Re: Sake Saturnalia Stall [Festival Side Thread, Open]

Tue Jan 18, 2022 1:43 am

Eyes of amber met gold for the briefest of moments as Yasahiro's gaze flicked back to the now maskless woman by his side. No, she certainly wasn't a familiar face; he would have remembered those eyes and that hair. Of late, Tanbogakure swam with new faces from around the world, each day brought merchants, farmers, and shinobi to its borders at such a dizzy rate that the customs office had to hire four new consulars in the last month alone. While good for the village and its people, it did strike a certain sadness into Yasahiro's heart—the times they were a-changin'.

"There might be some truth in that," he conceded to the firey-haired kunoichi. She would likely find little of interest in Yasahiro's features, save for the mild touch of mischievous amusement that danced in his eyes and pulled at the edges of his mouth with each word he spoke. "Though, I've also heard that the true mark of intelligence is the ability to navigate such bureaucracy, no matter how unwise the leader in question.

In his final words, he returned his attention to the horned devil who was just starting to elaborate on his leadership views when an all-too-familiar figure interrupted. Blonde hair, flamboyant attire, and an ever-present smile, even among the myriad of colorful people attending the festival Asahi was hard to miss. Nonetheless, Yasahiro matched his cousin's wave with a more subdued one of his own, and whatever light once danced in his eyes before hardened at Asahi's mention of not being invited to play.

"Not to worry, cousin," Yasahiro chided, sounding more like an older brother than a cousin. "I understand you and I have a different game scheduled for later tonight."

Drawn back to the game board by the horned devil's latest move, he brought his index finger to his lips as if to shush those around him. Asahi's question about the night, the red-haired woman by his side, and the heady smell of incense in the air, all of it fell away until only the board in front of him remained. Thus far the game had hewn far too close to traditional theory; tit for tat, take the corners, fill the middle, and end the game in a close, hard-fought victory, it was all oh so very boring. Go, not unlike life, necessitated risks, and putting down a black stone on the far side of the board, Yasahiro took one.

WC: 407
TWC: 1500

Thu Feb 03, 2022 8:13 pm

Having still been leaned forward she was able to witness the slightest ounce of mischief dance at the edges of the mans expression, pulling at his lips as he addressed her words. Interestingly he called the navigation of bureaucracy ‘intelligence’ when really it was more akin to - “Manipulation.” Having finished her own thought aloud in a near whisper she would explain quickly, “The realm of bureaucracy and politics aren’t purely intelligence based, rather manipulation based… knowing the right people and saying the right things at the precise times.” Even as she straightened and asked about the rules to the ‘other’ game mentioned before she would continue to steal glances at the man on her side - and the sudden hand that clasped his shoulder.

Jumping slightly at her lack of awareness she would nearly miss the hardening of expression and burning out of the playful mischief that was struggling to burn in the man. Though she knew better than to mention something so openly she instead averted her attention to Asahi who took the last remaining spot across from her. The soft chiding tone beside her gave further context to their familiarity, or rather familial standing - and a game set to be played even after the festival. As the group resettled with their newest member she turned her gaze back to Yamato as he explained the ‘rules’ - and while she silently agreed it wasn’t exactly a game - she felt she was able to make it more interesting. “No, it is a fine game, it could be more interesting if there was something at stake though…how about the person who shares the least while answering every question asked of them, gets…-” Her gaze would slide off to the right as she contemplated a possible prize, then suddenly she would raise her right eyebrow and reach into her small bag to pull out 500 ryo and placing it in the middle of the group between the game boards. “-the pot at the end. 500 ryo for each asked question.” Where Yasahiro only hinted at mischief, Kunika wore it on full display.

And with the expression still blazing she would turn to Asahi as he greeted her - leaning slightly back in her seat and raising her glass to her lips again as she took in the given nicknames and his observations. “Pleasure indeed Asahi, and while I can’t say the chill isn’t biting, a stiff drink should warm me up enough to last … plus if my sister saw me in anything but what she chose for me I wouldn’t hear the end of it for a week.” The glass would obstruct the smile that had spread over her lips as ‘Yas’ was addressed, the nickname was so absurd for such an intense person that it was hard not to at least smile at. It was nearly as amusing as the stammering nerves that sat in front of her as they assessed the whispered instructions from Asahi - he was not one for confrontation or at least not hard honesty.

Tilting her head slightly she would address the group at large, her tone curious but measured. “So everyone here has a connection to Asahi in some way or another, that much is obvious.” The molten gold gaze would punctuate her words, “Asahi with ‘Yas’ as cousins-” they flicker between the two, “-Asahi with the remaining masked figure given the use of ‘dear’ and consideration for the proposed moves-” they flicker once more between the two, “-and of course Asahi with myself.” The gaze would settle on the brightly dressed man in front of her, so carefree in his mannerisms it was enviable. “You seem to know a lot of people, so tell me, how did you and your cousin come to be in this village?” She was already bending the rules a bit by asking a question to one person that would give her information on two - but she paid her 500 ryo so it was fair.

WC 663

Fri Feb 04, 2022 9:10 pm

Taking a quick scan of the board he would simply smirk at Yamato. “Disagree my friend. When I make a move, it’s always the best.” He’d smile fondly at his friend before turning to his cousin. Rarely was one surrounded by so much love. The obvious culprit of his cousin who adored him, his friend who had rose tinted glass towards all things Asahi did, and of course the new comer of Kunika. Though he was not certain on the level yet, he was quite confident ever since their fire fighter days she had nothing but love for the blonde samurai. It was with these happy thoughts that he was able to place a wide grin across his face.

“I most look forward to the game. Hopefully I put up an even better fight than detective Yamato.” He’d turn and wink at the other blonde. Leaning back he’d watch how the game continued on for a little bit. Before Kunika started to state her own amounts of wisdom. He insights into the political scenes and schemes. This of course was something Asahi had never had any inclination to be involved with. Why say what you don’t mean when what you have to say is worth saying? And almost everything he said was certainly worth voicing aloud. He listened to her proposition of a game and admitted internally he was slightly intrigued.

It would even seem as luck would have it, that he was the first to receive a question. His smile returned quickly at the query as almost before she stopped speaking he already had his answer. “That’s simple darling, we stopped being elsewhere. Conversely if you meant how did we get here then that is a simple matter, via our feet.” He’d flash her that toothy smile as he answered the questions without a single detail to be given.

“Tell me Kunika, which hand do you have better penmanship with?” It was a silly question, one off the wall and without much true relevancy for daily life. Still the game was intriguing and he was testing the waters of play. He’d simply intended to get up and leave, but the time in the swamp had shown long ago that Asahi had a hard time leaving a game set in front of him.

TWC - 1061

Tue Feb 08, 2022 3:30 pm

Yamato was comforted by the fact that he remained the only person with their identity not stated outright by Asahi. He only had a short time to live through the joy of it, but at the moment he was oblivious to his friend’s plans. He was overly confident for a second more. Yasahiro’s statement seemed to be the perfect time to cut in with his own thoughts. It seemed, however, Kunika was faster on the draw. He had answered Yasahiro first and most of her words seemed to align with Yamato’s thoughts. "I must agree. Handling bureaucracy and working for real change are two entirely separate skillsets, in my opinion. I could have trained in one, but I chose the other. Anyway, I don’t mean to make our conversation entirely about business.".

When Kunika took over the innocent game they had been playing and turned it into something new, a shiver went down Yamato’s spine. She was changing the rules? In the middle of the game? That’s not the proper way games were meant to be played. His heart sank. He did not have the power to object. And if he was being truthful with himself, Kunika’s version did seem more exciting than the one Yamato had come up with. "Oh… Okay..." he simply answered when she explained the new rules. He took 500 ryo from his pouch and put it on the table. He then listened to her question to Asahi.

Oh. Oh no.

He had to jump in before Asahi spoiled things for him even more. ‘Asahi with the remaining masked figure’. Kunika was onto him. The blonde man was about to spill the beans. Nothing in his character he had shown to Yamato suggested he would ever deny a question or a request made to him by anyone who could remotely be a target for flirting. Perhaps this included Yamato. He had to take the chance. "Oh I don’t imagine he knows my name. Maybe he made an educated guess, but I don’t think he could tell, I was facing the other way even without the mask… Right, Asahi?". He turned to his friend, and shot him a firy glance through the eyes of the oni.

He hoped Asahi would get the message and not out him. He had plans revolving around his anonymity still. With the 500ryo on the table, he knew he had to ask a question himself. Kunika and Asahi had already asked theirs, so clock was ticking. It was only a matter of time before he was on the spot. He needed to think of one fast. He had prepared a lot of questions beforehand, of course, but all of it banked on the anonymity of the entire table. Asahi’s chaotic entrance had thrown a wrench into Yamato’s plans. ‘Why Asahi?’ he thought to himself, ‘Why did you have to ruin my conversation by going off-script?’. He listened to Kunika and Asahi as they answered each other’s questions.

Once they were finished speaking, Yamato spoke, still trying to save time until it was his turn to ask. "I gotta say Asahi, it’s a bit rude to direct the question back at her. We could have gone in a circle, would have made things easier.". He took another second. ‘I guess I have to improvise.’ he thought, ‘I should have known those theatre books might have come in handy. I didn’t think they would contain anything valuable for me to learn. I was wrong. Come on, Yamato, you can do this.’. "I guess it’s my turn next." Yamato said, once more saving a small amount of time, pretending he could accomplish in that millisecond what he couldn’t accomplish in the minute before. "I guess um...". He looked around. He had made that comment about breaking the circle, so it would have been hypocritical of him to ask his question to Kunika or Asahi now. It had to be… "Ya-You.". He had failed in the first word already, almost revealing that he had a good guess as to whom the oni sitting in front of him was. "Dear Oni.". He hoped nobody had noticed his slip, especially Yasahiro. "Tell me...". He was speaking slowly, still trying to save time. The man’s title was intimidating any day, and Asahi had gone and completely ruined his plans for a situation like this. "What is your dream vacation?”.

Yamato tried to appear confident. A small voice in his head was bullying him. ‘Yo that question sucked.’.

Post WC: 748
Total WC: 2245

Sat Mar 05, 2022 4:49 pm

Reality had a strange way of intruding on even the most pleasant of dreams. Sleep's fleeting embrace, after all, only lasted so long before pesky consciousness took the reigns once more. On this particular evening, the intrusion came in the form of a soft, all-too-familiar voice and another tap on the shoulder.

"Komekage," Kazuko Taika's voice cut through the festival's din. "You're needed back at the office."

Yasahiro took a breath and placed another stone down.

"Thank you, Kazuko," he pushed back from the table. "Apologies, Yamato, we'll have to finish our game at a later date, but I trust I'll be leaving you in good company."

His gaze wandered from the firey-haired kunoichi by his side and over to Asahi.

"It's been a pleasure."

He flashed a half-smile across the board to his erstwhile opponent, picked up his mask, and disappeared into the crowd alongside his diminutive assistant. Reality had once again reared its ugly head; this time in the form of a recent, but ultimately fruitless raid, on one of the village's far-flung granaries by Zukumiki's men. Dreams, it seemed, could only stave off the looming threat of a fast-approaching conflict for so long, soon the festival would end.

---
Exit, making no claims.

Tue Apr 12, 2022 11:06 pm

The game was quickly killed by the rudeness of his dear cousin. The man had never had a sense of real responsibility, allowing work and other things to get in the way of a good time. Still, it was what it was Asahi mused. He finished his drink, and stood up shortly after his cousin did. "Well, I guess the game is concluded. A shame......I'd very much have enjoyed to know the answer. Alas, perhaps next time." Without giving the remaining two seated individuals the time, Asahi made his way away from the table and into the throng of the crowd. It seemed as though he had been sitting at the table for a very long time, though perhaps time slowed when one was having fun so as to enjoy it all the more. Still, it was best to be getting off and concluding the last remaining business that he had before the eventual confrontation with Yamato.

Having followed his cousin briefly he would give a small shout, "Best not be late for our contest!" he would say in a jeering voice. Though his cousin was already long gone within the crowd. Asahi briefly wondered what business could take his cousin away in the midst of a festival, though no rest for the wicked and all that. Asahi made his way to the makeshift arena and watched what warmup matches would occur before the spectacle of the night. It certainly was a beautiful evening for a festival, of that there was no doubt.

TWC - 1314

(Exit due to no response for a long time)

1300 wordcount towards (40) Temple Style: Disparity between Heaven and Earth (narutoroleplaygame.com)
+13ap for max stats

Wed Apr 13, 2022 11:47 am

Approved!

Wed May 11, 2022 10:20 pm

No…

Yamato’s chance had slipped away. Not only was he outed, but now the man he had been looking forward to meeting for his entire stay in Tanbo… Yasahiro, the Komekage… He had been stolen away. Yamato gritted his teeth. He bowed, trying to remain respectful. It was easy to see how disappointed and stressed he was just by looking at his tense body movements. He was holding onto one of the go pieces almost fierce enough to break it in half. If he was a stronger man, that likely would have been the result. Cursed and blessed both by his weakness, Yamato still owned a perfect set of go.

He looked around. He was about to offer one of the two remaining people to take Yasahiro’s seat in the battle… He realized he was even more of a third wheel now. He quickly glanced at and memorized the state of the go board. He swore to himself that he could have won this, but he was being realistic Yasahiro likely had the edge.

His frustration was getting the best of him. His breathing was audibly louder since Yasahiro had walked away. He was reassuring himself mentally that one unlucky encounter with the Kage could not have destroyed the good work he had done in the previous months. He hoped he would have a second chance.

He assembled his pieces. “I’m sorry, everyone…” he said, somewhat silently, “I guess I’ve just tired myself out today… You never want to overdo it with play regardless of how much you like it, right? The burnout is real… I do hope we have another chance to do this…”. He was apologetic still.

Once he had collected his entire set, he slowly set out for his home. “Looking forward to next time.” he finally uttered, as he disappeared into the crowd yet again.

Post WC: 309
Total WC: 2554

Exit

Memorizing all Chakra signatures
Taking max stat discount
Fuuinjutsu Clones (736 + 2554 = 3290 / 3750)

Wed May 11, 2022 11:08 pm

Hayato In disguise... Approved