Event CLOSED: Kyōsaku House: Right Path - First Floor "Grand Ballroom"

[Sand Council]

Hour 1 has ended with the following scoreboard:
@Kaen -5 points = 45/100
@Kanmuri -5 points = 45/100
@Mikaboshi -5 points = 45/100
@Sunaku Harupia -5 points = 45/100
@Tsurara Moriko +5 points = 55/100
@Miroku Akkuma -10 points + 10 Points = 50/100
@Uziuke -5 points = 45/100
@Shingetsu Sora +2 points = 52/100
@Chigokai Yuna 50/100
@Okami Roku 50/100
@Chikamatsu Shin +2 +10 = 62/100

Hour 2 has now begun; remember you must be attempting to interact with someone to forgo the -5 penalty; hour 2 will end on Monday (site time), so get your posts in!

 

[Shingetsu Sora]

Not one to let a small hiccup stop the show, Suigetsu nodded in appreciation that the mysterious woman at least acknowledged the chance to join them. What he found though, was a kindred spirit in Hotei, the Oracle. "the name I go by is HOTEI and I am part of the Oracle Order. Now my turn for a question, and this one goes to both of you; what is your favorite meal?" Having lived for as long as he did, despite not fully remembering all of the years, Suigetsu could recall loving a number of things, fried potatoes being one of them. Unfortunately for him, when his kin had escaped back to watery depths below, growing such things was practically impossible and for that, Suigetsu would at least give credit to the land dwellers, the food was much better. That said, like many of his Deep Court brothers and sisters, their moods determined what they ate, and fortunately for them, there were always fish around. Managing to separate himself from the smorgasbord and lean back in his chair, Suigetsu paused to truly think about what his favorite meal was. Having asked for his favorite meal and not his favorite snack, the question entailed more than just the act of filling one's stomach, it involved a persons full emotional being. What truly mattered to an Ancient when it came to food? For most living things, time was fleeting and a good meal usually was such a memorable thing because of the money or time spent procuring it.

A good marbled steak, the perfect sushi plate, shark fin soup even, no delicacy had escaped Suigetsu's grasp and yet, what did he have to show for it? To many an Ancient, eating was as much a mundane thing as the blinking of one's eyes. It happened and one barely gave it a thought. All of that being true, Suigetsu was faced with a dilemma. He had been alive for untold centuries, certainly predating probably everyone in the room. He remembered the wars that most of them only could find in the annals of the Oracle's Library. He had truly forgotten more things than many of them would ever hope to think of, but Sora had not. The boy couldn't even reflect on a full two decades of life, much less a millennia or more. What would be important to him would be something far more precious and human. "A couple of months back I got a chance to go on vacation to Sora and I had the most amazing time." Holding up his hands, Suigetsu shooed away the likely puns to follow. "I know, I know, I've heard the jokes, but seriously, it was one of the best vacations that I had. In fact, one of the days I searched high and low for gifts for my parents to show them just how much I cared about the sacrifices that they'd made for me and I stumbled across this amazing restaurant just off of the beaten path."

Pausing for a moment, Suigetsu flashed back to a moment in time where he'd spent dinner alone, long before Sora and long before this generation. In that brief moment, something about his face shimmered as his countenance seemed to tell a story all on its own. "I'll have to give a better breakdown of how to find the place later, but honestly, with as good as the food was, it would have been better had I had friends, or family to enjoy it with." Another flashback and Suigetsu was back in his home, back in his palace, his domain, and his bride was at his side. The meal, the laughing, the intimacy of the moment, that wonder place would forever be his happy place, one of his most prized memories. "I know that it sounds cliché, but I like I lot of things. Fried potatoes, fish tacos, heck, even my moms spaghetti! None of it taste as good alone as when I'm with the people I love." Perhaps it was a bit of Sora filtering into Suigetsu but the Ancient nodded his head in agreement at his own answer. Once again ruining a good moment, Suigetsu's C.U.R.O. gave a soft ping and lit up as it seemed that something had changed on the screen.

~Update finished. Reboot in progress...~ His eyebrows raised, Suigetsu's quick glance turned into a full blown stare as the screen went black, and then came back to life with a scrolling wall of alphanumerical text followed by another black screen, and then suddenly a glowing pair of orbs blinked like they were eyes. ~Species link established.~ Fighting the urge to jerk back in shock, the words that next appeared on the screen made his blood run cold as he broke out into a cold sweat. Species? How would such a decide detect that he was a different species unless... Not wanting to form the words, glowing eyes slowly gave form to a shadow figure that Suigetsu could just barely make out. He didn't have to wait long for more words to appear on the screen however. ~Welcome Ancient one...~ The only thing that Suigetsu could do at that moment was to look up. To think that he'd managed to go under the radar for so long and for it all to come crashing down thanks to a Takahashi. He should have avoided this entire thing in the first place and kept Sora's dreams in check. Fortunately, with as quickly as the words appeared, they were gone but the damage was done. Now they were being tracked and if there was one thing that Suigetsu knew about situations like this, it was that there was always somebody looking for the anomaly and he had served it to them on a silver platter. Attempting to regain his foot, Suigetsu attempted to move the question around the table. "I can't be the only one who likes spending time chowing down with my friends, right?" His nervous laugh afterwards was for once in a long time, not forced.

OOC: Link to fish taco restaurant reference
OOC: Sora/Suigetsu's C.U.R.O. is currently aware that they are an Ancient.
Score: 52/100

Spoiler

EDIT: The ~ ~ indicates written/typed words instead of " " which indicates audible words for Sora/Suigetsu's C.U.R.O.

 

[Chikamatsu Shin]

Shin would sigh slightly as he spun the liquid in his glass before grinning understandingly towards his peer. "I must apologize though, it was not my intent to cause so much stress and burden for you to carry alone. I was wearing blinders at the time as I knew the world had so much to offer."

As he spoke an aura came around the two and small little images, illusions manifested by the Chaos Witch, would begin to show various regions of the world.

"The idea of exploring these new worlds around us to unlock the secrets they held within. Finding the medicines held in within small villages and learning the recipes that have been passed down from mother to daughter for generations."

He chuckled as he realized he was ranting again. The illusions would fade as he took a sip of his drink.

"That is what I want for this village. That is not just my job as a Medical Chief, or as the Overseer of the Chikamatsu Clan... It is my dream to find and learn all of these sacred remedies to help our village no longer fear illness nor injury."

A soft blush came to his cheeks as he continued on.

"Raizo-sama has already done so much for me in such a short time... I am sure you have seen the newly constructed Arboretum just off of the Omni Prime Medical Facility. It was because of him my home was given a new life, and I owe so much to him and I don't even think he realizes it."

"And it's not just me and my clan that is benefiting from something as trivial to him as signing a permit, but the generations of future Mednins and Civilians gaining access to fresh fruits, vegetables, spices, and medicinal herbs will make the quality of life in this village increase significantly. No longer will we be dependent on trade to sustain our a well versed collection of produce, but we can begin self sustaining. I owe him so much, and if becoming a Sennin is how I can begin to pay him and the village back for everything they have done for me, so be it. I will wear the hats and don the suits and speak with the politicians from across the globe to begin to pay back my debt to him."

---

Kohana would chuckle at the Genin before her as he tried to establish them as peers. He was no peer to her, and while he may be in this competition with her it was not on level ground.

"Oleander, Foxglove, Daffodils, Wisteria, and even Irises... All such beautiful flowers. Their scent dancing in the breeze makes you wish for nothing else in the world aside from the bliss you are in. Your words are like these flowers, my question is, is your intent as toxic as these fragrant petals? I don't know you and seeing as this is a competition I cannot honestly say I could count on you. In the world of Shinobi words are meaningless without action. I know where I stand and that is to protect and defend my brother with my life, I don't know where your true loyalties lie, in the few moments I have gotten to meet you I cannot be certain as such."

"Your demeanor, your aura, your stench smells of deceit and lies. There's something hidden amongst your many masks you wear, but as a harboring lost soul myself I will not allow you to take advantage of the kind spirit that Shin possess. I don't know what games you are trying to play, but until you have genuinely proven your loyalty to Shin, there will be none reciprocated."

She turned to look at the larger man calling to Sora and let out a sigh. She would follow the boy to sit with the judge, not paying too much to what he had to say to the other people in the room.

"It is a pleasure Hotei, my name is Chikamatsu Kohana. I have spent some time with many members of your order, the work you all do is unprecedented and quite frankly impressive."

She had much experience within the Oracles' Library thanks to Shin's involvement in the order.

"I be honest I have not had much experience in the culinary world, as my existence in a body of my own seems to be fleeting, but I can assure you that so far the best mean I have had was one that provided to me by a grandmother on the edge of the Land of Wind. While my brother and I travelled we stayed with her for a few days and we spent an entire day together collecting small fruits off of the cacti in the area and peeled them ever so carefully to not cut the flesh. I could tell she made it with the love she felt for the family that came before her and taught her the dish, though I wish she told us a name for it."

Kohana eyes shifted quickly at Sora when it indicated a Species Link, and her eyes would narrow as it introduced Sora as an Ancient One. The intensity in the room shifted at the drop of a hat. As soon as Sora was done speaking she would bow her head to the judge and slide her seat back for a moment. "I am sorry for this, but I feel as though my brother needs me."

She looked across the room to see Shin making direct eye contact with her. As she began to stood her form would return to the world of illusions from which the clone jutsu had originated from and simply fade from view as her soul was once again reinhabiting that of her brother's body.

Score: 62/100

 

[Chigokai Yuna]

Another straight and to the point answer from Dai. Her eyes narrowed at the attitude he had when speaking to her, but noticed his demeanor had quickly changed back to being nervous. Whilst the anbu listened for anything out of the ordinary, for if there may be someone behind her, as previous indications from Dai's nervous looking around, but heard nothing. She went and focused back her full attention on Dai.

He had talked about her being an outsider and if she does get awarded Sennin, would she leave her Village. The thought had crossed her mind, but she has had more important matters to address at the moment. But now, right here, right now, she is faced with the inevitable question.

Her hand reached out and watery words formed yet again.

Spoiler

It would really depend. First things first, I would like to check on my father once the Games are finished. I'd like to think that if I am needed here to be Sand's Sennin, that I will step up and help with foreign relations to strengthen the bond between Cloud and Sand. But as I have met some of the other contestants before I was even aware of the Games, I feel as if they should be given the chance before me.

She would pause before making more watery words.

Spoiler

My apologies, Cloud's culture and government is by far more different than Sands. I wouldn't have known there would be so many people involved in different parts of politics and government. If you don't mind my asking, what is your role that you have and what do you do?

Yuna was actually interested in the question she had asked. She only had a quick rundown of the history of Sand and that was mainly about the Ancients and Hybrids, with a sprinkle of Akkuma here and there. She would look down at her CURO which now has an oceanic scenery behind it. "This natural energy... So you're an archsage huh..." Her CURO would say plainly.

Score: 50/100
(Edit made since I didn't see Sora made an edit that his CURO typed instead of said, sorry Sora)

 

[Sunaku Harupia]

Hmm…he was getting a bit too slow, or too relaxed after getting home. Guess with all the time he spent away from home, be it surviving in the undergrounds, or training his body back into shape when he was actually saved, and the journey back. He had intended to try and talk with the village top brass before this whole thing started…but maybe he let himself relax in the mansion a bit too much.

By the time he found his way to the ballroom, the Kazekage was doing his speech about the formula of the Senin games. It was in some way reassuring that in the time he was gone, the village managed to achieve some equilibrium. Things were calm…even though things were still bubbling in the underbelly and outside of it. Though really this was part of the competition, find people that can deal with times of peace and strife.

He observed the hand guard they all received as the C.U.R.O was introduced. His own took a while to form before he was greeted by a small fox, though it seemed to be a bit wispy in appearance, trails of sand following it as it moved. Almost as if a sand creation of its own.

As it formed, the sand fox seemed to almost pout at him as the counter on the side moved, indicating a loss of points. Dang, he must have spaced out for too long, people already starting to mingle. Guess he could really just on his pretty face to win him popularity. The fact he imagined his reputation could be a bit spotty with how long he was gone…this was going to be fun.

Well, maybe he could recover some focus with something to eat. And there were a few people already there some competitors, some familiar faces…though his standing as an oracle could be also in question. Guess he needed to find out. Moving towards the crowd with the rotund Oracle, he would chime in saying “I hope it isn’t too late to join in? I have been getting a bit hungry with all that’s been going on” giving those at the table a kind smile.

Joining the table with @Shingetsu Sora and @Chikamatsu Shin and Hotei

45/100 Points

 

[Miroku Akkuma]

Mere moments after his C.U.R.O had come to life did it buzz with a notification. Looking down he noticed a quick series of notifications. First a deduction of 10 points almost immediately, resulting in a momentarily raised eyebrow & chuckle. Who had he already offended? He'd yet to even interact with any of the other contestants besides Silent & Haru. Perhaps his C.U.R.O had been transferring more Data then he realized even when it seemed like it wasn't or perhaps it was another form of surveillance that he'd been witnessed through? Although he had little time to consider the cause when the buzz of another notification came through. This time increasing his points by 10 back up to the original score of 50. A devilish chuckle would escape the Sages lips as he approached the table giving those present a small but respectful bow. "It appears the Games for the soul of Sunagakure so to speak are truly underway." he would say gesturing to the small gathering of shinobi. "Just in time actually Harupia..." he said with a warm & familiarity that might come across as disarming or forward to the shinobi. Given they had only just officially metmoments before, but Akkuma had seen the Sunaku before.

"So who do we have here tonight...Harupia, Sora....I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting before. I'm Akkuma, Head of the Miroku Clan." he would finally add as he went around the table of individuals he knew there, until finally his gaze rested upon Hotei. Although as his eyes moved over them there was an unmistakable flash of mischief burning within his gaze when it held Shin across the room, before moving onto with a burning sense of curiosity was when he finally passed over Sora & onto Hotei. Taking a seat nearby he would take in the impressive spread of food before them. "I'm sure the footage of tonight will be well received in the lower District." For those that knew the Sage it was no small secret that he operated among the Underbelly of the World. Within Sunagkure he had established himself a strong network. His monstrous history over the years only serving to add to his almost deity-like urban legend status Sunagakure's Sunken District, Red Light District & Black Bazaar District.

Now however he was here to learn about his fellow combatants, their thoughts on the competition & what kind of individuals they were. There was so much information to gather & so little time to also make the impression needed to stay in the competition. "Can't beat a good soul infused Carnosaur steak, paired with a honey & spice marinate sauce. You'll experience no finer hospitality then that demonstrated by the Toraono Clan." he would say with a warmth that was surprisingly genuine. There were few people let alone factions that he held genuine warmth for but when it came to the Toraono. They had been his closest allies in this village & their bonds were strong. A wide devilish grin was plastered upon his face as he remembered the taste of the infused steak & how delicious it was.

C.U.R.O Score: 50/100
Edited; Cause Shin left the Table, abandoned us. =P

 

[Uziuke]

"Spiritual Essence. Let peace be Suna's home, and let its peace be refreshing and the light overcome the darkness that's posted around the lands."

Arriving with his hood worn, the ANBU Captain took a look around. The words he said didn't seem to move the device. Taking a sip of water, the boy kept his focus on what was around him. His device didn't activate, but he figured it'd give him a notification when needed.

"This might actually be some fun." A smirk came to his face as he was intrigued by the device. Also by the crowd that was in the room.

From what he heard, they were to add their own perception to Suna's current standings. He had a few ideas floating around, but he wouldn't be quick to speak on things. He took a closer look at his surroundings to see a few tables full of people. It seemed the conversations already started. The food looked tasty as well, but he'd relax on getting a dish. He noticed he knew a few of those that were at the event. He'd keep calm as he weighed out his options. He knew he'd see them again at the special specified times, so he'd wonder around for a while. He hoped to stumble upon something surprising while traversing this place.

Before leaving instead of throwing his drink on the ground, he lobbed it into a trashcan. With that, the device emitted sounds of trumpets playing in the background. Uziuke's device gave him a description of his current doings. The mark for being late was understandable. He shrugged and went his way. He couldn't wait to see what the night would unfold.

[ 45 | 100pts. ]
[ WC: +250 | MFT ]
[ Topic Entered/ Left ]

 

[Sand Council]

Dai - Director of Trade

"Why is he doing this... brother... please hurry" he would mumble to himself as he looked down at his CURO. Before he could insert a score once more, his attention would be caught by the written words of Silent.

"Cloud and Sand relations... Takahashi Sousuke went behind our backs and made some trades with a member of Cloud..."

Again his eyes would make sure to avoid Silent, but whether she noticed it or not his gaze would slowly start to land on her more and more. Maybe there was something comforting about not seeing her real face? Maybe there was something comforting not seeing her eyes looking at him? Either way, something seemed to be happening. He was getting distracted.

She would then ask about him. His eyes would now be squarely upon the masked figure. His posture would improve, his expression would be calm, and his eyes would have a look of confidence.

"I am the Director of Trade for the village. While the biggest resource this village is clearly the military power it produces, it also cultivates other resources and valuable trades. It is my job to find where the value of these belong outside of our wall as much as inside of it. I help this village take on and export its resources, which means I also impact the nomads that filter throughout this country. I also help in maintaining relationships with the other two big locations of this country; Sora and Soon's Haven. Since I am a civilian, relationships tend to go better with those two locations than if it was left to someone who was a shinobi--because of the bad blood over decades."

With that, he would remember his CURO, but would ultimately forget his mission, as he would press the screen to award points to someone, but not Akkuma.

"What do you do for your village? What is your village's top commodity?"




@Chigokai Yuna awarded +10 points

---

Hotei - Oracle
While he continued to consume his food he would listen to the answers given and during moments his mouth wasn't full, he would let loose his thoughts:

"Fillers in meals lack nutrition but can sometimes help set the plate..." he would mumble towards Sora before the young man would start speaking more directly about the actual foods, "Ah, finally, some entrees: fried potatoes are a weakness of mine, fish... now that is a true treat. In this village get decent fish can be a bit of a headache, so your venturing to Sora was well worth it... even if you had to endure naming confusions."

Then his words would come out between bites to Kohana before she departed, "It is a beauty and shame, the knowledge lost within this country because it wasn't properly recorded... I hope for posterity you saved the recipe, even if the name was lost." A small tear would run down his left eye as he would continue to devour.

He would look up and see the approaching Harupia, which was an interesting morsel indeed, but before he could respond, another would attempt to catch the Jounin's attention. Lastly, the final member would approach the table. Hotei would do something he had not done in a good long while. He would stop eating.

"..."

Within his right hand the fork he had been using like a miniature shovel to consume his food mercilessly, would grow warped and bent within his grasp as he clutched it as tightly as he could. His eyes would remain on the figure who had so calmly approached the table.

"Excuse me, I must depart for the restroom. It was a pleasure dining with you..." he would pause for a moment as he stood up from the table, his gaze still fixated on Akkuma, "...all. Good luck, and maybe I will see you all around again after the conference room session."

With that, he would press his CURO and would attempt to leave the Ballroom.

@Shingetsu Sora was awarded +10 points
@Miroku Akkuma was awarded -5 points

---

She would laugh behind her mask as she watched Hotei leave the area.

"Akkuma, I'll give you 5 points to leave this area and head to the game room. There is someone there who I think would be interested in talking to you," she would say coldly as she pressed down on her CURO.

"Additionally, here is 5 for making me laugh," before her masked face would turn towards Sora.

"You. Come here."

Where there was some playfulness to Hotei, there would be none from Benzaiten.

@Miroku Akkuma awarded +10 points

---

Kaori - Med Chief

Gushing over each word, she would listen intently as Shin spoke of how the Kazekage had aided them and their clan.

"He truly is an amazing one... but I had no idea how he had graciously helped your clan, and an Arboretum... just all the positives, what a truly amazing Kage!!!"

She would excitedly press her CURO screen awarding Shin points.

"To think he would be so willingly to listen to the needs of his shinobi, maybe the medical side should see what other gracious gifts he'd be willing to send our way!"

She would laugh playfully... but the laughing would start to fade. Her deep purple eyes would turn to Shin, staring intently into his face. Her cheeks were red, a mixture of emotion and alcohol.

"Do you... love... the Kazekage?"

The tone would shift ever so silently and for some reason, tension would mount within the air.

@Chikamatsu Shin would receive +10 points

---

Oiwa would move suddenly and silently. Before Harupia could fully join the table, she would place her hand upon his shoulder.

"Excuse me, Sunaku Harupia. I am Oiwa of the Oracle Order, the current leader, and I was hoping I could have a moment of your time. I will keep it transparent, I am going to give you 10 points in advance to show I am serious and reward you with more should you join me."

She would then depart to lead him over to a more secluded location in the ballroom, at least away from other people.

"I cannot confirm, which is not ideal for my line of work, but I have heard a rumor that you recently returned to the village after a long journey out in a rather uncharted portion of the country."

She would pause for a moment. While her expression or face in general could not be seen, under her mask was a look she rarely had; pure attraction. Not of the man himself, but the stories he might have held within him.

"What did you see? Tell me everything, sparing no detail."

Her tone would not sound any different, it would still be a mixture of a subdued but authoritative tone, but it would be misleading for how she truly felt. In fact, within her own mind, she heard her tone as more playful and curious. This would be a first for her as an Oracle. She was head over heels in love... with his potential knowledge.

@Sunaku Harupia awarded +10 points

---

 

[Sand Council]

Hour 2 has ended with the following scoreboard:
@Kaen -5 points = 40/100
@Kanmuri -5 points = 40/100
@Mikaboshi -5 points = 40/100
@Sunaku Harupia +10 points = 55/100
@Tsurara Moriko +10 points = 65/100
@Miroku Akkuma -15 points + 10 Points = 45/100
@Uziuke 45/100
@Shingetsu Sora +10 points = 62/100
@Chigokai Yuna +10 points = 60/100
@Okami Roku -3 points = 47/100
@Chikamatsu Shin +10 = 72/100

Hour 3 has now begun; for this hour we will be splitting it into the first half-hour and the second half-hour. The first half hour will allow you to finish your conversations if you wish to join the conference room meeting, the conference room meeting will begin and take place during the second half-hour. I'm doing this to allow more time for conversations to hopefully happen, and increase the duration of what constitutes time for the same reason: the two 30-minute blocks of this hour will last for 1 week, with the hope that at least two rounds of posting happen within each.

THIS IS THE START OF THE FIRST HALF-HOUR OF HOUR 3: these 30 minutes will conclude at the end of the day October 2nd site time

Remember you must be attempting to interact with someone to forgo the -5 penalty; hour 2 will end on Monday (site time), so get your posts in!

 

[Sand Council]

The speaker system within the house would crackle as it would reactivate once more:

"This is Itsuke, Director of the Kazekage Tower, reminding all that there will be a conference room meeting starting in 30 minutes. Attendance is not mandatory, but the Kazekage has already stated the finer details concerning that matter. The Meeting Room can be found by returning to the main lobby of the Kyosaku House and taking the stairway up to the left path. Again, this meeting will begin in 30 minutes. That is all."

There would be a slight bit of static and feedback as the speakers would go silent once more.

 

[Chikamatsu Shin]

Shin's blushed expression remained for a moment as he was asked if he loved the Kazekage. "That is a hard question, honestly. Yes, but no..." He chuckled slightly before sitting his glass down and leaning back on the wall and looking up and to the distance. "I love our Kazekage, I truly do. I would die to protect him and will live a life to serve him and the village to try and repay everything he has done for me and the village... but, I don't know if I would say I am in love with the man named Raizo who wears the title of Kazekage."

He lowered his head and looked back at Kaori. "And, Senpai, even if I did begin to feel something towards that man it is clear that you are in love with him aren't you?" He chuckled at the fellow Medical Chief as his eyes wandered around the room.

Landing his eyes on Sora and on Akkuma he would ask his peer the following question. "Of all of the participants here, do you truly believe that all of them are worthy of the position of Sennin?"

He sighed. "I suppose it is not our place to decide that, is it? If the Kazekage did not want all of these participants here they wouldn't be, but I will say I am surprised to see that there are Shinobi here who do not owe their allegiance to Sunagakure."

He would hear the static of the announcement to head to the conference room

He turned and smiled at Kaori. "If by chance I am one of the ones chosen for this role, what piece of advice would you give me before I need to continue on with the Sennin Games tonight? Your advice carries a lot of weight with me and I greatly appreciate the time and energy you have shared with me this evening." He would wait to hear what she said before bowing his head and thanking her for spending time with him. With a simple "Excuse me" he would take his leave and head towards the Conference Room, afterall when it came to important matters `To be Early is to be on Time, Being on Time means you may as well be late, and if you should show up late you might as well not come at all."

[Topic Left unless stopped]
MFT:250+

 

[Chigokai Yuna]

A skilled anbu member would definitely know that something is up, Dai's brother has been late for about two hours at the very least now. And the second part... A person going behind their backs to make an alliance with Cloud. Or at the very least make some trades. It would make her wonder what was exchanged and whatnot. But she focused right now on her mission, her side mission and the one she is doing to keep an eye on Akkuma. It was obvious that he was still nervous around her, now he seemed to be just wanting to avoid looking at her almost entirely. That is, until she had brought up asking what he does.

The archsage will listen intently on what he had to say about his job. He seemed to be almost an entirely different person than who he was before. She thought about what he had said to her. It seemed even though she had only talked briefly to one person, not even a shinobi, that Sand does seem to have a system that works well. Her hand would reach out and water would form once again.

Spoiler: water words

Wow. It really seems like your Village has it all figured out. Cloud can take some pointers from Sand every now and then to make things better for its citizenry.

He would then ask her about what she does along with what does her Village sell. The words would rearrange and split as needed until they formed what she wanted to say.

Spoiler: more words

I'm just an ANBU ninja. So we do the usual ANBU things. Ironically, diplomacy does fall in ANBU territory by a small bit enough for me to come and visit. As for our commodities... We have an abundance of precious minerals and fine metals. Other than that, we do lead in technology and so you could say that Cloud is only slightly more advanced than Either Sand or Leaf. If you're interested, I could get a hold of my superiors about establishing a more detailed trade to help both Villages thrive

She would look at the time, it was definitely nearing the time to get to the conference room. Letting him speak his mind before the anbu would stand up. She would give a bow of respect to Dai before making more watery words.

Spoiler

The time is nearing for me to go to the conference room. I hope your brother finds his way here safely and that you enjoy the rest of your night.

(topic left unless stopped)
(60/100)

 

[Shingetsu Sora]

"Good luck, and maybe I will see you all around again after the conference room session." Managing to separate himself from the food long enough to stand and give a respectful head nod. "Hopefully I'll see you around, and perhaps we can grab a bite after all of this is over with." Genuinely meaning it, Suigetsu always figured that it would be good to keep an kindred spirit in his back pocket. Though it was quick, he caught the apparent look of dissatisfaction at the one new personality in Akkuma. For the barest of moments he truly believed that he was meeting the man for the first time, and then he remembered the man through the eyes of Sora. Sure enough, this wasn't their first encounter and more importantly, he remembered just how dangerous the man was. This was quite the development, and if the people running this set of games were aware of who Akkuma was to more of a degree than Suigetsu then that could only mean that his new friend Hotei was definitely leaving for more of an important reason than needing to use the restroom.

About to speak, Suigetsu caught the gaze of the masked individual and then his heart sank. "You. Come here." He didn't need to look around to know that she was speaking to him. ~Uh oh...~ Buzzing to life, the C.U.R.O. lit up and the personality on the screen began to frown at the recent development as Suigetsu peered down at it and then quickly back to the masked woman. Grabbing a napkin to wipe both his hands and his face, the Ancient began to slow walk over to the man. All signs pointed to the fact that somebody had figured out what he was, and if that was the case then it was anyone's guess at how he'd be treated. His kind had fought an entire war to keep things status quo, and the humans had taken their own pound of flesh. Just how connected were these little devices? It had only been a matter of minutes and here the façade of his youthful appearance had come down like fresh paint after an midnight storm. They hadn't made a scene so it was probably best if he didn't either, but nevertheless, he would stay ready for anything and everything. "You asked to see me?" Smirking and giving a bashful laugh he continued talking. "This is some party, huh?" Adding an extra bit of childlike charm to his words, Suigetsu tried to play the part of the child with their hand caught in the cookie jar but he couldn't be sure that the woman would buy it.

OOC: I changed Suigetsu's speech color to orange in order to avoid confusion with Benzaiten.

Score: 62/100

 

[Miroku Akkuma]

The Sages emerald gaze lingered on Hotei filled with what could only be described as amusement at the Oracles reaction to him. "Come now, I thought we were meant to play nice with one another tonight." he'd say playfully to the departing Oracle. Before letting out a laugh of amusement at his own cheekiness. To say he was surprised at the change in his C.U.R.O's score would be a lie. Unfortunately before he could get a word in to the youth who knew Kaen someone intrigued his curiosity. Sora seemed as if he were about to say something but he too was called by the individual that had made the offer to Akkuma. With a chuckle the Sage stood up it seemed their time would have to wait, giving a slight bow to those remaining at the table he would depart for the exit of the Grand Ballroom. Wondering who it was that would be interested in talking to him in the Games Room. Were they a Benefactor? Or an Obstacle? Either way he was already enjoying himself, he'd gained a good gauge of who was presently with the ballroom. It wasn't the worst idea to see who was in the rest of the building, besides maybe he'd bump into someone on the way. "Thanks for the information & the points." he'd say to Benzaiten with a casual wave & grin before heading out of the Grand Ballroom.

[Topic Left - Heading to the Game Room]
C.U.R.O Score: 45

 

[Sand Council]

Dai - Director of Trade

He would read her story and would think, his eyes would once more slowly start to lose their confidence, aside from when he was praised by Silent until he had eventually returned to his normal anxious self.

"Brother will be here, I know it. It was very... interesting... getting to... talk... to you Silent."

He would look at her with a smile, but only for a moment, before slouching back in his chair waiting for his brother.

"Mustn't tell brother of this... she was nice though... maybe she can spared."

His last few words would be low and faintly dropped from his mouth, almost in a whisper.


@Chigokai Yuna awarded +10 points

---

Hotei - Oracle
Has left for the time being

---

"Anytime" she would causally toss to the departing Akkuma.

The face of her mask would look rather displeased and the sigh that would escape it would also come off as very agitated.

"Shingetsu Sora. Age 15 [if this has changed let me know and I will edit it]. Your family history is what we in the Oracle world would call, 'succienct'. Now there is nothing wrong with that, boring people are born all the time, but do boring people go on to become Sennins? Who knows..."

She gave a slight pause, enough for a normal person to assume they were now free to talk to the masked lady, but she would quickly interject cutting off any response.

"But I want to know, I have to know. Are you truly this story, this insignificant collection of barely any words, or are you something else?"

Was she angling for Sora to confirm his origin or was she angling for him to reveal more... it was a rather precarious starting point with a character who clearly was in no mood for formalities.

"The game was designed to be play this way, or I guess I should say I don't believe the intention of the game was for it to be played this way, but here you go--"

She would deposit some points in Sora's account.

"So go on, tell me your story and let's see if this was a down payment or payment in full."

What did Benzaiten want from him, or just in general?

"Better hurry, would hate for you to miss that meeting and those points."

@Shingetsu Sora awarded +5 points

---

Kaori - Med Chief

The tension would begin to lessen as the words of Shin made it clear to her, at least to the point she believed it, that the adoration they had expressed to the Kazekage did not move past a certain level. A level she viewed as forbidden.

'You are in love with him'

The question, nay the accusation, would cause the medic to spit out her drink as her face would turn several different shades of red.

"Me? Me? Me. Me! Me? In love? Like love-love? Or like in companionship love? Like respected love? Like I love this drink? Like I don't actually feel romantic feelings towards this drink but it is a real good drink... speaking of maybe I should have another drink... additionally, did you know that there was all sort of drinks that could be made... actually I think at one point our predecessors of long ago believed that alcohol not only aided in the medical arts but held healing properties... we now understand that such a thing just isn't true... well entirely true, some forms of alcohol are used still in the medical field... I think I asked for another drink and I still haven't gotten it yet, does it normally take such a long time to make drinks?"

So there was that. She would, however, regain composure as Shin mentioned something about shinobi present who didn't hold allegiances to the village followed by a question about her advice.

"Don't let your guard down, that would be my advice. If this game was merely about allegiance, I do wonder if the Kazekage would have allowed such people into it... but the door was opened for others, with agendas, to assist in establishing the rules. I'd be cautious of who you trust, tonight and as the games proceed."

There would be a pause as she looked down at her new drink.

"I wonder if even after the games end if such caution should follow suit... anyways, best of luck with your meeting. I'll see you around, the medic in me will be cheering you on!"

Her words would start off with a much colder, distant, tone while the second half would return to the form of her cheerful self.


@Chikamatsu Shin would receive +10 points

---

Oiwa would continue to wait to see if Harupia would join her.

@Sunaku Harupia

---

 

[Sunaku Harupia]

Well, the rotation within the place was pretty quick. Just as he approached the table with the robust Oracle, some people left, and some people joined in. Including the menacing fellow, he had met a few moments earlier for a drink. Of course, with his demeanor and words, he didn’t seem threatening at all…but there was something about him that kept him on edge. Though maybe he should be approaching everyone like that. They were competing after all.

“Well, we seem to be bumping into each other a lot today aren’t we Akkuma” he commented as he sat down as Hotei spoke. Apparently, the subject at hand was favorite foods. Before he could interject Akkuma spoke up with his choice. And that got Hotei to stop eating. Which was definitely a rare sight. Probably as rare as an actual Carnosaur. This meant either Akkuma was lying…or somehow had resources to get that kind of thing. Which was a concerning thought.

“I have to say…getting Hotei-san to lose his appetite is an…achievement” he commented the departure as Akkuma tried to call the man back. Though before any more conversation could happen, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Another Oracle. The leader of the group in fact. As he heard the ding of points being awarded to him, he turned to Akkuma with a sly smile “I think this is one of those offers you just can't refuse” as he got up and followed the woman to a more secluded part of the room.

One thing with Oracles on duty is the masks kept them a bit of an enigma. Which was pretty handy in their world no doubt. It was a lot easier to hide your emotions with your face concealed. He was wondering whether he was getting a reprimand for his vanishing from the Oracle leader at first, but it seemed she was seeking what many of the Oracles do: Knowledge. And well, he had some to spare.

“Well, we can count on you and the rest of your order to be able to fish out the interesting rumors from the chaff…Yes, I have returned quite recently from the excursion to Yamorio station…as you can imagine it went sideways…Drastically so…” he paused briefly, his brain going back to those initial weeks…falling down the tunnel…on the run from giant insect-like creatures. Shaking his head he would say “Sorry…this whole thing is a lot to process. To be honest part of me wanted to relay this message to the Kazekage asap, but I feared I might have trouble reaching him… perhaps you could put in a good word if my information proves interesting enough?”

As he spoke, the notification came about a meeting in the other room “My timing is impeccable, isn’t it? Now, I do want to have this conversation, later if you would permit…or right now if you could make sure me missing the meeting there wouldn’t impact my chances in the competition. After all, if anything would want to know more about Prometheus, Guardian of Titan, it would be the Oracles?” He offered the morsel of information to see how she would react. He was beating around the bush a bit to create a relaxed atmosphere before dropping the bombshell. The question is whether the knowledge of Ancient Suna or the more powerful unbent was more important… he wanted to be sure he wasn’t falling even more behind.

 

[Shingetsu Sora]

"Shingetsu Sora. Age 15. Your family history is what we in the Oracle world would call, 'succinct'. Now there is nothing wrong with that, boring people are born all the time, but do boring people go on to become Sennins? Who knows..." Tensing up, Suigetsu was sure that he had been had. There was no way that the woman would bring up Sora's past without knowing more than met the eye. She was clearly looking for more information in order to make a judgement. Lost in his own thoughts as he was, Suigetsu barely registered that there was a gap in her speaking and instead he halfway listened on as she continued to talk. "But I want to know, I have to know. Are you truly this story, this insignificant collection of barely any words, or are you something else?" There it was again, another well placed move on the chess board that left him somewhat stumbling to figure out if telling the truth was just as simple as it seemed. It could be. "The game was designed to be play this way, or I guess I should say I don't believe the intention of the game was for it to be played this way, but here you go--" Shaking his head, Suiggetsu nervously ground his hands into his pockets. Normally, when he had all of his faculties, and when he wasn't forced to hide what he was, he could be as calculating and as quick witted as they came, but this charade that he was currently playing prevented him from being his true authentic self. "So go on, tell me your story and let's see if this was a down payment or payment in full." Grimacing, he barely opened his mouth and began to grind his teeth in frustration. It had been a long time since he had met his match and while he owed the boy little, he did find that their goals sometimes aligned, these games being something that both of them could use. "Better hurry, would hate for you to miss that meeting and those points." Tick-tock, he was on the clock, points be darned.

Sighing and moving a hand to rub at his temples, he went with his gut and cut straight down the middle. "I've lived long enough to know that boring is safe, and to be safe is to be stable. The world enjoys when all of its internal forces are stable, right?" Taking on an elder like tone, Suigetsu stared off into a space beyond the oracle as he remembered a time before most present could only read about. "Where can I start, most of us only recount our origins as they're told to us because we're none the wiser otherwise. The story to tell of Shingetsu Sora is that he is the child of a nomadic tribe who've done everything in their power to keep his life as ordinary as possible because they know that to be ordinary is to be boring which is tantamount to being safe. Unfortunately for him, the most interesting thing about him is the fact that his father's messy handwriting has contributed to his actual age constantly being misprinted on official documents." He paused, because despite what Sora might have wanted, Suigetsu had quite truly just summed up the whole totality of the boy's life. Sora was boring, he did, just so , so much in fact that he had managed to slide under the radar for a number of exams. A Genin, attending an event where Sennin would be chosen? The mere idea of it was laughable, and yet, Suigetsu pressed on. If he and Sora were about to be kicked out of this game, as the oracle put it, then he might as well go out on his own terms. Continuing to not make direct eye contact with the masked oracle, Suigetsu continued. "Of course, your average person would miss Sora in a sea of names and ranks. Most people barely make it past the rank of Chunnin so an almost adult Genin wouldn't raise too many alarms. Be a good citizen, show up for gatekeeping duty, deliver a few parcels of mail and rescue a cat out of a tree. This society, like most, is built on the backs of the ordinary and the mundane."

Feeling his C.U.R.O. buzz, he looked down at it as he saw that points had been added to his total. Smirking to himself at the irony of the timing, Suigetsu shook his head and took a deep breath before exhaling. "You, however, seem to be more keen than most." Putting both of his hands back into pockets and before taking them back out again and then looking to his eerily forlorn looking C.U.R.O.. "Your instincts are true. There was in fact something before Sora. Something ancient that, for all intents and purposes, wishes nobody here any harm, but indeed it is something nonetheless. I could begin to tell the tale, but if I'm being honest, there aren't enough hours yet left in the day." He shrugged his shoulders and finally truly looked at Benzaiten. "Seeing as how I can't be the only person here with a past, but especially because I've taken a gamble, do I now get to ask you a question about this...game?" Though he'd give the woman time to think about all that he said, he'd already made up his mind that even if she didn't allow him the question, that he'd ask it anyway. With the C.U.R.O. already seemingly knowing what Suigetsu was, and with the woman wearing a mask, any idea of lying was a risk that wasn't worth taking. For all he knew, the woman was being fed intel directly via a headset and he could be none the wiser. While the saying went that, honesty was the best policy, Suigetsu had stopped himself just short of saying exactly what he was, but there could be no mistake that he was anything but ordinary.

OOC: Score: 67/100
Concerning Sora's age, I just flat out need to update his profile at this point, lol. He should be pushing 18 at this point.

 

[Sand Council]

Hour 3.5 has ended with the following scoreboard:
@Chikamatsu Shin 82/100
@Tsurara Moriko 80/100
@Chigokai Yuna 70/100
@Shingetsu Sora 67/100
@Sunaku Harupia 55/100
@Uziuke 52/100
@Okami Roku 47/100
@Miroku Akkuma 40/100
@Kaen 40/100
@Kanmuri 40/100
@Mikaboshi 40/100

Hour 3 has now begun; for this hour we will be splitting it into the first half-hour and the second half-hour. The first half hour will allow you to finish your conversations if you wish to join the conference room meeting, the conference room meeting will begin and take place during the second half-hour. I'm doing this to allow more time for conversations to hopefully happen, and increase the duration of what constitutes time for the same reason: the two 30-minute blocks of this hour will last for 1 week, with the hope that at least two rounds of posting happen within each.

THIS IS THE START OF THE SECOND HALF-HOUR OF HOUR 3: these 30 minutes will conclude at the end of the day October 11th site time

Remember you must be attempting to interact with someone to forgo the -5 penalty at the end of Hour 3!

 

[Sand Council]

Dai - Director of Trade

---

Hotei - Oracle

---

Only speaking in the third person about himself... well that is a red flag; either he wasn't prepared to use his alias or he was a weirdo.

Sora, or more so Suigetsu, was correct in their assumption; Benzaiten was angling for something specific approaching Sora, and it did in fact involve dual identity. What she wasn't expecting, however, was that the young man would imply that he was an Ancient. Luckily, she wore a mask, and in this case, it helped hide her true expression. This was a rather interesting, albeit overwhelming, table-turning moment for her. She found herself complying to his question, as she was still attempting to process the information that had been implied.

"Go ahead, ask away."

Her tone would remain calm, cool, collected, and blunt but that had more to do with her willpower and less to do with the reality of how she felt. Yet, as she continued thinking on it, it still did not completely exclude the original angel that she was hoping to take with Sora... or whoever they were.

"Then it will be my turn to ask the next question."

@Shingetsu Sora awarded +5 points

---

Kaori - Med Chief

---

Pressing her CURO upon hearing his request to make it 'worth it' for him, she would look back up at the Junan.

"I have just given you 10 points, the amount you would have received for attending the meeting. I am unsure what additionally you might miss out on, and cannot help cover that loss, but I can give additional points upon hearing your story. What did you see out there? How did you survive? What was the terrain like? Do you remember any iconography, symbols, or structures? Please, do not spare the details."

She leaned in, and her heart fluttered and raced. She was affixed to the man before him, but his physical looks, which assuredly got him far from others, meant nothing to her. All of that was a fleshy exterior around the real lump of flesh she was after; his mind.

@Sunaku Harupia awarded +10

---

 

[Okami Roku]

Coming to a sliding stop, he began to breathe deeply and heavily as he had sprinted here from the Game Room. Yet, there was a sense of victory as he seemed to finally make it, or at least had made it out of the scenario with Satoshi. Clutching his first fist, he would pump it once, giving himself a small celebratory gesture, before looking around. It would then begin to set in the realization that he had not gone to the right location, once yet again.

"Nooooooo!!!!"

He would snap momentarily, before realizing he was around not only strangers but strangers who would not only judge him personally but judge him within the confines of the game. Embarrassed, he would wave to anyone who looked at him, before hastily sliding over to the nearest table.

"Hello, Okami Roku, what's your name?"

He would say hoping to move on from the moment of humiliation. Sitting down before him was a rather nervous-looking blonde-haired guy.

"Unless this is a bad time... then I could go... somewhere else..."

He was having a hard time reading the man, so his eyes would begin to scan around the area as he would find a woman at the bar, a tall dark, and handsome man with a short masked woman, and then another individual with an amazing complexion talking to their own short woman in a mask.

Did I miss the pairing up with short women in mask memo... is that a part of this round of the game???

Letting out a sigh he would just wait and see what happened next.

CURO - 47/50 THIRSTY/Thirsty?

MFT-260 Words