Not enough whiskey

The village seemed to have everything. There was the mine, the temples, the gardens, the training grounds, beauty all over the place. But there was still one thing that the North man had yet to investigate, the tavern. He followed his nose through the city center, in search for any type of amber liquid that the barkeep could pour down his gullet and have him forget the rest of the night. After a few odd turns through the city center, he found eactgly what it was that he was looking for. He burst through the front doors and immediately he could feel the alcohol in the air. "Now this is exactly the place that I am meant to be tonight!" Taichi bellowed as he neared the bar and a stool that was where he wanted to plant himself for the next few hours and for the next however many drinks he could consume in that time. 

He walked up to the bar and he bid the barkeep a good day before placing his order, "Please sir, I need to be saved from this wretched existence. Ensure that before my seat there is never a dry tankard and don't cut me off until I have passed out." The barkeep simply laughed and filled his mug with whatever beer was on tap and Taichi continued to pay the man for the drinks. After the fifth or sixth or however many, he was singing the songs of the seas, the songs that he had heard sung by the gods in his dreams, finally he was feeling like himself again!

Hoshigakure seemed more lively than ever. Perhaps it had to do with the upcoming Chuunin Exams that were slowly growing closer with each and every day, an event that already existed for hundreds of years but still didn't fail to gather quite a bit attention. By now, news of said exams had probably spread throughout the entire shinobi world, a sign the Land of Haven gained some new-found respect during the Kage Summit, something the Star village would welcome with open arms, even more so after having suffered a rather questionable reputation, one inflicted by none other than some of the previous Kage.

The entire time during his stroll through the village, Akaboshi witnessed the preparations being made by many a shopkeeper. Not only would the Chuunin Exams cause an increase in attendance, it would also bolster Hoshigakure's economy. From restaurants to taverns, many different establishments were busy doing their utmost best in order to make sure they were ready for the event to come. If all went well, the exams could mean a new start for Hoshigakure and the Land of Haven in its entirety. Proof that the Village Hidden in the Stars had more than its righteous place with the other major villages in the shinobi world.

Passing by one of the many bars that Hoshigakure housed, Akaboshi could hear the sound of someone trying their hand at singing. "A party and I'm not invited? I'm hurt" the Uzumaki spoke under his breath. The Jounin figured there would be no harm in checking out what all the ruckus was about, his shift had long since passed so no one would blame the redhead for taking a moment to relax. Upon walking in and entering the establishment the Uzumaki noticed only a few had decided to stick around. Perhaps it came because it was getting late, or maybe they simply didn't share the same taste in music like the well intoxicated individual sitting at the bar.

Akaboshi took a seat, two chairs to the left of the man before ordering something himself. He had already figured out the stranger to be a visitor, his temporary badge of identification giving it away but also the fact his face was one the red haired Jounin had never seen before. Considering his earlier thoughts it wasn't exactly rocket science to come up with the individual's reason for being there. Nine chances out of ten he found his way to Hoshigakure because of the upcoming Chuunin Exams, but for the slim possibility of there being a different explanation for the man's presence, the Uzumaki decided to dig a little deeper. "Business or pleasure?" 

(WC: 440)

The white haired Viking would be on his second bottle of whiskey when he would be blessed with the presence of a man with crimson red hair. He would continue to sing the songs of the gods above when he would be asked a simple enough question, "Business or pleasure?" Taichi asked himself, slightly slurring his words due to the sheer amount of alcohol that was running through his system at the very moment. He took a moment to observe the remainder of the bar, noticing that he was one of the few that had stayed in the bar at this late into the night. "Wonder where'd everybody go?" Taichi's loud bolstering voice seeming to echo off of the wooden walls of the tavern. 

"The answer to your question is a little bit of both. I came here due to the Chuunin exams, haven't been to one in many years, and I figured it was high time I came and visited one, feel the feeling of nostalgia and a longing for a time in which the days weren't so long and hard, and the nights weren't so long lonely. But it's business due to my need of coin, and my needing of a new place to start this life anew, a place to begin this wretched life once more, and hopefully do a better job this time." Taichi would sway slightly as he spoke, feeling the effects of the alcohol coursing through his veins. He took his first hard look at the crimson haired ninja and saw the headband that he wore on his person, "So this is your own village, eh? Nice place. Nice place indeed. Tell me. Where can a lowly ninja such as myself find himself a new purpose on this wretched planet?" Taichi would offer his new friend a swig from the bottle that he was carrying, an offer of peace and kindness between the two.

Akaboshi listened attentively to the stranger sharing his story. It seemed the red haired Uzumaki's earlier assumption got confirmed as the man told him the Chuunin Exams were indeed one of the reasons why he came to Hoshigakure. "Yes, I expect a great deal out of them" the Jounin would refer to the upcoming event. It was one thing if it had been village specific, but now that it was something joined with and between the other major villages made it even all the bigger. "It'll be interesting to see how it unfolds". By then the white haired stranger also informed Akaboshi of his need for money, another reason as to why he ended up in the Land of Haven. "Ah, some kind of mercenary? I'm sure you can figure something out, one way or the other. Enough opportunities to earn yourself some ryo after all". The red haired Uzumaki reached for his pack of cigarettes before placing it on the counter.

After he noticed how his order finally arrived the Jounin would continue his small talk. "A nice place indeed. Although it used to be different once, but no use in digging up old wounds". Akaboshi knew the importance of looking forward instead of living in the past. The Hoshigakure shinobi was then met with a rather interesting and maybe even philosophical question. "Looking for a purpose, aren't we all?" A soft smile appeared as he accepted the bottle before filling his own glass with the liquor. "I suppose one looks for a new purpose because they are lost. Tell me, are you lost?" It was something the Uzumaki had thought about himself more than once, trying to figure out what he had to do and what part he had to play.

The redhead gave his pack of cigarettes a little push in the direction of the white haired stranger. "Do you smoke?" He took one out before lighting it up after checking if the owner didn't mind. "It all comes down to what you're willing to do in order to find your place, or at least that's what I like to think. Look back at where it went wrong before and what you can do differently". Akaboshi then took a drag of his smoke, blowing it away to his left followed by another sip of his drink. "Change comes from within, the question is, are you willing to change?" The Uzumaki didn't mind philosophizing about these kind of things but in the end it was up to the man to take the first step in the right direction.

(WC: 430, TWC: 870)

As the two shinobi sat and talked, Taichi wouldn't stop ordering more and more rounds. The world he was living in was far too much for him to take on alone, so he chose the accompaniment of the bottle to help him on his journey through the day. After he was ordering another round for him and his newfound conversationalist, a question was offered to Taichi, the question hit hard, causing him to take another swig before answering it. "Am I looking for a new purpose?" Taichi thought before saying anything. "Lost? I suppose I am. I spent so much of my life on the run from my own sins, my own destructive tendencies, but I think they have finally caught up with me. When I saw my entire life fall apart on three separate occasions, I finally washed up here without a clue of what to do next." Taichi took another shot and wiped his face with a napkin that were stacked to his side.

The crimson one offered a smoke, something that Taichi had never actually tried in his life, which was something that honestly surprising to Taichi. Taichi thought for a few moments and responded, "I haven't before. But I'll take one if you're offering friend." Taichi would accept the smoke on the bar in front of him. He channeled his fire chakra in his throat and let out a small spark of flame to light the cigarette, then he would inhale. The feeling was something he was not expecting, the idea of sucking in something that wasn't air tricked his mind for a moment, but instead of coughing, he was able to control himself and let out a large cloud of smoke. "Thanks friend, appreciate it." 

The crimson haired ninja continued with the prophetic advice, which Taichi appreciated greatly. He hadn't had an intellectual conversation with someone over a drink. "What am I willing to do? That's a tough question surprisingly. Mainly because I have no clue as to what I'm doing or what I would have to do to figure out what it is that went wrong when so many things went wrong. My village got destroyed and turned into a crime ridden wasteland. A woman whom I thought I loved died in the destruction of Suna, then the next woman died from a horrid bandit attack. My own friends died in battle before me and I can go on. It's hard to find that one moment when there are too many to choose from, ya know?" Taichi's eyes began to cloud over as he tilted the bottle back once again. "But am I willing to change? Yeah. I think I am leaving my old life behind me, and just bringing my name with me. The old life brought nothing but crap money and misery. But the question is what am I going to change to?" 

Taichi leaned back a little in his seat, feeling the back rest support his weight as he stretched back, taking another drag off of the smoke before putting it out on the ash tray in front of him. Giving his newfound friend a chance to respond as he took another drink, beginning to feel his body sway back and forth.

Mid thread claims: 

TWC: 1127

+1127 towards Truth Seeking Orbs (1310/7500) (Previous Progress)

Approved

Akaboshi listened closely to the man's story while at the same time reaching for another glass of alcohol. From what he heard it seemed his companion already had his fair share of hardships, some more intense than others. The Uzumaki continued listening attentively to the viking's words, tales were told, drinks were shared. It seemed all the liquor had caused the man to loosen up a little as he had no trouble starting to talk about some of his sins he committed and the things he went through. For some it would be quite a heavy subject but Akaboshi wasn't so naive to think no one ever got their hands dirty.

The Jounin took another drag of his cigaret, blowing the smoke away before speaking up once more. "Let those who are without sin cast the first stone" he voiced with his arms spread wide, only to pick up where he left. "You'll see not a single rock will be thrown". Like a teacher with his student the redhead tried to explain that although they wanted to, they were still human and therefore not perfect. "I'm sure you heard the saying, to be loved, first you have to love yourself. I believe the same thing applies in your case. Start by learning how to forgive yourself. And once you found peace with the sins from your past you'll find yourself able to finally move on". He'd take a drag of his smoke, his head looking upwards aimed at the ceiling while leaning back in his chair ever so slightly.

"People are afraid of change, so are you and there is nothing wrong with that. Most of them are scared to leave their comfort zone, taking over by a fear that things won't ever be the same again. But that's just it, progress requires change. Improvement needs change. If you stand still there is only one way to go, and that's backwards. So what will you change into? No one knows and that's the beauty of it". Akaboshi awaited how his companion would feel after hearing those words, the Uzumaki could only hope they had the desired effect.

(WC: 357, TWC: 1227)

Each word spoken seemed so simple, yet they were words and thoughts that Taichi had no given the chance to think about. Was he afraid of change? He thought he was welcoming it, but yet he only could bring himself to drink and try to forget all about the life that he had left behind. Main problem with his plan was his old life was the only thing he could think about. He thought about the friend that he had killed in Fang Island, sure he didn't mean to, but that didn't matter. The sight of his body lying on the floor, burned to a crisp was still branded into his brain, not so easily removed. He thought of both of the women that he ever allowed into his heart, both of which ending in nothing but misery and murder. What could there be to this old life that was even worth remembering? That was when his newfound drinking companion had said words that truly struck a chord within his psyche. 

"Taken over by a fear that things won't be the same again." This is when Taichi had a small breakthrough. He wasn't afraid of things being different, he was terrified of things being the same as before. His eyes would widen as he thought of the mental breakthrough that he had just accomplished thanks to the crimson haired shinobi sitting beside him. "I believe I am just standing still. I have been staring behind me endlessly, not fearing that my life would change. Quite the opposite. I am terrified of my life turning out the exact same. Destruction and misery always seemed to find a way to follow me. No matter what I ever did to try and evade it's terrible clutches, it always found its way." Taichi would take yet another long swig from the bottle, that he was now clutching with all the might of his hands, in part due to the anger that swelled within him, also in part due to his inability to stop his body from swaying and the bottle seemed to be the most stable thing about him.

He thought about the last thing that his friend had said, that no one truly knows what his life will hold, and that that was the beautiful thing about it. "Maybe that is true. I have been thinking so hard about what is next for my life, and torturing myself with images of my past, that I have been forgetting about what my life is. Not what it is going to be or what it was, but what it currently is right now. I have been dwelling within the walls of the taverns in this village trying to forget my life ever happened. I know that will never happen, but by the gods it was worth a try." Taichi let go of the bottle that stood before him, leaning back in his stool once again, looking up into the cracks of the ceiling tiles. 

"I want to just let go of my worry, my concern of not knowing what is coming next and just live in the present. I want to accept my past for what it was, and move on from it for the first time. There have been so much in my life that went wrong, but yet, I'm still here. That has to count for something. The gods must have a plan for me, and I think me worrying about it is just making myself more of a slave to my mind, then one who partakes in the journey that I've been set on." Taichi had a few tears falling down his face as he thought of just how beautiful his life could truly be if he would just let go of his grasp that held on to his old life, the past that he was now beginning to let go of, realizing that maybe he was terrified of change. He was terrified of his life actually turning out to be something more than just killing and losing everything. He was terrified of the idea of his own happiness.

For now there wasn't much the red haired Uzumaki could do besides listen to the Viking as the man shared some of his thoughts and feelings. So that's exactly what Akaboshi did. Sit down, quietly paying attention and listening attentively to his new drinking partner. "It's normal to be afraid, everyone is. But you're not where you once used to be, you are now surrounded by other people than the ones from your past. Times change, people change. The only thing that will stay the same is my love for liquor" the Jounin smiled as he took another sip of his glass.

The visiting Viking would continue his story and Akaboshi proceeded to listen once more before giving his own thoughts on the matter and perhaps even a piece of advice. "We never know what's in store for us and that's a good thing. Would we be happier knowing what and when something is going to happen to us? I don't think so. And you're not the only one wondering whereat in life he currently is. It's nothing more than normal wanting to be happy, we're only human after all". The Uzumaki himself used to struggle with the same thoughts once. Only after taking down the barrier that was stopping him was he finally able to move on.

Akaboshi filled his empty glass once more, continuing to pay attention to what his companion was saying. "Good, that means you've already taken the first step towards moving on. Acceptance. Accepting your faults and mistakes, realizing you're not perfect, taking peace with the fact that life is all about trial and error". The Uzumaki noticed a couple of tears had started falling down on the Viking's face and there was nothing wrong with that. The beauty of people could be found in their emotions. Even though he didn't hear, the red haired Jounin figured it were tears of joy. Tears from choosing happiness. Akaboshi would then raise his glass, "a toast, to happiness and moving on". Hopefully things could finally begin to look up for the Viking. 

(WC: 345, TWC: 1572)