Black Bazaar / White Barn

[Shingetsu Sora]

Making sure to keep his belongings close to himself, Sora found himself deep within the ruins of Old Suna in a place that his mother probably wouldn't have purposefully wanted him to be at. While he tried his best to be a good and honest son, there were just some times when he needed to do something exciting enough to get his blood pumping and hopefully not get himself killed in the process. That was at least the idea behind his current adventure. Whereas many of his peers found themselves always physically training their bodies for the various exams and test that came towards all warriors, Sora found himself more wanting to explore the matters of the mind and his own mental fortitude and thus he found himself a lot further from home than he normally found himself to be.

Dressed in unassuming garb, the long black cloak sported a hood that could easily hide his ever watching eyes as they darted too and fro before him. For a fish out of water such as himself, it was always a little too dangerous to be clearly identified as a tourist and not a resident even when traveling within the only country that he had ever known. Some places, such as the Black Bazaar always proved themselves to be hostile towards those who were of faint of heart and Sora wasn't trying to become such an easy victim despite the ever looming idea in his mind that he wouldn't find the particular shop that he was looking for. A bit of a rumor, the supposed, White Barn, was a mysterious shop among many that could only be found in the Black Bazaar. Said to stand out from among those around it, it was also rumored that one didn't find the building but that the building found those that it deemed worthy of entering it. Up for an adventure and certainly up for a mystery, Sora walked on as he dodged shady looking shopkeepers and pickpockets alike.

 

[Kaen]

"Look, buddy..." The towering redhead pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration and annoyance. "I know for a fact that you sell them here. Now walk your happy ass back there and find them!" A fearless gaze threatening to pierce the merchant's very head seemed to be enough to convince the shady peddler. After disappearing behind a curtain leading into what most likely was a storage area the merchant returned after fifteen or twenty seconds with a pair of sealed scrolls. The Bulky redhead inspected the scrolls over before tossing a hefty bag onto the table. It sounded as if a large quantity of gold coins were inside, but who could really tell. The merchant was quick to swipe the payment off the table and make them disappear. "See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" "Piss off" The merchant replied.

Waving his hand as a sign of saying 'whatever' Kaen would turn to return down the street of bustling side street markets. But as he turned he would be paying more attention to securing his scrolls than he was his path. With a subtle 'thud' Kaen would walk right into Sora. "Hey, watch where the fuck you're going!" An expression of outrage quickly swept over his face, at least until he realized it wasn't some random punk not paying attention to where they were walking. Hey didn't recognize the individual, but they seemed young. "Oh, my bad kid." The previously angry look receded to a impenetrable countenance. Assuming Sora had been knocked down by the mammoth-sized man Kaen would extend a large hand to help Sora back to his feet. "This isn't the place for the faint of heart, if you're not careful you're gonna end up getting mugged, beaten or killed. Or worse, trafficked." The likely hood of that last part was slim, but he just wanted to put a little fear into the kid lest he get mixed up in something crazy.


[OOC - I saw the word 'ancient' on your stuff. Are you an Ancient? If so, I would imagine we would pick up on each other's nature, or at the very least when/if we touch. Seeing as i'm a Flame Court Ancient Hybrid. Sorry it took a minute, weekend was cray, and then I had no idea what to even write lol.]

 

[Shingetsu Sora]

Normally Sora was very careful when he was walking, so careful in fact that unless he was truly caught unaware by another vision of his Ancient past overtaking him then he was quite adept at avoiding trouble. Unfortunately for Sora, some people just seemed to gravitate towards him in a way of attempting to make trouble where there was none needed. In a flurry of motion Sora went from being cussed out to being called a kid, to being coddled like a child. It was true that Sora wasn't an adult, yet, but in the world of killer shinobi, when a twelve year old could be considered a most proficient assassin, Sora took it a bit personally when the guy made a number of assumptions about in such a rapid fashion. What was even worse than that was the fact that the guy just flat out rubbed Sora the wrong way. He couldn't quite put his finger on it but there was an aversion to him, almost like he reeked of trouble or something foul that the young man wanted no parts of.

Grimacing, Sora's hands shot up into the air in an act of speaking up for himself and while attempting to figure out just what the mans motives were. Though their contact had been brief, it was enough to cause Sora to have to partially contort his body so as to go along with the awkward bump so as to not end up on the ground. "Geez, you maybe you could go buy a pair of glasses since you're clearly blind enough to ignore an entire body in motion!" Normally Sora wouldn't have fired off such as an awkward retort but for the life of him he couldn't figure out just what was with the guy. Even just looking him up and down, Sora noticed the muscles and the clearly well worked body but like an invisible chain was being pulled, his hackles were raised up and on high alert. What was certain was that something primal had been clicked and without any way of knowing what it was, he was all too ready to go on the offensive. Unaware of his rising fury, he was subconsciously starting to call chakra to his extremities as his aura began to flicker to life. "You want to come at me a bit more correctly, old man, or am I going to have to fetch you a pair of crutches?" Again, another less than well thought response that threatened to elevate the situation.

OOC: Yep, a newly "awakened" Water Court Ancient but Sora hasn't come across any other Ancients or Hybrids since his awakening so this'll be his first time having to deal with that duality.

 

[Kaen]

Kaen remained steadfast as he was berated by the stranger. He tried not to smile as his vision was put into question, not uncalled for given how complacent he had allowed himself to be in that moment. A rarity to be sure, as an ex-anbu captain he usually was more vigilant. Perhaps he had just gotten too caught up in the exchange with the side-street vendor. The fiery Hybrid had come a long way since he had come to call Sunagakure home. Once upon a time his wrath waxed hot like the scorching sea of sand at high noon. His encounter with Mother Suna, Shiori herself, only fanned the internal flames as the essence of Homura himself flowed through his veins. But now, after all these years and interactions, he had a better grip on his emotional stability.

"You want to come at me a bit more correctly, old man, or am I going to have to fetch you a pair of crutches?"

Well... better, but not excellent...

A sensation raced across his nervous system as the individual's chakra slowly started to exude outwards. His heart fluttered to life in an instant as his own Ancient chakra instinctively pushed back. Threats were not something he would ignore, his very nature would not allow him to. If there was a fight to be had, something to be won, he and his 'kind' would be there ready and willing. The Flame Court Ancients were practically born for battle, he almost was wishing the threat was not just some empty attempt to intimidate.

With a look that could pierce through Sora, Kaen would lock eyes with him and lower his head a bit. His voice rumbled slowly as he gave his response. "I'm not sure you heard me..." With his aura matching Sora's he would lean in a little closer, almost daring him to make a move. "Tread carefully, people don't usually walk away after poking the bear." Excitement was probably the best word to describe what he was feeling. It had been some time since anyone dared threaten him. The way he carried himself, the general feeling of unease he gave people, confidence practically spilling over from within, this kid had guts. In a way he almost respected him, almost. He would have to shine a little brighter to earn that. "So... you still wanna fetch those crutches, or do you feel a change of attitude coming on?" With a sneer Kaen would poke back, his nature bubbling to life in preparation for what may or may not come.

 

[Shingetsu Sora]

"Tread carefully, people don't usually walk away after poking the bear." Scoffing, Sora reached into his pockets and defiantly stuck his neck out daring the older man to even remotely inch towards taking a swing at him. "Careful Yogi, you might find these waters infested with real sharks and not those guppies that you're used to." Raising his eyebrows, Sora's eyes began to glow the same color as his chakra aura, and while he was perfectly willing to ride the high that was whatever adrenaline rush that he was feeling, in the back of his mind he knew that usually these sort of conversations ended one way and one way only. "Ugh, calm down boy. I leave you alone for a couple of weeks and here you are picking fights with the Court of Flames. Calm down before you actually get burned. You've hardly unlocked enough of your abilities to do more than probably annoy this man if anything truly worthwhile." Having gone for so long without hearing Suigetsu speaking in his head, Sora was completely distracted and just as quickly as he had been willing to egg the man on, he was suddenly very distracted with a new update on just who he was dealing with.

So much so, that within an instant, down went his aura and outward display of power. "A what?" "He's of the Flame Court, of that I'm sure. Whether he's full or half, I've no idea without further research but never the less, we aren't exactly friendly, you know, water and fire and the like." Though Suigetsu was only manifesting as a voice in his head, Sora could only imagine him shrugging. "And the like, huh...and just how many of these Courts are there? I feel like there's a whole world out there that I'm completely unaware of." "Well, there is and you are but nevertheless, right now isn't the time to be needlessly making enemies. You're way out of your league here." "Ok, but in the meantime...how do I get out of this without continuing to make a fool of myself." "..." Suigetsu's silence was deafening and as unlearned as Sora was in the way of the Ancient Courts, he simply shrugged and went for the honest direct approach. "Hey, so, ummm...sorry about that. Apparently I'm a Water Court Ancient and your Flame Court and my...advisor... has made it clear to me that even though we're of two opposing parties that I should be nice to you. So...later I guess?" Completely unaware of whatever constituted as political correctness as an Ancient, Sora gave a curt salute and attempted to continue on his way.

OOC: Italics and non bolded speech is internal thought. As a backdrop, Sora is a Water Court Ancient but he's the byproduct of the Ancient, Suigetsu, being punished for his crimes and developing a persona that believed that it is human (aka Sora). Effectively they're two distinct personalities sharing the same body.

 

[Kaen]

"You're about to find out what a real shark is!" Kaen uttered these words with a twisted smile that bore his razor sharp teeth that had been filed down to a shark-like point. A memento of his time spent in 'that place' when he was a child. It would not be the first time he would use his ivory maw to tear into the flesh of something living. His aura now had broke out completely, flames now exuding outwards trying to overtake the chakra that was enveloping the individual before him. Make a move, his face screamed. He knew he would be in trouble if he gave this kid a beat down, but not so much if the kid swung first. Something something self defense.

Now Kaen was indeed a Hybrid Ancient, and yet he had no voice in his head. He was an amalgamation of sorts, you could almost say an abomination. His creation was unnatural, forced even. Shiori, the queen of the sands, Lord of the Earth Court herself had awakened his nature further when she gave Kaen the very essence of Homura, the original Lord of the Flame Court. But it was not his soul, no. Homura was dead. What resided inside was... twisted. A story for another time perhaps. But everything else about him categorized him as belonging to the Court of Flame, 100%. Truth be told he hadn't had many interactions with other Ancients, so this was a rare treat. The only full Ancient he had ever met, knowingly, was Shiori. And then there was his sister, Kasen, who was also a Hybrid. She belonged to the Water Court herself. This alone would keep the flaming beast from running this guy down, he did not expect the following words at all, not in the slightest.

"Hey, so, ummm...sorry about that. Apparently I'm a Water Court Ancient and your Flame Court and my...advisor... has made it clear to me that even though we're of two opposing parties that I should be nice to you. So...later I guess?" Immediately the flames would recede and Kaen would be left with an extremely puzzled look upon his face. It took him a few moments to fully grasp what this guy had just said, and so matter-of-factly. The individual would attempt to walk away, but this wouldn't do. Snapping out of his confusion Kaen would call after the guy, catching up to him with but a few strides. "Hold on a second!" "How could you possibly know what I am? Only a select few in this entire village know of my true nature. And how did you come to know about yours?!" This was all too amazing, truly. It was almost amusing how quickly his mood changed from 'Ima eat ya' to 'tell me more!'. If ever there was a subject he wished, no, CRAVED to know more on, it was this. The Ancients, and the remnant that remained after their fall.

 

[Shingetsu Sora]

"Because they all smell like burnt toast, that's why!" Unable to keep from smirking, Sora turned to meet the strangers gaze with a wide toothy grin that he couldn't hide. Shaking his head to keep from having to overly explain, Sora pointed to his head to indicate that it was his advisor. Not even a full second after he'd done so, he realized just how crazy he did indeed look when considering that most people who proclaimed to have voices in their heads didn't get viewed too well. "Do you really expect me to tell him that?" "No, but it's a very simple way of breaking down a complex explanation. I...you...we... have a sort of sixth sense towards these sort of things. Simply put, to a full blooded Ancient such as...us... he's giving off enough signifiers as well as a genetic pheromone of sorts that I can't ignore. Not all Ancients can do it and we mostly got a whiff due to our chakra touching his." "So we touched chakra bits..." "...That's incredible juvenile of you." "Says the weirdo who's sniffing people's chakra." Shaking his head, Sora spoke up. "How did I know? That's a trade secret..." Shrugging his shoulders, Sora's smile became a smug grin. "Oh, and I read a book. It told me everything that I needed to know about being an Ancient." Nodding to encourage more believability in his story, Sora tapped his head once more. "Reading is fundamental you know!" Noticing that the two of them were starting to look a little too chummy what with where they were standing, Sora put his hands into his pocket and put back on his serious face. He needed more information but he certainly realized that standing around looking like a tourist probably wouldn't help him for his goals later. "Besides, you act like being an Ancient is the hardest thing in the world or something. If you ask me, we get some pretty decent perks, right?" Acutely aware that he was out of his league in terms of information about the world of Ancients, Sora figured that he it would be better for him to fake it until he made it.

OOC: Utilizing Sora's Chimera kinjutsu to have a "sixth sense" about Kaen being of the Flame Court.

 

[Kaen]

Sora's smirk coupled with a nonchalant shrug of the shoulders would cause Kaen's stomach to sink in disappointment. Trade secret?! What the hell did that mean? Was he so out of the loop of things that even those of his kin have insider trade secrets. I suppose he shouldn't be all that surprised. Some things never change, and perhaps the feud between all the courts still reigned in today's times. He really hoped that wasn't the case, because then he would have to resort to what his kind did 'back in the day', which meant kicking ass and chewing bubblegum.

"You're kidding, right? A book..." Now Kaen knew that couldn't be the only way this guy learned anything about the Ancients. He himself had already been down that route and found no such book that could tell him anything more than any other history book. Hell, the only reason he knew half of what he did was because of his brief interactions with Mother Suna herself, Shiori, Lord of the Earth Court. And even that was subpar compared to what he SHOULD know by now. This kid knew more than he was letting on, and his source was all the more enigmatic. He still had yet to understand that there was a voice in Sora's head telling him everything he ought to know.

"Besides, you act like being an Ancient is the hardest thing in the world or something. If you ask me, we get some pretty decent perks, right?" Perks? What perks was he going on about? I mean... there were some natural advantages he held over the normal individual, but the cons outweighed them in his case. He had been hiding his existence as best as he could since his arrival here all those years ago. There was a stigma of sorts against his/their kind. How did he not know? "Are you not aware of how much the denizens of Wind Country hate..." Kaen paused a moment, realizing they were sticking out like a sore thumb in the middle of the street. Making a quick decision Kaen would grab Sora by the sleeve and pull him down a seemingly empty alley.

"They hate us, don't you know? The whole we enslaved their people, we eat their souls, ya know..." The souls part was a bit of a touchy situation. Kaen had made a deal with Lord Sousuke some time ago agreeing to not prey upon the people of Sunagakure. He had made good on that deal so far. But that hate was there, Ancients hadn't exactly been kind to humankind, it wasn't surprising how they would feel. Even after all these years, even when it came to Hybrids like him. "Has Lord Sousuke not come to you about any of this?" He was assuming that Sousuke knew just about everything, which would include the status/nature of this kid. That guy had eyes everywhere...

 

[Shingetsu Sora]

Nodding despite how unbelievable his tale was, Sora was insistent on the book being the key. "Believe it, bucko. Reading is fundamental!" His bravado at seemingly an all time high, Sora wasn't prepared for the world altering crash that was the fiery man's truth. "Wait, they do?" Not fully trusting what he was hearing, he thought to ask Suigetsu but the Ancient was already far ahead of him. "He's not wrong exactly...we as a species definitely did our fair share of damage in the wars..." "And people are still mad about that?" "They were a really big deal kid. I wouldn't flippantly go telling people to get over it if I were you...which I kinda am., so definitely do do it." "Those wars had to be centuries ago and besides, it's not as though they're enslaved now. Shouldn't they have gotten over it by now?"

"Again, it is not for us, the former slave holders to tell those that were the slaves, when and how to get over past grievances." "I get that, but still...wait, who's Lord Sousuke?" "Uhhhh, give me a moment on that one." Deciding not to wait, on slow Suigetsu, Sora leaped at the chance to learn more about his heritage. "Nope, never heard of him. Should I have?" Not bothering to mask his confusion, for once, Sora was appreciative of the shady nature of where he currently was. Having this sort of conversation was a lot to deal with for sure but it would have been equally as annoying if he would have had to have had this same conversation under the hot desert sun. At least here he could duck behind cover if things got rough or even remotely more sketchy. That being said, if he needed to meet this Lord Sousuke fellow then he had another really important meeting to add to his already growing calendar.

 

[Kaen]

Kaen sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Kids these days were so uninformed, too engrossed in the newest manga or some handheld game device. "Yes, you should have at least heard of him. He was once your Kazekage. Though you might be too young to remember such a time." Glancing down at his watch he signed again. "Listen, brother," While they were not related in the slightest, Kaen had been forming bonds with all sorts of non-humans, why should this kid be any different. The fact that he hailed from the Water court meant nothing to him as his own flesh and blood, Kasen, his sister, also belonged to that Court. Their kind needed to stick together even more than usual due to events that would come to pass. Soon the humans would begin to ostracize the non-humans, a purge was nearing. If you listened carefully you can hear Mother Suna's whisper warning her people of the cataclysm that is to come. "I've got to run, important business to take care of. Take my info with you." The large man would pull out a scratch piece of paper and a pen and scrawled his home address upon it, along with his name. "We should talk again, bring that book with you next time we meet. Stop by any time. I'd like to set up a meeting with someone I think could illuminate the situation our kind have found ourselves in in this era..." The farewell was foreboding, to be sure. Kaen hoped to see the young kid again, they were kin after all. He also know of another non-human that would love to meet this young Ancient as well.

[OOC - Leaving Topic - Sorry, I totally forgot about this thread. Let's do another one soon!]

 

[Shingetsu Sora]

Nodding in agreement, Sora was for the moment a bit bummed about not being able to talk more with Kaen but at least he was well on the way to figuring out more about himself and Suigetsu for that matter. "Will do, old man." As far as Sora could figure, whatever Kaen seemed to be implying about history, Sora was too young or too sheltered to know about but it was just one more thing to file away about the things that he didn't know. Letting Kaen go, Sora would continue on looking for wares that his mother probably didn't want him to have. Sometimes he wondered just what sort of parents that he had that would let him wander about as he did but even thinking more on that, he didn't want to look a gift horse in the mouth. For now, he had made something akin to a friend, and he'd honor that friendship no matter how it came about.

OOC: No worries! Topic left unless stopped.