Grand Re-Opening [Okibi / Sousuke]

[Chiyo]

Nestled between a fairly large book store and a small restaurant was the new premises of Suchiru Arms. Having been extensively remodeled and updated, the much larger shop was much more welcoming to any Sunan looking to purchase some of the best weapons yen could buy. Coming up to the store front, one would see a sandwich board reading:

SUCHIRU ARMS
Grand Re-Opening!​

This was placed in front of a large display window where all sorts of weapons were shown, from simple kunai to the most extravagant claymore. The outer walls were a warm and welcoming golden tone that blended well with the sand surroundings, but the frames of the glass door and window were black-enameled steel, fashioned by the shop-keeper herself.

A light tinkling sound would be heard should one choose to venture inside as the door brushed against a string of small bells hung from the door hinge. The front room was just as warm feeling with its crimson walls and dark wooden floors. The counter in the center of the back wall was made of wood to match the flooring, but the counter tops were made of a warm tan stone and polished to a rich sheen. In the right hand corner of the room was a comfortable, but modernly designed couch and arm chair set along with a wooden coffee table - complete with a few portfolio folders with sketches of weapons the shopkeeper had designed - for potential patrons to wait on should the shopkeeper be busy in the back room, and in the other corner was a wooden table and four chairs that were set aside for consultations. On the red walls hung various intricate weapons, seemingly made purposely for decoration, but their edges all looked just as dangerous as anything the young Suchiru would sell. These displays, naturally, were housed within frames with thick glass in front of them so that no danger would be posed to any children that might wander into the shop.

To each side of the front counter were two thick wooden doors, the one on the right held an enameled sign reading:

-Staff Only-​

If one were to venture through this door, they would enter a room about half the width of the reception area but twice as long, floors, walls and ceiling covered with stone pavers whose true color was hidden by a few fresh layers of soot. In the center of the back wall was a large stone forge with a metal knob on the side used to turn on the large chakra crystal housed within it for smelting and heating. Then, against the left wall of this room was a metal grinder and polishing kit with a small wooden stool placed beside them. In the center of the room was a medium sized wooden barrel filled with water and a large anvil with a well-made and well-used hammer laying across it – the young blacksmith liked to keep certain things in certain places so she could find her things...well, usually. Against the wall next to the door was a desk with a tall hutch atop it filled with cubbyholes of all sizes which were all stuffed with papers and metal samples...it didn't seem like there was much organization here. The surface of the desk wasn't much different, with papers and all sorts of things strewn across it, it was a wonder the girl could ever find anything.

Back in the front room, the door to the left of the front counter held a sign to match the other, though this one read:

*Training Yard*
-Please-
Feel Free to Test any Weapon
*Children Under 10 Must be Accompanied by an Adult*
*Genin Allowed*​

This door led into a courtyard about the size of the workshop with a couple of well-made, rubber training dummies available to patrons of Suchiru Arms as a means to test out their new weapons, and also to test out the many blunted training weapons that had been carefully crafted in several shapes, sizes and weights so that one could better choose what would be best to order. These blunted weapons were carefully placed on a large weapon rack against the wall beside the door, each engraved with their weights and the type of metal that was used.

For the time being, the 'Open' sign that hung in the front door was turned off and the door was locked, but it didn't take long for the redheaded teenager to finish getting everything ready to begin the day and she ventured from the training yard into reception to pull the string that hung from the sign to switch the small light crystal on so that the sign shone a garish violet color.

Grinning a little as she finally was ready to truly open her new shop, she turned the deadbolt on the door and moved to sit on the tall wooden stool behind the counter. In honor of her grand re-opening, the teenager was wearing her mid-thigh length crimson hair loose, though she had braided two chunks at her temples to wrap them around her head and join them together in one thicker braid that hung down the middle. Her chosen clothing for the day was not quite as practical as everything she usually wore, but this outfit she had had made new just for the occasion. The girl's torso was adorned with a form-fitting strapless top in a charcoal gray color with a sleeveless linen vest in a royal purple that covered her carefully muscled shoulders and stopped just below her ribcage. Amy's legs were covered by a pair of loose-fitting linen pants in the same shade as the vest, beneath these, the sandals she wore on her feet laced up around the bottoms of her pants, keeping the flowing fabric from getting in her way.

 

[Okibi]

Taking walks had become a normal thing for Okibi; taking walks with a chaperone was something she was still getting used to. The white haired girl plucked a sugared peach slice from the bowl she held in her left hand and popped it into her mouth. While chewing she looked over her shoulder at the metal monstrosity following her, giving the man inside of it a tamed glower.

"You know, I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself now." She mumbled around the slice of peach. Even now, when she was feeling one hundred percent better, he wouldnt let her out of his sight if he could help it. Silly male. She swallowed the slice in her mouth and skewered another piece with the claws of her metal arm, hoping that the misuse of his gift would annoy the metal man.

She didnt like this; being irritated was ruining the taste of her peaches, and she loved the damn things. She'd discovered them not long ago on another walk through the village, specifically in a small market. An older man had been selling them from a small wooden stall and his sign had declared they would be the most delicious thing you'd even eaten. And oh, had he been right! The juices that dribbled down her chin the moment she bit into the heart shaped fruit had been the most scrumptious thing to touch her tongue in a long, long time. Never before had she had something so sweet and tangy; that was probably because her past diet consisted mostly of meat. Why the heck had she never tried these things before? These fruits?

Okibi turned away from the metal man who was following her and concentrated on enjoying her peaches. She'd learned of the new way to eat them, dusted with light sugar, just that morning. The added sweetness just made the natural tastiness of the treat that much more enjoyable.

Just then, something shiny caught Okibi's eye. They were passing a shop with window displays, and they were showcasing some of the most intricate and beautiful weapons she had ever seen. Okibi couldnt help stopping to look; she was mesmerized by the craftsmanship, and she wasnt even one of those people who care for weapons very much! Cradling her bowl, Okibi crouched down so she could get a better look at the ones below eye level. She 'oo'ed and 'aah'ed for a minute or two before stepping back to look at the name of the shop.

"Suchiru?" She said out loud. "That sounds familiar . . ."

And then she remembered! Bright red hair and a temper almost as fiery as her own; they'd fought along side each other not long ago. Okibi smiled and turned to the metal man. "Let's go in here Sogay!" Was all she said to him before darting into the store. Her eyes immediately zeroed in on the shop owner, and sure enough, there was that shock of red hair. "Ameme!" She greeted happily, trotting up to the young female sitting behind the front desk.

[MFT]

 

[Takahashi Aki]

(Right so, imagine the grey text of when Sousuke speaks in the Mk II as a young Sean Connery, his usual green is the Benedict Cumberbatch voice)

Sousuke followed Okibi in the Mark II. The Mark I suffered from catastrophic damage and for a time forced into temporary retirement. "I heard that."<i></i> Sousuke would speak in an older voice. The Mark II while it had seen action in the field, had also seen action in the Mr. Suna pageant. Unfortunately the voice codex hadn't been downgraded, so Sousuke's voice came out as an older male of sorts. As Okibi and Sousuke made their way through the crowds, Sousuke was adressed by various women with various noises being hoots, wolf whistles, and hollers.

"Hey there hi-ho-silver." "I like my men, like I like my wine, older." "Wanna show me a personal laser show?" "Is it true he's a hundred year old knight in shining armour?" "I hear he's still single." "Even though we haven't seen his face, I'm sure he's a looker." "Girl, see that man over there? He's got talent." "I wish he'd read one of my romance novels to me."

The comments continued to pass as Sousuke and Okibi made their way. Some of them were lewd, and some of them were harmless. Sousuke gave no rise or comment. He merely kept silent and kept walking. Eventually the pair would stop before the arms-store. The Steward looked over the establishment. Recently remodeled. Fresh paint. A few days old? Maybe three, four? Okibi too was interested in this building which was curious. Usually she didn't care about martial weapons... but... wait ... wasn't Suchiru the surname of the student who went to Battlecraft? The Steward's eyes narrowed on the sign. Oh yes. Yes it was. Okibi then opened the door and went in, Sousuke followed in afterwards.

Okibi marched up to the frost desk and greeted the shop's owner. As this greeting took place, the Steward began to look about at the fine weaponry. Each of them looked to be for decoration, the Steward supposed he could get one or two fine slashes out of each weapon before breaking them. "Hrrm... the steel appears to be medicore grade. No doubt this is more for show instead of actually being used. Nobles like their weapons, merely for show not for usage."<i></i>

 

[Chiyo]

Amy had pulled out her heirloom scimitar and was busy sharpening its already sharp blade with a small whetstone when she heard the tinkling of the string of bells she had tied to the door frame. Lifting her eyes, she spotted the familiar face and long pale hair of Okibi. Amy's face broke into a wide grin as the girl called her by the cute little nickname she had been given. “Hi, Okibi! Welcome to my new shop! You're the first to see it.” Her arms widened as if to showcase the front room, her emerald eyes glittering with pride.

Lifting her eyes a moment as the large metal figure stepped into her small shop she quirked an eyebrow. As the thing began to speak, Amy's grin vanished and gave way to a scowl. Standing and walking around the counter, she walked over to a beautifully crafted claymore housed in one of the frames and hanging vertically on the wall. The thing was almost as tall as the room they were standing in, but Amy easily pulled it from its brackets and carried it over to the metal man. “I think you'll find that any steel I use is much better than mediocre, sir. I create my weapons for use, naturally I don't turn away business from people looking for ceremonial or decorative pieces, but I still use the same grade of steel. Any weapon you see here could be used vigorously for years with proper upkeep.” Her voice was full of the Suchiru authority, but she also was sure to keep the respect she had trained herself on in her voice, she was a merchant after all. Her small, strong hands cradling the large blade with care as she handed it over to the large suit of armor.

Scowling at him again for a quick moment, she left him to inspect the blade and turned back to face her newest friend. “So, are you out shopping today? Do you want to see the rest of the shop? It's mostly just my workshop in the back, but I had a brand new forge built with a huge new chakra crystal so it gets super hot, I can smelt in half the time I used to!" The teenager sounded as excited about her new smithing station as any other teenage girl would be about a huge walk-in closet complete with a new wardrobe.

 

[Okibi]

Okibi's face, which had been all smiles upon entering the shop, twisted into a grimace when she heard Sousuke's warped voice making unintentionally rude commentary about Ame's shop, specifically her wares. She turned around and made a face at his metal cased form, ready to chastise him when Ame walked around her, beating Okibi to the punch.

She threw a hand over her mouth to keep herself from laughing outright. A snicker escaped her however, despite her efforts. When Ame's indignant tongue lashing ended, Okibi skewered another peach on her metal claws and pointed it at Sousuke. "She tod you Sogay. Don't mind him Ameme; he says things without really understanding how it might affect the people he's talking to." What she said next she said in a loud stage whisper. "He's 'challenged' that way." She then popped the sugared fruit slice into her mouth and chewed as she looked around the shop once more.

"I'm glad youre doing well for yourself. This is a nice shop you have." She said amicably, smiling at the red headed girl. Finishing off her peaches, she slurped up the juices from the styrofoam bowl, then crumpled it up and stashed it away in a pocket for disposal later. "I'd love a tour! And I'm sure Sogay would too, after that . . . clarification you gave him."

Then a thought stoppe Okibi short as she slipped up next to the younger female and hooked her arm through hers. Ame didnt know who Sogay was, did she? Maybe she just didnt care about Sousuke's position, the same way Okibi didnt, or maybe they werent acquainted. Whirling around to face Sousuke, Okibi forcibly turned Ame with her, waving a hand in the man's direction ceremoniously. "This is Takahashi Sousuke, by the way, the Steward-Kazekage as well as my legal guardian." She inched her eyes sideways, observing Ame to see what kind of reaction she was going to get from the girl.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke handled the claymore with hesitancy, given its size being that it was nearly as tall as the room, Sousuke didn't really have the room to swing it around to test it. Instead he balanced the blade. Usually the hilt and pommel should balance with the blade. Sousuke watched as the blade balanced back and forth not yet coming to a full stillness. "This steel is not elemental based, nor is it reinforced."<i></i> Sousuke would observe. While Okibi and Amejisuto continued talking the Steward continued to toy with the blade. After the balance test, Sousuke struck the blade with his index finger. The metal rang for a few seconds. The Steward listened to the ringing noises and nodded his head. Yes, the blade was stronger than what he thought it was.

When the two spoke of the new forge, Sousuke's eyes shifted over to the conversation. Fascinating. A forge that uses chakra crystals. Sousuke moved himself over to the conversation now. "A chakra crystal forge? I am indeed interested in seeing this. I wonder if you can smith elemental steels from it..."<i></i> He would fold his arms and stroke his metallic faceplate chin as he began to ponder the possibilities of what could be done. By this time Okibi had introduced him. She did so very mannerly, and forgot one thing, he was the third Takahashi Sousuke. Well if the blacksmith knew her history, she would know that anyways. The Steward quickly rewound what Okibi had said. In fact she had forgotten two things, that in his titles he was also noted as Guardian Protectorate of the land. That too didn't really matter since ... less tittles the better.

The Steward reached up and removed his helmet. "Call me Sousuke please. I am not one for several formalities."<i></i> The Steward would say in his usual voice.

 

[Chiyo]

Amy grinned as she spoke to Okibi, happy to finally have a female friend that wasn't one of those annoying girly girls like most of the other girls her age she had met. Laughing a little at her explanation of her metal friend, the teenager shook her head, her long red hair swinging behind her before she pulled a small strip of leather from a pocket and deftly twisted the locks into a braid, tying it off at the end with the leather. She had known upon leaving home that morning that wearing her hair loose wouldn't last too long.

“Thank you,” she said as the pale girl complimented her new shop, excited to show someone other than her family and Toushin her new forge, then, as the man in the metal suit spoke up about being interested in seeing her crystal-powered forge, the redhead looked over at him. Apparently he was some sort of a smith as well, she should have guessed by his assessment of the weapons she had used for decoration, as well as the quality of his armor. “I haven't attempted any elemental weapons as of yet, I've been doing a fair bit of research on the subject, however,” Her voice trailed off a little as Okibi hooked her thin arm through hers, and Amy smiled at her friend before the redhead was whirled around quickly to face the iron man once again, a little dizzy now, and she shook her head out a bit as Sousuke was introduced. Her head stopped shaking abruptly as her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open in surprise and embarrassment.

She couldn't believe the way she had spoken to the Steward-Kazekage...she had been so rude. Blinking a few times, Amy took her arm back from Okibi and bowed respectfully to the leader of their village. “Oh my, I apologize for my rudeness before, sir. My name is Suchiru Amejisuto, daughter of Suchiru Kitaeru, the leader of my clan.” The girl raised back up out of her bow as he introduced himself more casually, but Amy's cheeks were flushed an embarrassing shade of pink that clashed horribly with her fiery locks. She did know much of Suna's Steward, including that he was the third of his name and all of the titles that went with that name. These bits of information had been a large topic in the studying she had done with her father as he trained her so that one day she could lead their clan and be a respected and knowledgable figure within the greater community of Sunagakure.

“Umm....right, tour., follow me if you would.” Amy's voice now had lost most of its authority and instead she sounded like the teenage girl that she was, but she hooked her arm through Okibi's once again and led the pair through the door to the right of the front room with the sign that read -Staff Only.- She whispered through her teeth to her friend in a hiss, hoping the Steward wouldn't hear, "Why didn't you tell me who he was? I'm a hot head...now I've probably offended him..."

“Ignore that sign, you're my VIPs for the day.” Amy said in her normal volume, her voice was slowly gaining back her regular confident swagger as she held onto Okibi's arm, hoping to impress Sousuke with her state-of-the-art chakra-crystal forge and gloss over the rudeness from before.

 

[Okibi]

Okibi blinked and leaned over to listen to Ame's whisperings. The redhead was a good deal shorter than her after all; it was hard to hear her from that distance! She was able to catch enough that she realized Ame was feeling just a little embarrassed about how she'd first reated to Sousuke - before she knew who he was.

Okibi laughed as they were shuffled into the Employee's only section of the shop, and patted Ame's hand consolingly. "Don't be silly Ameme." She said loud enough for everyone to hear. Sometimes she just lacked subtlety that way. "Sogay has to deal with me on a daily basis, and I've throw him threw a window in one of my temper fits before so . . . I highly doubt you've offended him." She laughed, with just a hint of nervousness as she rubbed the back of her head and looked back at Sousuke. Then she grinned and pinched some of Ame's hair between the claws of her metal hand. "I used to have red hair too ya know, that is," her face deadpanned, "Until I met a certain scientist who dropped a bunch of bricks on my head." Then she laughed again - damn she was all over the place wasnt she? - and blushed just the smallest bit as she looked away and into the distance fondly. "That was an interesting day."

She snapped out of her daydream when she realize she'd completely gone off track in the conversation. She shook her white haired head and looked back down at Ame with a grin. "Anyway, I wouldnt worry about offending Sogay. I mean, I call him 'Sogay' for crying out loud." She chortled loudly at that. "Like I told you, he's 'challenged', and by that I meant emotionally so. He doesnt feel much one way or another, which is why he talks like a robot. Watch."

Okibi turned to look at Sousuke once more and looked him up and down. She screwed her face up, looking as though she didnt quite like what she was seeing. "Why did you choose that suit Sogay? It's so . . . bulky. And tacky."

Honestly, she didnt give a rip one way or another about what anyone chose to wear - appearances didnt mean that much to her, but she figured the easiest way to try to get a rise out of her guardian was to insult his armor. He did so love his armors after all.

[MFT]

 

[Takahashi Aki]

"I heard that."<i></i> Sousuke spoke as he heard Okibi refer to a certain situation that was not talked about and was kept secret. "I choose to deal with you because I don't think anyone else has the patience to deal with your constantly shifting and changing world. Who else has gone through three changes of hair colour?"<i></i> The Steward's eyes would shift to the side and look skyward. His eyes would narrow as if he was glaring at some unseen force that was dictating the universe through the power of word. Some would go mad with the thought, but not Takahashi Sousuke, he understood it better than others.

The Steward would bring his gaze back down. "I'm used to being insulted, though I suppose that's not a good thing. I have been known to surprise people though. Which I may end up doing shortly..."<i></i> Sousuke's eyes broke off from for a moment as he began to conjure plasma numbers and begin toying with them in a sequence of sorts. "You lack experience in elemental forging? Perhaps I can provide you with an education... but there is a particular design I would like to see put together. If I may be so bold... how is your shield work?"<i></i> The plasma numbers would fade as Sousuke would be able to draft the design later for the small blacksmith to see.

By this time Okibi had asked why he was using the Mark II. The Armour proceeded to open up and the Steward virtually stepped out of it. Sousuke wasn't as tall before. His frail form was shown. His clothing was all crumpled but he did press down upon it to flatten it. "The Mark II may look bulky, but it is three layers thicker in terms of armour plating, it was capable of withstanding multiple Djinn blows which would have reduced most people to dust, granted though when I was fighting the Djinn in close combat it was greatly weakened in the sense that ... it was no longer of reducing buildings to smoldering craters in the ground. Secondly while the design looks bulky, I am capable of phase shifting in the sixth vector... in which you couldn't keep up with my movements. At best you saw a silver blur before I stopped moving, but that was just before I came to a full pause because your eyes are not properly trained to see vector movement, or specifically my vector movements. In addition to increased defensive abilities and speed, the Mark II also shows an even greater strength difference in both plasma and martial prowess... mainly due to my strength being multiplied by the sixteenth strike end."<i></i>

 

[Chiyo]

The small redhead smiled and chuckled a little nervously as her tall friend made plenty of good points why she shouldn't be worried about offending the Steward. Relaxing a little more, she turned her green eyes to Sousuke and chuckled a little more as he gave his reasons for putting up with the girl, before he slipped away into thoughts and Amy raised an eyebrow before turning back toward where Okibi had taken hold of a lock of her bright red hair and slipped into somewhat of a daydream. Blinking a few times, she looked back and forth between the thinking pair and waited for them to come back to the present before chuckling again. What weird people, but she enjoyed it, they were funny and made her laugh...with all the work, training and remodeling Amy had been immersed in lately, things to laugh at were a little hard to come by.

Sousuke asked her a question as he returned from his thinking break and Amy took a step toward him, “I'm not as experienced with shields as I am with weapons, though I'm sure if you have a design in mind I would be able to put something together for you, especially if you'd be willing to teach me the art of elemental forging, it's something I would really like to learn.”

Then, following the directions she was given to watch Sousuke's reaction to the slight goading Okibi gave him, Amy's smile widened as the Steward lapsed into a speech of sorts with all kinds of technical jargon that even the small master blacksmith was having trouble following. Raising an eyebrow once again, she shook her head a little and looked at Okibi.

“So, this is my little workshop,” she said, opening her arms in a showcasing gesture as she took a few steps further into the room. “It's not too much, but this is where all the magic happens.” Chuckling a little at herself, she strode over to her chakra crystal forge and turned the knob on the side to turn off the heat that was radiating through the small oven-like space so that one could see the crystal that was housed inside without burning themselves.

“Sousuke....Steward...Sir, um...if you'd like to take a better look at my forge, it's here, the crystal is just underneath the grill, it's a fire element crystal, but it radiates heat throughout – its very efficient, smelts down most metals within a few short minutes.”

 

[Okibi]

Okibi was quickly losing interest in the conversation when things took a turn for the technical. Hearing Sousuke go into one of his little rants, using words that she could tell even Ame was having trouble following, Okibi let out a loud breath and crossed her arms. She glanced around the work space as Sousuke and Ame conversed, but looked back when attention was directed back to her. She smiled at Ame, finding the girls enthusiasm about her shop endearing. Maybe it was because she was a girl, and younger than her, that Okibi found the obsessiveness in Ame cute, whereas she found the same sort of quality in people like Sousuke . . . just a little irritating sometimes. Ame, at least, seemed to know how to keep her words short and sweet and to the point. Unlike other people.

When the red head turned back to Sousuke, talking about some sort of special forging and shields and whatnot, Okibi turned away to stroll around the room. She took a close look at the weapons Ame was in the process of making, but decided not to touch any of them since they were part of her livelihood. Chances were they would end up ruined beyond repair if Okibi tried messing with them, and she liked Ame a little too much to do that to the girl.

She did, however, stop to look at the tools the girl used, and even picked some of them up to look at them closer. Some heavy looking hammers were lined up near an anvil, and Okibi picked one up to test it's weight. Hefty, but nothing she couldnt handle with one hand. She swung it around with her right hand easily. Then, just as she was swing the hammer to the right, she heard a small plink and then a thunk as something fell to the floor in front of her. She looked down as her arm was swinging outwards, and blinked at the small innocent looking screw sitting at her feet.

A loud CRASH made her face twist up and her body tense. She looked to the right, at her empty metal hand, and the rack of unfinished weapons she'd been perusing just moments before, which was now in disarray and possible pieces. Her face twisted up further and her eyes widened like saucers.

"Uh, Sogay . . ." She said, her voice dripping with guilt. "I think one of the screws in my arm was loose . . ."

 

[Takahashi Aki]

"My work space isn't anything much either, but if you so desire I could perhaps get you a spot in Keystone if you desire... but there are rules you'd have to adhere to and... most of what goes there is projects under my supervision or instruction."<i></i> Sousuke had a look at the chakra crystal. He felt the heat, but it didn't feel right. "That chakra crystal should be giving out far more heat than that... I think you may have been sold a defective product. That's okay thought because..."<i></i> Sousuke heard a clang and a very horrible sound. He turned his head to see a very guilty looking Okibi and with it came an explanation. Sousuke's hand covered his face. This was embarrassing. "I think you picked up something and swung it, and I think it would have been better if you didn't pick up said thing and swung it."<i></i> Sousuke kneeled down picked up the screw. He inspected it and figured it where it belonged. Sousuke took hold of Okibi's metallic arm and turned it a certain way revealing the missing screw. He dropped the screw into the hole and held out his hand. Metallic plates slipped around his hands and formed a glove. At the top point of his index finger a small screwdriver would form. Sousuke then drop his finger into and proceeded to fit tight the screw. "We're going to make this right Amejisuto of House Suchiru. Aren't we Okibi?"<i></i> The words spoke were ... well, despite the fact Sousuke's words were monotone something came out that meant business.

"I'm going to ruin my clothes with what I have intended for your forge. I'm going to upgrade that fire crystal of yours to a Magma Crystal."<i></i> Sousuke removed his shirt and placed it on the side on a rack outside of the room. "Okibi remind me to do laundry when we get home. I'm not ruining that shirt. I only have four."<i></i> Sousuke turned off the forge and moved over to it. He opened it up and looked at the crystal. "There's a hairline crack in the Outer Left Crystalline Edge-End. Okibi conjure me a rock. Nothing special, maybe about medium sized. I'll then super heat it with my plasma jutsu and then I'll fuse it with the crystal. Give it three minutes of maximum heat and then... we let it set for thirty seconds, then we heat it again. Within that time frame the rock will be completely absorbed and then your fire crystal is upgraded to a magma crystal. The heat it'll produce will be ... well ... you'll see what I can do."<i></i> It seemed as if Sousuke were possessed. While the concept to some may be foreign he spoke about it such a way that its understanding would become infectious.

 

[Chiyo]

Sousuke’s offer of a possible spot in Keystone took the teenager by surprise. Her mind immediately began reeling, considering all the options should she take such an offer. Firstly, such a prestigious position in the village would do wonders for her clan’s name, she knew her father would be incredibly proud of her and that thought alone was enough to bring a small smile to her face. Of course there was also the benefit of having a fancy new workspace in the building, she could imagine all the wonderful, state of the art tools she would have at her disposal, not to mention all the different metals and alloys she would get to work with, and the fact that if she was a member of the Keystone staff, her business here would surely get a boost.

Then again, on the other side of the coin, she heard the steward make mention of the rules and regulations she would be working under, and as Amy was fine with certain rules, she wasn’t sure how she would react to being told what she could and could not do with her craft. Given her track record and personality, she didn’t think she would take to such supervision very well…but the pros of taking such a position made her think she could get used to it…and she would still be able to take projects in her own shop, of course…"That would be fa-" Crash! The loud clatter of her unfinished projects she had hanging on a weapon rack falling to the ground interrupted her words and caused the small girl to jump.

Her eyes widened as she took in the damage – which really wasn’t too bad considering one of her heaviest hammers had flown across the room to hit the rack – before her emerald eyes slid over to look at the embarrassed Okibi with a chuckle and a shake of her head. Moving over to pick up the assorted weapons and parts, she smiled, speaking in an almost uncharacteristically soothing tone. “It’s fine, really, no harm done.” As she replaced the last sword hilt, she turned to look at Sousuke – who was now shirtless, she noted this fact with a faint flush in her cheeks, but moved over to stand next to Okibi, watching the Steward inspect her fire crystal.

“That would be wonderful, I wasn’t aware such a thing was possible…I’ll admit I’m not too familiar with different chakra types, swordsmanship is by far my strong point,” Her voice flowed with her excitement at yet another upgrade to her shop, and if what Sousuke was saying was true, her production time could be cut down quite a bit, giving her more time for training. A wide grin crossed her face at the thought.

[[MFT//WC: 460]]

 

[Okibi]

As Sousuke placed the errant screw back into its proper hole, Okibi watched Ame inspect the damage she'd done to the weapons rack. She breathed a sigh of relief when the diminutive girl said that she hadnt broken anything. Thank the sands! "I'm still sorry though, Ameme. I wasnt trying to break anything . . . bad things just seem to happen around me a lot." Her face twisted into an irritated pout. "I swear I have the worst luck ever." When Sousuke finished his little task and dropped her arm back down, Okibi gave it a turn and a twist, rotating her hand and wiggling her fingers to make sure they all worked properly. She grabbed hold of her other arm, just to make sure the grip was tight. Perfect.

And of course she would make it up to Ame! You dont go into a friends place, break things (or almost) and not make it up to them! Okibi didnt even respond to Sousuke's comment, because it was so very 'duh'.

She did, however, pay attention to his request for a rock. Okibi rose an eyebrow; did he want her to pull one out of her ass or something? Shaking her head with a laugh - that image had been a little too funny - Okibi flipped through a couple seals and stomped on the floor. A smallish rock popped up out of the dirt floor of Ame's work space and up into her hands. She handed it off to Sousuke as he worked, zoning out as he started talking about the constitution of the crystal and how they were going to make it better.

Cueing in on Ame's comment about not knowing much about chakras and other such related techniques, Okibi grinned and nudged her with her elbow. "Maybe you should spend more time around this guy." She nodded at Sousuke. "Believe me, you learn a thing or two about the other stuff when you live with him and his family. I wasnt any good with chakra before either." But now she could make rocks pop out of the ground like daisies! Amazing, right? Heh.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke picked up the stone and began making the adjustments to the crystal. First he opened up the forge and then he began to attend to the flaw of the crystal. "Luck is a concept that escapes me. I think it's more than luck Okibi. Perhaps the ancestors are trying to teach you a lesson on not to touch things that are not yours."<i></i> He spoke as he began to seal the crystal with some fiery chakra. The Steward looked about the workshop and proceeded borrow one of Ame's tools. He made several cuts into the crystal and inputted the stone. He distanced himself from the crystal. The Steward made a gripping motion and the mark II armour phased in, or at least the arm parts. Sousuke held his palms open to the crystal and began to blast it with plasma chakra. The crystal began to overheat as it began to evolve. After a few moments, Sousuke again blasted it with plasma chakra.

The Steward continued to work on the crystal. He was intently focused on it, but made some form of small talk. "I learn swordcraft from Lady Azame. I am one of her more accomplished students. Though I have been trained to use axes. I prefer a sword mainly due to well ... swords are easier to calculate and project results. Axes are more devastating, but sometimes it's more complicated in projecting results due to the type. For instance a Twin Crescent Axe. In design and lethality it is stronger yes, but ... one has to account for the double-edged. You have to take far more into consideration when swinging it because you have to have more room to swing it, and you have to counter the swing back ... or counter-helix if you would."<i></i> Sousuke blasted the crystal again. "If Okibi shows any signs of falling asleep pinch her for me. Keep her awake. I'm going to need her to gravity thrust the stone she produced into the core of the crystal now. The conversion is roughly forty-five percent complete."<i></i> Sousuke would point to the stone in the crystal which was now black. "Gravity shift it by six centimeters. It shouldn't take too much effort, because it's in a molten state four."<i></i> Sousuke looked up as he was crouching. He wasn't the most well built man. He had some muscle, but it wasn't anything extraordinary when compared to Kuro. "My offer to join Keystone still stands. You would be one of the youngest members."<i></i>

 

[Chiyo]

The redhead sniggered a little as Sousuke lightly told Okibi off for touching her tools, though she really didn't mind. No real harm had been done, and even if it had, most things in her shop were easily repaired. Moving closer to the pair of them, Amy sat herself on her large anvil and watched Sousuke work, paying close attention to what he was saying.

“Oh yes, I much prefer swords to other weapons, I generally test out any weapon I craft, so I've gotten a bit of time in with just about all types, but I've always been more confident with the precision of a sword – or, more specifically, a pair of short sword type weapons, specifically my broadsword and scimitar– as opposed to axes or maces or even throwing weapons.” At his next instruction, Amy glanced over at the zoned out girl that was standing next to her, apparently the conversation had begun to bore her and the younger girl gently nudged her in the side and gestured with her chin to the Steward.

Of course, now the conversation had gone technical and thus, Amy was lost again. Blinking a few times to try and keep her focus she listened to what Sousuke was saying and tried to absorb some tidbit of information. That is, until he mentioned his offer for her to join the team at Keystone Prime again. Her cheeks reddened some, but she smiled, looking from Okibi, to Sousuke, and back again, as if she was looking for some sort of guidance. It was a big decision for her to make on her own, but she knew it would be best if she gave an answer as soon as possible so she smiled – a little nervously – and nodded. “I would be honored for the opportunity to join you at Keystone.”

 

[Okibi]

Okibi pursed her lips, just a little annoyed with the chastising Sousuke gave her. Was he trying to tell her it was her fault the hammer went flying out of her hands? Granted, maybe she shouldnt have picked it up in the first place, but who's fault was it that one of her screws were loose? She wasnt the one who did maintenance on her arm . . .

Crossing her arms, Okibi sighed and turned away as Sousuke started to blabber about things she didnt know about. Swords, axes, maces throwing weapons . . . none of them held much interest with her. Her fists and claws were all she needed in a fight, if you asked her. She looked around the room again, her attention wandering and her mind zoning out. When she felt a sudden nudge against her arm, she jolted as if she'd been asleep, and looked back at the red and purple heads.

"Huh? What?" She said, trying to listen back into what they were talking about. Sousuke asked her to used some gravity manipulation to move the molten crystal in the forge. Well, that was something she could handle rather easily. She stepped in front of the forge and rubbed her hands together eagerly, then reached out and grabbed onto the heated stone. "Six centimeters, got it." She said. But then she just stood there . . . and stood there . . . and stood there.

Eventually, she looked sideways at Sousuke, just a little pink in the cheeks. "Uh, how much is that now?"

 

[Takahashi Aki]

"From the sound of your 'huh, what', it is evident that you have spaced out. Thank-you Amejitsuo for bringing Okibi back to earth."<i></i> Sousuke shook his head. He wished that Okibi would listen. Granted he doubted that the little blacksmith understood what he was trying to say, but maybe someday when she got older she would get it. Okibi on the other hand ... well sure she wasn't a blacksmith but if she took the time to understand the slightest bit of weapon theory, Okibi could very well improve her theory and technical taijutsu. "In the next few days I'll begin the paperwork for a lab to be opened up for you. I'll send you the manual over so you can get caught up on a few of the mechanics in Keystone. Yes, and Keystone herself would probably be happy to see you, not enough female minds there... not to mention Okibi didn't want to fix her when I asked her to. You know ... female and machine-female bonding? It is a thing you know."<i></i> Sousuke gave Okibi a sort of blank look.

Sousuke then watched as Okibi stand there. Wait for it... wait for it... she'll do it. She'll do it right. She'll... do... it... eventually... Sometime. Before her next birthday. Sousuke's eyes narrowed as he was attempting to force his will upon her. Yes. Six centimetres. Six. You can do it Okibi. Go girl. Show the world your mathematical prowess... show them...

That you need help.

Sousuke reached out and took hold of Okibi's arm. "One centimeter. Two centimeter. Three. Four. Five. Six."<i></i> Hopefully that would stick with her now. He showed her one. Then two, and so on and so forth. Even though Okibi was now older, she still needed to be educated in a few items it would seem. "Now. One centimeter up, and release ... and then we'll be good."<i></i> Sousuke's eyes then shifted once again to Okibi. Through sheer force of mental will, Okibi would have a hand in seeing this be passed. You can do it girl! You certainly can! You have the knowledge!