A warm wind drifted from somewhere in the abyss ahead of him. It was different from the mild drafts in the caverns he had been forced to frequent below, so much though that nostalgia and imagination almost took complete control as each new step brought him closer to his destination. It was cold, for one, and it contained the faint scent of salt that had been so vivid in the memory of his first having arrived in stone. It brought to mind drifting sails and complicated knots among whole hosts of foreign and exotic goods, a sight he well remembered from when he and his mother had first gotten off the boat to embark on the nightmare that followed. If he had known what it had meant to flee, he would have stayed in the fire and been consumed by it.
Takayama clicked his tongue and whistled, adjusting a set of large shades he had been lent by some generous and unknowing fellow who hadn't had the wisdom to keep his locker closed. It was just up ahead now, the source of the tension that had been building up over the course of the last few hours for him.
The grand gates of stone.
From the inside they were considerably less impressive than one liked to imagine, but for the leaf refugee who had been bound to a village not his own for the better part of a decade they were a beautiful sight regardless. Takayama swayed a little under the weight of his satchel, cold grey optics swiveling from one detail to the next as he kept a relatively casual pace. There were a few ticket takers doing paperwork on various clipboards scattered about, as well as a few eager tourists and merchants excitedly pointing at their maps and discussing the untold opportunities that came with having potential business connections in Arcadia. The ANBU were a separate matter, posted at either side of the gates in grim silence as they glimpsed the occasional document and nodded to the assigned ticket takers to continue their work or stop some suspicious bundle that needed checking.
This was going to be a hassle.
The ANBU he had spoken to before had assured him that the proper papers were in order to allow him easy passage, he had even been given his refugee papers so that he could return them to the proper gate authority, but how long was that going to take exactly?
Takayama's casual whistling came to halt as he approached his first obstacle, a stern girl with a young face, stressed features and a clip board who had bounced into his path without looking up from her papers.
"Coming or going?"
Well, going, you see I-..." The girl cut him off, scribbling hurriedly onto one of her official looking forms. "Show me your passport, carrying claims and open up your bag please."
Well, I don't have a passport because I'm not a citizen, I hav- "Wait here until the next available official can verify your permissions."
Takayama's eyebrows jounced emphatically underneath his sunglasses as he clicked his tongue once more in disapproval. The girl seemed to hop directly onto the next passerby without so much as a hint that she had actually contacted anyone about getting him through as he ground the heel of his fresh sandals on the stone road below him.
He gave it a few moments before he turned his attention to the ANBU nearby and let a single eyebrow raise.
The masked creature stood motionless, a daunting symbol that for some reason only reminded Taka of the bureaucracy that he had quickly come to tire of during what little of his stay he could remember. He started casually in the direction of the exit and put his hands in his pocket, shrugging back his large tan shroud and letting his father's leaf headband sway gently in open view beneath his pale abs.
The ANBU's head turned ever so slightly in his direction as he pushed forward, his hand acting of it's own accord and drawing his refugee papers for the guardian to see as he did.
"The girl over there said I can't enter the village without the proper documents, this counts doesn't it?"
The sentinel had almost gotten his hand out to halt the blue haired young man, but now found his extended hand taking the document by reflex.
"These shouldn't be a problem sir, though the date of submission is a bit old. I'm surprised they didn't flag you at the port. They probably just need a confirmation from a higher office on your credentials."
Takayama let out a sigh of feigned exasperation.
"Alright, well, can I leave my bag here and head back to the port to get some lunch? I've been here for an hour already."
The shinobi' stone sharpened considerably. "No. All baggage must be accompanied by its owner at all times to prevent sabotage. You'll have to take it with you."
Takayama shook his head, clicking his tongue again. "Seems a little paranoid, doesn't it?"
"Those rules are what keep this village safe sir, you must take your bag.""
With one final breath of frustration the blue haired shinobi turned and walked off, heading up the cavern towards the cool sea air he had never known he had missed so much.
[Forced Exit * D Rank * 4 Hours to Depart]
Takayama clicked his tongue and whistled, adjusting a set of large shades he had been lent by some generous and unknowing fellow who hadn't had the wisdom to keep his locker closed. It was just up ahead now, the source of the tension that had been building up over the course of the last few hours for him.
The grand gates of stone.
From the inside they were considerably less impressive than one liked to imagine, but for the leaf refugee who had been bound to a village not his own for the better part of a decade they were a beautiful sight regardless. Takayama swayed a little under the weight of his satchel, cold grey optics swiveling from one detail to the next as he kept a relatively casual pace. There were a few ticket takers doing paperwork on various clipboards scattered about, as well as a few eager tourists and merchants excitedly pointing at their maps and discussing the untold opportunities that came with having potential business connections in Arcadia. The ANBU were a separate matter, posted at either side of the gates in grim silence as they glimpsed the occasional document and nodded to the assigned ticket takers to continue their work or stop some suspicious bundle that needed checking.
This was going to be a hassle.
The ANBU he had spoken to before had assured him that the proper papers were in order to allow him easy passage, he had even been given his refugee papers so that he could return them to the proper gate authority, but how long was that going to take exactly?
Takayama's casual whistling came to halt as he approached his first obstacle, a stern girl with a young face, stressed features and a clip board who had bounced into his path without looking up from her papers.
"Coming or going?"
Well, going, you see I-..." The girl cut him off, scribbling hurriedly onto one of her official looking forms. "Show me your passport, carrying claims and open up your bag please."
Well, I don't have a passport because I'm not a citizen, I hav- "Wait here until the next available official can verify your permissions."
Takayama's eyebrows jounced emphatically underneath his sunglasses as he clicked his tongue once more in disapproval. The girl seemed to hop directly onto the next passerby without so much as a hint that she had actually contacted anyone about getting him through as he ground the heel of his fresh sandals on the stone road below him.
He gave it a few moments before he turned his attention to the ANBU nearby and let a single eyebrow raise.
The masked creature stood motionless, a daunting symbol that for some reason only reminded Taka of the bureaucracy that he had quickly come to tire of during what little of his stay he could remember. He started casually in the direction of the exit and put his hands in his pocket, shrugging back his large tan shroud and letting his father's leaf headband sway gently in open view beneath his pale abs.
The ANBU's head turned ever so slightly in his direction as he pushed forward, his hand acting of it's own accord and drawing his refugee papers for the guardian to see as he did.
"The girl over there said I can't enter the village without the proper documents, this counts doesn't it?"
The sentinel had almost gotten his hand out to halt the blue haired young man, but now found his extended hand taking the document by reflex.
"These shouldn't be a problem sir, though the date of submission is a bit old. I'm surprised they didn't flag you at the port. They probably just need a confirmation from a higher office on your credentials."
Takayama let out a sigh of feigned exasperation.
"Alright, well, can I leave my bag here and head back to the port to get some lunch? I've been here for an hour already."
The shinobi' stone sharpened considerably. "No. All baggage must be accompanied by its owner at all times to prevent sabotage. You'll have to take it with you."
Takayama shook his head, clicking his tongue again. "Seems a little paranoid, doesn't it?"
"Those rules are what keep this village safe sir, you must take your bag.""
With one final breath of frustration the blue haired shinobi turned and walked off, heading up the cavern towards the cool sea air he had never known he had missed so much.
[Forced Exit * D Rank * 4 Hours to Depart]