Farm Days: A Musical (Mission)

Mission:

Theme Music:

Yukina was thrilled to have her first mission. To be outdoors and to help on a farm felt like a dream. She wouldn't need to talk to people and could let the music of nature relax her. Her parents had forced her into this, afraid of the music she constantly heard, but the joke was on them if she was able to do things like this all of the time. She let herself sink into the music of the morning as she walked towards the Minor Grounded District. The soft classical cords of the piano were a lovely under tone to the gentle hustle and bustle around her. She let the melody fill her, the tones and notes lifting her spirit. She was so taken in with it, her mind off in a dreamy reverie, she almost missed the farm. She doubled back quickly and with a deep sigh she knocked on the door.

Before she knew it the tune of her whole morning changed as an old man appeared. "♩♩♫♬♪♪"

Yukina looked dumbly at the old man. The change in musical tune had completely jolted her. As she tried fathom out what he had said he continued speaking "♪♪♯♪♭♬♬"

The man looked frustrated as she continued to stand there in silence, attempting to fathom out his words. She had almost gotten there when he opened his mouth again, anger on his face, and he clearly shouted at her, "♯♫♫♯♩♩♩♪♫"

The entire tone of the music had shifted and she didn't know what to do. If he kept speaking like this she would never be able to catch up and figure out what he was saying. On the verge of tears Yukina looked around for help, hoping and praying someone or something could aid her. All she wanted was her quiet morning back, the soft lulls and trills of the piano instrumental that she loved. Not this angry mess.

WC: 322
TWC: 322

Rokku strolled toward his mission at a leisurely pace and extolled the virtue of absolute patience as he dragged his feet to add a few seconds to the journey. As he walked he practiced mentally with a guitar in his hand though his hands in reality only held air. It didn’t stop him strumming with his right hand and fretting with his left as he mentally composed a series of notes and strung them into a random song, trying multiple permutations and picturing the sound it should make. He didn’t quite have the same gift as his elder sister Hana, she could perfectly imagine a note and replicate most pieces she heard after one or two times listening. At the very least she would be able to give a good approximation and improvise the rest effortless. Gifted, talented, genius and prodigy. All were words that people used to describe Hana within the music world, Rokku was lucky she didn’t also inherit the Sarutobi Bloodline or he would have likely been entirely forgotten as the middle child behind the prodigal daughter. The awakening of his bloodline was a mixed blessing for Rokku, on one hand he had been the focus of his mothers attentions on the other he had been the focus of his mothers training. He learned quickly he couldn’t choose one over the other but he rebelled as a youth and wasted many years regressing as other friends became shinobi and advanced to chuunin or beyond.

Now he was back and heading to help a farmer dig holes in the ground to put crops into. He didn’t dislike that he was helping people, he disliked that he had been made to do so by his mother. He heard some complaining and spotted the farmer he was supposed to help confusingly raising his voice to a girl he recognised from class. Huh I know her, why is she staring at the old man? And why is he asking her what’s wrong with her hearing? Rokku tried to recall some information about his fellow student and mostly came up with very little, she was obscenely quiet to the point that he could be convinced she was actually mute, had it been for the fact he once heard her singing to herself very very softly. She tended to be alone and apart from the other students. Rokku couldn’t blame her, as much as he loved his younger siblings he didn’t want to spend all day hanging around them and playing chaperone.

Rokku walked up to the pair and cut through the farmers tirade with a loud cough, talking into the momentary pause. “Hey old man, you requested some help harvesting and replanting crops right? Lead the way and lets get started, day isn’t getting any longer and your injuries aren’t going to get better by shouting at Yukato san here, pretty sure she agreed to help out too.” The old farmer grumbled and waved for them to follow. “Follow me then, swear you youngsters get weirder every year.” Rokku smiled and rolled his eyes before leaning and speaking softly to his fellow student. “Your name is Yukato Hina right? Names Rokku, pleasure to officially meet you.” He held out a closed fist pointed towards her and waiting to see if she would bump back.

WC: 552
TWC:552

Quinn was a quiet individual most of the time; a person of few words and bold actions and claims. It was on one such walk looking through the mission registry they noticed a few new names of students who were picking up the mantle to attempt some simple tasks and missions. Harking back to their own entry and understanding of the shinobi world, they felt a connection to the names and felt it was best to watch them personally to see what the future of the village of Otogakure no Sato had to offer. Reaching closer every day to 30, they knew at some point retirement was likely a thing they would need to consider but they felt fit and primed for action. Thus they decided to take the day to wander out to the farmlands nearby to see how the two would shape up. Quinn had been some space behind the duo as they approached the farm and overheard a bit of the interaction. As best as they could, they would approach the duo before announcing anything.

In their semi-formal style attire as they typically wore, a nice plain button-up and vest combo with slacks accented their shorter hair that they had begun to let grow out. Once they were closer they would wave and call out to the two, "Hello. Quinn Foster. Genin. Business Owner. Forgemaster. Company today. Here to help if needed. Mostly to watch and see. Pleasure to meet." They affirmed the words plainly as they let the two take the lead for the mission at hand since it would appear, depending on the work, Quinn's strength alone was plenty to accomplish such an affair. Thus they wanted to see what they could do to be of help to the newest set of students of Otogakure.

WC: 300, TWC: 300 | TMWC: >500

As Yukina was being yelled at a few tears started to form in her eyes. When suddenly the farmer turned and began to speak with a newcomer. Yukina sniffled and turned to see her rescuer.

Rokku Theme Music:

As she saw the tall man, a guitar on his back and reddish black hair, Yukina felt a shift in the music around her. The tones turned peaceful again. The world became warm and kind again. She gave him a small, teary smile as he spoke. His words echoing the same melody that had filled the world. Even the old mans words had reverted to their earlier level of tenseness, instead of the aggravated version. Before she knew it the man she realized the man was waiting for her, his fist outstretched waiting for... something?

Yukina reached out timidly and tapped the fist with the open palm of her hand. She hoped that was an acceptable response. As she did so she finally sorted out his words and responded softly. "Hi Rokku, yes I'm Yukina. Thank you for rescuing me there. I have... trouble communicating sometimes."

As she spoke she caught sight of a newcomer approaching.

Quinn Theme Music:

Yukina smiled at the theme, their change in musical tone immediately warmed her up to them. She felt strange as they spoke. As it was rare she got a good feeling from someone right off the bat. While she was acclimating to the conversation, she was still in a bit of a daze from the farmer's yelling, and listening to so many tone shifts in a short time. So she paused as she figured out what the woman was saying, giving Rokku the chance to speak first. She did however nod along with the conversation and tried to smile as appropriate to show her interest in the proceedings. She would only occasionally close her eyes and enjoy the soft contrasting melodies of these two people's theme songs. It was at those moments that her nods changed tempo, instead matching the beat of the songs instead of having any relevance to the conversation at hand.

WC: 351
TWC: 673

Rokku gave the girl a proper look now that the farmer was heading off to his field, liming slightly as he went, and noticed teary eyes which reminded him distinctly of his young twin sisters Mei and Rin. The thought brought mixed feelings as he partly wanted to give her a protective hug, but also wanted to
lightly flick her in the forehead and tell her to stop making a fuss. Fortunately Rokku knew either option would not be appropriate in this particular situation. He pushed the feelings down and listened closely as the girl spoke quietly, confirming he had in fact gotten her name incorrect, causing him to cringe
inwardly a little.

"I get you, sometimes people won't stop to think about the other person you know? The words they say become more important than the purpose of the conversation I find. Have you considered carrying little notebook around with you? That way you can write and tell them you do not understand or ask them to slow down. Might save you a bit of hassle. If they still give you trouble after that you could always try a good kick to the shin. Worked for my sisters when they wanted me to listen"

Rokku was saved from providing further potentially unhelpful advice by the arrival of a newcomer, an slightly older lady in what seemed to be smart casual wear who spoke in a very straight forward
manner.

He gave an appreciating glance up and down once more before clearing his throat. "Your here to babysit us then? Love the eyepatch, by the way, lose it in a battle?" Rokku allowed a few moments for Quin to respond if she chose to and for Yukina to provide some kind of audible response, though when he glanced at her she seemed to be nodding her head to a quick beat with her eyes closed.

He gestured to Yukina before spinning his pointed finer at his head in a small spiral before shrugging, one again reflecting on whether he had made the right choice to become a ninja It seemed every second shinobi he met had some kind of personality quirk. Rokku thought of his own mother and shuddered before wondering if perhaps that actually said a lot about him wanting to join than the other way around. He reflected there must be something odd about him, holding generally anti-establishment views joining one of the strictest hierarchies in the world. Perhaps he had made a very appropriate choice if perhaps not necessarily the correct one.

He glanced over to the old farmer who was slowly but surely hobbling away in the distance and feared that it was going to be a long day and he doubted from the clothing and way this Quinn Foster carried herself that she was the easy going relaxed kind of supervisor. Better to assume she would be like his
mother, unflinching dispassionate and not afraid to use measured violence to ensure the work was done to her exacting standards.

WC 478.Twc 1029

Watching as the two introduced themselves, it was a fine time to be progressing Otogakure No Sato's students. Quinn wore a smile with a sense of warmth behind it as Rokku popped a rather pointed question about the Forgemaster's accessory. "Just here to spectate. Not a babysitter. You two are old enough. More than anything. I like to help students." A light chuckle before pulling the eyepatch to show rather than a missing eye, a speckled burn around it making it a bit more closed than the other one. "Not battle. Forging. Blacksmith before shinobi. Covered it up. Helps sight at night." The explained pointedly. It was not something that felt foreign of an explanation either as the trio proceeded forward. The farm tasks required quite a lot of physical labor including moving supplies and other items around.

"I'll move it. Y'all gather." Quinn declared giving the two a more reasonable task to work with as Quinn began to pile on the weight of various bags and sacks onto their shoulder showcasing their immense strength. It took a lot fewer trips as Quinn was able to move most of the heavier objects around to allow the other two to coordinate and work together to sort through the farm's needs for crop harvesting. This was easy work for the physically inclined like Quinn, though they were not as sure how easy it would be for the other two. If either needed a hand, Quinn would be there to offer it. There was not much else for them to do after a few hours of work with the trio of them able to help the old timer finish his harvest. Once they left the farmhouse after informing him of their completion of the harvest, Quinn turned to the two, “What is next?”

WC: 300, TWC: 600 | TMWC: 2,302 / 2,000

"I get you, sometimes people won't stop to think about the other person you know? The words they say become more important than the purpose of the conversation I find. Have you considered carrying little notebook around with you? That way you can write and tell them you do not understand or ask them to slow down. Might save you a bit of hassle. If they still give you trouble after that you could always try a good kick to the shin. Worked for my sisters when they wanted me to listen"

Once Yukina understood him her heart warmed at the suggestion. It was the first time someone had really taken the time to come up with a solution that worked for her instead of everybody else. Her family, acquaintances, and even strangers always made it about them. How she should change herself to better suit them. She wished they could hear what she heard, just once, and learn to march at the beat of their own melody and stop minding everybody else's. She'd carry a journal from now on. Even if it didn't help, it would be a beautiful reminder of this moment, when someone actually wanted to find a way to make things easier for her instead.

She was saved from having to reply though due to a new arrival. Her new acquaintances spoke back and forth as she adjusted to their melodies and before she knew it they were getting to work. This new woman didn't seem to mind her communication challenges either. She seemed upbeat and kind, just as her music implied. She got to work, following the other's leads and gathered supplies efficiently. Once she understood the task the others would realize she wasn't lazy or stupid, like her mother had implied on many occasions, she just needed to know what to do. They worked for a few hours, and Yukina reveled in the music they created. It was loud but oddly complimentary. She could grow used to this and hoped she had more missions with them. They were the first people she really felt at peace with, and that was worth more than anything. Before she knew it they were done and Yukina was confronted with the end of their time together as Quinn said the words, “What is next?”

Oddly panicked, Yukina thought back to the missions for the day and remembered some that had seemed to be unclaimed for several days. She hoped if she brought those up she might have a bit more time with them. And less time alone in a world that didn't understand her.

"Um..." Yukina started to say softly, "I know of a few other tasks that need completing. Would you maybe... help me with them?"

She blushed when they turned their attention to her, realizing she would have to speak some more. She quickly became tongue tied and then the red in her cheeks blossomed to a scarlet before she finally figured out how to speak again. "There's a meeting today that needs food brought to them, we should probably do that one first. There's also a brunch that needs some help due to some of their wait staff calling in sick. There's also the upcoming festival, we could probably go and see if they need anything...?"

As she finished she continued to blush and looked down at the ground. She hoped she hadn't said too much. Or that she hadn't missed something in the music earlier and she was responding to something no longer relevant. She held her hands behind her back as she waited for their reply, and rocked gently on the balls of her feet to Quinn's music.

WC: 615
TWC: 1288

Rokku eyes Quinn suspiciously when she advised that she wasn’t there to babysit. He didn’t feel like she was being dishonest but he still remained a little wary. His suspicion was flooded away when she revealed her burns and the fact that she prioritised being a blacksmith first and a ninjas second. The concept was a crystallisation of his own ideals and she stood as testament that his wants and wishes were available and a different path could be walked. His mother always told him you had to be fully in or fully out and that you could not simply hop in and out of the life. Yet if what Quinn said was true ( and he had no reason to doubt her so far) then she was living proof that this was incorrect and that he could be both a revolutionary musician and a shinobi.
Rokku was lost in his own dreams for several moments before realising that Quinn had spoken again and he had not heard what she said but did his best to follow suit. He joined Yukina in gathering the crops as Quinn began carrying and moving far heavier loads than Rokku would have been capable of. Rokku got stuck in with the work, it was tiring and dirty work but he didn’t much care if he a looked a little dirty and was determined to give a good impression to his fellow classmate and the genin assisting them. By the time they had finished Rokku was feeling tired but did his best not to show it. He would rather die than admit he was tired after having to watch Quinn move heavy loads he would barely be able to lift if at all. No one liked a whiner so he grit his teeth and bore it, secretly thankful when they had finished for the day. At least he thought he had finished. He felt a dropping feeling in his gut when Quinn asked what they were doing next, but he screamed internally when Yukina actually spoke up and offered more jobs for the trio to complete.

Rokku forced a smile on his face before responding, ensuring he was putting on his best ‘engaged and energetic’ performance. Usually it was reserved for his younger siblings or training with his mother but it seemed to him it would also be appropriate in this situation as well. “Well I guess we should get going then, wouldn’t want someone else to take the jobs from under us would we. Just let me brush the worst of the dirt off.” Rokku spend a minute trying to brush off the worst of the dirt from his jeans and eventually shrugged in acceptance, there was only so much he could do and he hadn’t thought to bring any spare clothes.

“Well lets get the food delivered then.” Rokku clapped his hands and patted Yukina on the back encouragingly, gesturing with his other hand to lead on. “Well lead on and let gets some food delivered!” Rokku tried to summon as much enthusiasm as he could and hoped it was at least convincing. The second job seemed much less tiring than the first and Rokku was content to follow Yukina to the pick up point and carry his fair share to the council meeting. Fortunately no mishaps occurred along the way though his dirty clothing garnered some unimpressive looks. The hardest part was battling with his stomach that rumbled as they carried the delicious food and he found himself glancing at the packs more than once, weighing up the chances of the counsellors missing a small amount of food. The presence of Quinn and Yukina helped him win the battle of conscience versus hunger thought it was a close fight were he to be truthful with himself.

Once the food had been delivered safely he turned to Quinn and Yukina, drawing on further reserves of performance energy to sound excited. “I think you said something about helping some stalls at the festival or waiting tables next right? Which do you think we should do first?” Rokku directed the question at both Yukina and Quinn but looked more to Quinn for an answer. Though she advised she was not there to supervise it was generally more respectful to defer to the older, stronger and higher ranker shinobi amongst them.

WC: 725 TWC: 1754

Quinn simply nodded in response to how the young kunoichi was to be acted. "No issue here." They stated as Rokku spoke up and dusted himself off from the labor they had already conducted. Quinn gave the two a reassuring smile as they approached the next of the tasks. First, it was a food delivery that needed to be accomplished, and as Quinn had done one before, they watched as the two up-in-comers were able to handle and address the issue of the delivery with Quinn carrying the heavier items for the group. They were more and more developing likely in the student's eyes as a strong silent type. Moreover, Quinn was simply going through the motions of helping the village. Their demeanor did not indicate dissatisfaction with the work nor showed any stopping for their directive.

With the food delivery being completed, Quinn looked between the two and waited to see what was to come next. Rokku spoke up once more, "I think you said something about helping some stalls at the festival or waiting tables next right? Which do you think we should do first?" Quinn put a finger to their chin to ponder for a moment. "Waiting tables." They declared before looking between the two to see if there were any other thoughts before continuing. "Festival stands need done. Open in the morning though." They added in before moving their hands to cover the sun that was reaching its apex in the sky, "Long hours today." The Forgemaster simply maintained their smile unphased by what the others would indicate with the conversation.

Once they locked in which of the two options they would go to first, Quinn would gesture to lead the way. As much as Quinn had the strength to strong-arm the decision, it was becoming more obvious that they were simply there to help. Quinn through the conversations would simply showcase their general disposition of helping and being a strong current of force helping the village. The way they held themselves, approached the situations, and resolved the issues that came up truly showcased that Quinn grew up not as a shinobi but as a villager. They were getting older and were likely the eldest shinobi they had seen age-wise. However, if either looked at the first graduating class of the village, they would see that Quinn was on the roster and in the picture. Quinn was definitely an odd one in regard to the shinobi world.

Upon the arrival of their next destination, Quinn regulated themselves once more to the more physically intensive task. It seemed obvious at this point that they actually preferred that type of work. Without breaking a smile, changing their demeanor, or even shifting how they spoke, Quinn remained true to who Quinn was before the students. It did not matter if it was in front of just them, in front of villagers, or mixed crowds between the two. The Forgemaster stayed the course presented before them to finish the missions.

WC: 500, TWC: 1,100 | TMWC: Enough > 2,000

A shock went through Yukina as they finished their delivery food task. She had acclimated enough that she was able to keep up with the conversation. As they debated what to do next, she realized she actually had an opinion! It was rare for her to be invested enough in a conversation, or to happen long enough for her to follow along and have this happen. A warmth went through her alongside this new feeling, and she realized she liked it.  

"Um... I think we should wait tables too. Don't get me wrong! The festival is important too. But I don't want anyone going hungry while we work building stalls." She spoke her words softly, despite getting uncharacteristically loud in the middle. She blushed again as she finished speaking, but not as hard this time! With her words, the matter was settled and they set out for her next assignment.

As they arrived and got changed into their wait staff attire Yukina began to get nervous. This task would require a lot of communication and interaction with others. Which was not her strong suit. The musical tone shifted to reflect her mood.

Music:

She began to bite her lip nervously and shift from side to side. She clutched her hands into tight fists, in an attempt to will the nervous energy away. But as she did this her eyes landed on Rokku and she caught a faint hint of his theme song. It gave her strength and she leaned in and whispered to him conspiratorially. "Um... This mission is going to be hard for me. Do you think I could work in the back with the food? Can you help me if I... have any troubles?"

She looked at him imploringly, trying to let his music take her instead of the jitter-inducing soundtrack that was drowning it out. It didn't quite work, but it did make things more manageable. Regardless of his reply, she felt soothed by his very presence and braced herself for what was to come.

The mission wasn't as difficult as she expected. Oh, it wasn't easy for her being surrounded by people and even in the kitchen there was a chaotic energy as staff tried to get their orders. But it was manageable. She only ended up breaking down once when a waiter started screaming at her to move faster and why she couldn't understand him. But as she began to look away to cry, by the time she looked back he seemed to vanish, as if someone had taken care of him and sent him away. She dried her tears quickly after that and redoubled her efforts to do a good job while sending a silent prayer of thanks to whatever god was looking out for her. Before she knew it they were finished. Their employer seemed  overjoyed with their work, but Yukina was in such a daze of overstimulation she couldn't put much more together than that. As they made their way back into the village she was grateful to hear a change of soundtrack bloom around her.

Music:

Still overwhelmed and dazed she would silently walk with her companions, not quite listening to anything they said. But she would occasionally look over at them and smile warmly. These two shinobi already filled her heart with love, shedding a light through the loneliness she hadn't even realized she had been enduring. It was too much to have ever been a hope for her, but she finally felt she had something akin to friendship.

WC: 589
TWC: 1,877