Musicians and Monsters

Grey skies, forgotten lies. Dewy leaves and heavy heaves. Days like this were annoying. Grey enough to make you want to do nothing, but no rain to alleviate the humidity. At least most of the time when this happened he was at home. Now, however, he was stuck out in the not-yet-rain. No home nearby, his only protection should it rain would be the trees. That, however, is assuming it rains at all. For now, Oda kept walking, playing a fast tune to help him walk faster.

Another abandoned looking path winding through the forest it felt like he had walked this same path many days now but it was a new path with slightly different scenery. Aivas turned the slightest of sounds drawing his attention an upbeat fast paced song coming somewhere ahead of him, perhaps a traveling entertainer. Picking up his own pace to double march to the time kept by the musician the young man would charge headlong down the path at a dead sprint aiming to catch the other traveler quickly and ascertain their purpose. Turning ever so slightly as he drew level with the music he would quickly take a sharp intake of oxygen as his muscles slowed to match pace with the musician a wild grin tugging at the corners of his mouth as he spoke, "hallo traveler, what brings you to this neck of the woods today?" Pausing for a moment before suddenly remembering a few of the intricate necessities of conversation with another civilized creature he would speak up again, "you may call me Aivas if you like."

Oda noticed someone approaching him, but at first thought nothing of it. It was just a person enticed by bright music on an otherwise dull day. The person caught up with him and spoke. Oda sensed an amount of crazy in the guy, but that could have been him simply wanting something interesting on the boring day. Anyone would seem crazy if the only thing he had to compare them to was trees and dull days. "The name's Oda. I'm simply on my way home, had a bit of an event in this area a few days ago."

Oda slowed down the music. He had been channeling chakra through his body and into the sounds. He was not casting any jutsu, he was just practicing doing so. He was weak. He wanted to be stronger. That was why he practiced his chakra control even when he had no jutsu to practice (or at least none worth practicing).

Frowning he would offer his hand out to the musician to shake, "you live out here alone?" After waiting a few minutes Aivas would shuffle his marching pace and spin lightly on his feet to walk in front of the musician, facing back to talk to the other youth. "You play for a living, know any classic pieces?" He would offer an encouraging smile after all this was the first person he had had any interaction with since his self imposed exile to hone his skills.

Finding the exercise of keeping just ahead of Oda boring he would fall back into step with the other person before leaning forward dangerously flexing his hands at the last second and starting to follow the youth while doing a handstand, "want to walk together for awhile, I don't have any particular destination."

Oda would stop playing momentarily and stick the viol bow under his shoulder so as to shake the hand of the stranger. "No, I live quite a ways away, in the Moon country. I was out here for a memorial," he said, avoiding the mention of 'parents'. As he shifted to get the bow back in his hands, Aivas twisted in front of him. He was about to start playing again when Aivas spoke next. "I do, in fact" he said as he started to play some classical music. It was not often that he played classical, but he could understand peoples like of it. "I don't play for a living, but I likely could."

Oda smiled when Aivas began his handstand. He seemed like an interesting guy. He was approaching the end of a song, and decided to change it up a little. He did a transition into a much harder song. It was not harder mechanically. The sound was harder, more grating. It was like an orchestra was playing music for an intense stare down/battle scene. That sounded about right. It was the type of song that was classical, but also more in tune with Oda's musical tastes. "Sure, we can walk. I'm still a long way from home."

Aivas listened passively, kicking his feet slightly with the beat of the music. "A memorial? Whats that?" Stopping for a second on one hand he would reach up carefully and scratch his head before shooting Oda an inquisitive look. "Moon country? I've never been mind if I tag along?" Stretching out for a second he would smile to himself keeping time to the music by twitching one foot as if tapping the beat. Following Oda while doing a handstand wasn't particularly difficult but his feet where starting to fall asleep and the blood was building in his head, he'd need more practice.

The music changed slightly, he smiled it was still classical but with the performers own flair added in. Tilting his feet slightly he would bend into a large curve while keeping pace with Oda, switching the angle of his body with every step until he managed a complete turn and touched his feet to the ground. Using the muscles in his back and keeping his face centimeters from the ground he would stretch again giving his calf muscles a bit of a stretch while following slightly behind and to the left of the musician.

Having someone to talk to was likely exactly what Oda needed at the time. Practicing pushing chakra was one thing. Having someone to talk to while he walked was much more interesting. Hell, he could even do all of that at once (which is what he did). "It was a remembrance for some special people. They died recently." Oda still avoided mentioning it was his parents. He had handled their passing quite well. Only one fit of rage, really. Maybe two. He did not want to jinx that.

"Oh, and you can follow me as long as you want, but if you wish to leave at any point, I would not mind." Oda did not want to tell the man that he was a member of Tengakure* for fear that Aivas might be a missing nin. They seemed nice enough, but you could never be too careful. Besides, neither of them knew if the other was a ninja. Perhaps it was best to leave it at that for now.

[*Oda does not yet know that Tenga was destroyed]

Aivas was glad for the company four years of solitude had started to wear on his mind. "Remembrance? Special People?" Not trying to be insensitive but not knowing what the hell Oda was talking about he would shrug stretching his arms now pulling them across his body one at a time, "so whats in the moon country, got someone special waiting for you?" He would step up to be level with the other person smiling in his best approximation of a friendly way although showing a bit of malice in the smile without meaning too. "I wouldn't know about all this home jargon, far back as I can remember I was just a foot soldier in another mans dream of glory." Letting out a barking laugh he would lightly pat the other man on the back, "ever felt like you were trapped in a system watching all your friends be cut down for someone else's ambition?" He would look down at his feet for a moment thinking to himself about the 'good ol days' before lightly turning back into another handstand this time supporting himself on his fingers and doing slight rises as he kept pace easily, it was nice having someone to talk to but he wasn't going to let his strict regimen of training his body while walking from point A to point B slip. "You know the whole stay until I wish to leave thing may start to annoy you, you're the only living person I have come in contact with in a long time, so tell me the news of the world. What's been going on?"

"Remembrance? Special People? The fact that Aivas needed to ask that said a lot. Oda's smile lessened, and for a moment he stopped playing the music. "No, I don't have anyone waiting for me. Not anymore." He was getting sad. Oda did not wish to be sad. So he danced. He started to play again. No more classical, however. Something more spontaneous. He would beat box to go with it. The music was fast paced, perfect for dancing. He would jump and turn 180 degrees as he began to moonwalk, slightly faster than Aivas. "The past is in the past. If you want to talk it out, then let it wait till after this song. But right now, just take a moment to remember what it is like to have fun," he said as he started a quick series of notes before putting his bow under his arm and (lightly) slapping his cheek and clicking his tongue to make a percussion-like sound. The song was entirely spontaneous, but to someone from a world that Oda did not know existed, it would sound almost exactly like the Violin cover of Animals (by Martin Garrix) that was preformed by D Sharp. "SO ENJOY THE COMPANY WHILE IT LASTS!" he said with a smile, jumping up and landing on one foot before doing a spin. The song would end soon, and Oda would fall back into step with Aivas, placing how bow under his arm so as to more easily talk (he liked to talk with his hands in addition to his words).

[884 TWC]

Raising himself as high as he can on his fingertips Aivas would pivot suddenly to stand on his feet, resuming his stretching pulling his arms first across his chest then over his head.  It would seem his traveling companion was feeling down in a slump of sadness, perhaps he struggled with depression, who knows. Shrugging to himself he would watch as the musician started to play his own piece a mix of percussion with his mouth accompanying the sounds of the violin as it drove its own rhythm. Something the other man had said confused him 'fun' a strange concept one he was not familiar with but something he might have to learn how to create in spontaneity. Listening to the last notes as they hung on the air the corners of his mouth would twitch back up in the approximation of a smile, "so friend tell me, what news from the world of ninja? Any new upheavals in the villages?" Dusting off his shoulders for a second he would turn to scrutinize the other man for a moment weighing his options should the friendly chat turn deadly all of the sudden, he wished he had a weapon, hand to hand while not his worst fighting method was still nothing compared to his swordsmanship and creativity with the blade.

[1003 TWC]