The Sword and The Acrobat

Wed Apr 12, 2017 4:17 pm

Valen awoke in the early afternoon after a long night and morning of training to try to make himself stronger. He laid there in his bed, staring up at the ceiling aimlessly as he gathered his thoughts and plans for the evening and night. He was trying to get stronger, but he didn’t have anyone to really push him. He wanted to be shown his limitations and then had them shattered. He needed to see someone strong. He needed to see where he really stood in the world of shinobi. He sat up in bed, his untamed black hair falling down into his face, covering his eyes as they pierced through the gaps in his hair into the darkness of his room. He would go out and train more. Now of course, he doubted he would find anyone that could fulfill this need so soon so for now he’d simply have to do the best he could with what he had. With these thoughts in mind he stood and dressed himself in his full attire. Crimson cloak, blade undershirt, black cargo pants and boots with a bandana strategically placed on his forehead to keep his hair out of his eyes. He moved over to the wall and grabbed his sword. ‘Good evening..’ He’d say mentally as he tied it to his waist securely. ‘Hello fool..Going out to try to make yourself stronger again? Don’t let me stop you. At this rate though you’ll never manage it..’ It would snap, driving in the point of his lack of progress. He sighed mentally as he went down stairs and made a quick simple meal before rolling out his shoulders and walking out the door.

He moved through the streets toward a local training ground at a sedated pace. It was all due to a lack of motivation, he had nothing to push him. What was he doing with his life? Why was he really a shinobi? To protect a bunch of people that didn’t even want him around? Maybe he should’ve stayed with the merchant caravan. At this point it would have made more sense to do so. He sighed allowed as he made it to the training ground. He had simply ignored the glares and looks he got this evening. The people were ignorant, that was for sure. They trained day in and day out to strengthen themselves to protect them. And in return they get ostracized and hated, abused, spat on, insulted, and all kinds of other things that makes him wanna leave. Honestly he was a half step away from just walking out one day and trying to become a missing nin. With all of these people hating him for choosing to protect them. He just couldn’t handle it much anymore without something or someone showing him a good reason to stick around. He’d try his best to stick it out until the end though. It would be extremely stupid of him to try something like that without sticking it out as long as he could. It just seemed so damn pointless.

He moved onto the training ground itself and noticed it empty at the moment. It was the same one he always used. With the church of people who hated shinobi on one end of it. They still left him alone, and at this point he didn’t care what they did. He was in a mood regardless. He knew at this point he could easily handle some civilian upstart causing trouble. It’d be physically painful for whomever it was, but he would handle it. He sighed before drawing his sword, hearing the mental voice chuckling at his thoughts. ‘You’re far from being able to handle anything else though. You’re far too weak, and you’re being held back here. Do you really NEED a reason for more power? Just get it to get it. Become strong because you can use that strength to force others to submit.’ It would say before Valen cut him off for the moment. The voice could always recreate the connection when it wanted, but it knew it had gotten under his skin and it would revel in it’s ‘victory’ for the moment.

Honestly Valen didn’t know if the sword was right or not. He dropped into a kenjutsu stance and slowly moved his way through the katas as he thought. ‘There’s no way I would survive doing what the damn thing said. I need a reason to get stronger or it’ll corrupt me. I know that much..It’s trying to manipulate me into killing for the sake of it..’ He realized as he continued to move through his katas becoming more and more familiar with the weight and movements of his sword. He had obtained it about a week ago now and he had been training with it day in and day out. The goal was to become so used to it that it felt like an extension of his body. He felt like he was making good headway on that goal but he could still make better progress. He let his troubled mind drift as he flowed through the katas he had begun learning. Moving through them with increased speed to better become acquainted with them.

WC: 872

Thu Apr 13, 2017 3:57 pm

The young girl walked into view from 'behind' the front side of the church. She wore a dress in the style of a hoodie fashioned from her own body, though its looks would never betray that. In the same vein, the young girls looks would never betray her true age. Short even for someone much younger than her, the girl's face retained some childlike pudginess. Perhaps up close, if time was taken to examine her, someone could correctly determine her age. From afar or from glances, however, her age was a relative unknown.

The girl began walking across the field, towards the young man at the far side. Her eye did a little dance, and followed a slight trance, before the girl began to prance, for she had found her chance. [I REGRET NOTHING!]

She approached the boy, but still quite far,
her eyes twinkling like the lights of a star.
"How do you do?" she would say,
as she sat down that day,
for now was the time
for a victim less crime.

"I do good" she would say,
still far away,
not giving the non-blond
a chance to respond.

"They say ninja a weak,
they are fast to retreat.
I wish it were silly,"
her voice said quite shrilly.

"The ninja could leave,"
she said on that eve,
"And would we all notice?"
spoke the young lotus.

"I see what you are,
and how you stand there afar,"
The girl meekly smiled,
would he be riled?

"Little old me."
She got up on one knee.
"I bet I could take you,"
then she stood and went 'boo'.

[40 AP - edit approved, only this line]

Thu Apr 13, 2017 4:29 pm

Valen would continue with his katas and notice a seemingly very young girl come from around the church. She would walk over to him and ask him how he is, and before even giving him a chance to respond she was tell him she was doing good before going off into rhyme about how weak ninja tend to flee and thinking it was silly. She continued to speak in rhyme and eventually claim that she could take him following with the word ‘boo’ in an attempt to be cute. Valen would look at her for a few seconds and blink apathetically. Then his sword would begin to speak in his head. “You know, she’s pretty cute, you could have your way with her and no one would notice. She’s just a civilian and she doesn’t seem younger than you.’ It’d say with a cruel tone of voice. Valen’s eye would twitch at hearing this. No doubt the girl would interpret that to mean that she was getting under his skin but he didn’t care what she thought. He would turn back to his katas before taking a deep breath and beginning again. He would continue them for a few moments before responding.

“My name is Valen, I’m doing alright, and you’re not from that church..” He would say in order as he slowly moved through the stances and movements with his weapon, speeding up and slowing down at random intervals to get used to the feel of the blade. “That church hates shinobi, and wants nothing to do with them. If you were from there you would’ve already tried to attack me. Unless you’re trying to get me to attack a civilian. But those particular ones aren’t bright enough to try something like that..” He would say as he continued his movements. He didn’t know anything else from that. For all he knew she really was a civilian, but he knew she wasn’t from that church. He’d memorized everyone that frequented it and she wasn’t one of them. He’d stop his movements by sheathing his sword and turning toward her. “When it comes to ‘you taking me’ I have no doubt I’d be surprised if I attempted to fight you. After all we live in a strange world..My questions for you are simply these. One: Are you a shinobi? Two: What is your name?” He didn’t need to ask her rank, it wouldn’t matter. If she was a shinobi then she was with Hoshi, and that made her an ally. He’d find out her rank later. But he wouldn’t try to attack a civilian. It’d get him killed and he wasn’t stupid by any means.

WC: 445
TWC: 1317

Thu Apr 13, 2017 6:28 pm

"You're fucked up." She would say. Valen would have finished his spiel as she began speaking. "You explain yourself pretty rationally, asked some pretty good questions, and didn't fall for the bait." Shiroi walked closer to Valen now.

"But you're fucked up. Some part of your head, which by the way is the first time I've encountered some 'other being' that wasn't an imaginary talking partner, wanted to rape me. But hey, at least it thinks I'm cute, right?

"You've got one minute to explain why I shouldn't take you to a psych ward and get you your own personal straight jacket."

[AP: -20]

Thu Apr 13, 2017 6:38 pm

Valen’s eyes widened at her response as it surprised him to no end. ‘Hoho, she can hear me? I wonder if she still is. How are you going to tell her that you have a sword that wants to harm and kill everything? How are you going to tell her that while YOU are sane. I simply want to kill?..’ the sword would cackle madly in his head, causing Valen to wince before his eyes twitched in annoyance. ‘I don’t have to...You just did you idiot, if she read my mind somehow once than I highly doubt she couldn’t keep doing it.’ He would think back as he looked down his sword silently. He would then begin to think his explanation, still wanting to keep his swords sentience as much of a secret as possible. ‘My sword is sentient..Last week it started calling out to me, from what I know it was forged by a grief stricken swordsmith centuries ago for the sole purpose of murdering the people who killed his wife and children. His rage, and chakra gave birth to the swords own mind. It can talk and try to tell me what to do all it wants to. But the voice is just that, a voice. It can’t actually influence me, and I’m trying to keep that a secret..So if you could please not scream it out to everyone…’ He would think out, hoping she was still reading his mind before sighing and shrugging at her with nothing else to say on the matter except for this. ‘If it helps, I think you’re cute too, but I certainly don’t want to rape you. That comes after a few drinks..’ He would think in jest.

WC: 286

TWC: 1603

Thu Apr 13, 2017 9:23 pm

Shiroi crossed her arms, continuing to read his thoughts.

"A) You're still fucked up. B) I won't tell anyone for now. C) I don't drink." Shiroi had hazy flashbacks to the last time she drunk alcohol, unwittingly mind you! It was... something else.

She then remembered what happened when she drank too much. That was... something elsier. No need to go into it.

"Anyways um, you asked some questions so I guess I should answer. Name is Shiroi. If you didn't guess already, yes I am a ninja. Introductions over? Good. Anyways, why are you... here? Like sure, that church won't be in session for awhile, but... this still doesn't seem that great a place to train. Those guys aren't the MOST extreme but... they aren't forgiving, that's for sure. I was just over there talking with some people. Not churchgoers, thankfully. Just some people who were... I don't actually know, come to think of it. They weren't exactly sympathetic but... they weren't pro ninja either. The world is shades of grey, ya know?"

Shiroi decided to lay down in the grass now. "Anyways, this isn't a great place to be training. It's not a place I'd train anyways, but then again I go fairly out of my way to appear to be just a normal civilian. So yeah, there's that."

"Also neat sword, I should introduce it to my staff. Maybe they'll hit it off!"

Thu Apr 13, 2017 9:40 pm

Valen’s eyes would widen marginally at her words when she mentioned her staff but he quickly smirked at what he recognized as a joke. He’d lay on the ground next to her and stare up at the sky, he hands behind his head as he thought over her question. “First off I like it here because being nearby people who don’t trust or even hate me helps me keep my guard up at all times. It’s good for when I go out on missions. Secondly, it’s close to home. I live just down the street a few homes..I don’t care who sees me as a shinobi, I’m proud of it.” He would reply as he shut his eyes and lazily laid there without a care in the world for a bit.

Eventually he’d decide to make more conversation, a definite rarity given the situation, but he figured ‘why the hell not?’ So he’d open one eye to look at her and go “So how old are you anyway?” He’d ask as he eyed her closely, trying to get a feel for her age. He simply couldn’t quite tell and it was unnerving. On one hand she could be twelve, or she could be twenty. He would close his eye again after asking and await her answer, if she gave one at all. After all she didn’t have any obligation to answer his questions.

WC: 233
TWC: 1836

Fri Apr 14, 2017 12:26 pm

As Valen lay next to her, a shiver went up Shiroi's body. Nope she thought while standing up. Valen would only get to 'It's good for whe-' before she stood up and spoke. "I'm going to go train somewhere that there won't be activists watching. So yeah. Do what you will." Shiroi would then run off. There was a field behind a rock formation not far from here. Do note that, while she was running, it was only as fast as a normal person could.

[I can't logically have Shiroi do anything ninja-y in this area due to her past actions, sorry.]

Fri Apr 14, 2017 12:45 pm

Valen would raise an eyebrow at her sudden decision before shrugging and getting up himself to go join her. Maybe she would be a good fight, she seemed to have a bright head on her shoulders if she was asking about why he chose to train here. He grabbed his sword and blinked in curiosity as he noticed her only running at a speed a civilian would run at. He cocked his head to the side for a moment in confusion before deciding that she obviously didn’t want non shinobi to know that she was one. He tied his sword to his waist, before following her at a sedated pace. He would move behind the rocks, arriving there a fair bit after her to see what kind of training she might do. He could honestly admit to being quite curious about what she might do and what rank she was.

“So I never got to ask, how old are you anyway?” He would say as he arrived to the area she had been walking toward. He was curious and he didn’t want to say anything bad around someone super young if she was. Granted she was expected to kill the moment she got the headband so he supposed it didn’t really matter all that much.

WC: 215
TWC: 2051

Fri Apr 14, 2017 1:37 pm

Shiroi stopped her little sprint once they were behind the rocks. It was around now that she would turn around to face Valen. "I'm eighteen," she would say, expecting him to look surprised. Everyone looked surprised.

"Anyways, you were doing some shit back there, obviously. Have you considered doing some, like... actual training? Doing stances is great and all, but unless you're trying to 'center your mind' or something, just doing defined movements over and over isn't going to do you any good. Memorized patterns are useless if the situation changes."

The Sword and The Acrobat

The Sword and The Acrobat

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