Spring Festival - Unknowingly Recruited

Mission:

It was still an odd feeling, his time jailed now behind him and giving way for the giant of a man to redeem himself and restore his honor. Of course, until he was able to practice and shake off the rust of being imprisoned for all of those years he would find himself doing basic tasks for now. Duncan would be found in the armory, sharpening swords to a razor's edge and polishing armor until one could seemingly see their face's reflection in it. It was repetitive work, and most would not find any joy in it but this man took pride in contributing even this much. 

There would then be a knocking sound at the door, the tapping sounds stirring the giant from his entranced focus. Anyone that was permitted to be here had no reason to knock before entry, this armory open to any that needed equipment for practice. He would set down the polishing rag, rise and walk over to see just who had been knocking. The door was not locked, and swung open with relative ease. The hallway was empty, no trace of anyone down either side. Looking down, there was a letter wrapped in a pink bow and a tag suggesting that it was addressed to Duncan. He would pick it up, sliding the sealing bow off in a swift motion before uncurling the paper and reading. 

It was an invitation to some sort of event celebrating the Spring season. The giant would look back to his work, noting that it had been done for a while, though he was taking unneeded extra effort in the efforts to polish the armor. It had been a very long time since the man had enjoyed himself, and the foods at fairs were always enjoyable. The thoughts of delicious funnel cake brought a rushing of saliva to the large man's mouth as it watered in sheer anticipation. The letter made it seem as though all he had to do was touch the seal at the bottom of the paper and he would be transported to the fairgrounds. He considered grabbing some equipment, just in case this had been some sort of trick to take his life, but something in the back of his mind told him not to bother and so he touched the seal without any hesitation and vanished.

He would reappear, landing in a colorful bed of flowers. The birds would sing there songs in the distance, bees buzzing along as they collect what they need for their hives. Everything in this place seemed vibrant and colorful, a stark contrast to the drab grey existence of an inmate in the Kumogakure prison. Taking in a deep breath through his nose, the air was filled with the smells of nature. What a lovely place this was. 

Just a short ways away he could see the pop up tents suggesting that was where the fairgrounds were. Despite his best efforts, Duncan could not find a way into the place, some sort of wall surrounding it. Eventually he would find himself at what appeared to be a ticket booth of some kind, a cheerful man with a beaming smile on his face beckoning the large man come over to him. 

"So you'd like a ticket for the fair?" He would ask before handing over a sheet of paper, "Here you are." The paper, upon any level of inspection, was completely blank. This couldn't be the ticket... "I'll need to see that you are in the right spirits. Can't allow entry to those that would just bring the place down!" He would offer with a hearty laugh, "Show me something of beauty with this piece of paper, and you will be given entry."

wc: 623

The sweet fragrance of flowers wavered deeply within the air. It smelled beautifully. Spring was here, and this place was meant to show off it's gorgeous scenery.

Aroma could name the different sweet scents; sweet williams, lilacs, daphne, and peonies. The smells tickled her nose as she thought the names silently within her mind.

It was a miracle that the woman could remember so many names m, even after the coma she endured.

Aroma sat up from the bed of flowers that she was laying in. Her fingers wove through the delicate blossoms and velvety petals. She was in a whole new world after simply receiving some sort of letter invitation. She was in some sort of trance. Both confused and enchanted at the same time, not knowing what to make of her situation.

After some time within her bed of flowers, it became obvious to Aroma that it did her no good just waiting around. She needed to leave behind the flowers and head into the direction of all the noise and music. That was where all the fun was, right?

Aroma strolled towards the fairgrounds, and her snake-like eyes were met with wondrous colors and curiosity-drawing obstacles. The smell of food overwhelmed her senses, causing the lass to have no choice but to chase after the aroma. Driven to find whatever it was that smelled so damn good.

Her adventure ended with success as the lavender-haired woman strutted away with potato rings in one hand, and a cloud of cotton candy in another. Maybe she was going a little overboard.

There was a crowd of people that stood in front of a booth of sorts. Aroma took another nip at her cotton candy before making her way to see what the fuss was all about. With all the commotion going about, it made it hard for her not to be on edge. She wasn't used to stuff like this, and being around so many people at once. But there didn't seem to be much danger in this place.

"Make me something beautiful with this simple piece of paper. If I deem it as a work of art, I'll gift you with a ticket for passage." A grinning fool stood behind the booth, granting her the offer after she had managed to reach the stand. Aroma was hesitant at first, wondering to herself if this was some sort of trap. Moments ticked by before the woman finally took the paper from his enormous hands.

---

{WC: 413} - Day 3 of Spring Claim -

Baruga was one step ahead of the group, as per usual. Having received her ticket as a result of her heritage and going from there, She had already participated in a few festivities, the most notable one being her absolute swindling of a drinking game. Ah, how convenient Space-Time techniques were! Truly, she'd picked the correct specialization in terms of her career. Ninjutsu was messy, Taijutsu was worse than messy. Though, Genjutsu...

Well. Waiving that from her mind, Baruga spotted some nearby folks fiddling with the usual origami paper, likely trying to earn their passage in. Usually, she'd pass by the commoners and move on, but the sight of two Kumogakure ninja with their own blank papers caught her eye. One unbelievably big, and one with cotton candy who looked miniscule by comparison. Deciding to be patriotic, she sauntered up to them and casually grabbed a paper from the booth, ignoring whoever she cut in front of.

"If you go for a paper crane, you're bound to be rejected. Here, try this."

Baruga preened and begun folding. Luckily for her, she was rich. Highborn. Grew up during a time of relative peace, no less. As such, she was trained in all the leisurely hobbies and meaningless art forms that permeated her father's castle walls. As her thin fingers folded the paper back and forth, Baruga made sure to do her movements slowly so that they could easily replicate her. In the end, she had made a lotus flower without any unnecessary folds, without any flaws.

"Be exact in your folds, or else the tosser over the counter may turn his nose up," Baruga winks with a smirk, "or if you're not feeling confident, just take mine."

---

WC: 286

The slip of paper caught the giant off guard, holding it out in front of himself with just his index finger and thumb. At first he expected this to be some sort of joke. Why would they invite him only to make him jump through hoops to get in? It would seem as though this little test of sorts was given to all of the folks stepping forward for a ticket inside. Duncan would step aside to let others try while he wrapped his head around this objective. The first person that caught the mans eyes and another participant in this odd little task was a slender young lady with lavender hair. Her figure was what first caught the large man's gaze, but once he shifted his gaze to what she was holding he realized the fact that she had located food stands! Before either of them could say a word, another young woman would step in, cutting off more than a few displeased festival goers. She was very direct and her movements carried a confidence that could be felt coming off of her in waves. With ease she had turned the slip of paper into a beautiful lotus flower, to which Duncan would just scratch his head. Not so much because of the masterful folds, but because it would seem as though the village had a huge influx of fairly beautiful kunoichi while he was gone. 

He would try his best to mimic what he had just seen, though his massive digits weren't particularly suited to fine paper manipulation. The flower came out... at least recognizable as a flower. It was smooshed in some places, and some of the paper had small tears where he couldn't quite manage the right fold. The brunette offered to let them use hers, which came out perfectly. She was quite talented in such things it would seem. "While I appreciate the offer, I'm afraid I cannot use yours. Taking credit for your work wouldn't be right. Plus, don't you need a ticket as well?" He would ask, not realizing that she had already held her own ticket. 

"Perhaps I needed a bigger piece of paper..." Duncan would say as he offered his best attempt to the strange man at the ticket booth. The booth attendant would quickly snatch up the offering and leaving a ticket for entry in its place in one swift motion. "It wasn't about what you made, but that you were in the right spirits!" He would laugh and point towards the archway that allowed entry to the more impressive festival games, shows and stands. 

He would turn to the others, "I'm Duncan by the way. It truly is my pleasure to meet you both." He would offer with a short bow. "Wouldn't mind some company for this festival. Care to show me around?"

wc:462
twc:1097

There was a very different ideas that moved through the Viperis's mind. The problem was knowing where to begin, and what idea to go for. The piece of paper was delicate as she held it within her fingers.

Before Aroma could begin this odd task that was given to her, another young woman would approach the two dumbfounded Kumogakure ninjas. Folding paper wasn't the type of tasks some of Kumo folk would be used to perhaps. But the lass who approached them seemed to know what she was doing.

Aroma watched with curious eyes. Peering with her snake-slitted irises as the woman began folding a piece of paper to demonstrate how the origami worked. The final result ended up being some sort of flower. . a lotus to be exact.

The Viperis had a fancy for all sorts of flowers, which helped her finally decide on what to make.

The hulk of a man that also occupied within their trio seemed to decide to give the origami a shot. Watching as his fingers tackled at the piece of paper that was quite tiny in comparison. He battled with it for a bit, as Aroma began working with hers as well. It looked as if the young lass was able to boost their motivation a bit.

Her fingers gently worked the paper. Folding some of the corners and going at it, almost following some of the movements that the other woman had performed but not exactly the same. Her brows furrowed together a little as she concentrated on the paper slip. Her finger giving a slight twitch in response to recieving a small paper cut, but it was no big deal. She made sure to not bleed in the origami as she presented it to the ticket man.

"Ah that's not just any flower I see. Nightshade. . a beautiful but very deadly blossom." The man didn't decline her origami. Instead he handed her a ticket as well. Allowing the three to continue on to their adventure, now as a group perhaps. Aroma rejoined the group after recieving her prize to witness the man's introduction. Another name to remember, and to replace all the names she'd forgotten from her past.

"Would it be wrong for me to assume that this lass would know this place better than us two?" Aroma would question, wondering if she will end up learning the woman's name as well. "My name is Aroma. I appreciate the help."

---

{WC: 410 | TWC: 823}  - Day 8 of Spring Claim -

At their introduction, Baruga mentally filed their names away for next time and nodded. Today, she was in her more regal civilian outfit — the dress, with the matching earrings and the cravat — so she couldn't blame them for being a tad too polite to a fellow ninja. Or, perhaps, they were always this polite? She'd always taken her comrades-in-arms to be the gruff sort, but maybe that's just because she lingers around the upper divisions for too long.

"You can call me Baruga. I've been gallivanting around the festival here and there, so don't feel too dour about my offer. In any case, a pleasure to meet you."

She curtseyed in greeting before they walked into the festival.

It was the epitome of springtime fun, with games and little children and families all playing around, blissfully cut off from the outside world. There were some others, with strange clothing or even strange physiology, participating in the games. She even spotted some animals. Summons? Bloodline limits? Who knew. Maybe this festival really did extend past the world everyone knew.

Speaking of otherworldly, there was the sound of a musician singing something fiercely... sad. Or frustrated? Melancholic. Her serene expression crumpled and soured for a split-second before she cleared her throat, pulling the attention of her peers.

"For the most part, the festival is quite fun. I won quite a bit of coin at a drinking contest, and there's all sorts of treats and games —"

And she was cut off again as the bard entered a rather emotional chorus, completely bringing down the mood of just about everyone in hearing distance. Some part of her wanted to check for genjutsu, it was that much of a downer. Still, some part of her was quite curious. What motivation could possibly drive someone to enter a rather happy dimension and start wailing? It'd be like if she went to her private bank vaults and complained about her income.

"— and people. Excuse me, would you mind if I gave this poor sod some coin to change his tune? It would only take a moment, but he's making it hard to think."

---

WC: 355
TWC: 641

"Nah. She seems to know her way around this place." Duncan would offer in reply to Aroma's question. Honestly he had no clue where to start in this whole thing, hence why he had hoped to have some company. Better to wander around lost with some friends than aimlessly by your lonesome. Duncan would note the names of the two ladies he had found himself in the company of. The one called Baruga would offer a curtsey, which when matched with her regal outfit made the giant wonder just what noble family she had belonged to. He honestly didn't keep close track of the village nobility, since noble families had a tendency to come and go almost as quickly as any other warriors. Aroma was a bit more mysterious, her presence giving off a very different feeling than that of Baruga. Where Baruga was bold and direct, Aroma was subtle and... dangerous? Something about her gave the man the feeling that she was dangerous. Of course, dangerous was good... Kumo needed dangerous shinobi in these turbulent times. 

The festival was quite something, everyone seeming to have a very good time as they ate their food, played the games and just genuinely acted with merriment. Well, almost everyone. The sounds of what he imagined had to be someone that was both blind and miserable could be heard, their chorus speaking of their displeasure with this wonderous place. How one could see all of this beauty and find themselves in a bad mood? The sounds of Baruga clearing her throat would snap Duncan back to attention, her displeasure with this unhappy musician clear as day, especially once she was cut off for a second time. 

"Unless he is destitute, I don't imagine coin will solve whatever problems he may have." The giant would offer, unsure how it might come across. "Perhaps we should simply ask him what the problem is?" 

Duncan would approach the wailing bard, first checking to make certain the man isn't blind. The bard would give him a dirty look, "And what do you want? Can't you see I am busy trying to open these peoples eyes to the truths of this horrible place?" Duncan knew one way to shut the bard up, but this was a vacation of sorts and he didn't think it wise to rough up the other festival attendees. "And what truth would that be?"

The bard would mock the man, "And what truth would that be? The fact that this place is terrible!" He would strum his lute and reply with song, "Pollen in the air causing me to sneeze, the fact that I've been stung several times by bees. Dancing peasants knowing not what does loom, the end of this place and by extension their doom. Still the families play and prance, ignoring my warnings claiming 'oh not a chance'."

wc:477
twc:1574 (mission wordcount complete 1574/500)

Ugh, not only was the man moping, but he managed to do it in rhyme. This was the absolute worst, and that was saying something, since she was forced to attend so many operatics as a child. There were upsides and downsides to inherited fame, power, glory, and wealth, but having to look like you were interested in some ancient musical wasn't one of the upsides, damn it!

That being said, Baruga decided to take matters into her own hands. Using her bloodline limit to reach into her clan's bank, she palmed a leather bag of gold coin. There was a faint 'cha-ching!' sound as she dismissed her portal. Walking forward and slipping past her large compatriot, Baruga forcefully shoved the money into the bard's hands and gave him an annoyed smile, her eyebrow twitching visibly.

"Yes, how unfortunate. Luckily for you, the three of us are trained combatants and investigators," Baruga said, purposefully leaving out the word 'shinobi', "so if you'd like to point us to the issue, we can possibly look into it and look for solutions. I assure you, this will come at no cost to you."

The bard looked at her, then at the gold in his hands, before trying to take the gold. However, he'd find that Baruga's grip was quite firm on the bag. The bard sighed melodramatically, professionally pulling up his muse under the prospect of being paid. 

"Very well. But first, let me demonstrate through song!"

"Eh?"

...

After an incredibly annoying musical interpretation of the problem at hand, Baruga parted with her money and ushered her impromptu teammates to follow. At least they had a map to work off of.

---

WC: 279
TWC: 920

Exit Claims
— 1000 Ryo + 2000 Ryo + 100 + 100 Ryo from Genin Rank
— 10 + 5 AP
— 18 AP (From 900 WC)
— 125 WC to Space-Time Art: Portals (A-Rank) (2500/2500)
— 795 WC to Summoning Technique (C-Rank) (795/1000)

Approved.

The woman named Baruga went loose to lead the trio about the festival. Where there were many things to see and explore. Many people that filled the tents and wandered around the overjoyed ceremony. Out of old habit Aroma would retrieve her cloth binding from her pocket and tie it to cover her eyes. This place was crowded with people, and although the trio may already attract attention as is; with a girl who  seemed to have a noble appearance, a gentle giant who may not be so gentle, and a woman with vibrant lavender hair. Concealing her eyes was more of a comfort to herself.

Baruga was on her way to discussing about the things she's gathered from the festival so far, when her words seemed to suddenly stop. Making it obvious that her attention was disturbed by a melody that cut through the joyous atmosphere of the festival like a jagged knife. It was a surprise that the saddened music didn't catch Aroma's attention sooner. She never really was the type to pay much attention to tunes.

With the music doing well to disturb some of the people within the festival, Baruga announced her determination to find a solution to the depressing setting.

This lead them to the bard, the source of the tunes that was bringing the festival down. He spoke of his tragic experiences of the festival. Making Aroma wonder why he even bothered to stick around then. She didn't quite understand why one would fell the need to ruin the experiences of others simply because theirs wasn't going as they expected it to. It was obvious that not everyone shared his tragedy. Spring wasn't for everyone.

Aroma was uncertain what could possibly bring himself out of his depression episode. If she was to attempt it, Aroma would assume that a genjutsu was possible to bewitch him into believing that he was enjoying himself. But that was only a temporary solution.

Baruga came to the rescue with a heavy bag of coin, like almost out of complete no where. The bag did indeed capture the bard's attention. His human greed took over and rewarded them with a map.

---

{WC: 362 | 1,185}
{Mission Rewards}
1,000 ryo + 2,000 ryo + 100 + 100 ryo bonus = total 3,200 ryo
15 AP

{WC Claims} 11 Speed
Medusa Stage 2 (1,185/4,000)