Arts and Crafts (Tori)

[Kazumi]

The blazing sun hung low in the sky, its heat subsiding as people milled about the streets, making one final rush before it faded from the horizon and plunged the surface into a chilly darkness. Being the weekend's end, the rugged workshop paled in comparison to the busy thoroughfare that ran just outside. Inside of the open-faced workshop was a single lone individual, a strangely garbed boy who was working intently on sharpening a set of kunai that were strewn across the table, along with dozens upon dozens of senbon and a scattering of other parts and pieces. Sitting at the edge of the table was a large tortoise like wooden construct, devoid of flair or decoration to adorn its surface, aside from rudimentary eyes and shell that gave it its turtle like appearance. It was just over seven feet in diameter and stood perhaps a foot thick, though it would be taller if its stumpy wooden legs were not limp at its side.

A mostly blank expression covered the youth's face, with only traces of focus lining his eyes as he stared down as his work, carefully running the rough stone across the edges of each keen edge of each kunai, doing so over a dozen times with each blade before setting it down and working on the next. A soft and rhythmic sound echoed against the louder sounds of foot traffic outside as he worked his way from weapon to weapon. He had many many more to do, but time was of no pressing concern to him, it was better to give each edge his attention than it was to rush through them all and lower his peak efficiency out on the next mission which needed these weapons the most. From time to time, however, he took a moment to glance up outside, either from a random sound he could not recognize immediately, or to see if he could break his concentration to try and memorize as much about each individual as he could see within the few seconds that he saw him. It was training, of a sort, mundane as it would be, but it somehow did bring him a modest amount of enjoyment between the honing these crude weapons.

 

[Tori]

Tori was among those walking through the streets, on his way home from a longer day. His face and sight were partially obscured by a largely unneeded cowl. The whole outfit stood brown and drab, just a hardy thing to protect the skin. At some point, he got so used to wearing such clothing that only the dead of night warranted wandering around without it. Less stares and obnoxious rays of light were always welcome.

Many other people occupied the area, by the look of his surroundings. He should have either waited or gotten out earlier, or so Tori thought. The crowd thickened a bit, causing the young teenager to veer into a nearby workshop. A few such buildings dotted the area and would provide a fair distraction to the subdued. Upon stepping into the public interior, Tori noted how empty it actually was. Even his workplace had more company before he left, not that he came in to talk or anything...but Tori brooded over the lack of projects to see. Which crafting space was this anyway?

Before Tori sorted it all out, he caught sight of the turtle sitting on the edge of the table. Of course, the thing was more construct than turtle, but the young artist didn’t expect to see anything beyond utter practicality, thinking he left more whimsical places behind. Soon various parts and small weaponry prompted his mind to wake, although not into a state of alarm. New attentiveness also demanded he take the damn cowl off and acknowledge the peer whose work he looked over.

Being made more aware of shinobi over the past few weeks caused Tori to mouth, “Puppet?” aloud. A question to himself? The other boy? He couldn’t be sure.

 

[Kazumi]

The boy, who was actually slightly taller than the puppeteer, didn't even receive a passing glance as he entered the shop. That wasn't to say he wasn't noticed, but with the work he had been doing lately, it had become second nature to keep eye contact away from newcomers, better to give them the illusion of not being noticed than to draw attention to it. At least until the stranger spoke up, which pulled Ren's flat gaze over towards him. He continued to look rather disinterested, possibly even bored. "Correct." he replied, his tone young and his speech clear and succinct, but still sounding somehow off. "This is based upon a schematic that I was able to acquire in the shop. Supplies were readily available, and the construction was not overly complicated. I believe it is aimed towards overachieving beginners, but it's room for customization and modifications have served me well enough." Ren paused and gave the other boy a slow scan, "I have not seen you here before."

 

[Tori]

Something about the smaller child gnawed at the back of Tori’s brain. He couldn’t pin the problem down, despite probably experiencing several times before. Still, it resulted in instinctual revulsion. So he tried to choke down nervousness, aware that the rest of his evening would be spent trying to cast the thoughts out of his head somehow.

“This is my first time here. I make other things.” Too bad Tori easily became unnerved by casual conversation; not to mention he had no real business here. There was also that analyzing stare from a freaking pre-teen, and-Tori pressed three fingers unto his temple. Allowing the mind to race wouldn’t help. His eyes quickly strayed to the turtle again, now more aware of how bare the object looked, “Will you decorate it?”

 

[Kazumi]

"Decorate?" He sounded mildly confused as he continued to stare over at the nervous boy. Ren did not appear to suffer from nervousness as others did, there was hesitation for some actions and situations he was unused to, but one of the benefits of not having a stomach was that it didn't get bunched into knots at the lightest provocation. "Puppet Gamma? What benefit would there be in decoration? Camouflage would potentially be beneficial, but the materials are old and supplies for such are limited. It would also vary highly between locations, a given pattern that would prove beneficial in the desert would be unwise for use in the forests or plains." Perhaps he simply didn't understand that the boy was implying? Strange, given the outlandishness of his garb. "You appear nervous. I have no cause or intention to bring you to mental or physical harm. You appear to have lineage from this Country, and are likely a citizen of this village as well, given your complexion. It would be inadvisable for me to even consider such activities."

 

[Tori]

The seemingly older boy kept his eyes on the turtle, digesting the words. Not many adults bothered speaking to Tori in such a way, if at all. Some select words caused Tori to sharply turn back to the puppeteer, numbing previous thoughts and concerns. “Well camouflage is one thing. You can also do it for yourself…” He finally took the time to look Ren over. The clothings reminded him of a weird word an old teacher tossed around. His mind couldn’t recall the term then and there.

Tori managed to settle down, although he still looked incitable. “We’ve got old supplies I can spot you for, but I’m not sure what would work best with wooden surfaces. Any paint needs to be thick and not watered down.” He lifted his thumb up to his mouth and lightly gnawed on the nail.

 

[Kazumi]

"I do not believe I fully comprehend your recommendation. For what purpose would applying thick paint to it be beneficial to myself? Any damage occurred in battle would necessitate repairs not only to the construct itself, but also to any aesthetic marking that paint would allow." The notion of painting it for pleasure or amusement was not coming easily to the shinobi. "If you were wishing to do so, I do not believe I see harm in such. There is a high probability that any such additions would be damaged or removed in the next skirmish I am pulled into." He took a few steps closer to both Tori and the puppet, kneeling down beside the large wooden construct. "External modifications only, however. Also, each wooden slit will need to be gone over with a blade after to ensure that each is able to move freely. It may not appear to be so, but this unit has been designed to allow for numerous battlefield modifications. Not as many as Beta, but a sufficient number."

He stood up and extended his hand out a small ways, make a small gesture as he sent out a chakra string from each fingertip onto the puppet. To the untrained eye, the gesture would be meaningless and the strings practically invisible, but to a shinobi with years of experience, the strings would become faintly visible every few seconds as the chakra flow pulsed between Ren and the puppet. Accompanied by the sound of a dozen or so loud metal clicks, the puppet rattled and the for stumpy legs that protruded from its base quickly receded into its body, a wooden door clamping shut over where each old used to be. "Perhaps if the coating were specially prepared, it could add an extra layer of protection that the wooden body was not resistant to. If only, perhaps, a slower rate of degradation to the frame..."

 

[Tori]

So the puppeteer started rambling again. Thankfully, Tori could selectively lend his ear. It sounded like the other shinobi was giving permission, but surety was in short supply. He might have even complained over the point of it all; or maybe Tori projected fiercely to accommodate for the sheer lack of emotional invest. Odds appeared to go half and half.

Then the turtle began to move. It went along with Ren’s wheels turning and the first positive point to come up. “Pretty sure I can beg, borrow, or steal some heavy duty paint from ‘somewhere’…” Tori’s voice trailed off, noting he blatantly confessed to things that people normally keep quiet about. Terrible luck led to his sister catching him in the act of pinching supplies before. Punishments ranged from getting yelled to her chasing Tori out of the shop with a broom.

Tori blurted out suddenly, “Yeah, I can do that. Just going to need a day or two to get the stuff over here.” The color scheme and design already segued unto the train of thought. Another thought soon surfaced, far more disruptive and jarring, “Oh, I’m Hisoka Tori.” Social graces often punched a whole through Tori’s sails. His voice even got deadpan in order to avoid grumbling. Better to squat down and examine the puppet more closely. He rested his elbow on the table and did just that.

 

[Kazumi]

"Have introductions not been commenced?" A moment of paused was followed by a slight nod of his head, "perhaps not. The pondering of this venture must have distracted me from the common social grace. My apologies Hisoka, you may call me Ren. It is the name that I have adopted at this time." A few more gestures of his hand and another cascade of loud clicking sounds could be heard from the puppet as latches around the edge of its shell popped open. Within seconds it began to slowly open, exposing a cascade of intricate wires, levers, switches, and all manner of mechanisms that powered the internal traps and devices. Each one was either made from old wood or even older looking metal. It was a wonder that it all worked well enough to be serviceable, much less a competent weapon of a trained combatant.

"You would have my appreciation for assisting in delving into this subject of study. I do not believe paint on its own will suffice. I have some own ideas that may work, but it is difficult to tell if they would be practical." He stepped closer to the turtle and knelt down beside it, running his hand along its rough wooden exterior. "Perhaps if ground finely enough a mixture of carmot dust would add something to its coating. Chakra resistance at the least? It is possible that it could work in reverse... or perhaps the outer coating of the dust would divert some of the chakra around the shell, or perhaps even be absorbed. This is very interesting, I had not considered the possibility of using the crystals in such a manner." He looked up from his puppet and over towards the lad, "you have my continued appreciation Hisoka."

 

[Tori]

“Just Ren?” he bothered to ponder for only a moment before claiming, “Okay, I got you.” Perhaps Ren was an orphan or despised his last name. It hopefully had nothing to do with the present situation. Even if it did, Tori simply needed to refrain from crafting remotely dangerous art, no matter how fun it could be. He bopped his head via excessive nodding.

The puppet’s guts were aged, alright. Tori was surprised by the lack of rot or rust. Nature really wanted to do it in, even if it needed to barge in the front door.

“Carmot dust, huh?” Being the budding student he was, Tori stood to benefit by broadening his shopping list. “Is it water soluble? Toxic?” His luck typically manifested as a double-edge sword. So the more information the young artist could get, the better.