't hesitate to take her up on the offer for some company and low-quality takoyaki. As Annaisha spoke, Amelia somewhat enjoyed the fishy flavor of the offered snack. She had just finished a bite when the amateur guitarist suddenly leaned in to examine her face. Amelia didn't flinch, though her eyes widened as Annasisha looked at them. It was as if she was trying to help the older girl get a better look. It wasn't really a conscious act, but she couldn't help be surprised that someone had gotten this close to her willingly without some kind of awkward comment that wasn't a compliment. "Yeah! They've always been this way. At least that's what my mother says. If I had an accident that made them this way I wouldn't know." The younger girl sat there and allowed Annaisha to look for as long as she wanted, only continuing her conversation when the other girl said something about making her uncomfortable. "Oh! Not at all! I don't mind. There are other things you could be talking about, so this is by far the best introduction with a stranger I've had."
It almost felt like she was purposely bringing attention to the way she was dressed with that statement, but Annaisha seemed to gloss right over it as she pulled out a phone. Amelia had seen them before, but never really used one. It looked kind of outdated. There was no way that Annaisha wouldn't be aware that it was useless here -- although, it must not be such a terrible camera. At least it was serving some purpose other than being a paperweight. "A picture? Yeah! Sure! I don't mind. Do you want me to take my hood off so you can see them better?" Amelia reached up and pulled her hood down without waiting for an actual answer, exposing her short green hair. In the sunlight, the messy strands almost looked turquoise. She had always considered it a nice compliment to her mismatched eyes. When Annaisha went to take her picture, Amelia leaned forward and looked directly at the phone with a wide grin. Her mother had always said she may have been a bit too friendly at times, but it never seemed to get her into trouble before. "Sooooo...you said your music thingy is an Ibanez Genesi? That's kind of a long name. It looks really cool though!"
Annaisha was mildly relieved over the willingness of the slightly younger Amelia, not fully sure if the girl would have been open to basically being inspected and generally expecting hesitance. It was hard not to give a light smile on one half of her mouth in response to the mention of it being a positive introduction and the fact Annaisha could have mentioned other things, things she partly chose not to mention out of the initial suspicion that the girl was a Chunibyo...., in her mind it was a fair assumption even if wrong. โIโm maybe a wee bitty confuzzled to how this be the best introduction yโhad, not that I donโt feel a bit pleased ya feel that way Amelia!โ She responded mostly honestly besides that she likely could guess why some might not be considerate with her just by attire alone(Appearances often incurring judgement or assumptions in people, a fact which Annaisha was not unfamiliar with), there was also the fact that the girls words might have implied that bringing up her attire was not an common nor necessarily favoured occurrence.
Having moved past the thought without comment and now brandishing her phone so as to take a couple of pictures since she had been given permission, the fact that even with a closer and better look the want for getting a photo wasnโt going to not happen. Amelia decided to make things even easier by removing her hood without prompting, Annaisha having not finished actually considering if she was going to request Amelia do so, not know what would be considered pushing her luck, current evidence imply that she was a lot more social that the second guess to why she might dress like that as the girl wasnโt fitting any stereotypical mold that Annaishas mind deliberated the girl to be. The hood removal created a sensation within Annaisha that matched the girls hair with one of two thoughts that came to mind, the first feeling/though was something around the lines of โYo, girls hairs is green, like for real.... zero roots thatโs natural isnโt it....โ [coloe=purple]The expression she held holding a striking resemblance to someone in momentary thought trying to work out if theyโve been ripped off when receive a heir change from a clerk, the slight squint and even more slight scrunching of her face potentially could be chalked of to getting the suns glare in her eyes. The other thought that matched the other girls hair color was also rather green and followed the first thoughts in short order My hairs naturally black and I have to dye(or wig) it to get my style down, wish I had hair as naturally pretty and unique as hers! Urgh Iโma try not be jelly about this, but stilllllll.โ
Still the general envy induced by seeing the synergies that this girls features provided her wouldnโt get in the way, Annaisha not one to be petty like that despite her general attitude flaws. It was actually a fact these novel physical traits Amelia had was simple cool and look real nice in her opinion, this combined with her friendly and willing demeanour drew the slightly older girl in, especially as the girls words and attitude made it so Anna wasnโt feeling as intrusive or worried she might give cause to her green haired acquaintance away. As the camera in the phone clicked to indicate that it had taken its picture, Anna could not help automatically grinning due to the contagiousness of the other ones grin, not having expected its sudden appearance and wasnโt able to help absorbing and returning the energy. โSweet, here take a lot as I think I got a good picture, here! Look at how the light is coming in from that side anโ the way it caught yer hair, doubt someone can even pay for a color just like that, I wanted this tโbe about your eyes mainly but it seems you werenโt satisfied with that miss photogenic, Iโm quite jelly ya know! Muchos gracias for the piccy!โ The words flew from her mouth at an increased pace and volume than she had been speaking before, her voice softening in pitch despite the increases and playfully feigning a little sarcasm before the appreciative tone with her thanks
She turned the screen toward Amelia and handed the phone over over to her as she spoke, pointing to indicate what she was referring to whilst doing so, at her hair, then her eyes and finally proceeding to look at the actual Amelia and indicate to all of her facial features with a motion from her hand. She would allow Amelia to take and look at the picture until satisfied, reaching over to her guitar and strumming her fingernails gently over the upper levels of its stings, a gentle rumble from the speaker on the floor accompanying the action. After throwing a mediocre squid all into her mouth and quickly consuming the chewy morsel she would speak with less slang and at a slower pace than before, enthusiastic but more relaxed than before โIts just an electric guitar but Ibanez Genesi is the brand, I donโt doubt you could find the same instrument if you looked around, not one of the same caliber mind you! Itโs a Model from the Tanigakure, I donโt mind you holding it if you want. It is really nice and Iโm glad you think itโs cool, I wanted really loud colours for its paint scheme that didnโt really compliment each other but still work together in a chaotic way yโknow?โ She would reach her hand out and reclaim the phone whenever Amelia was done with it, if the girl did want to hold the instrument Annaisha would pick it up and put its strap over her head and secure before properly handing the tool off, grabbing and moving the cord that led into the speaker out of the way, also turning the volume a little lower so she and her acquaintance could properly hear one another over any produced sound.
(Ooc Alrite, sent my housemate away in a plane, no more delays from me! Iโm rather tired so pardon this not being better smile) Stamina 100/100 | Chakra 100/100
Since the village seemed lax after the attack by the samurai and yokai Clem figured it was about tome she took this chance to look over that scroll she found on one of thr corpses she pilfered from, their was a large pile of goodies she could of taken but a few katannas amd some miscellaneous items were enough. Among the items this old scroll came up which just from a collectors view was rather valuable yet what she read inside about the golden dragon seemed to call to her. The merchant inside said to sell it but the creature inside her screamed for power. So back to present day she decided to head out of the village and deep onto the surrounding forest so she could practice in peace with her two shadow clones, ignoring the few out front she left for the south section of the forest, Clem would find herself a secluded spot. She heard shadow clones were useful in training so she thought of giving ot a shot. The three got into a meditation like stance and began to focus their spiritual selves.
Several hours of meditation put her mind on the chopping block as her mentality pushed through her mental blocks slowly creating a sea of celestial energy that was the foundation of the. Golden dragon, building the container was one thing but she found it difficult to balance herself at first, conflict of fair vs personal tribulations was her biggest roadblock. Energies inside her body at first flared, one clone began to understand the way balance was achieved upon learning this it would vanish passing on the knowledge to the other two. Continuing on her chakras began to stabilize reaching a balance between her inner chakra and the incoming celestial chakra, were there was once pain a strange euphoric sensation washed over the woman's body. 4 hours later covered in sweat, sore from the stress put on her body Clem finally broke the threshold filling up her sea of the golden dragon with celestial chakra bathing the area around her in its golden glow yet not disturbing the surrounding nature.
Unlocked Tsumemฤku | Mark of the Slicing Claw: โข Requires [Taijutsu] Class + [Berserker Discipline] โข Requires A-ranked Body Fierce Tearing Claws of The Gold Dragon 1000 celestial chakra x โ๐ฌ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ณ๐๐๐โฅ
stretching abit after staying in that bloody annoying meditation stance Clem felt oddly refreshed. The scroll did mention some other stuff that seemed important and rather relevant to the whole yokai thing but for now she just wanted a bath, gathering her stuff and stuffing them into her sack the tall woman would begin her treck back to the village. Along the way she took the chance to gather a few ingredients so she could start working on her enchantments. From the forest near her she picked up a few mandrake roots near a small unmarked grave. Further down the path she trapped two bal pythons, closer to the village she snagged a few slugs hiding under a large stone that was used during the attack. Bloodwell she had plenty of that in her body enough to help mix the ink needed to create the inscriptions she planned on making. The weapons themselves she had planned on using a pile of samurai swords as practice then sell off the excess to make a quick profit. x โ๐ฌ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ณ๐๐๐โฅ
