A day in Byoki

Tue May 17, 2022 3:52 pm

After the recent string of discrimination Typhon had faced he felt very conflicted. He knew why people were afraid of him as a member of the Canopic clan. There was a logical reason to be wary of a walking plague. But when it came to the hate he was receiving as a shinobi he was a little confused. The village was safe and even thriving economically under the leadership of the Hogokage. The every day lives and conditions of the average citizen had undeniably improved in a shinobi society. And yet there were people who spit at and ridicule the ninjas who put their lives on the line so the people can prosper.

Growing up the way he did, Typhon had plenty of experience with prejudice. Out of necessity the Canopic people live in a sort of self imposed segregation. Most of the remaining clan members are non shinobi and make their lives in a small residential area towards the edge of the village, unofficially known as the Byoki district. There are no laws forcing them to live in this district but most choose to do so to make their lives easier. Many of the shinobi class chose to live elsewhere in the village, like Typhons own family. Even though he grew up in a different area, him and his family still spent plenty of time in Byoki. There were always friendly faces and shops that catered to life behind a mask. It was like a little sanctuary for him as a child, free of the worried looks he was used to.

The feelings he had been having lately made Ty want to revisit Byoki. He wanted to feel that acceptance again and decided to take a day trip. He made preparations for his father to go out and the next morning the two would take a nice slow walk through town. Typhon made sure not to move too quickly so as not to iritate his father's back any worse. The pair obviously stood out a little. His father was slowly hobbling along with his gnarled wooden cane. While Ty's mask was new and well kept, his dad wore an old fashioned leather mask that obscured a good portion of his face. It was the masks the Canopic wore as shinobi up until a couple years ago. It was one of the few things that still brought a sense of pride to his father and so Ty never tried to press him to get a new one. The old man hardly ever left the house anyways.

As they walked his father would go on about petty gripes with the old woman who's home is opposite theirs, and things he had read about in the local news. He was always afraid of some issue or another. Currently he was worrying about a possible invasion from some other nation. Ty didn't know much about politics, but he wasn't worried about open war. Hoshi had been working on improving relationships with the other major villages as of late. He would hope the effort wasn't for naught. Though his father's ramblings had little bearing on much he liked to just listen, smile, and nod along. It was good for his father to be excited about things whether they be good or bad. Anything would be better for him than lying in bed sad about not being able to move as good as he used to.

Once the pair shuffled into Byoki the hustle and bustle immediately disappeared. You could see the villagers avoiding the district like ants avoiding a trap. It was always an interesting sight, as if there were some kind of force field holding the others away. Something about the area had a completely different feel to the genin. He could tell his father felt the same. The old man had begun standing more upright and even had what looked like a smile behind his covered face. There were masked children running around on the cobbled streets playing tag. Ty could see a mother comforting her baby as it was dealing with its first Coughing fits. Everything was seemingly the same as anywhere else in the village. Birds were chirping, the streets were clean, and market stalls had customers. The only difference was all the residents were sick. It had been a while since he had spent any time around the people who lived like him. Sometimes it was easy to forget that he wasn't alone in the prejudice and suffering that comes with being a Canopic.

His father's voice brought Typhon's attention back into focus, "Ahh brings back memories huh?" The old man would say "Your mother and I both grew up here ya know?"

Of course Typhon had known that, he had heard the story of how the pair met a bunch of times. When he was little his parents were both very much in love. After she died however his father had stopped talking about her as much. He figured it was painful for the old man and so Ty never really pushed him to bring her up.

"You two met right over there right?" The young man would respond, pointing towards a field where the local kids often played ball. Once during a game the pair found each other on opposite teams. His mother had been very competitive and ended up knocking his father flat on his back while rushing for the ball. She felt bad and helped him back to his feet and as they say 'the rest was history'

The young man could see nostalgia on his dad's face as they walked around, even behind the mask. The pair stopped at a couple of shops, mostly just browsing but Typhon had been making good money lately so they bought a few things here or there. At one small trinket stall Ty's father ran into an old childhood friend. The man was tall and willowy, his eyes were sunken and he bore a scar on his forehead. Typhon figured he probably also served as a shinobi at one point. The old men began to chatter and didn't show sign of slowing down. Not wanting to interrupt Ty would slip away quietly and come back in a bit for his father.

Walking about he could hear a rythmic metal clanging. He turned and noticed a gruff looking bald man working in an old blacksmith shop. The young genin remembered seeing the shop as a child. His mother would often buy equipment there. Ty figured that the place would have gone out of business with the Canopic no longer serving as a whole clan. He was pleasantly surprised to see it still in operation. Out of boredom and curiosity he decided to go in and check it out. Maybe he'd find something worth buying.

Stepping up to the door, the man raised his bald head and smiled brightly at the genin. He wasn't wearing a mask but he had the toxic green eyes inherent to the clan. It wasn't that uncommon in Byoki to see an unmasked Canopic. Ty could see the man's mask next to him on a table in case an outsider came in. It was sort of refreshing to see someone so calm about their affliction.

"How you doin' lad? You must have fine taste if you're shopping here." The man would laugh, letting his weathered tools rest on top of the large anvil he sat at. His voice was deep and hoarse. It sounded like he was dealing with a nasty throat infection. As a Canopic got older their body becomes less adept at fighting back the symptoms of the virus.

Ty couldn't help but smile himself. The man's energy was infectious and the young ninja felt comfortable already. "You've got a lot of nice things. Did you forge them all yourself?" He would ask the smith while gesturing to the dozens of blades and suits of armor that adorned the walls and shelves of the shop. Many had ornate engravings and fanciful designs, yet structurally they all seemed sound. The genin knew some of his companions in the Hoshi military liked to dress flashily and so there was certainly a market for this type of stuff.

Typhon noticed the blacksmith's eyes light up with a sense of pride. "Yep. I own this here shop and I've personally slaved away on everything in the store." He stood up from his stool and stepped out from behind the massive anvil. Ty had not noticed how large the man was until he was upright. The man was at least a foot taller than the young Canopic and despite his height he was built like a wrestler. He reached out one of his massive paws the shake and Typhon accepted the offer and shook hands with him.

"The names Krueger. Nice to meet ya lad. Haven't really seen you around these parts, you live in the inner city?" He would ask quizzically, just trying to make conversation while Typhon poked around the store taking in all the craftsmanship.

"Yeah thats right. About a 15 minute walk from the square. But I used to spend a lot of time here as a child. My parents would come here sometimes for supplies and I remembered tagging along." Ty would explain, picking up a small buckler style shield and rolling it around in his hands. It felt very sturdy but was surprisingly light.

Krueger scratched his dark beard and leaned in close, getting a good look at Typhon's face. The genin would remove his mask so the smith could get a better idea. It took a moment but then suddenly he stood up straight and clapped his hands together loudly. "You're Anna and Otto's kid aren't ya?"

It was a surprise that he could figure it out. "Yeah thats me." Ty would say while refastening his mask. "I can't believe you remember me." He would laugh awkwardly and set down the shield.

The beast of a man would clap his hand on Typhon's back and say, "Course I remember. Yer parents and I grew up together. They were some of my first customers."

Looking at the man again he looked pretty good for his age. His parents did seem to know just about everyone in the district so he guessed it shouldn't be much of a surprise.

Krueger continued, "So I take it your a shinobi just like yer folks? You don't see many civilians coming in here for anything more than a kitchen knife." As the smith spoke he would lean against the thick wooden counter. The boards would creek just a bit under his serious weight.

Ty would nod yes and run his finger down the engraved line of a chest plate resting on the counter. "I think I'll definitely do my equipment shopping here. You definitely do good work, and any friend of my parents is good in my book." The young man would say.

"I see you do have an eye for quality after all. Ever thought about learning to smith yourself?" The giant would ask with a grin on his face.

Typhon had never really pictured himself as a blacksmith, but he wasn't opposed to picking up a trade. Anything could happen in the shinobi world and he might not always be fit to work in the field. His own father was a good example of that. "Hadn't ever considered it, but I like to learn new things. Are you offering some lessons?"

Krueger would let out a booming chuckle and slap his hand down on the table with a loud thud. "Ha ha I like you boy. Yeah I'll teach you everything I know. Just come on back when yer free and I'll show you the ropes."

The two talked for a few more minutes before Typhon returned to where he left his father. He was worried about leaving him alone for too long. The old man was fine, still standing there talking to his friend. They spent another hour or so walking around and reminiscing about the town. When they returned home for the night Ty would lay his father in bed and prepare a quick stew for dinner. The sun was already setting and his father would need to rest after a whole day on his feet.

That night Typhon went to bed excited at the prospects of learning a new skill. He wondered if he would even enjoy blacksmithing but he wouldn't know until he tried it out for himself. He would need to make some time and go back to Byoki again soon.

(Exit)
(WC 2102)

Spending 2000 words to gain the weaponry spec

Tue May 17, 2022 9:04 pm

I see you've completed the requirements for C-rank, but I don't see where you claimed it. I'll approve this, but if you haven't claimed C-rank Power in a thread please do so on the stat page at your earliest convenience.

A day in Byoki

A day in Byoki

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