She was this close to making Shadow take her with him. Opened-her-mouth-stood-on-tiptoes-ready-to-make-declaration, close. However, she didn't. Her mouth closed. She fell back down on flat feet. She nodded, and gave her assent with a smile, "Okay, if that's what you want to do. I'll see this evening at our room." She had to trust Shadow, her suspicions aside, and she really did have suspicions. Not of Shadow, of course, but of this village leader.
She glanced at her newest source of these suspicious thoughts, the glowing orange monkey that had inched his way behind her small frame. Everything said about him seemed to point towards the clay lady or Hesrik or perhaps some mutual acquaintance of their's having wanted this spirit dead, or at least expecting him to be dead. They had taken some part in his death, and as far as Kagerou could tell, this monkey was no heinous criminal. What, indeed, could be the story here?
It could just be the case of a bad temper, honestly, which wouldn't be that bad. Leave a bad taste in Kagerou's mouth, certainly, but at least it was simple. It wasn't something she would need to worry about with Shadow. (You know, assuming he didn't pull off a stunt like the one he did back when he was in the academy in their past life.)
Once she was sure Shadow was far enough away to not hear her, even with his sensitive hearing, Kagerou sighed. She was still smiling, but it was not a happy sigh. She wanted to tag aloooooong, but she also knew that staying besides him wouldn't always protect him. No, rather, she accepted that she couldn't always simply use her body to protect others.
Intel. Information. Kagerou glanced again at Sundance. She doubted he had anything really valuable, as harpy lady was okay with dismissing him, but like... He was better than nothing at least, right? Giving a smile, Kagerou amiably invited, "While Shadow is handling business, I think I'm going to go shopping for dinner. Would you like to come along?".
Royal Taorito
Lanfaer
Evanescently Magnificient
Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2020 12:54 pm
Sundance was only half paying attention to his environment, letting out a squeaky little grunt of the monkey sort once felt certain that he wasn't going to be stabbed in the back the minute he looked away. It was a little odd that grudges could be so easily forgiven but then again who could resist the epic vibing of his masterful singing? The funky monkey man nodded to himself, all of it began to come together and for the briefest of moments the was this almost... undeniable connection between him and the gate guard. The smell wafting in the air, could it be the someone left an aromatherapy candle burning, or was that the soon to be scent of their love? Luckily Kagerou's words snapped him out of that bad idea and back to reality.
Broad gold eyes looking happily at Kageoru from behind his shades. To think about it, this was the first time anyone else invited him to join in tagging along. Maybe there really was some sort of cosmic force out there pushing him right along into this new family. If so he sure wasn't one to complain. In fact, that funky flow singing from both of them happened to make Sunny feel 100% in groove with his new mommy and daddy. Now if only there was a way to deal with Hesirk that wouldn't ruin that.. "Well golly gee willikers would I~ I mean I don't really uh well I don't really need to eat but as long as you don't mind me awkwardly staring at you repeatedly mashing your goods with the exposed part of your bones then yes!" Then in a very quick, and most importantly, quiet tone. Sundance casually leaned to mommy Kagerou's ear whilst doing his best to disguise the movement as an excuse to get closer to her (which was also part of the reason) he whispered. "I figure you can gather that people here don't like me though sooo, would you mind if I uh took a ride in you?" The innuendo wasn't lost on Sunny although he only let the jest hang in the air for a few short breaths. "And just to curve your excitement, I don't mean batter dipping the ham candle in the squish mitten. Just a nice normal possession."
For the second time in less than five minutes, Kagerou was judging hard Sundance's terrible pick up lines, with a raised eyebrow and all. Changing the topic with a laugh she hid behind her hand, Kagerou merrily commented, "You are really terrible with flirting, you know?". She took a step back as she spoke, but tilted her head coyly in Sundance's direction. Her eyes scarlet squinted with laughter and gleamed with mischief, recalling the fun she used to have with similar antics while accompanied with a dear friend. "But you know," Kagerou's voice rang pure and clean like pristine bells as she leaned to Sundance, much like how Sundance had leaned towards her earlier, but she only got as close as she needed to reach out with her hand and "scratch" the monkey boy's intangible neck with a hooked finger, "I could... teach you." She gave him a moment, or rather, gave herself a moment to see whatever reaction he might have.
Then, with a giggle, she spun around, green hair swinging behind her, and started making her way to the market. A jolly humming tune masked her silent footfalls. Now, since she wasn't seriously flirting with him, she didn't need to follow the whole act through. After a few meters, she paused and turned around to make sure Sundance was still with her. If not, she would call out, "Well? Are you coming with? As long as you don't stare too awkwardly at our teeth, I don't think we'd mind a +1 at our dinner table," and wait for him to catch up before continuing on her way.
Exit to Kokorogakure Market
Royal Taorito
Lanfaer
Evanescently Magnificient
Posted: Sat Mar 21, 2020 7:17 pm
Now this wasn't right, not right at all. Sundance stood frozen in a motionless state, those sweet words ringing from Kagerou's lips sent him into such a catatonic stupor that all he do find himself doing was to hold his goofy smile about his face. He had to admit having his affections returned to him, even in the smallest forms, was something that had never even occurred to him as possible. So just what was he supposed to do now?
With the snap, or rather pull of a finger, Kagerou had drudged up those long repressed memories of his younger self. A time from before he was his truly radical Sunny self. The moment was quick but hidden well and only by the grace that her question wasn't pointed enough to require answering. What he couldn't hide however, was the sheepishly turning of his gaze. Sunny didn't vocally affirm acceptance but the sadly golden glow tailing behind the green haired girl told more than enough.
__________________The Narrator Struts...|| tab For the most part Duran kept quiet, merely keeping his own thoughts to himself unless spoken to. He was content to let Rajan think for himself and figure out the best course of action. When they neared the gates, however, he decided to speak up, as something Rajan had said stirred a level of confusion in him he was uncomfortable with. "Rajan, if I may," he began, his tone hesitant at best. "You see, I never dealt with the winged fellows. Until today, only Lord Oragor has seen fit to speak with them, learning their language and communicating with them. He seemed to take quite a shining to them. That said, I am not here to observe you, only help you as you need it. My strengths lie in manipulation, true, but this is negotiation, an altogether different art." Twirling a cane in his hand that he hadn't had when they'd left the tower he pointed the point towards the boy and half smiled. "That is why Lord Oragor picked you, and invested his interest in you." Turning to look beyond the pair of them towards the gates, where a single guard had been stationed to wait for them before taking them to the building the discussions would happen in, Duran dropped into a frown. "I wish they would meet us at the Point. It's more defensible in case of an attack, and is logistically safer than an apartment."
Rexnov
Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2020 7:01 pm
[ Rajan Stormborn ]
Adventurer l Trickster l Entite l D - Rank
I heard what he had to say and I wouldn’t hold it against him. There were as many approaches to negotiations as ways to skin a cat, so if someone believed that manipulation and negotiation were not the same thing. Of course, I disagreed. My first reaction to Duran was to shake my head. “Manipulation and negotiation go hand in hand. You manipulate the other person to believe what you want them to believe about your position. Project strength to gain concessions when you’re behind. If you over play your hand, take a step back, say you don’t want to be confrontational, apologize and try a different approach. On the flip side, pretend you are weaker than you are, project weakness, confusion or ignorance and the other party will overestimate their advantage and let something, anything, slip, and that’s when you go in.” I crossed my arms as we approached the gate, but continued on talking. “I have a feeling your abilities, whatever they are, will play a much larger role than you give it credit. Especially when you consider my strategy to this whole thing…” I paused, shifted my eyes to look at my partner. Telling him would likely be beneficial given that he’s my partner, but I didn’t know how much Oragor told him, and this wasn’t in my report. Should I trust this man?
I sighed. “Listen,” I said in a hushed tone. “I want to play them against each other. These… creatures… are just like people. They will try to maximize their own group’s advantage, to the detriment of us. And to the detriment of other groups that aren’t their own. That’s how most tribal social groups work. At least, that’s how they used to work.” I paused for a moment to think, closing my eyes and remembering the Frozen Kingdom that once was, with the zealot king, and the slaughter that these things rained down on the city. “I’ve dealt with them before.” I said plainly. “I don’t like them. I don’t trust them. I pray you never see what they’re capable of doing.”
I stopped talking for a bit, looking at our surroundings. Having them indoors was smart. Less chance of an attack from above. “We should do it in a room without windows. Just in case. Preferably underground if this place has a basement, though that may be asking for too much. If you have any paper bombs, I’d like to set some up beforehand in the room and hide them, I’m still not at my top performance. That crystal did a number on me and my abilities and would like to press whatever advantages I can get.”
Stats:
Power: 1 Agility: 2 Intelligence: 5 Chakra: 6
Passives
Half [.5] rank increase to spiritual strength
[5] Mana reduction to cost of Spells and Spiritual attacks (minimum of [5])
PA - Consumption: Gain the ability to devour the element you are born from and regain energy in the process. Able to gain back one quarter [.25] of the associated cost with a rank (minimum of [5]) of that element from consuming it, remove it from existence by absorbing it into your body through a variety of means. I.e. if the rank of fire is C - rank, you would get back five [5] Mana or Stamina. Another Personal Attribute, or taking this one twice, may be used to increase this to one half [.5] at most.
PA - Deluxe Shift: While most take one [1] full post to change into their elemental form, you’ve found the secret to becoming one with your birth element. As such it takes no action at all to change into your element and can be done as part of any Action taken.
Discipline - Chameleon: Sometimes other people have the right of it, when it comes to survival. Sometimes it's the weirdos and the freaks who know the tricks of the trade needed to see tomorrow. The Chameleon now only recognizes this but decides that literally everyone but themselves seems to know what's what. As such, when selecting this discipline the Chameleon gains the ability to replicate one [1] D - rank Discipline of choice from any other class, taking on the benefits of that Discipline for a time at the cost of energy. For twenty [20] mana and twenty [20] stamina, the Chameleon goes through a mental and spiritual shift that takes three [3] uninterrupted activations to accomplish. Once complete there's usually a flash of light, a pulse in the body, some physical or ethereal representation of the change as the Chameleon takes on a new D - ranked Discipline. When this happens their Adventurer Spell Slots become slot specific to that D - ranked Discipline's class, thus allowing them to learn those in place of normal slots. These "slots" then become inert when another Discipline is selected, making them unable to use those slots or the former Discipline's abilities until they switch back to it. As such, Chameleons must keep track of the disciplines they've trained under, and the spells/abilities learned while in it. These automatically switch out when a new discipline is taken. The only major drawback is that after two [2] changes the Chameleon must complete a full rest cycle without being attacked within five [5] posts of making the second [2nd] change.
__________________The Narrator Struts...|| tab Listening to what the boy had to say, Duran twirled his cane absentmindedly in circles, observing the hustle and bustle of soldiers and the populace around him. Sighing quietly, he finally gestured to a nearby apartment, a building that appeared to be quite large, with few windows and fewer entrances or exits. A flight of stairs led to a landing where two of the winged beasts stood guard, twisted spears in their grip held at the ready to be used at a moment's notice. "That building was meant to house two generations of families," he explained even as he returned his cane to twirling lackadaisically. "We have about a half hour before the beginning of the meeting. We can start it early, as they're mostly relaxing, or we can take a moment to increase your knowledge." It wasn't that he didn't hear what was said about the Anzu in general, as he frowned when that part was mentioned, but it was clear he was choosing to not react for reasons all his own. Was he afraid? Perhaps. How could he not be, dealing with species entirely inhuman?
Rexnov
Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2020 10:48 am
[ Rajan Stormborn ]
Adventurer l Trickster l Entite l D - Rank
I took a moment to ponder on what I heard. It was surprising that a man that seemed as prepared as Oragor would allow a hostile party to reach the zone of negotiation before he did, much more so when one considered that the place of negotiation was in his own city. Though it was possible it was done as a gesture of good will. In my view, these creatures didn’t exactly deserve any type of gestures of good will, but that was a conversation for another day. This development annoyed me to some degree, but I knew it wasn’t Duran’s fault, and there would be no benefit to taking it out on him, or even letting him know of my displeasure with nothing more than a simple sigh before I spoke and said: “Alright, well in that case, lets head in and get this started, shall we?” I wasn’t really in the waiting mood, nor was I the type of wait and strategize more so than what I had already done the night before. While it would have been beneficial if my partner would have told me what his abilities were, he seemed rather cagy about it, so I would not press him further and would simply play the situation by ear, in accordance with the rules set out by Oragor, of course.
I took a step inside the building and navigated my way to the room, standing just outside the door, I would wait for Duran to take the first step in and I would follow him inside, letting him take care of all the preliminaries before getting down to business.
Stats:
Power: 1 Agility: 2 Intelligence: 5 Chakra: 6
Passives
Half [.5] rank increase to spiritual strength
[5] Mana reduction to cost of Spells and Spiritual attacks (minimum of [5])
PA - Consumption: Gain the ability to devour the element you are born from and regain energy in the process. Able to gain back one quarter [.25] of the associated cost with a rank (minimum of [5]) of that element from consuming it, remove it from existence by absorbing it into your body through a variety of means. I.e. if the rank of fire is C - rank, you would get back five [5] Mana or Stamina. Another Personal Attribute, or taking this one twice, may be used to increase this to one half [.5] at most.
PA - Deluxe Shift: While most take one [1] full post to change into their elemental form, you’ve found the secret to becoming one with your birth element. As such it takes no action at all to change into your element and can be done as part of any Action taken.
Discipline - Chameleon: Sometimes other people have the right of it, when it comes to survival. Sometimes it's the weirdos and the freaks who know the tricks of the trade needed to see tomorrow. The Chameleon now only recognizes this but decides that literally everyone but themselves seems to know what's what. As such, when selecting this discipline the Chameleon gains the ability to replicate one [1] D - rank Discipline of choice from any other class, taking on the benefits of that Discipline for a time at the cost of energy. For twenty [20] mana and twenty [20] stamina, the Chameleon goes through a mental and spiritual shift that takes three [3] uninterrupted activations to accomplish. Once complete there's usually a flash of light, a pulse in the body, some physical or ethereal representation of the change as the Chameleon takes on a new D - ranked Discipline. When this happens their Adventurer Spell Slots become slot specific to that D - ranked Discipline's class, thus allowing them to learn those in place of normal slots. These "slots" then become inert when another Discipline is selected, making them unable to use those slots or the former Discipline's abilities until they switch back to it. As such, Chameleons must keep track of the disciplines they've trained under, and the spells/abilities learned while in it. These automatically switch out when a new discipline is taken. The only major drawback is that after two [2] changes the Chameleon must complete a full rest cycle without being attacked within five [5] posts of making the second [2nd] change.
__________________The Narrator Struts...|| tab The door opened as Duran approached, the polished mask of one of the Mist Wraiths peaking through to check on who they were. When it caught sight of the pair the door opened wider, revealing a large room nearly thirty by thirty meters in size, dominated by a large, rectangular table bearing chairs on both sides. At the head and foot were two larger chairs, though only marginally so when compared to the others, that were likely meant for the point-men for each side. Already the Anzu "sat" upon their seats, each perched much like an actual bird and slightly uncomfortable, though their chairs had had arms removed to maximize the comfort. Despite this annoyance not a one looked truly upset, and took it in stride. Despite there there was a clear distinction between the two varieties present here, one with a blue skin tone and one with a red, and there was a large gap between the two types on their side of the table. On the human side there were fewer seats, and one larger chair meant for their own point man in the discussion, leaving humans as the more numerous if one side were to assist them in a three-way bout for dominance. tab Duran utilized a stage whisper to communicate with Rajan, his words carrying only to his ears as he'd been promised. "The King's Throne is designed for you. It is equal to the leadership of the other two in all respects, which means it might be uncomfortable for you." He waited for Rajan to ender as all eyes turned to them, even as other humans entered from the other side to take their own places at the table and leaving two open, one beside the King's, open. tab
Rexnov
Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 3:37 pm
Dull hazel brown eyes looked up at the massive walls before Sonyo. Her hands were clasped neatly in front of her. It had taken her three days to get here from where she had awoken, alone and exhausted. It looked as if she had been the last of her group that had awoken from their slumber-- all around her had been shattered crystal chrysalises for miles-- but no longer had Otogakure stood where she had awakened. No, nature had long reclaimed what she had once called home.
With a soft sigh of resolve, the young woman made her way towards the closest gate and waved down a guard. She had spent her first day wondering somewhat aimlessly. Otogakure was smack dab in between konohagakure and kirigakure. She had two choices, go east or go north.
Luckily she had picked right, or she might have been in a worse situation right now.
The guard turned to her and she offered him a soft but tired smile. "Ah, hello, yes. I was wondering who I might talk to about residency? I just... awoke... three days ago from some strange crystal contraption. I need shelter and food, and I'm willing to work for it." Her tone was proper and soft, respectful. Despite her tiredness, she tried her best to keep a pleasant smile on her face.
▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ 「 M N A : :x000 // 000 」tab「 S T M : :x000 // 000 」tab「 E X P : :x000 」tab「 両 : :x0000 」 tab「 Mud / Korokoro 」tab「 E-rank 」tab「 Icebringer 」tab「 Status: Tired / Exhausted 」
__________________The Narrator Struts...|| tab The soldiers who guarded the city's gates had become lax, since they hadn't been approached for quite some time by anyone on the outside. At least, not since the Anzu had taken roost in the forest nearby. So when a young maiden strode from the depths of the jungle and somehow ended up near the gates of the last Shinobi stronghold in the Mudlands it came as a surprise to the two who stood with staves at the ready. Yet before they could speak there came a sophisticated voice from the semi-open gates as a young man in formal wear approached. "Greetings, young maiden," came the dulcet tones of trained in courtly manners. The gentleman wasn't very tall, standing no higher than average for a male of his age and human species, but he appeared to bear a weight and authority that gave the impression of somehow being taller than his peers. Eyes the color of spring mists kept to her own as he approached, though they were obscured for a moment as he took his tophat and swept it low in a courtly bow to her. tab Standing once more the figure gestured with gloved hands for the two to be at ease, for he could feel this woman was of no threat to them. Not as of yet, anyway. With a graceful sweep he pushed his strawberry hair back behind his ears as he put on his most winsome smile before holding the same hand out for her to take in greetings. "Lord Oragor has an open-door policy for those who awaken unto this new world, madam. You need not ask permission to enter. My name is Duran, and it would be my pleasure to escort you within if you would prefer some company in this new world."
Koresephone
Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2022 5:34 pm
Distrust. Always distrust. She was used to it, somewhat. Otogakure was always met with distrust, the UHV having slandered their reputation. It didn't matter if you were a healer who often healed the enemy as much as they healed their comrades. It didn't matter if you had never done anything UHV related. It didn't matter. Sonyo frowned, her shoulders tensing. She would run if she had to.
She immediately relaxed once the man from inside the city began to talk. His words were in sharp contrast to the guard's actions, but she had no choice but to place her trust in him. She would die out in the wild alone. Shifting the bag on her back, she walked forward till she met the male. She was shorter than him, standing only a few inches over five feet. Looking up and offering another light smile, she let her arms fall to her sides.
"I would love an escort, Mr. Duran. I know nothing of this new world, or this city. I am just lucky that the person who told me about this place was not lying. Would it be possible to speak with Lord Oragor? I have... questions."
▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ 「 M N A : :x000 // 000 」tab「 S T M : :x000 // 000 」tab「 E X P : :x000 」tab「 両 : :x0000 」 tab「 Mud / Korokoro 」tab「 E-rank 」tab「 Icebringer 」tab「 Status: Tired / Exhausted 」
__________________The Narrator Struts...|| tab Exactly what Duran thought of the young woman wasn't apparent in any way he moved or spoke. In fact he seemed largely just cheerful, if weirdly focused on formality more than the average person. Holding out an elbow for her to take, as any gentleman would properly do, he waited for her to take it or simply follow before turning and making his way through the gates, his eyes scanning ahead with the eyes of someone blissfully unaware of any possible danger. "To be honest, madam, I would need to check with his familiar or assistant to honor that request," he began, his tone whimsical yet still ever concerned with formality. "Though to address your first point, I am glad indeed that someone would point you our way. The city around you has only existed for less than a year, but it shows how well we are doing for an outsider to direct you here." tab Tipping the brim of his hat towards a little girl dressed in a kimono who waved to him as he passed Duran continued, meandering his way through the crowds within. "I apologize for the way our guards act. With the Anzu residing here Lord Oragor has found it prudent to have the soldiers watch for abnormalities. Not that I would ever besmirch his character, of course, but I find such a thought unusual since all of the world is strange these days."
Koresephone
Posted: Sun Jan 30, 2022 6:49 pm
lanfaer
Sonyo began to walk alongside Duran, politely declining his offered arm. Her eyes tiredly observed the surrounding areas as they began to walk through the gates. This area was... not completely alien to her. The tropical-like fauna reminded her of otogakure, but this was not Otogakure. She had not been in Kiri very often, but she did not recall it looking or feeling like this. "Apologizes are not needed-- distrust is something I am familiar with. Being on edge, on guard-- it is something I have been met with baselessly many times. Your lord sounds like a brilliant man. Times of peace are the most dangerous." Sonyo tugged on her sleeve lightly, her eyes darkening.
"There will always be those looking to end peace where it exists. Beasts of entropy bent on spreading misery." Sonyo sighed, rubbing her temples. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to ground herself back in realism and out of her head."Sorry, my travels seem to have made me a touch fatalistic. If you could just point me to any nearby lodging? I long for restful sleep..."
[ OOC :: I finally found the correct ******** layout ]
▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ 「 M A N A : :x000 // 000 」tab「 S T M : :x000 // 000 」tab「 E X P : :x000 」tab「 MNY : :x0000 」 tab「 Ice/Snow Ruler 」tab「 Korokorogakure 」tab「 E-rank 」tab「 Yuki Onna 」
She was this close to making Shadow take her with him. Opened-her-mouth-stood-on-tiptoes-ready-to-make-declaration, close. However, she didn't. Her mouth closed. She fell back down on flat feet. She nodded, and gave her assent with a smile, "Okay, if that's what you want to do. I'll see this evening at our room." She had to trust Shadow, her suspicions aside, and she really did have suspicions. Not of Shadow, of course, but of this village leader.
