Contract Search Night Bird [Contract Teaching] [Private] [Keni]

[Michi]

It was a two-day journey through these lost and broken lands. It was dangerous to travel during the day when the sun was at its cruellest, so she traveled at night. The nights were cold in contrast to the heated days, many travelers were unaware of the nocturne chill but Michi was well prepared. She had caught a dune hare and she was cooking the skinned beast on a crudely fashioned spit. A soul could only nourish so much, the human part of her craved the flesh even after all this time. The merry crackle of the flame and the warmth of the small fire built from knotted thorny brambles and a few fragments of found wood that were pocketed during the first portion of the journey.

She sighed, there was still another day of travel before she reached the gates. A sense of anxious anticipation filled her, she had avoided the village as some might a former lover. It was a place of shame for her, she was not entirely certain how she could face any of them. At first it was meant to be a few week sabbatical but the weeks turned into months and the months into years. She was thankless when she should have expressed gratitude. She was calculating when she should have been kind. She was full of fear when she should have trusted those around her. Still, she was compelled to return, there was no seal calling her back. There was no stern summons. She had found something not only strange but also unknown and the later was what would truly confound her. The Order had their secrets, she would be a fool to believe otherwise, but there were only a few reasons that she could comprehend that her peers would have obfuscated an old religion, be it a work of the first men or some generation later and that is if there was some sort of validity as well as a need to prevent the destruction of this archaic congregation.

She did not bring much with her, she did not plan to stay for long. A satchel over her shoulder carried much more than it should have considering its given dimensions, but the only thing inside her bag was a collection of tomes, all penned by herself. She was slowly rewriting the vast collection of books she had read as a child in the Great Oracle Library of her youth. She was also penning works of her own. Everything she saw, everything she experienced was dutifully written and bound by hand for the past two decades. She often employed a courier that would make this journey in her stead biannually. She had avoided making contact on her own, the choice of a coward as the years passed. She was not due to deliver these tomes' for another two months but she would deliver the books herself so that she could verbally relay her findings because they were the only findings that were not put to paper.

It would be in the dead of night, amid the crackling flame and the eerily dancing shadow that her thoughts would be broken by the sound of footfalls. She would call out, "join me."

WC: 537
Contract Mastery: Teaching Bird Contract

 

[Hojirozame Samezuka]

Some things he just could not catch, throughout his entire life he knew when he was outmatched, when it came to strength or speed two of the most important factors in the hunt, sometimes he was just lacking. And right now he just did not have the speed, Fuku, his bat companion had taken to the skies after an argument between the two, which has led Hoji to travel for ages chasing after the frigid creature. However when it came to flying there was nothing he could do, his only option being to slowly stumble after him, travelling through the boiling desert was something that he really hated to do, however this would be the second time that he'd been taken on... a wild bat chase. Night would begin to fall as the Samezuka came to terms with the fact that he'd lost him, with the air beginning to get cold he grabbed each of his arms and shivered his pace becoming even slower.
--
Wherever he was he had taken to natural instincts to find warmth, this suddenly turned in to a battle for survival, would he be able to even make his way back? As he spun round he had no clue where he came from, if he didn't act soon he'd be left as bones to vultures. Whilst his eyesight was likely the most useless of all of his senses it still was somewhat competent if truly needed, in the distance he could see a flicker of light and small puffs of smoke take to the black sky. Perhaps... a meal? Changing his stance he would get on all fours before slowly taking to crawling, his head just above the sandy expanse. Nearing closer his sense of smell kicked in to gear as what could only be described as a scrumptious meal entered in to his mind, he was attempting to use what little stalking abilities he'd gained from being part of a food chain for most of his life.

Although this was all for naught as he would hear the person sitting by the smell call out for him, he stood silent for a moment, his beady eyes widening as he held his jaw shut, hesitantly he would appear from out the shadows still crawling across the floor. His stance and appearance looking far more like a starved animal than another human, he had no clue of her strength or capabilities but he was not about to give up his chance of a meal yet. Making a harsh sharp growl noise he would begin to slowly approach the spitroast his head shifting between the woman and the food at every chance he'd get.

WC: 448
TWC: 448/1500
Post: 1/5

 

[Michi]

Like a beacon in the night, the flames of the small campfire summoned the youth. The promise of warmth and a meal more than enough to draw the strange creature to the penumbra of illumination. And a creature would be the most apt definition, on all fours the stalking youth, perhaps young man, at her age they all look 'too young.' It did not concern her, be it a feral child or a beast that takes the form of a young man. She would pull the roasting haire from the flames and rip the left hind quarters with a bare hand. The burnt flesh would break way in her hand, the pain of the radiant heat would be fleeting. She would eat the morsel of meat with her bare hand as she extended the remaining 4/5 of a dune haire towards the boy. "I have already eaten," thanks to Kota. This was a meal more out of habit than need.

The soul and the body had different needs.

"The night is dark and full of truer terrors than I. Sit. Speak... Eat," if or when he takes the hunk of beast she would relinquish her hold on the crudely made spit. The darkness was very much alive. The shadows moved freely, writhing, snapping at the air, at his heels. The air was still cold despite their proximity to the flames. A manifestation of her nature, of the elements that did not bring life but were life. Few understood the true nature of Ancients, they did not derive their power from the elements, they were the elements from which they were derived.

The darkness was alive. It always has been. Its' will bound, its capricious nature muted. But it was the nature of the night to swath the truth, to bely what a viewer fears, to allow one's imagination to run rampant but to never lie. yet few considered why one needed the night. Why Fuujin's glory needed to be punctuated by the fearsome darkness. Yet few considered the blinding glare of the day, the fact that some secrets are best left hidden and that the duality of night and day, shadow and light was a part of a very necessary balance.

He would feel the darkness slither past his ankles, brush against his back, skitter across the crown of his head. "What brings you so far from the safety of the walls, the halls and all of the tribes of man?" There was a reason men congregate. A reason they build walls. A reason that there is no tribe of one.

WC: 428
Cumulative: 965

 

[Hojirozame Samezuka]

Wasting no time he leapt towards the freely offered mass of meat, the most confusing part being that she offered... the majority of it to him. He'd bite in to the warm flesh wrangling it around in his mouth for a moment before his teeth sliced and ripped through the muscle as he gobbled it down relatively quickly. In the wild you never knew when someone would try to snatch something from you, whether it was a meal... or ones own life. He never played with his food. Still hesitant yet somewhat more relaxed he would sit a sizeable distance away from her still on the edge of the campfire's light, his hands placed down in front of him as if he was ready to pounce whenever it may be necessary. Mustering up the courage to spew out a few words of gratitude for the meal, "Urhm... thrank.. thrank yoou. For frood."

Despite trying to keep up a defensive demeanour he could not help but flash a somewhat derpy smile as his tongue would flicker from out of his mouth for a moment, yet it would only last moments before he could still feel the nights chill trickle down his body. As if without thinking his body moved on it's own hands first, legs next as he huddled closer towards the fire in an attempt to free himself from the lashes of the dark air. It gave him a feeling of... uneasiness unlike one that he'd ever really experienced before, it was usual for him to know when praying eyes were looking at him in nature... but something that had none? The sheer thought made him visibly shiver in discomfort.

Trying to swat away his nerves he figured it best to attempt talking despite his struggle with language. "My... friend.. Fuku! His... he's grone... I lost him! I am Samezuka... Hoji... and he is a bratty brat, flew away and I..." He would begin to tear up thinking about it bringing his wrists up to his beady eyes as he wiped away what little water leaked out. "We..! We frought... over frood! Then then! I chrased him aaalllll the way out here... was strarving... still... thirsty.." He would silently and meekly sob to himself as he spoke thinking that he'd be forced to face Sunagakure alone without his companion, if today meant anything, unlike usual, he found the dark... scary.

WC: 400
TWC:848/1500
Post: 2/5

 

[Michi]

He would take the meat. It was fine meat in terms of the fact it was hot, it was fresh and it was clean. However, it lacked for spice. Food was simply food, a nourishment of the body rather than the soul. "Urhm... thrank.. thrank yoou. For frood." The speech pattern was odd, but she did not address it. She could not sense an ancient kinship, he was no kirishii or... she cocked her head, a child of the deep court, even if he bore the features one might associate with the denizens of the court. What an unfortunate creature. It was not pity however that earned him a meal, it was need. His need, not hers. "You're welcome," a common platitude, but what is common is also hollow and meaningless.

"My... friend.. Fuku! His... he's grone... I lost him! I am Samezuka... Hoji... and he is a bratty brat, flew away and I..."

She looked up and saw nothing in the sky but darkness and an impending storm. "We..! We frought... over frood! Then then! I chrased him aaalllll the way out here... was strarving... still... thirsty.."

"Was it worth the fight, the meal? Is a friend worth taking less than your fill?" A hungry stranger was well-enough reason to yield the majority of her bounty. "Friends are more than an exhaustive resource, an ally or even a member of a pack. A friend is an extension of yourself. Their loss is a loss of part of yourself," her hands would run through an array of hand seals. "Their hunger is your hunger and their pain is yours even if your flesh does not know it, your heart one day will." Her hands would snap into the final seal before resting on her lap. The ninjutsu was non-offensive, not nearly as threatening as the creeping darkness that surrounded them. The darkness that slithered and stalked. "The real rains will come in a few hours," she claimed confidently, the stars were already hidden by the inky sky. Let the cooling rains fall [Raindance - Master Rank]. A trickling rain would devolve quickly into a downpour, causing the bonfire to grow small and to simply die out in the presence of the swelling darkness. A dark world was a dangerous world,

"And then we will find your friend."

She would thumb the ring on her right index finger. A small, silver ring with a small, smooth star sapphire stone. A small razor would snap open and slice the pad of her thumb open. The blood would drip from her hand, diluted by the pouring rain. As the rain poured down and mingled with the blood sacrifice, a sinister energy coalesced in the darkness. From the swirling shadows emerged a creature of ominous beauty - a shadowy bird made of pure darkness and gloom. Its form was elusive and ever-shifting, its feathers a deep and velvety black that seemed to absorb all light around it. The wings looked as if they were releasing a dark steam. The rain would patter down on its back and run off its great and terrible form in dark rivulets, giving proof to its true physical presence.

The avian's wings unfurled, seemingly crafted from the essence of night itself. The wings stretched wide, casting a dim, black fog-like silhouette against the stormy sky. As the summon hovered briefly in the air, ethereal tendrils extended from its wings, trailing, snaking, intertwining with the surrounding gloom. The contract summon's dark, massive, curved beak, sharp opened to release an unearthly cry. With graceful and deliberate movements, the shadowy bird would descend to the ground, its talons gracefully outstretched would embed themselves into the sandy mire. The aura this summon exuded was one of ancient, dark wisdom. Though its physical presence was elusive, its presence was palpable, radiating an aura of foreboding power.

"This is my friend."

WC: 642
Cumulative: 1607

 

[Hojirozame Samezuka]

Joining her in what she was looking at, he would also gaze up at the dark sky filled with clouds soon to burst, although as she spoke he could not help but hang his head in shame, the argument felt all so trivial now considering what he had lost, his only friend. Placing his head in his hands he would quietly sniffle to himself whilst quietly mumbling, not aware of what Michi had been doing with her hands as he lamented. "I'm sorrae.. Fuku... prease come brack... prease..." His body only being brought back up by the trickling feeling of rain on his back, water was always a good refresher for the shark, especially in these dry lands. The only jutsu he knew involving water being very basic and straightforward, a simple shot right from him mouth. It did bring his spirits a little higher as he opened his jaw wide trying to catch as much as he could in his mouth.

Whilst the flame was doused, he felt safe in the soft cold caress of water's touch, with his electroreception he needn't use his eyes to be able to see. Taking a gulp of all the water he would look in Michi's direction, scratching his head vigirously with two hands before slamming each of his palms in to the ground. "We wrill frind Fuku! And... I mrust say sorrae." It wasn't a question no, but a firm statement he needed to apologise for his foolishness, he couldn't take him for granted. Not again... however he wouldn’t be prepared for the darkness that would soon swarm the two of them. Seeming to be from Michi’s origin it took over the campsite, rising up to a somewhat visible yet ethereal form at the same time. It’s screech causing Hoji to completely freeze his whole body tingling and screaming that it was immense danger in front of him, something not to be fought but to be feared.

His mouth left gaping open he finally mustered up the courage to stumble slightly back as Michi complained that this was her friend. But… such a creature? Really? “F-f-friend? Hrow?” The question was barely spat out.

WC:359
TWC: 1207/1500

 

[Michi]

The Oracle stood there, her dark eyes glinting with an otherworldly light as she observed the scene unfolding before her. The rain cascading down around them seemed to invigorate the shark-child. The taste of cool, sweet, hydrating respite. The reverberations of raindrops. A million pings and with it, ultimate clarity. The unintentional visualization of the dunes upon which they sat. The uneven, sloped ground was to be expected. The gnarled brambles that were mostly burnt away, all that remained was a skeletal-like cage of charred fuel. What was not expected was what else he saw with utter clarity as the rains fell, pattering over the writhing, wiggling darkness that superseded his enhanced vision and persisted. Like worms, intensified seemingly by the fact that they were being observed.

As Hoji hung his head in shame and expressed his regrets, she could sense the genuine remorse within him. The hybrid was not unfamiliar with the complexity of relationships, the bonds that could be frayed and mended through time and understanding. That love was logical. She listened to his mumbling, feeling a spark of compassion for his pain. The darkness served as a natural conduit for her bond with not only the denizens of the Glomming Court but also her contractual link to something else entirely. The blood tainted earth would summon the darkness to it and the shadows would coalesce into a formidable avian form

Hoji would declare a new mission - to reconcile with Fuku. His determination wavering only a moment Kana's screech echoed through the air, freezing Hoji in his place. She could see the trepidation etched on his face and Hoji's bewildered question hung in the air, and the Sunan allowed a moment of silence to pass before speaking. Her voice carried an otherworldly resonance, "friends be them like mine, or be like yours complete you. Without them, something is not only missing, leaving you incomplete and out of balance." Balance being the key word and it goes beyond the physical - wings that carry bodies of flesh and hollow bone on the winds. Balance pertains to the ying and yang, hot and cold, smooth and rough, the duality of nature and how when placed together they become one. "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts."

"The darkness surrounds you, black... choking and thick... it forces you to embrace the unknown, which means you need to breach the darkness with the light." With a wave of her hand, she unleashed a surge of energy, temporarily summoning a deeper, crueler darkness. "Gather your courage. Find a way to confront the dark, counter its intentions so you can learn to protect those who are dear to you. Balance lie not in calm waters, but in the face of adversity."

Hoji would be given an opportunity. A challenge - breech the darkness. Fight for the fate of the dying light.

WC: 478
Cumulative: 2085

​

 

[Hojirozame Samezuka]

Michi was quite the… enigma to him he’d never seen or talked to another creature quite like her, there was nothing in the nature or wild that he’d witnessed such immense… otherworldly ness. It was like she was not from this plane and her powers as well as personality itself seemed like they carried immense depth. Whilst her words were twisting and long, somewhat too advanced for the young shark he would get the relative gist of what was being said. "Mre and Fuku fright together... eat together... everything... together... brecause... brecause... his ma brest friend!!!" Despite the darkness which surrounded him, he would beam as bright as a light, he was determined now to gain him back.

He'd take a step back looking at the darkness which is right in front of him, he'd place his hands right out not quite sure of what he was doing, but knowing he just had to dive head first. Closing his eyes he concentrated solely on his natural electroreception. "Okray! Thren i wrill swim dreep in!" He'd dive right in, rushing through it's dark aura consuming him taking away all of his other five senses, even with his eyes closed there would be no point in opening them. He couldn't hear, smell, feel, see or taste anything. No... he could only sense with his innate ability, placing each of his arms by his side, sitting down on the sandy floor. And allowing it to surround him, whether she could hear him or not it didn't matter he would speak out in defiance. "I wron't leave! Nrot untril I nreed to!" Calling out in to the darkness, he despite all else even though he was scared... he was more determined than anything. If this meant having to confront the darkness head on then so be it, he'd work with it to concentrate his sense... as much as he could!

Leaving his eyes closed for a moment he would wait until he could feel something... anything... and just like that something would tingle around a dozen metres in the air above him. A small floating sensation somewhat tired yet consistent in it's flapping about. "FUUUUUKKKUUUUUU!!" He screamed out, the small bat getting a moment of shock before peeking around and making a small screech sound. Using his echolocation Fuku would swoop down, joining Hoji in the darkness as he perched upon his head. He'd stand back out, rushing out of the darkness, tripping as he did and sliding across the floor with tears and a smile upon his face as he patted the bat's head atop him. "My friend!" Proclaiming to the mysterious woman.

WC: 440
TWC: 1647/1500

 

[Michi]

"Mre and Fuku fright together... eat together... everything... together... brecause... brecause... his ma brest friend!!!"

Well, yes. But that was not what was so profound about their relationship. A beast of the sky and a child of the land and sea. It was the companionship that they found in spite of these differences that was what reminded her of an earlier time and an earlier contract shared. She twisted the ring on her finger, it's brother was on the hand of another. Hoji embraced the challenge before him, his determination unwavering. Despite the darkness that shrouded him and the unknown dangers that lay ahead, he was willing to dive headfirst into the abyss to reclaim his friend. She admired his courage, it was through such acts that true strength was forged.

Adaptation, focus, reliance on his own strength and finding balance within, Hoji closed his eyes and focused on his unique electroreception. The dark energy shifting around him, wrapping and engulfing him completely. There was no pain, there was never any true danger. The only danger on day would have been a fragility of his heart. The young shark's trust in his abilities and his faith in his friendship shone through his defiant proclamation.

"Okray! Thren i wrill swim dreep in!"

"I wron't leave! Nrot untril I nreed to!"

The darkness swirled around him, but he remained resolute. And then, a faint tingling in the air above him caught his attention. With an ecstatic cry, Hoji called out to his friend Fuku. "FUUUUUKKKUUUUUU!!" The fire and the light had likely long ago summoned the bat. The darkness and the strangeness of it all could have left Hoji's companion at a distance but like Hoji, friendship would conquer fear and adversity. The bat fluttered down from above and it would join Hoji in the depths of the darkness. The shadows would fade as the reunion was observed, the power of friendship in two unlike creatures prevailed over the uncanny and the unknown.

As Hoji rushed out of the darkness, tears streaming down his face. His genuine joy and gratitude were palpable. "My friend!" He declared triumphant.

Michi nodded in acknowledgment. "Your loyalty and determination have brought you both back together." With a subtle gesture, the Oracle dispersed the remaining darkness, allowing the campsite to once again be illuminated by the faint soft glow of the moon which was being shadowed by a veil of clouds. "Even in the face of darkness, there is always a glimmer of light. Hold on to that light and let it guide your path."

She would remove the small silver ring from her finger, as simple a piece as it was, it was a rather powerful artifact. The flesh would briefly resist, but yield. there were others like it. It was perhaps the one positive legacy of Nao. "They were watching," she announced as she extended her arm, palm side down with the ring hidden within. She would relinquish the ring when she knew it would simply drop into his hand. A strange white steam would emanate from the metal once it made contact with his hands (either when he picked it up if he did not take it or when he caught it in his hands) and something new would emerge from the ring. Hoji might not immediate notice that the dark, shadowy bird that stood by during this exam was already gone.

[Describe your Bird]​

Note: Canon description is obviously up for Team approval and this serves merely as a placekeeper and would be retconned to whatever they approved.

"I have made a contract with Ko and Jo called the Rapport of the Skies. Kana heeded my call and they have heeded yours." She did not know their (the contract summon's) name. "They are drawn to those that demonstrate balance." She would pause a moment in case Hoji had something to say. She would eventually speak in Hoji's favor. "Samezuka Hoji has demonstrated on multiple occasions a duality, as well as a place within the balance as unusual a boy as he might seem. Samezuka Hoji represents determination, courage, and the power of instinct, a contrast to myself as a logic-driven, critical person. He accepted from me meat in spite of my alien presence, my darkness and coexisted. He represents a potential for a harmonious balance of strength, combining the eventual" he is weak-sauce now but someday "raw power of his young physique with the knowledge and guidance of his peers."

There was more and of course they saw it all. The balance between light and darkness. The darkness that surrounded Hoji minutes earlier represented the unknown, fear, and uncertainty. It threatened to consume him and keep him separated him from his dear, lost friend Fuku. "In the darkest of moments, through his unwavering determination, Samezuka Hoji was able to summon his own light, find that he does not even need light to find his way" due to his natural electroreception "and find his friend. This signified the importance of finding balance between the light and darkness not only in the environment but also within ourselves, to overcome dark elements with one's own power and to never give in."

She would take a few steps back. "I feel that he is worthy of accepting your contract. There is a balance between trust and self-reliance. Samezuka Hoji has shown a capacity to trust in his own abilities, relying on his electroreception to navigate through the darkness. At the same time, he also trusted in me, a stranger. He had no way of knowing for certain that I intended him no harm and as I progressively made the setting appear more eerie and less hospitable, Samezuka Hoji trusted that would do him no harm even in a terrifying situation. He did not allow our differences or the unknown to become biases. This showcases the importance of finding a balance between self-confidence and accepting assistance from others. It is through this equilibrium that Samezuka Hoji was able to achieve his goal and reunite with Fuku."

The bird (however it appeared) would manifest the Rapport of the skies. She was familiar with this enigmatic document. The Rapport of the Skies is a stout, thick scroll of illustrious golden paper. The paper shimmers in even the smallest amount of light, and each signature within seems to be writing very neatly. Her name among the names inscribed. She would extend the document and a quill from her bag to Hoji. If or when the document is signed, the scroll would ignite into brilliant white flames before returning to the contract realm once again.

"Thank you," she would bow her head and shoulders slightly. "I know that he will find new friendship and understand his own potential in time." This time to Hoji, "you embody the balance of friendship and its transformative power. Your unwavering devotion to your friend Fuku in spite disagreement, adversity and a fearsome setting fueled your determination and gave you the strength to confront the darkness. Fuku, completes you and came in response to your call, demonstrating the profound bond you both share. Just remember moving forward that you need to nourish and cherish your friendships. Friends provides support, companionship, and a sense of belonging, ultimately helping you to maintain the delicate balance within your life."

And with that, her journey would need to move onward. The Oracle prepared to depart, her form dissipating into the shadows, she left Hoji and Fuku with one final message. "May your friendship endure the trials of time."

WC: 3327
Contract: Bird