Business Meetings

Kota was happy as he drank his tea. He was sitting in the Monkey’s Uncle waiting and reviewing a list of supplies. He was dressed in full gear to go to some training afterwards. Recently, he felt like his stuff was not up to par. The lack of suitable equipment made it feel like his training was more relaxed than it should be. As long as his equipment was subpar he felt like he could never move on to become stronger. A common trait Kota believed most ninjas to have. As only the strong had the right to speak.

The only issue Kota was having was the scarcity of available materials in the city. He had put an ad up for a week before it finally got a response. You can throw a rock and hit an organ donor in the city, yet finding crafting supplies was a lot harder. Kota could not help but wonder if it was just an experience only his village could relate to, as Suna culture was pretty open about DNA spreading. If it was not Kota would have had to find a different village. The DNA medical research was what allowed his mom to survive so long. A miracle he could only hold gratitude for.

Still as Kota waited for the arrival of his dealer he studied. He was trying to study some of the other materials that he was interested in. Kota was thinking when he finally managed to settle some things in the village it would be best for him to explore. It was not a wanderlust so to speak. It was a chance for him to sharpen his edges, a flower grown in the wild was stronger than the one in the greenhouse. Not that he believed it was necessary at all times. The VR arena was a top of the line product and made it easy for people to gain battle experience, that and the blood sand domes.

WC: 328

Money makes the world go round. It's essential and what makes things happen. Everything, and everyone, has its price. And this would be no different for Sebastian. The former mercenary knew all too well about the value of cash and how far people would go to earn just that little bit more. For some it became an addiction, always wanting to increase their wealth while for others it had become a battle of survival, hoping to earn enough to make it through each month. The rich were never satisfied, not having enough and wanting more while the poor had to make do with even less.

The young Berserker was aware of the importance of money, his whole life up til now existed of getting his hands dirty in order to earn some coin and was also what brought him this far. He didn't exactly hide the fact, his love for money was a well known secret in Sunagakure and those who knew Sebastian would also know about his willingness to earn more cash. The Tau had big plans, ones that required preparation and enough funds in order to make them succeed but after settling down he finally figured out what he wanted to do with his life and for the village.

Anyhow, back to the present time. Sebastian walked through the village's streets making his way to a certain location he and a client had agreed upon. Months ago the berserker got his hands on a couple of crafting materials, something he personally had no use for while also not immediately able to think of someone that would. Safe to say it was a gift from heaven when he came upon an ad which mentioned the writer was looking for said materials. "Alright, time to do some business" the man voiced as he arrived at a certain establishment that went by the name of The Monkey’s Uncle.

Setting foot into the place Sebastian would be easily recognizable, dressed in a black hoodie with both sleeves pulled up, revealing the multiple tattoos on his arms. Looking around to spot his buyer the Tau finally took a seat across the one who most likely wrote the ad. "You're Kota?". Sitting down he placed the bag full of materials next to him while ordering something to drink. Once the beverage had arrived Seb moved the pouch towards the client so he could take a look at the goods and if they would be up to his liking. 

(WC: 414)

Kota felt the presence of the person before he saw him. He had been training his sensory skills and while not moving much he had an easier time of it. Therefore, he paid attention to all the people in the shop, as well as the people going in and out of the joint. If he repressed or hid his chakra then Kota would not have been able to notice him. The shop already had a various assortment of sketchy individuals. The fact that the man walked in with a dark outfit and tattoos like a common criminal, only made him fit in. In fact Kota would have been considered the odd man out. He was in his standard attire. His quiver and bow were placed neatly to the right of himself. The dark blue attire with golden trim seemed a bit opulent for the other patrons. The dazzle from Kota’s personality and sharp gaze made it work. No one would try to rob them.

Giving the man another once over, Kota was impressed with the muscles. “Yep. Kota. Kota Apollon is the name.” The man sat down before Kota could offer him a seat. He would have asked if he needed anything to drink as well. Kota was amused that he did not have to. The man was making himself feel at home. “Seeing as how you know my name. That would make you Sebastian.” Kota made a face as if thinking to himself. “I hope I can call you Sebas instead. Sebastian is a bit on the longer side.” He was making idle chatter as he waited. Kota preferred making friends over anything else. Everyone has a purpose.

As the bag was slid over to himself Kota merely raised an eyebrow. He was not in a rush and had a vague idea about bartering. Kota did not want to look too eager as that would only decrease his bargaining power. All future deals could be built upon the choices that he made today. If they had to deal with each other again, he thought Kota was desperate. Kota would only lose out. “I guess this is all the supplies that were agreed on. I was looking for some of the other stuff but I doubt you have them as well. If you can find them that would be best. They are lesser materials. Some chameleon scales, aluminum, and silver. I can do business to provide some funding as well.” He figured it best to inquire about it passively. It was a small chance the man had the materials. Kota just believed it never hurt to inquire.

Kota took a sip of his tea. This time after putting his tea down he would check out some of the materials. The first material he took out was the senju wood. “This is very good wood. It has a nice stiffness. A great shape and a nice feel. This piece.” Kota held up a slightly smaller piece of senju wood. “Is a bit better. It sucks well even if it is not as big as the other piece.” It showed how the wood came from different trees. Even if the trees were in the same grove. Kota could consider himself an expert on judging wood. The only difference that senju wood had compared to other woods around was the ability it had to suck chakra. It was both a useful and a very useless material. It was rare and not very easy to use. It made a lot of craftsmen unwilling to use it. He placed it back down to check out the next material.

The material Kota was happiest to see was the Meteoric Iron. He took it out to give the material a glance over. The iron was a rarer material that Kota was happy to place inside his armor. He was debating about placing it in his bow as well. The only issue was that he was not a hundred percent sure if he wanted to use it in his bow. A bow required a decent amount of flexibility compared to other materials. If he used too much iron then he would not be able to use his bow as well. Not using his bow would put him at too much of a disadvantage. The vast majority of his techniques and arts revolve around his archery skills. The quality was great and the sheen impeccable.

Kota may have been checking out the various materials but he always kept some of his attention on Sebastian. It was a just in case measure and reflex. If the guy made any certain moves Kota wanted to be able to act in time. It was an occupational hazard from dealing with a lot of crazy people. The crazy people in ninja villages tended to be worse and a lot more deadly. Kota developed the habit of keeping his guard up because of it. He was often surprised about all the little things he noticed and picked up because of it.

“If you do not mind waiting as I continue to check over the items. Feel free to try the peak jasmine green tea. The flavor is wonderful and you can feel the bloom of flowers in your mouth.” Kota was trying to make sure the guy had an okay time and not get antsy. He did not judge the man on how suspicious he looked, or that Kota believed he could smell the faint scent of blood, and maybe a whiff of decay. He did not want to think too hard about it. What a man does in his spare time is up to him. If it was not an order to take him down or bring harm to people he cared about. Kota believed it simpler and much safer to ignore it. Looking into things would cause more harm than good, as well as bring unnecessary problems to himself. “The products I have checked so far are pretty good stuff.” Kota took out the money from his pouch. “Here is the money. You can count it. Just do not leave until I check the rest of the items inside the bag. If that is okay with you.

WC: 1,035    TWC: 1,363

The man replied to his question, confirming he was indeed Kota. "Apollon? That's an interesting name". Not that he had much reason to talk, Mikaelson wasn't exactly that common around most parts so in a way Sebastian could relate. As his drink arrived the young Berserker took a little sip, almost as if he was trying to decide if the taste would be up to his liking. "Hm". Acting in a similar fashion to a professional wine taster the Tau allowed the alcohol to linger around a little longer before finally placing the glass back on the table. "Yep, that's me. Whatever works for you, some call me Sebastian, others go with Seb". He didn't really care about trivial matters as names and whatnot. For as long the man could remember he never really knew his real name and only received one back in the orphanage.

He would give Kota some time to inspect the bag, letting him take a look at the materials he brought with. In all honesty Sebastian had to admit his knowledge on this specific topic was rather limited, he simply never saw the need to invest in such things. All in all the berserker was already happy to have found someone interested in the wares that were offered for sale. "That's most of it, I have a couple pieces of Hemlock at home as well but I believe those are less valuable". Kota suggested to do business again in case Seb got his hands on other materials, something he could find himself agreeing with. It would be a win-win for both parties after all. The archer would gain valuable materials while Sebastian was getting money in return, something he'd be needing to carry out some of his plans that had been brewing inside his head. 

The Tau listened as the client went over all the different items, describing each and every single one of them in detail. Seb tried his best to show interest, paying attention as the different goods were described. Not exactly his cup of tea but he figured it wouldn't hurt to learn a thing or two. "Take your time, I'll order another drink while I count the money in the meanwhile". The young Berserker assumed it would be the exact amount they agreed upon but better to be safe than sorry. It wouldn't be the first time someone tried to pull one over him.

(WC: 403, TWC: 817)

“Yeah. I could buy the hemlock as well.” Kota would reply after Sebas mentioned it. Kota did not pay much attention to the medical arts. The amount of work he put into it was more for survival purposes than anything else. He was not keen on getting the herbs but would not pass up the opportunity to buy it up. He continued checking out the items.

After checking out the meteor iron Kota had to check out some of the lesser items. Kota did not  give it any thought when Sebas started to count. Their interaction was merely based on interest. Kota would have suspected a trap more if the man did not count. A partnership so fresh with a man so trusting. It would mean he did not have any business savvy in him. Kota would not want to work with people who could not manage a simple transaction. It was the same reason why Kota had to check out the items in the bag.

“Waiter. Can I have a flaming sakura?” A tasty drink that made it feel like a hundred flowers bloomed in your mouth. It was named after a legend from the leaf village. Kota did not care about the legend and only wanted the drink for the taste. He could drink and still check out the necessary materials with the other man present.

The ice steel was interesting as it was a hard material to come across. It was a metal that even now felt chilly in his hand. Kota contemplated the properties that he can use from the arrows. The thoughts of dangerously freezing arrow tips crossed his mind. Kota could not hold back the smile that graced his face at the thought that crossed his mind. His craftsmen thoughts were burning inside of him. If Kota was somewhere else he would have already started the refining process for a lot of the materials present. Kota felt half the fun of using the stuff he made was in making it first.

Kota placed it down to grab the second to last item. The drink had arrived so Kota figured he could gingerly sip from it. Refined jade was a decent material that made storing chakra a breeze. Kota could only wish he could use it in his bow. The properties that he knew of would not allow it. The best he could do was hope he can use it in his armor or in his quiver. He had a few ideas written down that made it more probable to use it in the quiver.

The last item was okay. It was titanium. A person of Kota’s level would be thrilled with it under normal circumstances. The fact that he got the meteoric iron made the quality of the titanium feel lackluster at best. Even if the titanium quality could not be considered bad. It could not be considered anything amazing. Kota would have to try and think about the overall usefulness of the particular metal later.

He put all the materials back into the back and placed it on the table. “I can admit the quality of the materials overall can be considered great. The bag has the full amount. I can say it was a pleasure doing business with you. Before we go.”  Kota raised his hand to signal the server one more time. “Two of your strongest drinks for the both of us.” He turned his head towards Sebas. “I hope you do not mind a toast to a decent business start. If you need anything made in the future, feel free to look for me.” Kota was happy. He had some of the things he needed as well as making a possible business connection. The young archer had no reason not to be excited with the various possibilities. After everything was done Kota would head out. Happy with the gains that he had made and eager to start crafting.

[Exit]

WC: 631     TWC: 2012

-Memorized Sebastian Mikaelson chakra signature

-Losing 65k new amount in account should be 43,300

- Gaining Senju Wood, Meteoric Iron, Ice Steel, Refined Jade, and Titanium [2 of each] 

Using 1,500 to learn Hiding with Camo B rank

Applying another 512 towards Lightness 512/1,000

-40 AP

Having counted the money and making sure the amount they agreed on was there it would be time for a toast, a successful business meeting after both parties checked to see if everything added up. Sebastian raised his glass, another drink to celebrate their exchange as the young Berserker chugged it down in one go. The Tau wasn't that much of a drinker but he wouldn't say no to a bit of liquor once in while either. "I'll hold you to that" the man replied to Kota's promise of making something in the future. Both men then took their leave, one with a bag full of materials and the other with his pockets full of money.

(Exit)

(TWC: 933)
Claims:
- 174 to finish Lava element (previously trained here and here)
- 759 towards the assimilation of Lightning element
- 65.000 ryo from Kota
- Senju Wood, Meteoric Iron, Ice Steel, Refined Jade, and Titanium [2 of each] to Kota in return
- 18 AP

Approved for both Kota and Sebastian.