Leaving One's Mark

[C-Rank] Break Up or Break Down
[C-Rank] Bulk Trash Day

Total Ryo Reward: 8,000 Ryo
Total AP Reward: 40 AP
WC Requirement: 4,000 WC

Quinn arose that day with a couple of missions that needed taking care of. Some menial labor to get through the day as business around the winter time always was a mess. Sometimes more things would need to be forged over others but it was always fickle this time of year for business. The multitude of customers they began to receive attention from had helped the business flourish alongside Otogakure's expansion as a village. They were quite pleased with the overall affair and knew that there would be a good source of income for the forge for a while. On the docket beyond putting some more funds back into the business, Quinn had a small list of two tasks that were to be accomplished. There was a couple that needed some mediating or breaking alongside some landfill woes that needed to be cleaned up. Both were rather rudimentary tasks but considering one dealt with a shinobi and the other a giant mess, it was something a bit more substantial than the normal missions of the day-to-day of the village. A light sigh escaped the Forgemaster's lips as they departed from their family's forge and went towards the village's center.

When they had signed up it was noted that likely others would have joined them once the day had come and to meet them presently in the center of the village before the affairs of the day were to start. Quinn was curious since almost everyone else in the village seemed occupied or busy with the time of year so they were happy to see others would likely be joining them. It was always something moving around the village be it clan-work or general assistance with the academy. The village was still in its infancy and Quinn was doing their best to support it in what ways they could. There was never really something that stood out to them beyond the capacity of people simply being busy and unavailable. Such was the life of a shinobi, Quinn began to understand and learn. They too were in the infancy of their newest occupation as compared to their time as a blacksmith. Hopefully, with regard to the missions they were set to complete today, they could bang out some kinks of the couple and clean up whatever mess was going on in the Landfill. Thus, Quinn simply waited there for others to show.

WC: 400, TWC: 400 | TMWC: 400 / 4,000

Wax on, wax off. Wax on, wax off. Moving his hips in a way they didn't lie, Sebastian practiced to increase both flexibility and body movement. Finishing the last couple of stretches, the former mercenary reminded himself of that day's planning. "Two missions, they better pay me well" the Tau thought out loud, preparing to set out and head to the village center. As usual, he didn't really bother reading up on any of the tasks they were supposed to carry out, assuming whoever joined would simply tell him anyway. Without wasting anymore time, the once Black Guard Commander made his way to the meeting point.

After a handful of minutes had passed, Sebastian was finally about to arrive at the location described in the mission description. Doing so, everyone's favorite Tau suddenly spotted a familiar face. "Aha, experiment number two" the Berserker grinned, having already tested it on Guren once before. Wearing his Iron Sand Cloak, one of Otogakure's Masters slowly approached the target, or should he say partner? "You!" he dramatically pointed at Quinn, pulling his finger back as to motion her to walk towards him. Assuming the woman recognized who called out and understood what was expected of her, she would eventually join the misfit at his position.

If the kunoichi did in fact approach Sebastian, he would greet her and inquire about the mission details. "So, what are we doing?". Charming as ever, but what else did they expect?

(WC: 243)

As they were about to begin they heard a familiar voice chime out towards themselves as they followed up with dramatically pointing and declaring 'You!' towards the Otogakuran Blacksmith. Quinn returned the gesture with a wave approaching Sebastian. They had undergone a mission once before with one of the renowned Masters of the village and were pleased to see they would be joining them on two more missions. When prompted with what they were doing, Quinn would pull out the missions' debrief before offering them to Sebastian as the Forgemaster began explaining the general synopsis for the day of the two tasks. "Pleased to see you. Should be easy day. Two tasks in total. One dealing with relationships. Another with the landfill." They explained.

Looking towards the direction of the first mission, Quinn would wait and delay to see the general disposition of Sebastian before proceeding forward. "I know you're busy. If this is too much. Feel free to let me finish. Would be no trouble to me." Quinn added in before indicating they were to head towards the first of the two tasks which was being a mediator for a couple of workaholics. As one themselves, Quinn felt it was going to be a wonderful time with the enjoyment that was Sebastian. Diligent and quirky as they wont to be in such matters, Quinn thought of Sebastian as a wonderful person to work with and learn more of the joy of life to be around. This was after all, due to the fact that his hips did not lie. Quinn had their battle bat strapped to their back should the need arise to use it but you never know when one might need to destroy some balls in today's age. Once Sebastian confirmed to proceed, Quinn would begin walking.

WC: 300, TWC: 700 | TMWC: 943 / 4,000

Witnessing how the village's blacksmith approached and handed him the mission details, Sebastian couldn't help but feel glad someone recognized both his importance and intellect. "That's right, I can totally read" the gullible Berserker voiced proudly. The topic of literature aside, the Tau listened as Quinn explained things in her own and unique way. "Yes, I see" he replied in a similar tone, performing the robot while doing so. From what he could understand, which often wasn't that much, it seemed they would be dealing with a couple of lovebirds first and some cleaning duty later. "Relationships and taking care of trash, my specialties". That being said, the most handsome of Otogakure's Masters was interested to work with the owner of Foster's Forge and someone who was considered as one of the most promising Sound shinobi.

Wasting little to no time, Sebastian confirmed that he would be joining Quinn on today's missions. "Too much and my name in one sentence, those two things don't go together". Or do they? Nevertheless, as one of its founding members the Tau had to make sure the village of Otogakure continued to progress and grow further, meaning that even a couple of arduous tasks could contribute in the end. "Alright, lead the way". Although, on second thought .. As he was about to follow behind, a brilliant idea suddenly struck him. Quickly forming the Snake hand seal the Berserker then called out to the kunoichi. "Ahem, Quinn, look over here". Assuming the female blacksmith turned around, the Tau would suddenly plant his palm on her face, effectively slapping the woman's forehead.

Waiting a couple of minutes to find out the result of his experiment, the Tau stared in front of him. "Notice anything different yet?". If things went according to plan, Quinn would have successfully received the village's secret Curse Mark.

(WC: 306, TWC: 549)

- 100 AP Blight of the Heavens

Turning to see what Sebastian had in store for them, Quinn simply moved in accordance with what was natural. That was until the moment Sebastian's hand landed on their face. A surge of chakra entered Quinn's body as it suddenly began to tense up. They felt the foreign chakra fighting against their reserves that they had built up as a sheer battle of will against this suddenness occurred internally. Externally, Quinn was frozen in place as the mark signifying the Blight of the Heavens formed over their left eye. As the chakra fought within them, the circle formed before lines marking the triangle encompassed their face. The angle of Sebastian's hand had one of the triangle points pointing down towards the ground.

As the battle raged within their body, chakra flare-ups around them etching its way around as the chakra took on a visible light green hue that cloaked their shoulders before reaching down below towards the Forgemaster's feet. Standing still for a moment or two more, the internal battle raged and took quite a bit of energy from the Forgemaster. Once back in better conscious form, Quinn coughed a little spitting up some blood as they bit their tongue. They felt the chaotic energy within them stir as it kept their chakra occupied. Unsure what this was, Quinn only assumed this was Sebastian's doing with reference to the experiment comment he made the other day. They won their battle of wills with this chakra entity that now resided within them, but at what cost and what would occur if they could not conquer it quickly?

"I feel a burn. A blight inside me now." Quinn indicated as they coiled back from Sebastian's placement, the curse mark taking hold and placing itself onto the blacksmith of Otogakure no Sato. "We should finish missions. Before anything else occurs." From there Quinn could not help but feel that chakra inside of them fighting back against their own. It was as if something had infected their system and it was raging war inside. Whatever the case was, hopefully, once the missions were completed they could speak to Sebastian and get a clearer picture. Unsure of what was expected as a result, Quinn moved unphased by the sudden shift, choosing to focus on the work at hand that was being requested of them as they walked to the rocky couple's home waiting for Sebastian.

WC: 400, TWC: 1,100 | TMWC: 1,649 / 4,000

[Curse Mark Application of Blight of the Heavens. Willpower Check {Vigor 20 * 4 + Strength 130 * 3 + Chakra 20 * 2 + Speed 130} = 640 Willpower. Resulting Penalty of -400 Bonus AP. New Bonus AP Total is now 600/1,000.]

Mid-Thread Claims wrote:Curse Mark application of Blight of the Heavens.
New Bonus AP Total is now 600/1,000 due to CM Application penalty.

Well, they were still alive so he supposed that was a win? Even though Quinn hardly described any effects she was currently experiencing or changes her body could possibly be undergoing, Sebastian at least had somewhat of an idea of what the woman would be going through. Comparing the current situation to the one where they applied the Blight to Guren, the Tau determined this time would be a success as well. "Right, the mission". Almost forgetting the initial reason and purpose of their meeting, Otogakure's Berserker joined the blacksmith as they made their way to the location of the first task.

Doing so, the two of them eventually arrived at the house of the arguing lovebirds. "Let's see what they have to sing, I mean say" the Tau voiced while simultaneously knocking on the front door. The thought of simply erasing it from existence after having to wait a while did cross his mind but for everyone's sake he was able to hold back his intrusive thoughts. "Yes yes, I know you're happy to see me, now let us in" the Master almost ordered as the man finally opened, hardly relieved when he found out they had decided to send Sebastian of all people.

Signaling the owner of Foster's Forge to follow behind, the Tau entered and set foot inside of the house. Nonchalantly greeting both husband and wife he then made his way to the kitchen where he opened the fridge to see what the place had to offer. Having found what he was looking for Sebastian took out a plate with some leftover cake before joining the others. "Worry not. In front of you are Otogakure's most emotionally stable individuals" the misfit comforted the couple while smiling and pointing at Quinn. Taking a big bite assuming the blacksmith would confirm his words the Berserker looked around him, almost inspecting the place.

Regardless of Quinn saying a couple of words herself or not, Sebastian would speak up once more and try to get to the bottom of things. "So, who cheated on who?". Finishing the sentence he then licked his fingers, not leaving a single piece of cake left. Awkwardly staring at the two lovebirds as if he expected them to answer the Tau then motioned to Quinn and urged her to ask some questions of her own, hoping to be done with the whole situation rather sooner than later, not wanting to waste more time than needed. After all, they still needed to take out some trash.

(WC: 420, TWC: 969)

Handling the flowing chakra that was inside of them, it was a battle to concentrate on the mission at hand for one reason or another. Thankfully Otogakure's Berserker was steadfast in his approach and conviction, giving Otogakure's Forgemaster the strength to muster onward and forward. The was a sensation of burning and over-stimulation from the chakra as the sounds they could hear, echoed internally as their perception seemed to indicate either more acute awareness or just a simple byproduct of the Blight of the Heaven's mark on their face. Adrenaline was coursing through their system too due to the suddenness of its application but they proceeded as if nothing was wrong as that was the job of the shinobi of the village. Presuming this was a test run of whatever procedure from Sebastian, Quinn took it upon themselves to maintain their composure.

Once they arrived, the Tau took the first step forward into the home with Quinn following after when given the signal to proceed. The house was relatively simple and plain, Sebastian took it upon himself to raid the dysfunctional couple's fridge for a slice of cake. It was a simple case of having one's cake and eating it too Quinn guessed as he spoke before taking a bite of it. Quinn gave a firm nod in agreement. "We are here now. Ready to listen." They added in without missing a beat from Seb's lead. Without pulling any punches the couple watched as Sebastian finished up the cake before them and sent a heavy left hook to the two. Stunned by the sheer forwardness of Otogakure's Master, they sat across from the man before Quinn spoke up.

"Cheating is two ways. One on the other. One on oneself." They added in trying to see if there was something that Sebastian noticed that they themselves had not. Being urged to ask questions of their own, the couple looked between the two and then at each other. Flabbergasted by the audacity of the two's comments. Their problem was not that one was cheating or another but sheer work volume and being pillars of the community at large. Before they could speak in protest to the man's comment, Quinn held up a hand. "Cheating is not inherent to sex." They simply put forth for the two to consider. Beat flushed faces from the couple could be described as red as Quinn's hair at that moment. They were dumbfounded but it was quick that the Forgemaster's comment rang into their heads bringing them back to the reality they faced.

"Look at each other. Who is pulling the weight? Who is pushing the other away? Who is working for themselves? Who is alone?" Quinn rapid-fired the questions towards the couple, their red faces were now met with sullen looks as they stared down at the table. It was clear the two dug themselves into work and put work before the horse as it were. Giving a firm nod and looking towards Sebastian, Quinn gave a thumbs up before moving their thumb towards the door indicating their work was done. The couple got a healthy dose of humbling for each other without much difficulty as the two most emotionally stable individuals of the village were swift in recourse for the couple had a lot to talk and discuss and it did not require their assistance any further.

Waiting to see the Berserker's reaction, Quinn added in before they departed. "Best to talk. Communication is key." They said before stretching their neck, popping multiple pockets of air within their neck as they left the home of the couple, leaving them in a stupor of reality. A job well done for the duo. Looking back to Sebastian as they left, Quinn gave a raised eyebrow at him before speaking up, "How was the cake?" They simply asked Otogakure's finest shinobi as they made their way now toward the landfill for their second mission of the day. It was a clear sunny day overhead for them to do manual labor but thankfully Quinn's strength would likely make the remaining part of the mission finished before they even got there. The Forgemaster focused forward ignoring the torrent within them.

WC: 700, TWC: 1,800 | TMWC: 2,769 / 4,000

Taking full advantage of Sebastian's assist, the Forgemaster dissected the awkward situation between the two lovebirds, successfully analyzing the problems they were having. Using a metaphor to explain their issues, Quinn revealed the cause and roots of the deeper laying troubles the couple had. "Ape alone, weak. Apes together, strong". After all, humans did descend from the primates. Monkey business aside, the Tau and his assistant left both husband and wife with a lot to think about, a couple of thoughts to consider. Realizing the predicament they were in and how to solve it both of them would stare down the table, that being the Otogakure duo's cue to take their leave. "Don't forget to send us the money. Oh, and buy some cake, someone ate yours". With those wise words, the Master of Sound left the building. Mic drop.

Having fixed and solved the relationship, Sebastian and Quinn completed the first part of the missions. "A bit dry". Of course, as a man of his stature, the Tau was used to the finer cuisine but as an appetizer the cake did just fine. That being said, the two of them would now make their way to the landfill where they were supposed to assist in ensuring the cleanliness of the village. "For their sake, I hope we don't find the place too dirty". The former mercenary and his love for hygiene, a secret not many were aware of. After all, there were many different ways to show deep care for one's home, keeping the place clean being one of them. It didn't take all too long to arrive, the walk from the house to their current location only lasting a handful of minutes. "Alright Quinn, how about you give me a status report?" the Berserker asked the Forgemaster to analyze the situation.

(WC: 303, TWC: 1272)

Upon arriving at the landfill, it was in relatively decent shape all things considered. Most of Otogakure's building and restructuring incurred a debt of debris and old materials that were being sorted by the landfill's staff. A handful of new loads of materials were being deposited regularly it appeared and the staff was beginning to get quite a bit of lag time in between sorting the new load and putting it away before the next one arrived. It was clear that the village of Otogakure's facilities were maintaining proper running condition but with all the new and recent construction, they were a tad overwhelmed with the workload.

Hearing from Sebastian to give a sitrep of the problem before them, it was clear to the Forgemaster of Otogakure what the problem and situation were to their recollection of recent affairs and events at this point in time. "Situation is simple. Lots of renovation. Lots of old supplies. Landfill staff busy. Extra hands just to manage the increased workload." They declared without skipping a beat in their sentences or pace as they pushed forward to help handle the workload being presented to the two shinobi of Otogakure. Surely there was better time spent for the duo other than simply helping aid in the landfill work being conducted to help maintain the village's affairs but in some ways, this was the work of the shinobi too. The village grew with the arrival of shinobi so in a lot of ways the reconstruction of the village from being just another within the Land of Sky into the hidden village that it is now.

The mark on Quinn's face flared when they exerted themselves once they reached a pile of planks. They bent over the lumber that they were about to lift with their knees and not their back. Their breathing was haggard as they felt the living chakra surge through their body more rampant than before. Their focus was sharp as they felt their body surge in strength as the chakra began to flare within and provide their muscles newfound strength and power as the Forgemaster of Otogakure focused the chakra into expanding it through their body. The lumber before them felt their grip of the Blacksmith as it crunched under their grip strength before shredding into pieces, Quinn cursed loudly bringing attention to themselves briefly. Focusing on the task at hand, their focus was only deterred by the chakra that was beginning to live thoroughly within their body.

Quinn's mind was a bear trap for the task at hand as multiple people approached to try to help but Quinn's physique under their clothes rippled with energy that even civilians were able to feel and sense. For them, it was best not to disrupt whatever was running its course within the shinobi as their focus seemed almost uninterruptable as the process of the task set before them was going to be accomplished one way or another. Moving large volumes of lumber around alongside some furniture pieces, Quinn's pace was constant, their loads were consistent, and their movements were simply a part of the equation to forge the result they desired to make within their reach. Unphased if Sebastian acted or not, the Forgemaster moved unimpeded as the chakra resonated within them.

Mixing more properly as Quinn internally forged the living chakra that had entered them into their own system, the chakra was being tamed by the Forgemaster as they progressed toward their objective. A show of force of will from the Otogakuran Shinobi was impressive for any who would know what was going on but considering that Sebastian was the one who conducted the experiment, no one else there would likely have an idea of what was going on within the blacksmith. The mission itself was the task that was put forth as Quinn's eyes darkened from their normal bright and stoic manner. They were sharp and equally as if Quinn had gone into a trance of some sort. There was no telling the balancing act that was ongoing though inside, Quinn fought hard and long against the foreign entity within their body that they were going to make into another tool within them.

Inside the mind of Quinn 'Forgemaster' Foster, the sheer volume of work and effort put into place for them. Their internal imagery of themselves grabbed at the foreign chakra and brought it against an anvil and slammed a hammer into it. The process in which Quinn took the foreign entity that desired its own objectives within was bafflingly straight and narrow minded as they saw it for what it was, a raw energy or resource. The chakra was just another piece of raw material that was waiting for it to be forged into a weapon for the village to use. Quinn continued onward in this state for a solid hour, unflinching to the fact that they eventually ran out of the additional materials that needed help with and simply took on extra work without batting an eye resulting in the landfill staff actually being able to conduct other tasks required rather than manage material loads being dropped off.

Once the inbound remnants of trash were tossed in the appropriate portions of the landfill, Quinn's trace eventually had them standing by the road back to the main village for a few minutes before coming back too exhausted from all the work plus forging the chakra within them into their own system creating a new volume of chakra intermingled within their own. Looking towards Sebastian, Quinn gave a thumbs up as their breathing regulated but still remained heavy. "Looks like we're done. Perhaps good time to rest." They indicated as they began to head back towards the village with or without the lone Master of Otogakure with them. "I need to rest. Will touch base later. Will need to talk." They stated without much concern or worry for what happened that day even with the mark that Sebastian left upon the Forgemaster.

[Exit]

WC: 1,000, TWC: 2,800 | TMWC: 4,072 / 4,000

Mission Rewards wrote:Ryo: 8,000 + 6,000 (Rank) = 14,000 Ryo, New Ryo Total from 299,250 is 302,250
Bonus AP: 40 + 808 = 848 / 1,000 Bonus AP

WC Claims wrote:875 + 1,000 = 1,875 / 1,875 WC for S-Rank Heaven's Blight Transformation
1,900 WC for 4 AP per 100, 76 AP gained + 848 (Above) = 924 / 1,000 Bonus AP