Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? [Open]

[Toraono Michino]

It had been forever since he had last step foot down in this area of the village. Once he had called it a sort of second home. It was where he had met Chiyo, gained a margin of self confidence, and was known by every patron at the local bars. His boxing career had flown so high and fast that it was probably inevitable that something would happen for it all come crashing down.

The black wood of his staff clacked against the uneven old roads to support the missing left leg as the seven-foot giant hobbled down the streets. His mood was already darkened by the things he had seen and come across in the short time he had been in the Red Lights. The Swarm was rampaging across the desert and not a sign of his brother was left for anyone. Ryuu Tama was an old hero of Suna, in his own rights, but just like when the Cabal invaded he was no where to be found. Michino, a man of honor and pride, refused to let someone who held as much power as Tama refuse his duty when the village needed him most. Sadly, no one knew where he was, not even the normal people who kept track. ANBU had lost track, the Black Market hadn’t seen hide or hair, and the bars in the Red Lights that his brother so enjoyed claimed he hadn’t stopped by in months. Michino had even stepped out of his character for a moment, and played rough, left a few faces swollen and bruised…but not a single soul knew the location of his half-brother. For not the first time, the Toraono wondered if the scientist had finally met his end with an experiment regarding temporal annoyances. That was the last thing he had mentioned working on before his trailer overlooking the Diamond District up and vanished without a trace.



But he kept looking…

[MFT]

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke did not reside in the Red Light District. He was not above visiting an old friend there. Shinji, Yume's brother, had a small shack in this area of town. He had been visited by hard times. While Sousuke's relationship with Yume had rekindled, the same could not be said for her brother. Sousuke was on his way home. He had been mum on a few facts about his rekindled relationship when talking about it to Shinji. The man was still very protective of his sister, which was to be expected. Still though he wondered how Shinji would feel that his sister was dating a machine. Shinji did not know any better. Sousuke had been wearing a flesh suit. He put some grey dye in the hair. Sousuke had give the flesh suit an aged look. There was grey streaks in the hair. It didn't always feel right. The Steward had a fear that his jaw would catch weirdly and tear the lower part of the flesh suit. The little social gathering went well enough. Shinji was in decent health. His taste in women of various sorts was ... still a thing. He didn't know why he had a falling out with that doctor his sister worked with. Funny thing that was.



Sousuke wore a three peice suit and placed his hands in his pockets as he strolled down the road which was uneven. It was still a bit of a frustrating thing. He had told people and invited people to move away from this part of the city, but still people clung to it. They clung to it like a drowning individual was clinging to oxygen. Shinji was one of those people who had their pride. It wasa curious thing. Was Sousuke prideful? He was to an extent, but he kept a tight reign on it so he would nto compromise his character. The Steward received a call. "Hey Honey." He answered. It was Yume. "Yeah. Saw your brother. He's fine. Little tired looking. ... ... ... Ah. No. He knows better than to ask me to drink with him. ... ... ... ... No. I didn't tell him. ... ... ... ... No. I prefer not to. ... ... ... ... Right. ... ... ... Love you too. See you in a few hours." Sousuke did have his axe to walk with. He only used that for show. His mechanical legs worked, the axe cane he had was more for show. After all he was over forty years old. He had to give an impression of age some how. Yume thought it was endearing and clever.



As he walked he did come across someone he did not expect. One Toraono Michino. Sousuke's flesh mask of a face curled into a smile of sorts. He watched the boy hobble about and it seemed like he was in a bad mood of sorts. "Now if I'm walking without a cane, you should be doing the same." He joked. Sometimes jokes landed, sometimes they did not. Timing was after all, everything.

 

[Toraono Michino]

The Toraono youth slowed his hobble down long before the Steward attempted to use humor to call out his presence. The sight of a man he called family in this pitiful area of Suna was a ray of sunlight. The youth immediately perked up and used a little of his actual strength to launch his body quickly towards the Ninth, and landed silently before Sousuke. Then chuckled lightly at the joke, mostly out of politeness, knowing full well he could be walking with both legs as well. However there were those that still didn’t know of Michino’s new found control over his latent powers in this part of Suna, and he liked to keep it that way.
“Aye, but then I’d have to pay extra for information. Easier to get someone to say what you want when you have the pity angle,” he smiled wide as his giant hand patted the left stump of a leg,
“Used to have a reputation around here a while ago, so, it’s still fresh in everyone’s mind of how close I came to getting that title. Did you know that the bar who hosted those underground fights went pro? Heard they closed down the bar and opened up a dojo that focuses on making legal combat tournaments. Apparently they got lots of sponsors from the big-wigs living in town that kept coming to the shows I’d put on…”
His smile slowly shrank down. Happy as he was to see the owner of that bar make it big, like he always dreamed about, his fall set up by a freak accident was ever the festering wound in his pride. Michino had come leaps and bounds from where he had been in that time. Taming the Beast inside of him to some extent, training his soul under a being that controlled Death in their realm, mastering the art of swordsmanship…even making peace with Owari. Yet talking to the old folks in search of his brother had brought up nothing but bitter memories and past glories. Seeing Sousuke now, in this state, shamed him a little, but he continued on to ask the same question he had all day,
“…but that’s not what I came down here for. I’ve been looking for Tama. He’s…been out of contact way too long. I don’t know if this is just something the guy does but…well, last I saw him, he didn’t seem well. For one, he was…younger? I have no idea how he pulled that off, but then also sick, and then…”

The Toraono trailed off with a stressed look on his face. The Steward probably knew full well why a powerful giant like Michino would have such concerns for his own family. The kid was ever the pacifist and cared greatly for much of Suna, and especially those he shared a deep bond with. The last time he had seen Tama, the young swordsman had been attempting to acquire a purchase in the Black Market on behalf of the scientist. Not wanting to get himself mixed up in his brother’s mess, he had held that detail back as he had no idea what was in those cases to begin with - only that they most have cost his brother everything. Michino had never seen that much money exchange hands before, and the very act made him sick. Yet, here he stood, looking for an older brother that no doubt wanted nothing to do with the Toraono, if he even still lived.

“The Swarm is close, Uncle. Shouldn’t Tama also be there to defend the wall? I at least owe it to us all to, at the very least, attempt to locate the man…but, I haven’t seen a single update from any of his usual drop sites…”

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Michino landed soundly. Sousuke would listen to the answer that the youth provided him with. It made sense. "The pity angle does help. This cannot be argued, but it does establish a particular reputation. Information is information regardless..." Speaking of reputation Michino would speak of his own reputation. Yes. Sousuke was aware of the underground fighting. His expression twitched for a moment. Yes. Illegal fight clubs. Those were a thing, and Sousuke did not want to admit to them. Shutting these things down one block at a time were a tricky matter. At the very least one of these facilities was going legitimate. That was perhaps one of the better news in terms of this development. Sousuke didn't understand the entertainment in watching two people beat each other silly. When it came to the World Tournament, Sousuke was one of the few who spoke against it. He didn't like the concept of showcasing abilities in duels. Regardless of the opinion he had, he supported Sungakure in the World Tournament.



Michino detailed that he was looking for his brother. Seemingly the man was up to his old tricks? Tama was becoming younger. That was somewhat concerning. Tama always had this habit of growing older, but then he always bounced back. Bouncing back came at a cost. Sousuke's brows furrowed at the thought of this cost. What did Tama pay this time? "I've completely given up trying to understand how Tama works. He tends to ... take everything I know scientifically and then proceed to defy it. He ... also has the unnatural habit of phasing in and out. It's when he's not under my active watch that concerns me."[/b] Sousuke spoke quietly. It wasn't that he did not care about Tama, it was just that everything the man did seemed to be outside of the norm. Perhaps the same thing could be said about himself. The difference was that Sousuke could always be found by people. Sousuke could be easily found at the Kazekage tower.



Michino then asked Sousuke about Tama. A far more pressing question, Sousuke sighed. He placed his hands in his pockets. The flesh mask twisted into a rather depressed look. "He should. There was a time when Sungakure was locked down by the Cabal. A terrorist threat. When I needed him most, he was not there to help me. He left me as did his beau at the time, being my ward Okibi. You heard the recording years ago when I fought him. It's something that has stayed with me longer than I wanted it to. I won't lie, it was hard. It was very hard, but I've learned to ... make do with what I have. It's an uncanny ability I have for the most part ... to play decently with the hand I've been dealt. No matter how bad it is. I've learned to make do, and do what is required and expected of me to do so." Sousuke admitted. He stared at the floor at frowned at it. His expression ever clear, and ever present. The Lord Steward was not known to be a man for expression. To most he was a stoic.

 

[Toraono Michino]

The news of his brother’s whereabouts being unknown to even Sousuke was indeed daunting news. The piece of history given to the young Toraono only dug his regrets and guilt a little deeper. The large man gripped his root staff tighter out of frustration. Here a force that would decimate them could very well be at their door step within the next week, and one of Suna’s most powerful entities laid dormant and missing. At the same time, however, the news from his uncle took an unknown weight off his shoulders. If Sousuke didn’t have any clue where Tama was, who did? It didn’t take the bitter taste of defeat off his tongue, though, but the youth knew a remedy for that.
“You know…I think I could use a drink. I haven’t had one in a very long time, and this just seems like a good occasion. I know you’re not the biggest on alcohol, but would you mind joining me? I don’t really know a lot about my brother, but I hear there was a time when he wasn’t a gigantic prick. The bar is just down the road too…”

Michino’s voice trailed off as he turned his head away from the Steward and down to the old bar at the end of the street. It wasn’t very populated and the sign’s electric colors were half dead, but the young soldier remembered different. He recalled a time when it was the place to be in Suna for nearly a whole year. Meeting his beau, boxing in life-or-death matches, blackout drunk nights, dodging assassins sent by Uzu…what little he could actually remember was clear as day; and it always brought a tear to an eye. There was a life back there, a life that could of carried on in a different existence, that was severed and tossed away by his own father. Then again life had never been easy for Michino, but at least he always had his family to fall back on. The hardships of Takahashi Sousuke and the sacrifices he’s made for Suna, could no doubt fill a tome, but he wanted to endeavor to his self-proclaimed relative and mentor that there were also bright spots in that same life. Something he couldn’t get out into words, because unlike his brother he was more meat than brain. Not that he wasn’t intelligent, but he didn’t string together words the way Tama could to make sense of something. He could only show kind actions, and today was attempting to buy a relative a stiff drink when they clearly needed one as bad as them.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke watched a defeated expression grasp hold of Michino. He listened to Michino make the suggestion that he could use a drink. Turning to drink in difficult times was perhaps not the best thing to do. Michino shortly after added that did not partake in the beverage of the alcoholic variety in quite some time. That made Sousuke feel a little bit better about allowing the young man engage in a vice during these trying times. "I will join you for a drink, but I will not partake in one." Sousuke spoke. He had yet to try and figure out the eating thing, or the drinking thing. The flesh suit was not made with such a thing in mind. Sousuke considered it for a moment. In his mind's eye he foresaw a bulge in the side of his face which was in fact a mass of liquid. Yes. Liquid did not go down, it merely stayed there, and thus ... a very perplexing situation would appear. Sousuke did not want to have to explain himself in front of Michino... considering the fact that Tama was present when the accident had occurred. A proper explanation would not occur and Tama would perhaps be given blame for what had occurred. Tama had done his best during the accident, but even his best was limited.



Sousuke would place his hands behind his back. "Indeed. Your brother wasn't a giant prick all the time. I've known him to be ... emotionally positive when he was with my ward Okibi. Caring, considerate, and ... even cordial before women. I think the only other exception would be my mother - Masashi Chiyoko... and before you ask Uzumoru did not name his daughter after my mother. If he had... I would be stunned. My mother was, in her day, a skilled member of ANBU. Tama did not know as such... if he did then ... his attitude towards her would be very different." The two would walk down towards the old bar. The Steward would look up at the half dead sign. He raised his hand and sent a small electrical charge into the sign booting the rest of it up. He would enter the bar and the two would find a seat in the back area. The two were attended to, and Sousuke made the orders. He ordered a generous amount of food, not that he was going to partake as it was all for Michino. He knew that the young man would make good use of the calories that were to come.

 

[Toraono Michino]

The moment the pair was settled the dark-skinned giant raised his hand to make sure the waitress knew he wanted his usual, as she took Sousuke large order of food, but she just winked at him before he could speak; she knew. A wry smile crept up his cheeks as he laid his long staff against the stone wall. He had wonder why the Steward demanded so much food but, Michino would be a liar to say he wasn’t starving. One of the weird downsides of his genes, a constant hunger, wasn’t unusual among his clan. To be fair, though, his “demonic appetite” wasn’t as strong or as deep as some of his relatives, but the food bill at the house stayed pretty high.

The alcohol came out about ten minutes after the orders were placed. The waitress placed down each of Michino’s usual; one shot, one whiskey, and one beer. The shot was a mix of a spiced rum and a peppermint schnapps; floating throughout was flakes of edible gold. The bartender told him years ago it was called a ‘Pirate’s Treasure’, and despite the cost due to the imported schnapps, he was a huge fan. In a single quick motion the soldier swiped up the long tube-like glass and gulped the rum. It slipped down his throat slowly to burn a warm fire in his stomach. With a much friendlier smile the giant leaned back into his seat, and then set the shot glass back on the table as he let out a long sigh.
“It’s hard to believe him cordial in front of anyone, he said resuming their conversation from outside, All I’ve ever known of the man is to cause a load of trouble everywhere he went. I mean, I don’t even hang around the Medical District and I still hear complaints about his weekly antics,” he raised the whiskey neat to his lips, hesitant for a moment to smell it before sipping back half of it. The only way to describe it was like drinking silky fire.
“Yet I’d give anything to hear him just to know he was still alive right now.. The glass was set back down on the table. A noise behind him caused the Toraono’s pointed ears to tilt back slightly in reflex.
It was just a little more crowded than normal, or, at least since he had last been here. The place had gone downhill in the last month, and since the announcement, straight graveyard most nights. Yet today, for some reason, in the opposite back corner was a group of men yelling both cheers and jeers. They were all surrounding a single table and, for the most part, Michino was keen to ignore it, but he couldn’t help but feel a little annoyed at their foul language. He raised the whiskey up to finish it.
Not but a moment later a large amount of food was placed before them. Wings, sliders, smothered fries, fried fish, and at least two other types of bar snacks was laid out before them smelling way fresher than it would normally. The owner never missed a chance. Cracking open the forty-ounce bottle of Suna’s Finest by flicking the metal cap off with his thumb, the young man reached out and began to devour large portions of the food set before them, taking a long swigs of the beer between dishes. As he tossed the last bit of fried fish into his mouth he looked over at Sousuke with some concern.

“Are you sure you don’t want to eat, Uncle?”

 

[Takahashi Aki]

“Yes. It is difficult to imagine Tama not being cordial for anyone, but for Okibi it was different. I do think if my father asked him to behave, he would. I think my grandmother could make things miserable for him if he didn’t behave either. My grandmother was his examiner once upon a time and to his face failed him on an exam... but secretly passed him later.” The Steward would pause for a moment and considered Tama further. Yes some nobles did complain about the comings and goings with Tama because of the ... smells, or the smoke coming out of his residence. There was one time an injunction trying to be applied because of some... nonsense. “Yume used to complain a lot about him too.” He wondered if Yume had found peace in the absence of Tama, or if she too missed him greatly. He sat silently watching Michino eat. The boy had quite an appetite. No. Not boy. Young man. There was that thing again about the concept of time. Time had caught up with the Steward in one way. He knew things were not easy for Michino and this feast? This was one of the small ways to make things better for him. He would not tell him where his brother was, and he could not confirm if Tama had died. “If your brother died before I died, then I would suggest that something has gone wrong with time and space itself. I’m sure I would have heard of it... by now. News of one’s demise travels quickly. It’s why I am confidence that Lord Katuso and Lord Roku will return one day.”

When asked if he wanted to eat Sousuke raised his hand slightly. “Ah. No. I’ll be fine.” The flesh suit he wore was made for appearance and some functionality. He did not need to eat or drink. He did require rest from time to time. “Shall I order more food? Or will this suffice? I can always order more, or... well... I have been told that they do in fact have deep fried nachos with ice cream. It’s a very ... outlandish dish but it is something worth having a look at isn’t it?” Sousuke would inquire of Michino. There was always a way to divert things, and here wasn’t the place or the time to showcase what he had become to young Michino. “How is Chiyo doing? You two are ... still an item I believe?”