Don't you have anything better to do? [P, NK]

https://www.narutoroleplaygame.com/t43515-is-this-even-edible

"Mission Name: Is This Even Edible?
Rank: D-Rank
Type: Augmentation Farming
Character Requirements: No
Mission Location: Island Country
Word Count Requirements: 1,000
Challenges: N/A
Repeatable? Yes, over and over, by the same people
NPC? No
Reward: 1,000 ryo, 3AP, 1x Pufferfish Gills

Task: There’s a Pufferfish eating contest going on and so far nobody has been able to defeat the defending champion. Maybe Momochi Yamanaka should give it a shot. I hear 1st place actually gets a cash prize along with a set of Pufferfish Gills."

The morning crested bright and earnest through the storm wall. Traces of light flittered in through the violent storm, smattering the village in iridescent lighting. She herself had nothing to do on this particular day- which was, perhaps, why she was still lying motionless in bed. She had a few more moments of peace before muffled footsteps stopped before her door. She vaguely recognized the person behind there- a clan member...?

Without warning, a cat was violently thrown at her midriff. It dug its claws into her stomach with a caterwaul and she jolted out of bed.

"Dammit, Inochi," she hissed, rubbing the marks left behind. A few droplets of blood came off, but overall the wound was harmless. "What the hell do you want?"

"There's a pufferfish eating contest in the center island," he pointed out, skipping the morning greeting altogether. A moment of silence reigned. Did he. Wake her up. For...

"No."

"There's a-"

"I refuse on principle." a heavy sigh left her clanmate's lips.

"I was going to say there's a cash prize, as well as one of those augment materials you so desperately crave as first place." she wiped her hands down her face. She knew she was going to end up agreeing to this... But she sure as hell wouldn't be happy about it.

"Alright, get out and let me change."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

She arrived alone towards the pavilion, her loving compatriot having decided he had better things to do than gorge himself sick on poisonous fish. Momochi found herself rubbing her eyes, wiping away the last traces of sleep. She just wanted to get this damn thing over with...

[WC: 273]
[Total WC: 273]

The face in the vanity mirror was imperfect, just like every morning. Not to say that perfection was the goal, on the contrary it was drab. Imperfections still must be carefully maintained and appropriately accentuated. The face in the mirror did not quality, nor would it ever. Yosei beheld it for a few moments as he gradually woke up, shaking off the unusually long four hours of sleep he'd treated himself to after his last mission. Once he felt more alert, he set about on his morning routine. The faintest touch of mascara, layers of green and blue eyeshadow, even foundation and some subtle rouging, nothing beyond the norm. He painstakingly painted his nails a matte teal, being careful to ensure they were smooth and even. As he brushed his hair, he looked at the face in the mirror again. Still imperfect, but worse than usual. A clown playing at glamour. How had he erred so entirely? He must still be groggy from sleep. He went to his sink and washed everything off his face, but reapplied the eyeliner so he didn't feel naked without it, and took a plain white mask with the characters for "Moth" on it before wrapping up in his pink kimono.

His usual stop was the sushi joint down the street for two pieces of cucumber maki, where he overheard an interesting conversation between the owner and a patron. The owner, a cheeky elderly chef with whom Yosei had established an amiable rapport, caught his eye and turned to him.
"Why don't you try out for it, Mister Yosei? The pufferfish eating contest is back."

The idea took root in his imagination. He was not one to eat a great deal, or even really an average amount, but pufferfish grabbed his interest. It had all the key elements - rarity, danger, poison, contrast, delicacy, sharpness, texture. Of course one couldn't neglect the skill and artfulness required to prepare it. 

"I won't be eating my dish this morning miss, please give it to anyone else who would like it. I need to keep my stomach empty."


With that, he made his way to the pavillion, feeling a lot more upbeat than he had earlier. Perhaps by delighting a sense other than sight today he could be reminded that even things with prickly exteriors hide beauty in the folds of their flesh.




[WC: 394]

Little pieces of fish were being removed from coolers and carefully arranged onto wooden plates. There was a smaller turnout than expected- pufferfish was expensive, so perhaps ninja had priority when it came to entry...? Either way, there would be a good few minutes before anything started. She tilted her head to the side, scratching at her neck as she eyed the competition. None particularly caught her eye- although, off in the corner... She squinted a bit before nodding. Pink kimono, featureless mask with a single character (perhaps 'moth'...?)- above all, they looked as out of place and uncomfortable as she did in such an event. Weighing her options for a second before promptly throwing all thoughts out the window, Momochi approached, keeping her movements as plain and obvious as possible. She'd stop about eight feet or so to his front right- around three o'clock.

It was at this stage that she realized that she didn't have anything to say.

Ah, fuck it. "Did you get coerced into this too, or are you just here for the free food?" she noted with a smidgen of good humor. "Pufferfish is pretty good, I guess, I just prefer shellfish myself." a pause. "'s hard to find any good urchin on the island. Only place that has it is packed to hell and back most of the time." she scratched her cheek. "Don't suppose you know of any alternatives?" the question was open- he didn't have to respond to any of her remarks. She was just trying to make conversation.

[WC: 257]
[Total WC: 530]

Momochi nodded politely as he began to speak, finding a seat across from him as the other contestants began to gather. A big plate was set before her; though she couldn't eat until the official start, it did look like a manageable amount. As a taijutsu and weaponry specialist, she burned a lot more calories than the average ninja- hopefully, she'd have this in the bag. "Hm, a bit of a loaded question," she answered after a moment. She tied back her hair behind her head and flexed her shoulders. "Everyone sees things differently. I suppose my tentative answer is 'anything that makes me happy'." she scratched her cheek as the announcer made his way to a raised stand. From his posture, she could tell he was a retired ninja- cheating would likely be easily detected and punished. "Let's try our hardest and see what comes of it. Who knows? Maybe we can talk more about this at your go to," the woman noted. With a sharp crack of something that was likely a low ranking wind jutsu designed to make noise, she picked up her chopsticks with dextrous fingers and began to eat.

The taste was odd to get used to at first, but not unmanageable. She ate much more than this on days where she worked out intensely. Before she knew it, Momochi had several plates stacked up. The Yamanaka stood by her belief that sea urchin was much better.

The contest ended a few minutes later, with her and another taijutsu specialist taking the lead. She managed to win by a few pieces, netting herself the cash prize and the augment material. The ninja stretched her back and shoulders- fanfare wasn't really her thing. With no one the wiser, she slipped out of the crowds to go back to the compound. It'd take a while to work this off... Might as well get started sooner rather than later.

[WC: 321]
[Total WC: 851]

(Exit)

Claiming:
2,000 ryo
6 AP
1x pufferfish gills

1,702 (x2 from event) words into 17 stats, aaand....
1,000 words to A rank https://www.narutoroleplaygame.com/t45270-v7-bullseye#354519 (already have b rank approved on profile)
702 words to https://www.narutoroleplaygame.com/t44990-chakra-absorption-v7

Anything that makes me happy. 


She had said it so casually. How could that be a sufficient answer? So plain, so straightforward. Almost nothing to it at all. Yet, that may have lended it some truth. Perhaps, Yosei reasoned, those who do not burden themselves with a need to understand beauty can instead busy their lives with appreciating it when they find it. If I allow myself to be happy with what I see in the mirror, will I then be beautiful? It seemed like wishful thinking. What is the purpose of beauty that couldn't be objectively seen as such by all who behold it? That, after all, was the goal. A glamour recognized by all as superior. 

But there he went again, burdening himself with the question and letting the answer pass him by. 

"Perhaps we will discuss it later. My name is Yosei Hisori, I hope our paths cross again." He settled in his spot and appraised the dish before him. It was more than he typically ate in a day. He raised a mouthful to his lips, and savoured the flavours. Certainly a unique taste, but hardly what he was looking for. Then again, what might it have been if he hadn't been looking for anything? 
Ah, he thought. So that is the lesson. 
His new acquaintance made her way through the dish with aplomb, even quicker than the handful of other enthusiastic contestants. Feeling rather nauseous at the concept of finishing his plate, Yosei lifted a cloth napkin to gently dab his lips, rose from his seat and bowed to the others before leaving. Whatever the prize was didn't particularly interest him, but this had been an enlightening morning nonetheless. He removed the mask from his head and tied it around his belt, feeling refreshed. Now, to seek his purpose without searching for it.

[Exit.]
[WC: 308]
[TWC: 1000 :0]
Claiming 2000 Ryo, 2000 WC (x2 event) 6 AP and 20 stats. 
Vigor +10
Chakra +10
2000 words towards Bringer of Darkness

Approved

Reallocating the 10 chakra pts from this thread into speed, because i can't do math.

Re-approved