LIke a Breath of Fresh Air (Open)

Hoshirei · Jun 6, 2017

Aika walked the streets just inhaling all the new scents and smiling all the while. She had stopped by one of her favorite bakeries and was surprised to see that the young proprietor had started his own family. Seeing the swell of his wife's stomach had made something within her ache. She hasn't been around many people in a while, let alone any pregnant women. The young woman had left Suna shortly after her mother and clan had arrived, unwilling to return to a place where she would be seen as refuse. Her mother had died in the Cabal attack, and she had made peace with the new matriarch of the Motomori clan, her eldest half-sister. Finally able to feel safe again in her home, Aika journeyed for almost a month to find her way back to Suna.

Her travels had been fruitful, if not preferred. Her ability to mold and shape crystals garnered her plenty of business along trade routes, and had enabled her to purchase a nicer house in the above ground section of Suna. As much as she loved the caves, she understood why they moved topside. Her baker friend had told her about the dangers that were fraught during the Cabal incident, and she was glad to have been away. She never did find out what happened to her friend Shira, but it's not like the white-haired young woman would want her back after disappearing for almost two years.

She took the last bite of her treat as she sat down on a bench underneath a short palm tree. It was certainly good to be back home, even if it would never be the same without her brother. Aika clenched her teeth and shook the image of his sad visage from her mind. He would be fine on his own and she was old enough to look after herself.

With a sigh, Aika looked to the sky and closed her eyes.

Takahashi Matsu · Jun 6, 2017

[col]Matsu had been out long enough in the hot sun, drinking himself to a point of potential stupidity. Well, if he was anyone else, he would be stupid drunk. Thankfully he had other beliefs and natural measures that made it so that his particular style of drinking would mostly just dehydrate and annoy him at worst. He took his steps through the streets and a wide berth was given to him almost all of the time. It was well known he was a relative of the Kazekage in addition to simply having his own reputation. Today, however, he wore no intricate maskwork. It was simply his standard cloth mask which exposed part of his face which, if one looked, would see the parts of tattoos that ran across his skin in Runic Terran. It was also well known that Matsu spent his time in the cavernous networks weeding out problems and ostensibly still living there. His quarters had not been moved above ground for whatever reason. Perhaps it was a quarantine of sorts or rather he simply made the decision himself.

Shortly he would find himself near some palms with people around. Some onlookers would stare before scuttling off, but Matsu continued to typically be uncaring. Staring over at a bench, he would make his way over as the spurs on his boots clicked against the rock under the sandy paths. He would set himself down and place his hands comfortably in his lap. "Hello. I am quite unaware as to who you might be and I make it a point to know whatever I can. Who are you and when did you arrive?" His face barely moved beneath his mask. Simply his mouth. His voice was without real inflection and his words would be somewhat flat. He would stare ahead as his discolored eyes simply peered into space.
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Hoshirei · Jun 6, 2017

People passed as they went about their day, softly shifting the sand under their feet. The plodding of civilian feet and much more silent padding of the shinobi-trained made for a nice white noise effect. Of course, when she heard the clash of metal on stone, Aika's attention was piqued. The pattern denoted spurs, unusual, especially in a hidden village. Whomever wore them, could possibly be doing so as a "warning bell", but she didn't quite care unless the person wanted to pull something stupid.

The cadence of sound stopped when the wearer plopped down next to her and asked what her business was. A very soft smile played at the corner of her lip opposite the man. Slowly, she lowered her face and opened her eyes, taking in the stranger's face and demeanor. "Not everyday someone with Ruinic Terran on their face asks my business in Suna. Then again, it has been some time since I have been home. I am returning home after two years of self-imposed exile after my birth clan moved to this fine village. The old matriarch and I had a few disagreements and I received permission to take a holiday." Aika was feeling rather glib, perhaps that was due to her return.

"The name's Motomori Aika. And you are?"

Takahashi Matsu · Jun 7, 2017

[col]Matsu would smile a bit beneath his mask as he let his head lift up and stare into the sky. Carefully he would pull the cloth from around his head to expose that it was completely bald, eyebrows and all, but was covered in countless scrawlings of Runic Terran. His red eyes skipped across the sky from cloud to cloud. It had been a long while since he had actually cared to look up. After all, dogs can't look up, right? "Not every day I am this high up. Vacation isn't much of an exile. Seems like vacation." Beyond the few movements to shift his body, Matsu really didn't move and he barely breathed. Everything about him was as controlled as it could be. It all served some sort of purpose. Opening up was possible, but it would really depend on where the conversation went. "I am Takahashi Matsu. I would call myself complicated, but that's what artists do. I am a craftsman of some talent."

His body was carefully clothed in various leathers and layered over to protect him from outside agents to an extent. His right hand lifted as his left leg came up and crossed over the right. The flat of his foot would be towards Aika and the spur would be angled somewhat downward. His lifted hand would reach down and spin the spur slightly as he contemplated. A sigh would escape him and the muscles in his neck would strain a bit as he adjusted where his head would rest tilted upwards. "What did you learn on this vacation? I am sure you visited other countries and places. Is the rest of the world worth our time since resurfacing or are they still trapped in their own ways as we have been?" The slight bit of smile that may have been on his face faded as he somewhat scowled. Briefly. Then his smile would return and he would drum upon the spur lightly causing it to spin without real force behind it.
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Hoshirei · Jun 8, 2017

Aika couldn't help but smile when Matsu called her time out of Suna a vacation. In a way, it most certainly was. When Matsu said his name, she blinked a bit, trying to recall if she had heard of him before. While his last name was certainly familiar, his first name wasn't. Probably a cousin that isn't spoken of much.

"What kind of things do you craft? I've made a bit of a living creating things myself. My vacation, as you said, more or less followed trade routes as I sold my crafts." As she spoke, Aika wove her chakra into a simple amethyst bracelet before showing Matsu. "The biggest thing I learned during my tour was how to combine healing chakra with crystals. Haven't figured out how to store something like the Mystical Hand jutsu in it yet, but it is good for little things like scrapes, minor lacerations, and contusions;
things kids are more likely to get. Someone just has to hover the crystal over the spot and focus on what needs healed. The chakra reads the intent and goes to work."

His appearance didn't shock Aika at all. She had seen some odd things while travelling with merchants so the oddness that comes with being a shinobi was nothing. However, she couldn't help but chuckle softly when he started playing with one of his spurs.

"Question for you, Matsu. What triggered the decision to wear spurs? Not the oddest accessory I've seen worn, but interesting nonetheless."

Takahashi Matsu · Jun 8, 2017

[col]"Decisions and requirements are not always in line. Not that I can't just...make that aspect go away. But it's appearances now. People get tied to the idea of what something does or should look like then, with time, that becomes the expectation. That said, I am no help in getting you closer to storing whatever into whatever. I guess I could technically say I practice similar aspects of my work, but I've not the foggiest, right?" His hand lifted from the spur as he spoke and he waves it around as if he was using his hands to accent the words in some way. In reality, his hand was just waving around and potentially detracting from his point over aiding it. He would continue to stare into the sky, tracking cloud formations and wondering where the rain would fall. It would mean a trip out later. Sure, you could just roll up some water via ninjutsu, but getting actual true water via the natural cycles just tasted better. Or so he thought. Not that it mattered. "I know that doesn't say much, but there are reasons I suppose. Obligations?" He shrugged a bit.

"Interesting craft you have, though. I'm very simple. I perform my work through blacksmithing and tattoo work. Often some combined elements between the two. Some metals work for one and not the other. I'm far from good. Terrible craftsman, the worst teacher at the Academy, and a former criminal. Expunged, of course. But often needs saying. That all said, it's a pleasure." He would smile a bit his hand settled on his heel once more, but now it simply clasped without actually doing anything beyond that. It was just a matter of resting at this point. "While you learned something personal...I'm curious about those other countries. Is there cause to care? Xenophobia is...common."
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Hoshirei · Jun 14, 2017

Hearing that Matsu was an expunged criminal didn't surprise her that much, though she was curious as to what he had been in trouble for in the first place. Aika was smart enough not to ask, and definitely smarter than to later go perusing the Kazekage tower. That action would just be stupid as usually expungement would mean the whole thing would be either destroyed or so heavily redacted that trying to read it wouldn't matter. When he asked her about the attitudes of the other countries toward her, she closed her eyes momentarily, recalling interactions she had with people from other nations.

"While I did have mainly good interactions with most people, there were a definite few who were not the best example of a human. As a lot of my interactions were with shinobi and their civilian relatives, it makes sense as to why I had good interactions. Did have a spoiled daughter of a Daimyo try to start something, as if hoping she could get the foreigners detained for her pleasure. Making eyes at my brother was perhaps not her best move, she certainly wasn't his type. Most of the prejudice I ran across was more due to the fact that I was a foreign shinobi, more than a foreigner, even though I tend to carry my Suna mark in an inconspicuous location. Suspicion as to our intent to be there was always the largest issue Eiji and I faced."

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OC: sorry about the long wait

Takahashi Matsu · Jun 15, 2017

[col]Matsu would nod as he listened to Aika talk. These were all definitely expected things to have happened in some regard. He would stroke his chin slightly as he took this information in. Eventually he would click his tongue against the roof of his mouth. His hands would sit still and he would nod once more. "This is to be expected. Much hasn't changed since I decided to go out into the world. It is good to hear that your experiences have been at least mostly pleasant. I wish the same could be said about my own." He would smile a bit and then pop his neck before looking back up toward the sky. Then he would laugh a bit as he looked back over to Aika.

"We're a village of criminals. Feel free to ask me anything you want. I am, after all, related to the Kazekage. Can't really hide who you are when they're so important, right? Like I said, I am a terrible craftsman, rotten teacher, and I was a criminal. Some would consider that I still am. With that information, how do you feel about your own country compared to what you saw? What brought you home after you decided to go out in the world? Something brough you back. You could have very easily stayed out there and been thought dead."
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OOC: No apologies needed. Life is life.|

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Hoshirei · Jun 22, 2017

Aika contemplated Matsu's question as she looked up into the bright sky. After a moment, she turned her head slightly to the man beside her to speak.

"For better or worse, Suna has been my home since I can remember. I grew up here, trained here, worked and played here. I never really wanted to leave, but to keep my brother safe, I needed to for a time. Or, well... I guess I didn't need to. I just- Eiji was everything to me growing up. Big brother, almost father, protector, teacher. I guess it felt like I owed him to help him stay safe when our mother showed up on our stoop. He took me away from a place that would have seen me as useless. I would not have been the shinobi I am,
possibly not even alive, depending on their punishment for my 'crime'." she finished with a sneer.

"Thankfully, our half-sister is much more reasonable and let me know that no one could lay a hand on either of us without facing her wrath. Once I knew that, it was safe to come home; though home has certainly changed a lot since I've been gone. What about you? What has you braving the streets when it sounds as if a lot of people still wince in your presence?"

Takahashi Matsu · Jun 23, 2017

[col]"Mmm. Interesting. You speak as if your brother is no longer among us, given how you've spoken of your other sibling. Did I miss something there, or was that an unintended slip? If so, I apologize. Sometimes my mind is elsewhere." He would smile a bit and stretch out, arms lifting up above his head. If one was looking closely they would see the lining between his sleeves and gloves part and his skin would be scattered with tattoos there as well. As his mind turned, his smile would fade. He wasn't happy that she had lost someone if that was the case. He couldn't help but smile at misfortune. His mind would wander a bit as he took in the question of what kept him going. "You can't hide who you are. That just poisons your insides and eventually boils out. I got locked away for bleeding things out and stitching tattoos into my skin. Turns out, they thought I was a major danger. Well, my cousin's family did. Mine thought I was bonkers...but hey, you would too if your kid started babbling about the sun" He waved his hand to the area above and chuckled a bit. "Some people say my gifts are from an unforgiving evil god, but I think it's just who I am. Doesn't help I have my ancestors screaming in my ears to try and kill people, but I don't. That should be worth something, but it isn't. So I teach and hope the next generation can survive. I hunt to ensure we survive. I keep making works of art because surviving is worthless without purpose and something beautiful." His smile would fade a bit and he'd chuckle some more. "Fuckin' kooky loops, I know."
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Takahashi Matsu · Jul 18, 2017

[I hope things are okay. I will be stepping away. Topic left~]

LIke a Breath of Fresh Air (Open)

Hoshirei

Well-Known Ninja

Takahashi Matsu

Active Ninja

Hoshirei

Well-Known Ninja

Takahashi Matsu

Active Ninja

Hoshirei

Well-Known Ninja

Takahashi Matsu

Active Ninja

Hoshirei

Well-Known Ninja

Takahashi Matsu

Active Ninja

Hoshirei

Well-Known Ninja

Takahashi Matsu

Active Ninja

Takahashi Matsu

Active Ninja