Frigidity lands

Typhon would make it clear... or at the very least clearer as to what it was they were actually there to do. They needed to help anyone that needed it? Such an open ended request would be impossible to actually complete. What constituted as needing help? How significant did the request have to be in order to be counted? It was hard for him to wrap his head around, but he wasn't really here for assignment so he would simply assist the others with anything they seemed to be doing or needed his assistance with. 

The wolf would rub his hands together vigorously after handling the snow for so long, the snowman now standing tall before them. He was a bit taken by surprise when Typhon took his mask off and placed it on the snowman, adding a little something extra and ensuring that it truly was the best snowman in the area... no, probably the best in the whole village. Not only was Typhon now without a mask, but he was also not panicking or even seemingly concerned. "I must admit, I am impressed. It would seem that you have a far greater grasp on your clan's techniques than the last time we had interacted." The wolf would offer a smile and a nod, recognizing the strides and efforts that his comrade had made. He knew firsthand how difficult it could be to master an unfortunate curse passed down to you through blood. 

It wasn't long before the shrill cries of a nearby kid could be heard. Sebastian would follow the others to take a look at just what it was that he heard. He rubbed his eyes to ensure that he wasn't somehow seeing this incorrectly. Not only was someone foolish enough to stick their tongue to a frozen pole and get stuck... but they had a headband, too. This was a shinobi! Loghain would simply shake his head. What kind of reasoning did he have for doing such a thing? The kids tongue looked like it was stuck on there pretty good. Pulling the kid to dislodge him would likely rip his tongue from his body. Loghain was more than capable of mending the flesh, but that kind of pain isn't something the kid should have to experience... even if he brought it upon himself. Before he could step in, another person would approach and beg them for help. It was a mother who wanted to get a very special toy for her child for the holiday, but all of her efforts to find it would result in failure. Youta would suggest they split up, to which the wolf would nod. Usually he wouldn't think of leaving his pupil and friend with a strange shinobi, but something about this place seemed to dull his cautions and put more trust in others. It was... honestly a bit of a magical feeling.

Typhon said that he was going for the toy, to which the wolf would agree. "We can meet back up here in about an hour." He would offer, expecting to have little difficulty finding the toy despite the lady having no luck. "It will also give you two time to continue to discuss your clan stuff." Loghain knew that another member of Youta's clan could help him progress his bloodline far better than he could, and so he would give the Shinkou a trusting nod. "Ishimaru, was it? I hope that you can assist my comrade here. I believe he's been trying to strengthen his blood, but I haven't the faintest idea on how to help in that regards. I hope that you can help him." The wolf would offer a hand for the man to shake should he so choose. If not, no big deal. Either way, the wolf would shift focus to finding this toy with Typhon.

"So, what exactly is this toy you are looking for, ma'am?" He'd ask, hoping that it wasn't going to be too challenging a task. She would point to a flyer, showing a pretty decent sized action figure in a child's hand. The ad suggested that it had all sorts of neat features and voice lines. It was something that a little boy might have enjoyed playing with a great deal. She would lead them into town, which seemed to be completely lined with toy stores as far as the eye could see. With all of these stores it shouldn't be that hard to find, right? Or would it be like finding the needle in the haystack?

"This is going to be a real test." He would offer to Typhon, though it was clear by his facial expression he had full faith in his companion. "I know that those first few times in crowded places were the most frightening for me once I felt I had a grasp of my curse. Best advice I can offer is to try not to think about it too much and relax." Of course... he didn't really know if this was good advice since their bloodlines were so very different. Staying calm and relaxed was a key factor to Loghain keeping from transforming, but keeping control of the Canopic virus might require a different approach.


wc:872
twc:2330

So this had been one who had not tutelage from their Yuumei nor anyone around him. Interesting. It wasn't that long ago that he was only guided by that subtle voice nudging him on to question and explore the meaning of his clan and the darkness he could see when no one could not. Every walk of life had a different divergence than the other and yet he could see many similarities in Youta that he had in his youth. A small chuckle escaped his lips as he listened to Youta explain his "counterpart" to him, never had he heard the Yuumei be regarded as a demon. A dick perhaps since Az was something like that but only in jest from what Ishimaru could understand though it could have also been what he had thought now. He wasn't going to question his other half about it at the moment since they could feel and hear what he had been thinking regardless. As he stood up to dust some of the snow off of his hands he would respond to Youta in kind," Well Seto was the one who had helped me awaken that final lock and truly accept and meet my Yuumei. They aren't demons yet they each have their own personality that makes them....quirky. It was actually Seto and an Elder that had converted Seto into the Shinkou that showed me the key to unlocking that final step and becoming one with your Yuumei. Think of it not as a demon though some can adopt that persona to get you to become stronger. They are their own entity, a conscience separate from ours but still shares our minds, our bodies and when you get to mastering the Meigan, even your very being. While my Yuumei originally was simply a voice, an existence without form, as I grew within my abilities I became able to perceive him and even converse fully to learn their name properly," it was a lot to digest so he would allow a few moments for Youta to take it all in before speaking more.

"Once you reach a point where you are at the cusp of becoming one with them, a door will open within your mind. In there you will meet face to face with your Yuumei and learn their name. Then you will be faced with a choice. Stay separate. Or. Become one and truly master the Meigan," to show his point his eyes would begin to glow lightly. His outer iris would be red, though darker signifying his initial advancement which Youta would have already known, or should. What would be different however is the inner color of his iris which would glow a faint green. As soon as they were activated they would deactivate and the male would smile," Even if you become one, you do not lose any sense of yourself or who you are. Just as I am still me, my Yuumei...Sorry Az is still themselves. There is a lot you can learn from them if you take the time after all," with the snowman being done and the others stepping to help a woman, he would nod and cross his arms. He had to admit that Youta had a dependable group of people with him, but as the others left he would simply reply to Sebastian before they departed," I'll see to it that he leaves here with a deeper understanding and who knows...He might even leave stronger."

580 WC
TWC: 1387

Youta who would’ve listening to plan set forward by the others. He would also intently listen to Ishimaru. He would say to Sebastian “An Hour?!? How long is it going to take you to find a toy? Must be slow. What kind of toy?sorry I got side tracked.” He would the wave to his comrades and nod to Sebastian trying to convey that it will be fine and there is no need to worry as the two groups would go their separate ways. Then he would just start bombarding Ishimaru with questions. “Ok I have so many questions. Where did they come from? Did our ancestors actually make a deal with them for power?” He would ask without seeming to take a breath and would continue to ask more. “How did you find the door? Through meditation? I like to go to the gazebo and meditate? Wait before we continue we should probably free the kid. Warm water would probably work right?”


He would make the Tiger seal and a whip of fire would form and Youta would swing it around the very bottom. The ice that was formed would slowly melt away. The boy would start to pull away. “Wait a second the heat needs to dissipate and flow throw the metal to avoid burning your tongue off.” Youta would chuckle a little bit while hold the flame he would turn back to Ishimaru. “So sorry I bombarded you earlier but I am seriously curious. I am not sure how I know I have seen and talked to him. He is always hungry when we get around large chakra sources which makes sense but that makes sense to me. He is always talking, and talking, and talking. Once he gets started it takes a lot to concentrate.” Youta would then try to remember the first time when he finally activated his Meigan.

He would remember sitting in the gazebo, the water flowing around him and then in his Yuumei’s loud voice, he would interrupt and scare Youta. Youta would try to concentrate and when he opened his eyes he saw more of everything especially now he had chakra vision. He would just say you’re welcome and laugh kind of horrendous but then Youta did not hear from him for months till his power grew. That’s when the names started every time He would talk to blackness and it was a different one every time. Youta would then snap back to reality. And turn to Ishimaru and tell him the story but then would be like “do you have any advice on learning more about this Yuumei? I am willing to do whatever it takes.”

WC 446
TWC 1752

It was a little startling how sharp the cold air felt on his throat now that Typhon was breathing it freely. Each breathe was getting progressively better as his body became accustomed to the crispness. He would inhale and exhale deeply a few times while focusing on the feeling. He was confident in his control over the virus at this point, but it couldn't hurt to focus a bit. It felt really nice to hear Sebastian compliment him on the matter. Ty isn't one for pridefulness but it always feels good to be complimented on your efforts. Especially so when the person giving the praise is someone you greatly respect.

"Thanks man, it means a lot coming from you. It's taken a long time but I don't want to end up like some of the older Canopic I've met. Complacency with the mask can be dangerous."

Growing up, Typhon had seen firsthand what that could look like. An old friend of his father would constantly stream the virus out with every word he spoke. The man's house was so bad that the district put a Biohazard sign in his front yard. Now that Ty had made friends with those outside of his clan, he needed to be more aware of his actions. Eating at a restaurant or going out for drinks would be impossible if he were like that old man. If he wanted to enjoy life to the fullest he would need to be able to go without his mask sometimes.

Getting back on track with the task at hand the group of four would split up for the moment. Youta would help take care of an unfortunate soul who got tricked into sticking his tongue to a frozen pole. Ty imagined it was a common prank to pull on foreigners who come to see snow for the first time. A little cruel but a problem that can be easily solved. He knew almost nothing about Youta's heritage but it was a common thing in the shinobi world for one's heritage to play a large role in their life. He hoped a meeting with another similar soul would do his friend some good.

His own task was to find a toy for a parent in crisis. She would take Sebastian and himself to the towns shopping district where they would be met with a veritable sea of people shuffling in and out of stores. For such a small village it was surprising to see so many people clustered together, but he figured that the majority were tourists. It seemed like this place was quite the popular vacation spot.

"I'm sorry to put this kind of trouble on you two but I'm at my wits end. I've got three kids who all want things from different stores and of course one of them wants THE most popular toy of the season!" The mother would say in an exasperated rant, "Whoo...sorry I got a little heated there. Its just that I can't let my son down so please try your best to find one. I've got to wait here at the tailor for my daughter's dress so if you find it I'll be here." She would make her plea and then step into the dressmaker shop and start talking with the clerk.

Ty would turn back to his companion and laugh, "This holiday seems really stressful on parents. It seems like she's got so much on her plate right now. We should do what we can to make it easier on this woman." He would look again at the crowd of people and hesitate for a moment and glance back towards the snowman they had made. The little girl was hiding behind it and playfully spooking people who stop to admire it. He realized his nerves were getting to him and Seb must have seen it too because he offered some advice from experience. "You're right. I've got this. And anyways the mask might be off-putting to the people and I don't want to make anyone nervous needlessly." He would spin on his heels and reexamine the shopping district. "Okay I'll take the shops on the left side of the road. You take the right. Even if we both end up with one it's not the end of the world. I'm sure her kid would appreciate two."

Assuming Seb would agree with the plan, Ty would start quickly towards the first location. It was indeed a toy store but he noticed immediately that he was not the only one there searching for this action figure. The woman definitely wasn't kidding when she said it was a hot commodity right now. He would need to work fast if these things were gonna be flying off the shelves. This store was likely picked clean already so Ty decided to cut his loss here and run to the next building, and then the next. Again and again he would be met with disappointment. His searching was getting more and more frantic as the number of shops on his side of the road was getting smaller by the minute. He had thrown "being calm" out the window at this point and it was all he could do to keep his breathing under control. 

By the eighth unsuccessful shopping attempt Ty would find himself overwhelmed. He ducked behind one of the storefronts and coughed heavily into the snow where he would see slight flecks of green spattered into the whiteness. It was a good thing he got away from the hustle and bustle before he had his coughing fit. It was okay now and he got his breathing back under control once again but it was still a close call. As confident as he was going into this task, he still needed to be careful. 

After taking a few minutes to calm down Ty would decide to get back to work. Now hyper aware of his emotional state he would try to go about it as calmly and efficiently as possible. He would smile and ask for help despite the repeated bad news. Several of the shops tried to sell him on a different action figure from the same series but the mother was pretty specific about the one she needed. Roughly 45 minutes into his searching Typhon would find himself standing at the end of the road with no toy in hand. A total failure on his end. He would head back towards the tailoring shop and hope that Seb had more luck than he did. 

(WC 1091)
(TWC 3001)

The wolf would listen as the lady offered up more information on just what it was they were searching for. If it really was one of, if not THE hottest toy of the season, finding this was likely going to prove challenging. All the same, he imagined that two trained shinobi could get their hands on one somehow. "Stressful indeed. It makes me wonder if it is something that all parents experience during the holidays." The mind of the wolf would shift to his mother, a bright smile on her face as she instructed little Sebastian to open his gifts. As a youth, he never thought much about such things, and his early adulthood was filled with a focus on himself in the present more than the past. Taking a moment to think back on such things, there was a sudden pain. It wasn't so much a physical hurt, but more of an emotional one. He had been so wrapped up in all of his newfound responsibility as a shinobi that he hadn't spent any time recently with his mother, the person who sacrificed so much in order to see him grow into a man. A person whom which he loved a great deal. He would have to make trip to visit her upon returning home.

Typhon would offer up a division of labor for the task at hand, to which the wolf would nod. This place wasn't dangerous to either of them, so splitting up would allow them to cover more ground in the same amount of time. Plus, they were both incredibly nimble and quick, so he imagined that they could knock this out in no time. Who knows? Perhaps they will get lucky and find the toy in the first store they would check. Wouldn't that be something?

Loghain would quickly enter into the building, scanning the various signs that suggested where the different types of toys were at. He was honestly a bit surprised at the sheer number of categories available. There was a whole aisle for board games, and another for some sort of small building blocks. There was what felt like several aisles worth of baby dolls and the various accessories that went along with them. A whole section was set aside for toy weapons for the kids to pretend they were soldiers, and another for.. Aha! The action figures! Sebastian would quickly weave through the shoppers, hoping to find one of these elusive action figures that the woman was looking for. He got there and found the spot where they should be, but there wasn't a single item left on the shelf. It would seem as if the aisle was completely picked clean, not even one of them in anyone else's hands or shopping bins anywhere in the vicinity. Well, it was only the first store. No reason to lose hope. 

The wolf would push onward, quickly searching the next store, then the next and so on. Each was as disappointing as the first, the toy completely sold out practically everywhere. He would finally make his way into the last store, finding only a single copy left on the shelf. With inhuman speed he would sprint to the shelf from across the store, leaping over obstacles as needed. Just before he could grab it another person would walk up and take it, placing it in their bin and continuing with their shopping. 

"Excuse me, sir." Loghain would press, tapping the man on the shoulder. He would turn around and looking the wolf up and down. "Can I help you? I am very busy. Lots of shopping left to do, so if this isn't important I'm going to be mad." He would boldly state, trying to dismiss the wolf as quickly as possible. "What would it take for me to get that toy off of you?" Loghain would ask, a tinge of annoyance in his voice at how this person was acting towards him. It had been a good while since he had to deal with such sorts of behavior towards him and it wasn't something he was particularly happy about. "I'm not going to give you this toy. Its a collectable, its hard to find, and I imagine it will only appreciate in value as the years go by. Now leave me alone..." And with that said they would turn around and continue walking away.

The wolf pondered for a moment how best to react. He knew that at the end of the day, he could force the matter... but that wasn't something that he wanted. This person, while rude, was undeserving of his wrath nor would it be right to resort to petty theft. He knew what he must do...

"You said it will only go up in value, right? How about I give you twice what it is worth right now?" It was a fair offer the wolf thought, but the man scoffed. "Simple supply and demand means I could get more than that right now if I sold this to a stranger outside. Ten times its listed price." Taken back by the outrageous and bold counter offer, he would reply with his own, "Five times the price. And I'll pay for the toy at check out." The collector would scratch his chin for a minute, then agree.

The wolf would return to find Typhon empty handed with a look of disappointment on his face. The wolf would raise the doll, hoping to lift the mans spirits. It was a success. The lady would step out of the tailor, thanking the pair up and down for finding the toy. The wolf would nod, and when she offered to pay for it Loghain would just shake his head. "Happy holidays to you and your family." 

Turning to Typhon, he would just offer up a few words. "Think we should head back now. It's coming up on that hour mark."

Upon making his way towards the rendezvous location, there would be cries out from one of the villagers. "Thief! That man is stealing my decorations!" He figured that this would qualify as helping those in need, so he would spring into action. The wolf would hope that the others weren't too far away, otherwise it would just be Typhon and himself apprehending this rogue. 

wc: 1051
twc: 3381

Youta would see that the boy would come up and funnily try to say something.The boy was having so much trouble because his tongue was still super numb from being frozen and in the cold for so long.  The Boy would say “dat wath sthuper cool how dith you do tha, ith wath all woosh and fire,” at this point the boy started to become super animated waving his arms and hands everywhere making exaggerated motions.  “It wath all, like ith wath nothing tho you.  Ith wath reawy reawy cool.  Thank you.” He would then bow and say again will meaning and definitely clearer like his tongue was finally starting to regain some of its own feeling back and would say “I really do appreciate what you have done for me.” He would stand up and run up the hill to a house where the mother would look down and wave and yell “thank you sir.”


Youta would talk to the fellow shinkou saying “that was a new experience! No snickering or whispering or bad looks, I could get used to that. You have been to Hoshigakure, right? It is very different. We are looked at like monsters, and to be honest some of us probably are. That is where the idea of it being a demon probably came from.  That is what the people of the church were saying from the time I was adopted and when they saw a couple of Shinkou elders come to our door based on a rumor.  They were nice enough to teach me a few of the basics but nothing too advanced then just sent me off.  But for some reason the church is convinced that our ancestors made a proverbial ‘Deal with the Devil’ (Youta would make air quotes during that) and made sure I knew that I was basically possessed.  Very  cool right?  The elder taught me that the best way to communicate with the yuumei is through meditation so I might try that till the others return.”


Youta would then sit down and meditate.  He would then close his eyes and all of sudden open them to see a room with a number of doors. Each with names on it. It looked like hundreds of doors the first one said Iktomi and the next maui and more names, some of which his yuumei has told him before. A Voice would say “I see you are going to try to finally get to know me, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA,” he would maniacally laugh then continue “I have been looking forward to this day, i have given you so many names i cannot remember them all.  But you know those were all jokes: vengeance, revenge, hunger are all true but so boring. I hate being bored. Those are not my main goals.  You know we could have so much fun. I have had many names but I go by a few if you can find me then we could have a great bit of fun.’ he would go to touch a door handle of a name that he had been told before and then then doors would fly by and Youta would fall down asleep.
 
The room would go back to black and he would open his eyes and wake up and next to him would be Zeref and Sebastian. Youta would get up and say “What is going on? Zeref?” to which they would say “Oh good your ok Get ready and be quiet. We are infiltrating the camp then Akabayashi would show up, youta would notice something was a little off.  They would step out and boom a fuinjutsu blast would go off and Youta would open his eyes and wake up and next to him would be Zeref and Sebastian. Youta would say “Yes i am fine and would lead them around the fuinjutsu this time but then into a bunch of arrows they were spotted and overwhelmed.  After who knows how many times he saw his teammates die and in so many way he would then hear Akabayashi's menacing laugh and would recognize it and would punch it to the sky going completely black.  


he  made it into this door and it just led to a room that said LET IT GO. LET IT GO. LET IT Go he would follow it down the hallway that it was written on to a room and in the room a ton of books.  He would open one and it would catch fire then open another one and water fill the area then dissipate. Youta would think and say “this is all distractions and tricks.’  He would look around and see books on anubis and look around and see a book called “The Art of being a Trickster.”  he would pick up the book and unlike the rest which were unnaturally ornate this book was an old moldy leathery book.  Youta would be sucked in the only words being humility.
 
Youta who had been Sleeping for what felt like for days would wake in a hallway and it would just stretch to a door. Every step he took the door looked like it would just move farther and farther away. He would start cursing and saying rude things to the yuumei when all of a sudden after what felt like miles and miles of running the door would just appear and Youta would not be able to stop in time and run into it to which Youta would hear a giggle and then he would answer a door to a pitch black room with one candle on a table with chairs facing each other.  


A well known priest from Hoshigagure would appear to be sitting in the chair.  He would say come sit and two chalaces would he would say “One of these has water and the other has poison. The poison is odorless and looks like water.  You drink one and I drink the other.”  to which youta would reply “Ok buddy, stop this! I do not know what is going on but this needs to stop. I do not know you that well but this is too far.”  all the priest would say is “Pick”  Youta would say “well this is obviously a test or a trick” Youta would smell them then one up pour it in the other look at the priest then drink it. 


The Priest would then laugh and say “this was exciting and not boring at all. I have not had this much fun in a while. I like the whole anubis guy too that was exciting and gave us more power and the ability to absorb more. You should have seen your face. My friends keep dying. Wah wah. And the books shocked you right? i like that one.  But I like you i mean these last years were boring. I guess it is only fair that I tell you my name.” He would bow saying “My name is Iktomi” Youta would just start yelling “you mean it was the first door! I went through all of that bull shit for nothing you were just bored and being an asshole and would not tell me your name.”  to which Iktomi would reply “Exactly, that is the best trick of them all. Now i will tell you about all the power I can grant you.come back later.” 


Youta would then open his eyes and to his surprise Ishimaru did not even sit down yet and he would yell before he realized he was done meditating  “You are a super big asshole!” Then realize that he was no longer in his mind and say “I am so sorry not you. You have no idea what that Yuumei just put me through, then he just said ‘oh come back later.” All of a sudden he would see a man running by with Typhon chasing him calling him a thief.  Youta would pop up and he would hold out his hands and giant purple dragons would come out of his hands and catch the man to which Youta would panically say “Where is Sebastian?” once he saw sebastian he would walk up and say “Oh man, am I glad to see you!  Man it was a rough meditation while you were gone. I will tell you later but I guess we should interrogate this guy first.” He would turn to Typhon “Wait what is happening i just instinctually caught this guy?”


WC1412
TWC3164

By the time his companion had finished up and returned to the meeting place, Typhon would have fully caught his breath and begun to relax a little. He pushed off the wall he was leaning against and cracked a huge smile once he saw that Seb had been successful in finding the toy they were looking for. The two of them were able to find the mother and she appeared to be so relieved with the gift in hand. It felt good helping people out like this. Usually there was a mission order that gave specific instructions on who and how to help people but in this case it was much more free form. They were able to seek out those in need and give them a helping hand, and it felt like a nice change of pace. With the struggling mother satisfied with their work it was time for the pair to get back and meet up with their other compatriots. He wondered if Youta had learned anything about his heritage. It must be such an odd feeling to run into someone of the same clan in such a far off place like this village. He couldn't help but wonder if there were any members of the Canopic clan scattered somewhere in the world. If that were true were they also discriminated against elsewhere? His family in Hoshi sectioned themselves off into their own district just to avoid the looks from regular people. This town was such an interesting place. Typhon could walk around without his mask, though it was a bit too cold to take the gloves off, and nobody batted an eye.


As he was thinking a scream would snap him back to attention. Somebody was being robbed and the thief was sprinting away pretty quickly despite the ankle high snow. Without even thinking his feet would start to move on their own and he found himself sprinting after the decoration thief. He had just caught his breath too. Little spouts of steam rolled from his mouth and nose as his shoes crunched the freshly fallen snow. As the gap between himself and the thief started to close, a sudden burst of chakra followed by dragons enwrapping the criminal would stop him in his tracks. Ty was glad that he could stop running. The cold air was beginning to feel like blades on the back of his throat. Turning to see where the dragons had come from, Ty would smile as he saw Youta controlling the constructs.

"Phew. Thanks man, I appreciate it." Ty would shout out causing him to fall into another small coughing fit. After he calmed down he would wander over towards the snowman the group had helped make earlier in the day so he could retrieve his mask. His throat was sore and he wasn't sure how much longer he would be able to keep it together. For everyone else's safety he should remain masked up. Once the thief had been apprehended by authorities and Typhon had gotten remasked he would head over to the others.

"Geesh running in this cold is very different than the desert. I had barely even started moving and I already feel tired." He would pause and double over to put his hands on his knees, "So I see you managed to unstick that poor shinobi from the pole... nicely done. Hopefully it wasn't too painful for the lad."

While the group was catching up on what they had each done a sudden cracking sound behind himself would catch Typhon's attention. Spinning around on his heel he would be greeted with a rolled up scroll of parchment floating right at head level. He would glance around to see if someone nearby had cast the jutsu, but found nothing else out of place. He would shrug and take hold of the paper before unrolling it to see what it said. 

"Hello and happy holidays,


I have had my eye on you shinobi for a while now and think you are just the right people to help me with an important task. Usually I am in charge of delivering gifts to every person in this village, all under the cover of nightfall. A little bit of Spacetime manipulation generally does the trick and allows me to get it all done in one night. This year however, I find myself unable to utilize my chakra correctly. My wife keeps telling me that a diet of nothing but milk and cookies is bad for my technique and I am starting to think she is correct. Sadly I only came to this realization recently and the deliveries need to be completed tonight. 


I know this is a lot to ask, but could you fine folk lend me your aid and deliver the gifts this year? Below I have listed the address of my warehouse this year and I took the liberty of attaching a list of all the homes that need deliveries.


Thanks again, S"

It was a strange note with an even stranger author. Who eats nothing but milk and cookies? Ty would show the note to the others and see what they thought about it. Surely he couldn't be the only one who was surprised by the magically appearing note. Assuming that they would agree to help the mysterious messenger he would look at the address and then scan for an indication of where in the town they currently were. It appeared that the warehouse was not that far from where they stood. Upon seeing it he was surprised to have not noticed it sooner. The building was massive and the paint was a mix of red and green stripes. There was clockwork machinery and pipes poking out of the walls and roof and the whole place looked haphazardly thrown together.

"I guess this is the place guys." he would say with a surprised chuckle. 

(WC 984)
(TWC 3985)

The quiet wolf known as Sebastian Loghain and the toxic avenger known as Typhon Sepsus would both spring into action without missing a beat, chasing down the thief with as much haste as they can muster considering the weather conditions. Trudging through the snow was far from a fun experience even without having to try and catch a fleeing suspect, but with that added challenge it made it all the less fun. Each step took far more energy than expected, yet the thief didn't seem to be slowed down in the slightest. Typhon was far from slow, and the wolf was honestly quite proud of his incredible speed and quickness, yet both of them seemed to struggle with this task. 

"Foolish ninja! I do not think that you understand just what it is you are up against. I nimble like a cat, able to hop from roof to roof with the utmost ease." The man would offer with a taunting tone, his tone of voice suggested that he was merely playing with the pair of shinobi. He would then dodge around an obstruction without missing a beat, "I find your efforts a waste of time! I am like a ghost, unable to be caught be conventional means. Are either of you exorcists? I am afraid that if you are not such a priest, you will find that I am impossible to capture. Ha you foolish shinobi will never catch me!" Once more the thief would taunt, the words thrown out with intentions of getting under the skin of the pair. Sebastian was not able to speak on behalf of his comrade Typhon, but the words were starting to annoy the wolf. It probably was not just the taunts, for the trudging through the snow and the bitter cold did little to help the matter. It was a perfect storm of aggravation, and such lit a bit of a fire under the wolf who would pick up the pace. He was still unaccustomed to the snow, but was figuring out small ways to improve his efforts. 

"You ninja are slow! You might be adapting to the snowy conditions, but you see I was born in them. I was molded by them. This is where I feel completely comfortable and at ease." This thief would continue, aiming to taunt them to the best of his ability. "I will never be caught! I will never be - Aack!" He would be cut off, now finding himself wrapped in what appeared to be flying lizards of some sort. Dragons would probably be a better name for them, and they would easily make short work of the bandit. Loghain would follow Typhon's lead, shouting out in thanks to their comrade. "I am grateful that you were able to shut that damned bandit up." He would offer, the tone in his voice suggesting that he was moderately annoyed by the man. 

Typhon had been coughing a bit more than he had originally been a bit earlier, making it clear that he too was drained from trying to traverse in this awful cold and snow. "Indeed. This snow makes me miss the weather back at home in Hoshigakure." The wolf would offer with a small laugh, his mind drifting to the warm climate that he hailed from. 

Once they all got back together, a strange scroll clearly magical in origin would suddenly appear before them. A scan of the area and a quick whiff of the air made it clear to the wolf that nobody else was in the area. That suggested that this scroll did in fact appear here almost magically, likely some sort of teleportation jutsu. The wolf had been somewhat familiar with such techniques, but mostly in theory. He was far from intimately accustomed to such advanced techniques, nor did he know anyone that happened to utilize such. Well, at least not to his knowledge. He did not claim to know everything that his allies were capable of. 

"It would seem as though we are being summoned by some strange shinobi. And who consumed nothing but cookies and milk? It is no wonder that he is out of commission. A diet without meat... I would not be able to do that no matter what. It would drive me crazy." 

The wolf would see the address and upon the group all agreeing to help this strange practitioner of space time ninjutsu, begin the journey to where they were to pick up the presents that they needed to deliver. The building was immense, the green and red coloration hard to miss even for the least observant person he had ever met. 

"I am quite surprised with their choice of colors. It is a very unnatural, and stick out like a sore thumb. Although, I guess that does not matter much if you don't care who knows about its location." He would offer in response to Typhon. I think that it would be fastest if we each take a section and split up to deliver what we need to. Divide and conquer." The wolf would listen to any other thoughts on the matter, though for the sake of speed he figured that this would be the most efficient route the group would be able to take. Time was of the essence. 

The sack of gifts for his sector was surprisingly light, almost as if the bag itself had nothing in it but air. The wolf would put his hand in the bag, ensuring that he was not being deceived by some mischief making worker trying to get a laugh at the expense of a few 'gullible foreigners'. Despite thinking that he would find nothing in the bag, upon reaching inside packages could be felt. It was very possible that the gifts that he was feeling was some sort of advanced genjutsu, but that would require a fairly skilled specialist in the art of Genjutsu and the wolf honestly didn't expect this little town to have anyone that capable not only working in a warehouse, but also trying to play tricks on the folks trying to help their boss out. Relieved that he was not being fooled, the speedy wolf would begin sprinting to the houses that were on his list, but not before speaking to the others. "Meet up back here at the warehouse once you have completed your lists. It would be in our best interests to coordinate and cooperate in any other surprise tasks that magicallly appear before us out of thin air." And with that said, the wolf would begin his mad dash to complete his portion of the deliveries. 

Usually, Santa Claus would make his way down the chimney in order to deliver the presents to the good boys and girls on the eve of Christmas, but the wolf had no intentions of breaking and entering into these houses. Instead, the wolf would take the gifts and leave them on the porches of the houses. A few of the homes had an enclosed porch which would keep the packages from being seen from the street. Other houses were not quite so lucky, but the wolf didn't expect there to be a great deal of crime. There were a lot of names on the "Nice" list based on the sheer number of houses he had to stop at. And that didn't even take into consideration all of the people on the lists that the others had to deliver to. Plus, with the complete lack of security at that warehouse it would seem as though the big man did not expect anyone to disrupt the process or steal the packages. The wolf couldn't help but wonder how trusting these people actually were. A single, well trained criminal or rogue element could infiltrate the town and wreak havoc. The warehouse and its underwhelming security would be a prime target. Sure, many of the gifts were probably not of great value, but there were a lot of them and even if they only got what equated to a handful of ryo for each stolen package it would create a very lucrative opportunity for the thieves. Perhaps the big man simply brings in shinobi like Typhon, Youta and Loghain when he suspects foul things afoot. 

These deliveries were going smoothly, almost too smoothly as a matter of fact. Despite not being interfered with in any real way, the wolf kept smelling people in the vicinity, almost as if they were keeping an eye on him for some reason. Despite efforts by the wolf to catch up with them, they always seemed to be gone when he tried to approach. Sebastian would shake his head, an unease settling into him. If people were collecting intelligence on him but not acting it was possible that he didn't have what they were after. Did one of the other package delivery specialists have what it was that they were looking for? Were Typhon and Youta safe? Deep down he knew that the two were more than capable of handling themselves if things were to turn sour, but that didn't make the wolf worry any less. He was the senior shinobi, and if anything would end up happening to either of them he would feel responsible. He would rip whoever caused them injury limb from limb as well, of course. But that wouldn't have changed the fact that something bad happened in the first place. 

After finally covering all of the deliveries, the wolf would make haste in order to return to the others. He knew that Youta was physically the slowest among them, but the boy had a talent with advanced ninjutsu. He no doubt probably already figured out a way to create a magical ninja delivery dragon, or split himself into ten or twenty copies of himself. Heck, the wolf didn't know the upper limits of what Youta could do, especially if that other member of his clan was able to awaken some sort of dormant skill locked away within his very blood. Now Youta might be able to divide himself into a thousand duplicates in order to deliver to almost all of the gifts simultaneously. Well, perhaps that was a bit of an overestimate. The wolf had never seen anyone utilize a clone style technique and split themselves into more than a total of three copies. Typhon was also on the wolfs mind. He might have made great strides with his own condition, but the moments of weakness (if one could even call them such) earlier gave the Jounin pause. There was a very real possibility that Typhon's sickness could take a toll on him and limit his ability to exert himself. Or worse, the cold air might cause damage to his respiration mask. If the young man expected the mask to be working, he might not need focus efforts on keeping his condition at bay. Even a small amount of his sickness getting out could practically cause a pandemic. Unless quickly dealt with by someone with a great deal of medical skill and knowledge, it would likely spread to the whole town and kill countless. Thinking back to their sparring match, Loghain recalled a nasty detail about that plague like technique. Even his cells were effected by it, and he healed at an alarming rate that most considered inhuman. A common civilian stood no chance against such a thing. 

The wolf would wait for the others at the warehouse where they promised to meet up. Once the others made it back, the wolf would have a look of relief on his face. Before he could even speak on the matter, a old man dressed in long dark robes would present himself to the group. Hung around his neck was a large clock and in his hand was a staff that looked like an elongated hourglass, complete with shifting sands flowing from the upper portion down to the lower one. 

"I am Father Time, and I have a task for you that is of great importance, far greater than that of that fat old man and his presents for behaved children." There was a tone of authority in the voice of the man, and an aura that suggested that he was not usually one to be trifled with. Despite this feeling radiating off of him, there was a real look of panic upon his face. "Baby New Year has been taken, held hostage by a group of ruffians. They sent out a ransom letter demanding a payment of one million ryo before the change of the year. That isn't the scary part though. My intelligence found that one of the groups leadership believes that they can achieve immortality if they sacrifice the child in an elaborate ritual. That cannot be allowed to happen, otherwise the new year cannot be ushered in and chaos and disorder would ripple across the multiverse." Realizing that he just dropped a great deal of information on them all at once, he would give them a moment to allow the severity of what he just said truly sink in before continuing. "They said that they would simply kill the child if they spotted me anywhere near their base. So that is where you come in. I need you to save the child. I leave how it is to be done to you, but know that it must be done. There are no second chances with this." 

Loghain would look to the others, "It would seem we do not truly have a say in this matter. We have been volunteered, regardless of whether or not we wish to help. Truth be told, I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing that I did nothing to stop a child from being harmed though." Pondering for a moment, he would rub his chin and then offer a suggestion, "I actually want you two to take lead on this one. Pretend our positions were reversed and you were my commanding officer. I seek to find you both promoted soon, and this would be opportunity to test it. High stakes, high stress. What will you do?"

The wolf would listen to whatever plans that the others came up with, aiding however he could. Both Typhon and Youta were well versed with what it was that the wolf could do, and so he trusted them to come up with a viable strategy in this task. Should the worst happen and they proved incapable he would step up and take command, but they were both candidates for promotion and team leadership was a vital role for any Chuunin. This was the perfect opportunity for them to practice the skill. The wolf would go along with anything (non suicidal) that he was instructed to do during this exercise.

Once they took care of the rescue and returned the now smiling Baby New Year to Father Time, he would thank them and vanish into thin air. It would seem as though he too was an expert in the use of Space Time Ninjutsu. It made sense considering that Time was literally in the mans name. 

Suddenly upon Father Time leaving the world around them would fold in on itself and they would all find themselves in a strange, alien place unfamiliar to any of them. Standing a mere 10 meters from them was an immense golden pinata with a striking resemblance to an octopus. Its various limbs would thrash about, swinging at the trio. Sebastian didn't know why, but he felt like this thing truly was a threat and so he made no efforts to hold back. He allowed himself to transform into his werewolf form, a feeling of rage and desire for destruction overtook the now beastly form of Loghain. In a sprint that occurred at a nearly blinding speed the creature would lunge at the Octopus, claws out in front of him. The adversary would swing its tentacle at the wolf, smacking the creature away but not before the wolfs razor sharp claws ripped open the limb that offered counterattack. That limb now completely out of play, the lycan would get up from his prone position and let out a howl, knowing fully well that he had brought pain to the pinata that was now pouring a strange red candy like substance from the wound. Loghain would look to the others, looking to end this in a unified attack. 

wc: 2736
twc:6117

Typhon would say that he appreciated the assist with man who was stealing all the presents, trees and the overall christmas spirit around town. Typhon would say “Phew. Thanks man, I appreciate it” to which youta would respond “hey man it was no problem. You know i got your back.  I mean us Hoshigakure shinobi have to stay together right.  otherwise what do we got?” typhon would wait for the local authorities to come and collect the robber and they would be the ones witht he ability to return all the stolen items back to where they belong.  Typhon would then continue "Geesh running in this cold is very different than the desert. I had barely even started moving and I already feel tired." He would pause and double over to put his hands on his knees,he seemed like he was exhausted and would continue "So I see you managed to unstick that poor shinobi from the pole... nicely done. Hopefully it wasn't too painful for the lad."  to which youta would continue “We managed to do it without burning the tongue off the poor boy but more importantly i learned more about my clan and what i can achieve with this guy.” He would turn to sebastian and say “I think i am almost there, i am so close to figuring this guy out that i can almost taste it and i am happy with that. I think that i will soon unlock my full potential.”  All of a sudden Typhon would spin around on his heels and lean over to pick up another scroll. 
 Youta would see the letter from Santa that typhon had read. “We are goin to help Santa deliver.I mean signed S but Delivers gifts. S, I mean, S, it has to be Santa. I cannot wait, this seems unreal. I hope that the houses are local because I really you know,  I can't teleport.This seems weird now that I think about it, can we not just heal Santa.” Youta would be looking around for the factory that they were supposed to be at. It was Red and Green and stood out like a sore thumb. It was Sebastians idea to split up and try to finish these.  
Youta would pick up his bag and see his sector was split into 3 streets so Youta would think ok i can probably use clones.  He would make clones to help and would start down the streets to help make the deliveries.  He would start to sneak into different homes delivering the presents and gifts to everyone in his sector he felt quite weird with basically breaking and entering people's homes.  He felt like He was basically breaking the law. He was not sure but felt like this might have to be considered a gray area. 
He would see some people awake and he would just paralyze them with a genjutsu.  He felt horrible but they were in the kitchen and then he would sneak into the living room and leave gifts.  He would then release them and move to the next house, same with the clones we finished the sector in a pretty short time. He would then start to head in the basic vicinity of the warehouse that we had agreed to meet up at. 
He would walk up to sebastian and see some physical relief on on sebastians face and say “Its alright buddy, I did not mean to worry you i am sorry i am not super fast but i try.” he would laugh a little and then they would talk more and hang out a little bit.
While they were talking all of a sudden an old man dressed in long dark robes would present himself to the group. Hanging around his neck was a large clock and in his hand was a staff that looked like an elongated hourglass, complete with shifting sands flowing from the upper portion down to the lower one. He would be talking to us. He would say "I am Father Time, and I have a task for you that is of great importance, far greater than that of that fat old man and his presents for behaved children. Baby New Year has been taken, held hostage by a group of ruffians. They sent out a ransom letter demanding a payment of one million ryo before the change of the year. That isn't the scary part though. My intelligence found that one of the groups leadership believes that they can achieve immortality if they sacrifice the child in an elaborate ritual. That cannot be allowed to happen, otherwise the new year cannot be ushered in and chaos and disorder would ripple across the multiverse."  Sebastian wanted us to come up with a plan. “OK i have a plan. Typhon and I will cause the biggest distraction we can, dragons, smoke, viruses, explosions and Sebastian with your keen sense of smell. Save the child killing anyone in your way but try not to get seen.”  
They would execute the plan almost to the letter. Youta would be using a bunch of techniques with fiery spiders and dark dragons all over the gate. Typhon would do his thing and 20 to 30 guys would start to come out of the buildings. Start charging the two of them.  Youta would activate Meigan and see that this was just a group of struggling people who got lucky and were trying to make an extra bit of money and are now going to suffer for those decisions.
Youta would wait to see sebatian and then he would say “Ok Typhon let's get going, we have the child finish this however you see fit.” They would meet up and they finally returned the now smiling Baby New Year to Father Time. Father Time would just sort of warp away with the child and then he would turn to Sebastain “Well you do not see that everyday right?”
They saved Chritsmas and New years a couple of days ago and YOuta and his family would be leaving in a few days. Youta decided to see if he could get the power unlocked that Iktomi promised. He had remembered what all he went through to get his name and knew that this would probably be just as fun as the meditation that he had when he was with Ishimaru.  He would know that Iktomi would probably not be in a great mood, Like usual,  and he would be playing a lot of pranks and practical jokes with Youta in his mind. That is what he did: he hungered and would get bored. 
` He would sit and start to meditate and he would open his eyes to see a face, it was a very ambiguous face. He could tell that it was a face with crimson red eyes that would also seem blue. He would say in a very very creepy voice “I see you have finally decided that I am worth your time. You have finally decided to give me a chance to show you my power and what my presence can do for you. This is going to be fun. I want to give you the power to help you avoid those funny mind tricks, Genjutsu. I hate them. Genjutsu is only fun to use, not to be under. I can help you see through some and give you access to techniques to truly help.” Then Youta would ask “What do i need to do in order for you to help me? I know it is not going to be free, nothing with you ever is.  So what do you want me to do? Bring on your stupid test that you want me to take. I am sure you are bored.”  
“You are so right it will not be that hard, you can do it i know.  It is so funny you say that.  I need you to try to get me under a genjutsu.'' He would jump back and Youta would use almost every genjutsu he knows except one he tried the one with his senjutsu and Iktomi was not ready for it and it caught him. He would activate his eyes and then explain the way it works to youta and he would be so excited to see him grow and he would say “I am always available, now i can talk to you, Youta when ever i want we do not have to wait for the whole meditation thing and now you can call me by my name and i you. You should probably wake up now.” Youta would then reply “They will wake me up if and when the time comes there is no need to rush. I am in a safe place right now. I am always free for a good conversation but there is not need to be a jerk and bully”
  Youta would wake up in a really strange place and not really recognize what was around him and not sure if he was still in the village for his winter holiday. He woke up and say Standing there a mere 10 meters from them was an immense golden pinata with a striking resemblance to an octopus.  Then all of a sudden a pappery long tentacle would swing at them and Youta would be very confused but he would instinctively dodge out of the way.  He would start to yell “I do not get this thing what is happening. Why is an evil Pinata attacking us?  I do not know why, this is very confusing to me. I say lets burn it.”  
Youta would then start trying to avoid Sebastian and launch fire techniques towards that pinata. He would make fireballs then he would use fire whip and try to hold down the pinata and then YOuta would yell “Can you please rip this thing to shreds, Sebastian or Typhon? It is super creepy and i do not want to continue with this fight. I want to kill it. I want whatever is inside it has to be super interesting.  I mean the golden octopus is attacking us of his own will. I do not see any puppetry strings so i mean it is the pinata doing it.” 
He would see typhon and sebastian finish the pinata and he would say “What was in there i want to know?” he would rush over and see a ticket he would pick it up then continue home saying “I will find you guys once i get home” 


Thwy would get back to hoshigakure and they would celebrate their successful journey and vacation. Youta would sit his parents, his adoptive parents, down after a wonderful meal of meat pies and vegetables. They were have a joyous meal when Youta would finally say “Ok guys, we need to have serious conversation about events that are coming up soon.”  His parents would then sit across the table and quiet down saying “Ah, we knew this day would come but what is your new assignment that you have been tasked with”  his adoptive father never being a shinobi but he was a military blacksmith and was asked to go all over fixing soldiers weapons and armor. 
Youta would then continue “I have been asked by Sebastain Loghain to go out to the borderlands with him to establish an outpost along the border.  It would be a long term deployment and I would basically be moving out there to help him hunt down criminals and secure the border in the area.  We have to clear out the base from some nasty gang but we have a good group going so it should be a clear cut mission and our main goal is to make it back for the official base initiation and getting named to that base. I wanted you both to hear it from me instead of someone else.”  
His father would answer by saying “We knew you would reach for the stars from the moment you went to the academy and started with Yoshiko,”  Yoshiko was the elder who brought Youta to his adoptive family.  He was also the elder to give Youta some of his basic training.  Yoshiko was one the elders of a branch family and a low ranking one at that which always seemed weird but Youta figured that the other elders had more important things to do.  Youta’s father would continue “I knew you would not be held down by us or by the village that you would spread your wings and fly.”  His mother would continue saying much of the same things but would say “As long as you promise to visit when you can.” 
They would go for a hug when his father would notice the change in Youta’s eyes indicating that Youta has reached his full potential with the Meigan. He would say “Oh you have learned about your Yuumei and this reminds me that it is time to give you this letter from Yoshiko.He told us only once you reach your full potential should I give this to you.” Youta would take this letter from his parents still sealed with the clan symbol and Yoshikos seal. It was a fuinjutsu lock so that his parents who have no shinobi training could open it.   
The letter read:
Dear Youta,
I am sorry I could not tell you this in person or when you were younger because i could not risk you wasting your life on a suicide mission. I should probably explain to you what is going on. Now I do not know when you will receive this letter but it was given to your father on your 13th birthday on my deathbed. It is a secret I can no longer keep.  
I knew of the elder Rushino’s plan to attack you and your mother for you see you are of a very outstanding family in the clan. So he and his son, Rushinoko, ambushed your mother and he clan guards and killed her. It drove your father to suicide and eventually that family took his place at the right hand of the clan head and became very influential in the abyss village and in demon country. I Found out and told your mother who sacrificed herself so that you may live.  I know your adoptive father from a war where we were mercenaries and he helped me build my armor and weapons.  I knew I could trust him and that Hoshigakure was far enough that you should have been safe.
They were jealous and I was powerless to stop them. Do not blame your parents unless somehow this fuinjutsu seal was broken.  They did not know what happened; they took you in as a favor to me.  I tell you this not so you will get revenge but because it is time for you to know and if you have completely unlocked Your yuumei you can go and try if you want or forget about it and go live your life no need to take on the clan you owe nothing to for a woman you never knew. Just be wise and live but if you are anything like your father I know you will not be able to resist and will kill them.


Be safe,
Yoshiko.


Youta would read the letter in shock and just run outside trying to digest what he just read. He was not really sure what to do so he would wonder if he should go tell Sebastian about his letter. He wanted to know what he would do and also to reassure that he would keep his word and help Sebastian get his base up and going but in return Youta would want either some help or at least time to take care of this when the time comes.  So Youta would go and find his team leader.  


He would wander around and find him. Youta was not sure what Sebastians reaction would be or what he should really be asking of not only his team leader and commander but also of his friend.He would say “Hey Sebastian. Can you read this letter and let me know what you think?”

[WC=2707}
[twc=5871]

[EXIT]

Claims

44000 ryo


TWC=5871
Using a 50% of WC token
To get meigan lvl 3 specifically noukon 5000/5000

eyes of Anubis 871/2500

1 “Mythical Item” of the player’s choice (excluding “Black Zetsu Cells”) OR 1x “Golden Ticket” (allows entry into the LE raffle)

2x Blank Dice (d4)


11500 winter tickets

Skipping
I'll Be Home For The Holidays
Home Alone
I Haven’t Even Started My New Year’s Resolution Yet!