Prison Grey

Kazumi · Apr 7, 2016

Outwardly, Tsubaki seemed simply introspective, perhaps lost in her own world of queit thought and contemplation as the pair waited outside of the door. That veil of passive resolve broke as the shouting began, her harasser haven begun flailing about, yelling of a kidnapping and demanding his freedom. Was that what they were doing? Her worries flared up once more as thoughts of the punishments that would be given to someone who apprehended nobility as brazenly as Naoki had. What in the divine had they gotten themselves into?

Her inner turmoil did not have long to last before the door swung open, standing on the other side was not a human, but rather a red armor plated solider. The mental walls around herself crumpled under the shock, leaving to that flood of dozens of unheard voices that assailed her ears. While they were not real, her brain still could not tell the difference, and the man's voice and theirs blurred together until she could not tell any of them apart. Tsubaki gritted her teeth as she tried to pull herself together, she could not afford to collapse and curl up into a gibbering mess from the mental overload. Even the flash of plasma that severed Susumu's bonds escaped Tsubaki's notice.

While she could not understand anything of what the Crimson Juggernaut was saying, she saw the gesture and forced herself to numbly follow the gesture to walk inside. As she did, the voices only grew louder and more chaotic, each attempting to speak to each other, themselves and Tsubaki as she tried in vain to drown them all out. A piercing sensation cut through her head as the pressure of now hundred of thoughts crammed themselves into her mind. She saw the armored man clap his gauntleted hands, she saw the boards moving and shifting as a table and seats formed, and she couldn't care any less about that or anything else than she did at that moment.

As the pressure built, her blood pressure peaked and she could no longer even hear her own thoughts. Her near endlessly supply of patients began to bend, crack and finally break as she abruptly screamed out, "SHUT UP!" Unlike her normal speaking voice, which sounded as if it belonged to an aged chain smoker, this sounded rather normal for a girl of her size and age, even if it was painfully loud. As she finished, silence finally took hold for a fleeting few seconds. The Many stopped the flood of ramblings inside of her mind, and she finally could take a moment to try and seclude herself off from them and figure out what was going on. That was when she realised she had not simply commanded them to silence, but had actually yelled that out loud. In the Kazekage Tower. At one of the most powerful and influential men in the entire country. Tsubaki's mouth drooped sloghtly open, looking as shocked as if it was one of them who had yelled at her.

Sand Council · Apr 7, 2016

OC: If at any point this character's post make anyone feel uncomfortable please tell me to reign it back. I will not be offended.

Ishii Susumu
Heir Apparent - The Messenger

Susumu continued to call for help, declaring that the tomboyish girl who carried the young heir apparent was his kidnapper. A shoulder to the solar-plexus left him gasping for breath before he was set down. It was hard to keep one's balance when one's ankles were tightly united together so his upright pose was fleeting as he crashed to the floor with an 'umph.' Still breathless and restrained in a rather undignified and graceless pose, the silken-clad heir could only listen to the exchange between the young woman and the armored man.

"Hello sir! And ma'am... I have the, uh, objective Ishii Susumu here... I think."

He struggled to free himself from his restraints with no avail, the wires only cut into him further. "This girl is deranged," Susumu protested between wheezing gasps on the floor. "I have done nothing illegal, I just hit on a pulchritudinous girl," he complained as he bent his knees and attempted to at the very least take a seated pose on the floor. "A..and deliver a mission request from my father," the young man added. He was playing messenger boy, a personal choice rather than an order from the old man. He did not want to see the Countess get herself killed by an overly ambitious shinobi, while she might have rejected his father's offer he still liked the lady. Of course he liked every lady, it was a weakness of his. "What sort of greeting is this. I have been attacked, restrained and kidnapped all within a matter of hours inside this village," he complained.

"Ishii Susumu. Son of the Daimyo, the heir apparent. More curious and the one detail most well known to me is your half brother Ishii Shouki. Who I have encountered on no less than four occasions. Each being repulsive in the extreme."

His question was answered, it was his association with his brother, although it begged to question how did the Steward know of their blood relation? Susumu stopped struggling, "so you know my brother. Makes sense," he laughed at his own predicament. "But now I have to ask you this: Is this common practice -- attacking the families of those who trespass against you and what you consider yours?" The young prince countered, his thin lips crept upwards into a grin. A fatalist at heart, he shrugged, "I have not seen my half-brother in years. You see, I have been studying in Cha no Kuni for the last several years, and even if we were on amicable terms why would his crimes be my own?" Susumu swallowed hard as a blade of plasma engulfed the armored man's hand. A low guffaw would escape his lips, "my brother would be so disappointed to know that he was passed over in this glory. How ironic." It truly was, his brother and father were devout followers where he was still a mere scholar of the word. He would not beg or plead for his life -- this was a welcome moment for those of their shared faith but he was not a true believer as they were. He controlled his breathing and silently cursed his brother for his proclivities, he lacked his brother's cruelty at this juncture. He wondered how many his brother actually had raped and killed before he was put down. The rumors of immortality must have been indeed nothing more than that -- just rumors. "Just do not make it quick, that would be the real tragedy." He resigned, pain was pleasure. Fear and apprehension, something he lacked in terms of anticipation. He never bothered to wonder why, some people where just built this way and some where made this way. He could no longer remember if he was one of the other or even both.

His flesh pallid and misted in sweat, Susumu gritted his teeth. The searing hot blade only grazed his fresh as it cut through his wire restraints and burned his flesh and silk at the points of union. A pained hiss escaped Susumu's lips. He was no immortal, unlike his father and brother who have subscribed to the faith he was still a heathen in their eyes as well as the eyes of Jashin. He did not entirely believe that either of them were immortal, he had never seen either fall in combat and with Shouki gone now for well over a year it could only be assumed that the legacy and rumor of Jashin's power was nothing more than religious mythology. Yet still, it was not until death should have been a certainty that either truly knew if Jashin had favored the faithful and perhaps now it was his time. He felt it, that skip in his heart. That split-second of trepidation, not the feigned kind to egg on his captors but it was fleeting that near orgasmic sensation that caused his fingers and toes to curl. The wires fell to the floor and his silken garments continued to smolder moments after. Unfortunately, he was free and he rubbed his cut and burned wrists with his palms. There was an aura of disappointment. Susumu pulled himself to his feet and looked behind him, he saw the pretty girl from the hospital there and he frowned. Was she the source of all of this? Kinky little minx.

"Thank-you. I see you took precautions in delivering him to me."

"I assume you must be the Steward Kazekage then," Susumu observed. There was one major thing Sousuke forgot to mention, who he was. "Or is this some outlandish attempt to extort finds from my father," Susumu asked as he attempted to brush the sand and dust off of his garments. He looked around the space, it appeared to be a large office space that seemed to lack color -- this prison grey.

"As mentioned one must take precautions. Your brother is ... popular for the wrong reasons. I hope to think you are different from him, but when I was given the audio from the hospital of your ... collection ... antennas of the metaphorical sort went up."

Susumu's face turned red. He actually had no idea why he said those things, not that any of them were lies but because any sane man (and yes he was one of those rare ones that actually was) would never publicly and loudly admit to such but the compulsion felt... intoxicating. "I-I have no idea why I said that, but there is nothing wrong with any of those things," Susumu replied. He pulled from his pocket a rather small steno notebook and a pen and wrote down what would appear to be a short note. "There is nothing wrong with deviant sex as long as all parties consent," he added bluntly. Perhaps Sunagakurians was more repressed than other parts of the world or he was attempting to goad the 'good Steward.' "Do you lose a hand for masturbating in this village too? Or do you actually go blind?" It was a fair question, especially for the likely virginal Kazekage if such standards did indeed exist in this militant village. "I mean, that seems inhumane... I am certain that the androgynous youth of your village would take more effort in their appearance if they had the physical love of a decent man or woman," he was referring the Samejima with that statement. Sure, some people liked the tomboy look but it is usually helpful to know what gender you are banging before the clothes came off. That haughty smile that was begging for a response, his raised his brows at the young ladies. He was simultaneously irate and aroused by the turn of events brought on by the strange pair of women, the siren and the gamine.

"You must admit, it is impressive that a Naoki brought you in ... considering your size."

Actually, he was not a 'large' man. Lanky and learn, most certainly. Height ran in the family, he was well over six-foot, but his long slender limbs were not trained or refined through labor or training. He was a bookish man, a scholar through his youth and perhaps he too was a bit repressed with liberal idealizations. Barefoot he would stand at 6 foot 5 inches, weigh 170 lbs with a 28 inch waist. He seemed to lack scars, something unexpected for a Jashinist and his almost effeminate long dark brown hair that reached his waist seemed to be carefully combed, much like his the rest of his well-groomed exterior. He is clad in mostly silk. His skin is very pale and his eyes possessed a trademark pearl-like appearance common among Hyuugas. "Well, I do enjoy getting beat up by women," he started to quip with what might be considered his trademark smirk when a thought crossed his consciousness that he said out loud. "-- Wait... Naoki? That's a dude's name," he announced. Could this guy/girl make up his/her mind? Which was he? He let out a huff, dudes were okay. Not really his flavor so to say, he preferred woman but never really ruled out the idea. So this... re-routing of blood to his lower regions was being partially caused by a dude after all. WHY LORD WHY! [Note: feel free to overhear some of this Tsubaki]

"Have a seat. Given our situations, I don't think either of us can have a worst first impression."

A table and set of chairs had recently emerged from the floor below and he was offered a seat. What choice did he have really, between the violent hoyden, the siren and the assumed armored Steward. At least there was one pretty girl in the room, "I have an empty lap here" he offered knowing that she would not likely take it even if she wanted to. She seemed like a classy lady, he wondered how long that would last behind closed doors. "It could have been worse, I am sure." Steward was actually wrong, there were a great number of ways their first interaction could have gone worse, "a trail of broken bodies would have been a worse greeting. The loss of a limb. But I would like to think us both civilized men, but I am not so sure as of yet considering your courier service." He was again referring to Samejima and her sudden and violent method of ensuring compliance. As for the Steward's impression, it was sadly disappointing. He wanted to see some substance, some gall, to be able to look into the man's soul through his undying wrath and rage. And yet, he seemed more repressed than anything else. As if his mother starched his tighty-whities every day of his life. There is an old saying that one could know a man for their entire life but once they are held over the mouth of a volcano, it would be on that day that you would meet the man for the first time. He had always felt that Jashinists got that part wrong, that it was not necessarily pain in and of itself that brought on enlightenment but knowing what a man would do at the end, at the beginning, with and without resource and measure, with and without the power to do as they wished.

"Was the ninja wire that painful? I thought your family ... enjoyed that sort of thing?"

"Can't call it necessarily enjoyment, it is actually a tragic ends to the truly dutiful." Pain is only painful when it is dreaded, feared and it actually hurts. With time that pain diminishes and to reach that same high which is also synonymous with a terrible low one must reach new ends to feel pain rather than ecstasy. "It is hard to abide by a faith when you learn to love what you need to hate to be truly faithful." He looked downward at the large, misshapen bulge that was apparent beneath silken pants. He let out a half chuckle. "I suppose we do enjoy pain, but finding that apex of suffering in oneself is near impossible." Hence why others often serve as their proxies. It is hard to gain grace when a cost is not paid or when the cost is no longer considered a toll. "I have no control over my happiness," Susumu admitted. He, like many members of his blood relation was a masochist, however he did not find the same truths through the blood, the screams and the anguish.

"But enough about me, unless my presence and my love of the fairer sex is truly paramount... why have I been brought here?"

Samejima · Apr 8, 2016

The blind genin resolved to keep quiet unless spoken to at this point, knowing she would have to employ a good deal of self-restraint to not usher Tsubaki out of the room and take her someplace less stressful. In an upright position and occasionally righting herself (she'd gotten into the habit of slouching, bad habit to have in present company), she maintained a relaxed pose throughout the conversation. The following thoughts went through her head as she listened to the two men converse:

Attacked, restrained and kidnapped in a matter of minutes, thank you very much. Besides, you were the one being... giving off a weird aura.
Uh... repulsive half-brother? So the weirdness runs in the family? Her eyebrows furrowed at this, even more on guard than usual, before relaxing as the next statement rolled around.
Tea Country huh... I wanna go there sometime. They might have legendary tea sweets~
Hmm... Sounds like there's a lot of things I don't know here. Hopefully Sousuke-sama is free after- naah, he can't possibly be free with that posture, still as tired-looking as ever. Being addressed here, she grinned and gave a respectful nod.
Deviant sex? What does that even mean... Uuuh, I have a feeling I shouldn't know. She rubbed her neck in embarrassment and shuffled a little in place. Also, big words are hard, so in place of considering anything there, Naoki decided to hum a couple bars of a recent song she remembered to herself.
I guess it is... I haven't met any other girls here named Naoki, but I'm pretty happy about that. It seems the concept of gender was somewhat lost on said androgynous youth.
Good question... Why was he brought here?

Then, as the heir apparent of a line of masochists finished his last sentence, a piercing scream resounded from a little behind Naoki, and the blind one was momentarily stunned by the loud sound when she wasn't expecting it. "Ow! ...Tsubaki-san?" she spoke at last, turning to face Tsubaki partly to make sure she was okay and partly to convey the confusion that was happening just then. Snapping out of her confusion after a painfully slow second of silence, she began to advance towards the clearly anguished siren, holding her hands out carefully as she approached and poising her arm around Tsubaki's shoulders as she got close enough in case she needed support of some sort. "W... what happened?" It was something he said wasn't it? It has to be! But why that timing? All he did just now was ask a question... Does paramount mean something different than what I think it means?

Takahashi Aki · Apr 8, 2016

Sousuke heard Shiori panic. He heard the slams from within his helmet which had a mic attached. He was being fed audio from rooms. He cut the audio feed to his present company. Shiori would be able to hear his voice from inside the room. "Apologies. Yes. Very sorry about that. My most sincere apologies. I had not considered the thought of you being claustrophobic. I forget sometimes that ... that is indeed a thing amongst people." Sousuke approached his table and tapped it soundly. The sounds of clicks could be heard within her room. Walls shifted and revealed that the room was much larger. Unlucky for her, the wall she had her back against was moving. She may have fallen backwards but she would find that the room next to it was very large. "You are most welcome to go into the much largely made room. Mental note to self Rioshi is claustrophobic." The locks could also be heard from the side which would lead her back into the meeting room. "Or you may proceed at your own risk back into the office. Should Susumu get violent I will handle him accordingly. I lack sufficient data to determine whether or not I can trust him not to make this into a ... meat grinder. Again my profound apologies. I will make it up to you. The other room isn't locked. Again. Sorry." He cut the audio to her. He merely trusted that she would make a decision. He hoped she would go into the larger room rather than return to the office.

Susumu was a curious creature. "This doesn't qualify as an attack. This could technically qualify as childish mischief." He answered. "Brothers, even half ones at that do share qualities. You are both quite tall. He is far more ... fatter? Muscular? Fatter? Fatter." Susumu countered about how crimes of the sibling were regarded as his own. "The sins of the father fall upon their children. Siblings could be held to the same standards. History has shown this happening. Curious you remark that you are not on amicable terms with him. Would you kindly expand upon that?" He would inquire. This was fascinating. Perhaps Shouki had acquired his mother's characteristics more than his father? Or perhaps Susumu was more like his mother? It was hard to tell at this time. "Not Steward. Kazekage." He corrected Susumu. "Extortions from your father? No. I have no need of money or favours." Sousuke watched as Susumu knew shame apparently? He claimed there was nothing wrong with his collection. "One of the two items in your collection would not function properly for you." He stated bluntly. It didn't take a genius to figure out which Sousuke had meant. Susumu went on for a time about this thing called 'deviant' sex. "Masterwhat? Is that the name of a noble?" He questioned the Would-be King. "I am aware of how we breed. I am not sure how it is deviant. Consent of course. By all means. Nobles arrange marriages to breed wealth at times, and or a successful line of strong individuals." Sousuke had no experience in this field obviously. "Why would one go blind or lose a hand for helping a master?" Very much so. Sousuke had absolutely no knowledge in what Susumu spoke of. Human pleasure was a foreign concept to the man in metal. "Naoki is female. Perhaps in your part of the world it maybe a male's name, but here it can be both. Like the name Reiko." He asserted.

Susumu almost had triggered Sousuke. He spoke of the broken bodies. "One such trail was how I met your brother." He would add grimly. His hands curled into fists. He broke his sight of Susumu and looked to the floor. His head drooping slightly. "This is entirely about you. I am determining who you are truly. You have been brought here because your presence concerns me. Your brother caused much harm and misery. I needed to know if you are indeed a threat to the realm like he was. Curious you are here. You came here not knowing your brother's history here. Strange. Entrapped? Caught in the lion's den of old. For what purpose though? Something sinister is a foot. A game in shadows. Seemingly you are not aware of this. We're being toyed with. Why were you sent here? Why did they send someone who knew not what occurred? A lamb sent to the slaughter?" He ruled out loud. He turned his head to the side. "You spoke of not seeing your brother in years, but seemingly you hold no sentiment towards him? I'm certain your father keeps track of him? No. You wouldn't know given your absence elsewhere. Most intriguing. Did he beforehand?"

Tsubaki's outburst caught Sousuke's attention. A metaphorical red alarm went off. He removed his helmet and stared solely at her. Sousuke's black scalera was fully visible. Never fire until you see the whites of their eyes. In this case, it was black. "FASCINATING(!)(?)" He always understood her to be a mute. This though was ground breaking. Ground shattering. "Rude, but say that again. You -are- capable of vocal communication but not through the mental sort. From the apparent horror on your face, it is suggested that you have surprised yourself upon completing this feat. Breathe, Tsubaki, breathe."

Michi · Apr 9, 2016

It was not claustrophobia, it was more like a Pavlovian response to confinement. Panic: that sense of utter dread, that dire need to breathe fresh air. Conditioned through trauma suffered twice. The pain was not, was never the worst part. The worst part was that helpless sensation that accompanied her suffering and her ultimate end. This fatalistic sense that there was no escape, that was the worst part of all.

So, on the floor, knees to chest the woman sat. she could see the steward and strangers gather around the table but she did not know what they were there to discuss. she assumed that the young, ambitious women responded to Sousuke's summons and delivered the restrained lad in the belief that he was the Daimyō's son. The young man, be him Ishii Susumu or otherwise seemed well-to-do, silk clothes and long hair, both traits more common among nobility than the working class. she found it odd that Sousuke would unbind the potentially dangerous man so simply. she also wondered why she was the one locked-up. What would they have to discuss? It looked more like the start of a conversation than an interrogation. she could feel a bubbling anger deep inside her over this. How could mercy and acceptance be found so easy for murderers and deviants who killed indiscriminately during the incursion, but for the Ancient there was only ire and the looking threat of death, restraint, suffering and subjugation.

Still, the anger could not overcome this overwhelming sense of nausea. So overwhelming in fact that the bitter hotness in the back of her throat only seemed to worsen with the passage of moments. In a wave of the retching came as did the caustic pile of gastric contents and mire. She missed the white leather which might have been easier to clean than the carpeting but alas it would mean that his nice and fairly new carpeting would be saturated with bile and silica.

"Apologies. Yes. Very sorry about that. My most sincere apologies. I had not considered the thought of you being claustrophobic. I forget sometimes that ... that is indeed a thing amongst people."

An unseen but certainly heard voice over the intercom announced. "I am not claustrophobic, I want cough!" Shiori or rather Rioshi coughed. Sousuke tapped on an unseen button or perhaps a series of buttons and the wall behind the secretary eased back and Rioshi tippled or rather tumbled over. There was no relief in a larger prison less the fact that at least now she had an established vomit corner here was the same dis-empowered and caged sensation despite the expanded space. "Let me out!" She screamed at the top of her octave.

"You are most welcome to go into the much largely made room. Mental note to self Rioshi is claustrophobic. ...Or you may proceed at your own risk back into the office. Should Susumu get violent I will handle him accordingly. I lack sufficient data to determine whether or not I can trust him. Again my profound apologies. I will make it up to you. The other room isn't locked. Again. Sorry."

She could hear the bolt recede and the tumblers roll into place. The portal back into the office was now unlatched and she was not going to remain in this locked closet a moment longer. She flung the door into the office open and stormed out. Her long blond hair looked absolutely wild -- those carefully curled golden tresses seemed to face every direction except the ones intended. Her mascara has run down the sides of her face in a pair of black raccoon-eyed streaks. The tall, white leather clad 'woman' looked less like the well... never prim... but certainly manicured woman who displayed herself as a potential employee not more than a few hours earlier. Enraged, her white heeled boots stomped towards the table where the Kage and his company sat. She marched over to the massive armored leader and yelled at him, "what is WRONG with you!" Her voice was shrill. she no longer looked or acted like the polished secretary who stepped behind the wall, she looked more like she fell off the wrong side of a broomstick. "Why would wou lock someone IN a room for their 'safety' if concerned parties could enter it from the outside!" It was actually a rather pertinent question. why trap her or anyone else for that matter in a room wto prevent them from allegedly being victimized when access could be gained from the outside and escape options were lacking.

She continued to bitch. A large bloodvessel was prominently displayed on her left temple and it was throbbing. She left the table and stormed over to the Steward's or as he corrected the heir, 'Kazekage's' desk. "Is this Ishii Susumu?" She let out a huff as she said these words, her wrist flicked in the direction of the silk-clad prince as she somewhat rudely pointed in his direction. Decorum was likely not a primary concern considering the fact that they had changed their topic of discussion to masturbation.The sound of utter exasperation escaped her pale painted lips. Assuming she received some manner of confirmation she would pull open one Sousuke's desk drawers, the same one he had placed his porn magazines in for safe-keeping. Beneath that was a sum of yen, yes she remembered what was kept where. She liberated both from the drawer and she slapped the yen face down on the table in front of the girls. "Pay your people," she demanded before she plopped a pile of porn magazines between Sousuke and Susumu. "And you forgot the books you had me pick up for you in anticipation of your meeting with Mister Ishii." what these publications were was rather obvious, the uncensored bent over posterior of a woman, full frontal pictures of various women and in a few cases men.

[Not really needed here, I should be leaving this topic shouldn't I? In which case, immediately thereafter she attempts to leave topic if not stopped.]

Kazumi · Apr 15, 2016

The apparently rude shinobi looked quickly over towards Naoki as she opened her mouth to speak. Her loss of words was interrupted as the armored man removed his helmet, the action catching her attention before his strange eyes and even stranger stare kept her from looking away. Normally one who handled stress rather well, the past month had strained those to their limits and at present she was no more adept at it than the most junior of students. Tsubaki's mouth drooped a little more before she closed it, biting her lips closed as she hesitated to make any sort of response.

She knew what had happened, to an extent, as it had happned before in the past when she was younger. She couldn't consciously speak normally to Sousuke, or anyone for that matter, it sin't didn't work that way. The only respite she had was when she was not trying to speak, such as if she caught herself off guard or fif she were attempting to sing. Would she try now, the only results would likely be the creaking of air against constricted flesh as her throat would clamp down like irons that moments before she feared would be on her wrists.

As the room of attention settled down on her, a woman burst into the room and likely caught the attention of everyone else with her yelling and over-the-top bitching. She hadn't seen her before, but her presence was the most welcome occurrence she had in the past week. While she hoped everyone was distracted, she took a few quick silent steps backwards towards the door. When it appeared that Sousuke, Naoki and Susumu would be sufficiently distracted by the 'books' that the woman brought out, ones that Tsubaki did not catch a good look of, she turned and made a hasty retreat out of the front door to the office, opening and closing it as swiftly and quietly as she could manage.

[{Attempting to Leave unless stopped]

Sand Council · Apr 15, 2016

Ishii Susumu
Heir Apparent

"Apologies. Yes. Very sorry about that. My most sincere apologies. I had not considered the thought of you being claustrophobic. I forget sometimes that ... that is indeed a thing amongst people."

The Steward seemed to be talking to himself, apologizing to an unseen person or force. "Are you alright?' Susumu would question, more confusion than concern in his voice. The Steward seemed to be a less than stable or bright man, this being made increasing apparent with each and every passing moment in his presence.

"You are most welcome to go into the much largely made room. Mental note to self Rioshi is claustrophobic." The young heir furrowed his brow. Was the Steward locking people up in small rooms for no reason? Susumu looked around the room, there was nobody less the two women, himself and the Steward. "Or you may proceed at your own risk back into the office. Should Susumu get violent I will handle him accordingly. I lack sufficient data to determine whether or not I can trust him not to make this into a ... meat grinder. Again my profound apologies. I will make it up to you. The other room isn't locked. Again. Sorry."

That was somewhat offensive, Sousuke was saying this while sitting across the table from the young heir. Susumu made a motion with his hands that signified in a universal language 'what the hell man? I am sitting right here!' Sousuke was 'mistakenly' locking people in rooms for what -- their safety? Their safety from apparently the same man that the Steward sent to recover and had bound by this pair of vixens. Hands and feet tightly tied with wire, what did he or anyone else for that matter think he was going to do? Honestly, what threat could he possibly offer? Alright, he might be able to cause a bit of a problem but that was not why he was here now and in nine out of ten cases the other parties involved loved it. Still, he had no want to cause an international incident or call on the authority of his father.

Susumu complained about how he was brought to the office. It was an outlandish way to summon a man who was already on the hunt for the Steward and who had failed to make a single aggressive act since he entered the community.

"This doesn't qualify as an attack. This could technically qualify as childish mischief."

"I would have to disagree," Susumu replied in a polite manner. "I cannot think of a single incident where this would be expected or acceptable," he contended. This was certainly a far-cry from 120 Days in Sodom and even then a masochist such as he had his limits.

"Brothers, even half ones at that do share qualities. You are both quite tall. He is far more ... fatter? Muscular? Fatter? Fatter."

"Fewer than one would think," the young man interrupted over the Steward's stutter. Why Shouki's girth was of greater interest than his actions was beyond him.

"The sins of the father fall upon their children. Siblings could be held to the same standards. History has shown this happening. Curious you remark that you are not on amicable terms with him. Would you kindly expand upon that?"

"You've met him," he replied glumly. "But would you like me to elaborate on the rape or the torture? Neither of which are limited to women or even humans for that matter," Susumu claimed. It was not a difficult thing to believe that the Jashinist would go so far to satisfy his needs or perhaps his religious duty if one were to believe that he did it for such reasons. He refereed to Sousuke as the Steward, a title that had littered every document he could find describing the man who now seemed to be more legend and myth than fact. "Or specifically why we do not get along?" Both would be long stories, stories neither had the time to hear or share.

"Not Steward. Kazekage." The Kazekage corrected.

Was this some poor attempt to push his father into a new policy?

"Extortions from your father? No. I have no need of money or favours." The Steward claimed. "One of the two items in your collection would not function properly for you." He added without much thought perhaps to why he would have such a personal collection.

"They are just a bit snug, but more comfortable than you would think," he quipped. He went on to mention masturbation and the Victorian society that was Sunagakure from all outward appearances. Sex did not mean a loss of decorum nor was it something to be ashamed of, although it would seem in this community it was something to ignore and not consider. It seemed unhealthy and unrealistic, this buttoned-up society that lived in modern times.

"Masterwhat? Is that the name of a noble?"

Susumu collapsed his face into his hands. "I am in hell or this is some kind of joke isn't it," he muttered out loud. Yes, some terrible prank.

"I am aware of how we breed. I am not sure how it is deviant. Consent of course. By all means. Nobles arrange marriages to breed wealth at times, and or a successful line of strong individuals."

The Kazekage persisted. Sousuke had no experience in this field obviously. "You have to be kidding me," he muttered.

"Why would one go blind or lose a hand for helping a master?"

Susumu let out what sounded like an audibly painful sigh. "The art of self... self-pleasure," he exhaled. "With a hand or a toy." His fingers rubbed his temples as he added, "...and no, the the kind of toy you would pick up for your kid brother unless you and him were really close." Doesn't this man have the basic staples: tissues, lotion, maybe a mostly clean sock or hand-towel? How repressed is this man? "I will show you after the meeting," he concluded with a shake of his head.

The colloquy continued, the discovery that both of his kidnappers were female was shattered when he heard the name of a young man.

"Naoki is female. Perhaps in your part of the world it maybe a male's name, but here it can be both. Like the name Reiko."

"Reiko is very much a girl's name," Susumu insisted. A hot sounding girl's name. And the discussion would move on once again to the death and dismemberment of his brother in this cyclical tête-à-tête.

"One such trail was how I met your brother." The Kazekage would state grimly. "This is entirely about you. I am determining who you are truly. You have been brought here because your presence concerns me. Your brother caused much harm and misery. I needed to know if you are indeed a threat to the realm like he was. Curious you are here. You came here not knowing your brother's history here. Strange. Entrapped? Caught in the lion's den of old. For what purpose though? Something sinister is a foot. A game in shadows. Seemingly you are not aware of this. We're being toyed with. Why were you sent here? Why did they send someone who knew not what occurred? A lamb sent to the slaughter?" He ruled out loud. He turned his head to the side. "You spoke of not seeing your brother in years, but seemingly you hold no sentiment towards him? I'm certain your father keeps track of him? No. You wouldn't know given your absence elsewhere. Most intriguing. Did he beforehand?" 

"I knew full-well my brother's trespasses, but my brother is only my half-brother and an illegitimate. Few know his blood ties, so that leaves me to question how you came to know this?" He wondered if it was that woman who shared this information with the Sunans and if so why? She was playing a dangerous game if she was trying to play both sides. There was no escape from his father, even now in the eve of a war that would devastate thousands he came here for a curious final look at a doomed colony. She tried to escape his father's grasp many years ago but the passage of time mattered little to him, eventually his each found her once again and would time and time again. There was no escape. "A teen as notorious as my brother has a way of being noticed, even from afar," he admitted. he never needed to seek out information regarding his deviant older brother. "Also, this was a choice I made to come to Sunagakure and deliver this letter. It is my hope that someone of value would seek out the Countess and bring her safely across the narrow waters in due-time."

"What is WRONG with you!"

A hagrid-looking, scantly clad woman burst into the room from what appeared to be a solid wall much to Susumu's shock and potential fear. Her screeching voice interrupted his thoughts and his request for a shinobi team. She looked like a trolls' ugly, lanky older sister as she staggered out on those stilt-like heels.

"Why would you lock someone IN a room for their 'safety' if concerned parties could enter it from the outside!"

She accused and then it became obvious that she was the woman that Sousuke was communicating with. Wait, was he the person from the outside? Oh no-no-no-no... He shook his head and waved his hands as he made a resolute promise, "I assure you madam if I saw you in a room I would flee in the other direction." This was an honest statement, he had seen some scary women in his day but this witch took the cake. He wondered what the Kazekage did to her and how many rounds it took to wreck her in that way. Perhaps under all that runny make-up and that rats-nest of hair was a moderately attractive woman... perhaps but that was just a man being idly hopeful. "I suppose that is an alternative," ...to masturbation, although he would take the later in her case.

"Is this Ishii Susumu?"

She would then turn her attention to the heir and he could feel his manhood shrink. No? Sadly, the answer was 'yes.' "...I am," he would reply hesitantly, from the look in her eyes he would have preferred to lie. The woman rifled through the Kazekage's drawers and seemingly liberated a heft sum of yen that she proceeded to slap down on the table in front of the girls. 7,000 Yen (Mission leader gets +500), +20 stats

"Pay your people," she demanded in what could be best described as the voice he feared his future wife would have.

She then slammed a piled of books between the Kazekage and the heir. He did not mind the view from the top magazine, however when it slid off the top of the pile the image on the front page of the second might have scared the young liberal for life. He seemed to wince but at the same time he was intrigued. He just had to ask the question, "if you do not masturbate, then what are all of these for?"

Meanwhile Samejima and Tsubaki had been characteristically quiet. He almost felt bad about their lack of interaction, 'almost' being the key team as they did kidnap him to bring him here.

Modded Group Mission Rewards for Tsubaki and Samejima: 7,000 Yen (Mission leader gets +500), +20 stats Yen has been added to your accounts.

Allowing Shiori and Tsubaki to leave topic. Would be more than happy to respond to any statements made directly at him be either. Please do not hesitate to interact, this is a mission FOR you guys. also, please make a post in Skype when you are ready to capture... I mean ESCORT a Countess from Tea to Sora/Soons.

Samejima · Apr 20, 2016

"Ah-!" Naoki's head swiveled so as to face the present company while opening the door after picking up the money (and she did need it; there had been a slew of new regulars and htey were running out of booze money), bowing out of the room and closing the door with a hasty "thank you, excuse us!" She snapped her fingers a couple times to try and figure out where the seemingly part-time mute had gone, thinking she would've headed straight home for the comfort of familiar company. Wonder why she won't talk... She's got a pretty voice! Is she just shy? Is it okay to ask? Dunno if I should though... Either way, gotta try and find her...

While she scanned the hall and went downstairs to try and find the girl, thoughts were going through her mind about the events of the past half-hour or so. What could she even gather from the conversation? She didn't particularly look forward to being stuck in that room for hours on end as the interrogation went on with words she hadn't had the time to pick up or try and understand, having tuned a lot of it out. She did understand that the lecher being interrogated had an influential, illegitimate (she picked this up from a couple of the regulars who were having trouble with their own affairs) and most importantly dangerous brother, on top of being an influential and dangerous person himself. Dangerous, probably not in the more traditional sense, but she will need to continue trying to keep the man away from the mute songstress. She was concerned purely as a friend, wanting to make sure the girl was in a good enough mood to sing once again, possibly even gracing Naoki with that husky, resonant voice.

It wasn't just because she wanted to hear... She thought back to that night, probably romanticizing the whole experience just a little, and remembered how Tsubaki's voice had moved her. She got goosebumps just thinking about it; not just because of how beautiful it was, but how much emotion was put into the song, how much fun she seemed to be having. Hearing that voice being used in such a way as to sound like wind chimes clattering in a tornado was unsettling... She wanted to know what happened, and what she might've been able to do. She snapped her fingers some more, hoping it'd give her some kind of lead, while heading towards the Koizumi home.

[Leaving Topic, grabbing cash and getting the f out o-o7]

Takahashi Aki · Apr 20, 2016

Susumu having made the universal gesture for what the hell man, was met with a shaking of the head. Sousuke with helmet in hand flipped it over and began taking out wires upon wires. Red wires. Green wires. Yellow wires. "Clearly." He began, "The wires crossed. I had cut the audio feed to not be heard by you, but only by her. Unfortunately you heard the conversation you were not meant to hear." He began rewiring the helmet. "Maybe the wires were faulty. I am going to sue the company for false advertising. Yes. It's going to work with no audio feed cuts." His eyes narrowed. Rioshi had paid the Tsubaki and Naoki who both left. Sousuke's eyes narrowed. "I wish she spoke again. My notes says she communicates through the mind, but I have yet to hear it personally." He added. Rioshi ranted and raved at him. Sousuke let her continue on and on. It didn't seem like he was listening, but he was. "You don't get how this building as a whole works do you? If I wanted to lock you in there, I could. The other side doesn't have access unless I allow it - which I did. Susumu wouldn't have entered it, he wouldn't have known there was a way to get in there at any rate because he doesn't comprehend a keystone principle. Only six people understand it, and I am one of them." He eyed the mess she was in. He looked over to Susumu who did not want to see to have a part in this at all. "Good. I was basing this meeting on the concept that you were more like your brother. Luckily you are not." He fiddled again with the wiring. "Go home early. I'll get your banking details and direct deposit the funds into your account, which I would have done for the two girls, but you decidedly went into my drawer and took out my own funds. I, believe it not, have an allowance for my own spending. It is what keeps things in check here."

He awaiting for Rioshi to leave before going further. He sighed and pressed a few hexagonal keys on the table. Steel walls would come down and deny entry to prying eyes or listening ears. He continued to fiddle with the helmet still. The wiring work was extensive. "Go on about your relationship with your brother - why you two do not get along. I don't want to hear the other two parts. I know your brother enjoys that stuff, I don't." Sousuke did not see what he did to Shiori as torture merely the means to understand how ancients worked. At the time he could not bring himself to kill her as his emotions were a mess at the time. His research was an attempt to figure out how they tick and how to restore them. His attempts were fumbling and terrible at best. Who knew sand elementals did not like diamonds to fix their being or gemstones for that matter? It was like a game of operation but much more difficult because the one who was in control of it increased the difficulty of the game to eleven. Granted now Sousuke if pressed to either see Shiori live or die, he would perhaps most likely go to the latter of the two options. Do nothing would also resort to the former. There was no going back to what he wanted, but more importantly he would never get it.

Sparks would fly from the helmet as he continued to work now with needle like instruments. The topic turned to masturbation. "Self pleasure? ... Why would I be kidding with you?" He looked up for a moment with a concerned look. "I get that from making sure the budget works, small businesses thrive, and that ... well, people are safe." He raised an eyebrow. "I don't have siblings, and ... why would a toy or hand be involved. Toys are for the amusement of animals and children. Like ... a rubber ducky. My dog likes to chew on it, or a rubber bone. She used to be a mechanical creation of mine, but an accident happened to her with beta rays and she was transformed for an ancient lizard from times past to ... a canine. Granted she always had the mindset of one." Sousuke shrugged at that point, "Yes. I do have a dog. She is a very lovely fluffy creature. I had to train her to stop eatting nuts and bolts. The nurse who was helping out with that, she suggested a diet of meats. Not that you need to know, but I just wanted to share that."

Susumu asked him how he knew of his blood relation to Shouki. Sousuke had merely shifted slightly. "Your brother left me a riddle with a woman. The answer was the uncertainty principle giving me an answer as to how to catch him - which was in the moment." He shook his head. "Your brother had ... ... pushed me to my limit. I denied him the one thing he wanted most. Ultimately ... well ... your brother was the owner of a summoning contract. Gambuta was not happy being his partner as the old toad was tortured by him. In the end ... the toad ate him." Sousuke reached into his metallic slots and removed a ring. He placed it on the table. "He gave this to me before then. I entertained him highly I suspected. I wonder why of course." He sighed. "I am surprised you came here by choice." He looked to the magazines. "Those? Leverage. Against you. To be honest I did expect you to be a lot like him. You've never met my recently deceased father, and I have no siblings so you technically do not have something to compare me to." He shook his head and shifted the magazines over to Susumu now. "A good will present then, as I have wronged you so. One of them is a historical issue. I had to sign a form fifty-seven in order to have the historical issue republished because of ... certain ... ... depictions of the Mother Suna be a particular model. My Aunt when she was Steward before my father was Steward nearly had the magazine's publication permanently banned." He continued to tinker with the helmet. "I allowed it because ... I'm not sure why to be honest."

Sand Council · Apr 21, 2016

Ishii Susumu
Heir Apparent

"Clearly... The wires crossed. I had cut the audio feed to not be heard by you, but only by her. Unfortunately you heard the conversation you were not meant to hear." Sousuke explained but an explanation was a far cry from an excuse. Just because the words were not meant to be heard did not change the fact that they were said and it was those thoughts that were conveyed. The Kazekage seemed to take no heed of this or any other sentiment it would seem. His focus entirely on his helmet repair rather than his words. "Maybe the wires were faulty. I am going to sue the company for false advertising. Yes. It's going to work with no audio feed cuts."

"Do you really need a specialized audio feed to talk to some lass trapped in your back room Mister Kazekage?" Susumu asked incredulously. He was in the room with the second in line for the metaphorical throne and still he was engrossed by his mechanization's audio feed.

"You don't get how this building as a whole works do you? If I wanted to lock you in there, I could. The other side doesn't have access unless I allow it - which I did. Susumu wouldn't have entered it, he wouldn't have known there was a way to get in there at any rate because he doesn't comprehend a keystone principle. Only six people understand it, and I am one of them."

Again, he seemed to have difficulty understanding anyone outside of himself. He was right there. He looked at the Kazekage with an exasperated expression. The Kazekage seemed quite adept at offending and angering people, he wondered just how brilliant this rumored genius actually was because he was absolutely socially inept. Even Susumu who did not feel sorry for the madwoman understood that Sousuke could have chosen his words better rather than fuel a potentially dangerous fire between them whilst simultaneously again insulting his 'guest' if his status as kidnap victim has been elevated to that of visitor. Most people at the very least feign the semblance of concern or remorse. Most people do not mention how dangerous they feel their potential rival or enemies were to their face. The lack of empathy and concern felt... homey.

"Good. I was basing this meeting on the concept that you were more like your brother. Luckily you are not."

An assessment the Kazekage likely made in his own head but the conclusion was somehow positive. He and his brother were very much different men in most regards. He wondered how much of that was due to nature and how much was due to nurture and how much of it was his choice. He did not consider himself a good or an evil man but he truly doubted most people did. He and his brother did share some common threads, that much was certain but he feared that one day his hunger would one day match or even exceed his brothers. The world could perhaps breathe a unified sigh of relief with the knowledge that he was not a sturdy man, he was born weak in terms of the flesh. Even if he desired the things his brother had in the ways he did, he could never physically satisfy those cravings. The Kazekage was still fixated on his helmet.

"Go home early. I'll get your banking details and direct deposit the funds into your account, which I would have done for the two girls, but you decidedly went into my drawer and took out my own funds. I, believe it not, have an allowance for my own spending. It is what keeps things in check here."

The Steward's concentration also seemed to lack as his attention bounced from person to person and from topic to topic. All the same he gave the woman and the two teens leave. That would leave just the Kazekage and the heir. Susumu would notice out of the corner of his awareness that the Steward turned a set of hex keys and the room went into lock-down. It was an unsettling moment when the steel curtains were drawn. The walls came crashing down from all sides before the young prince had much of a chance to react. "What are you doing," Susumu protested as the vasculature about his eyes became more pronounced and the heir activated his Byakugan. He could not see through the thick steel walls that surrounded him.

"Go on about your relationship with your brother - why you two do not get along. I don't want to hear the other two parts. I know your brother enjoys that stuff, I don't."

The Steward himself seemed uninterested in the world outside his helmet as he continued to tinker. The rape or the torture, neither of which are limited to women or even humans for that matter. His mind repeated should have been a hint enough as Sousuke was faced with a deep frown. "You do not deal well with people do you? You have given more attention to your inventions than you have your guests or in my case obviously prisoner," Susumu replied indignantly. "Do you think blood bonds would have prevented my brother's perversions?" The implication was perhaps more obvious but there were no half-measures it would seen in this space as Susumu unbuttoned his silken shirt. His chest looked fine, like any mostly hairless teenage boy's chest but as the fine cloth fell from his shoulders and the heir turned around there would be a harrowing tale told by the scars that were deeply etched into his back. The shirt did not come off entirely as he covered his personal shame with a huff of exhaled air and tugged on his rows of buttons to pull the collar into place. "Did you want me to go into detail or are you capable of coming to your own conclusions Kazekage Takahashi."

"Self pleasure? ... Why would I be kidding with you?"

Because even damaged men can find comfort in their own hands if not in that of others. Susumu cradled his forehead on his fingertips and eventually pinched the bridge of his nose out of frustration. "Because everyone does it," Susumu claimed. Some several times a day.

"I get that from making sure the budget works, small businesses thrive, and that ... well, people are safe."

Sousuke claimed, obviously oblivious to the ways of the world and at his age that was an incredible feat. How old was he? Sousuke seemed old at least in comparison to Susumu who had not traversed into his twenties as of yet. At this point it would have to be the wonder of science that would allow this man to reproduce.

"I don't have siblings, and ... why would a toy or hand be involved. Toys are for the amusement of animals and children. Like ... a rubber ducky. My dog likes to chew on it, or a rubber bone. She used to be a mechanical creation of mine, but an accident happened to her with beta rays and she was transformed for an ancient lizard from times past to ... a canine. Granted she always had the mindset of one... Yes. I do have a dog. She is a very lovely fluffy creature. I had to train her to stop eating nuts and bolts. The nurse who was helping out with that, she suggested a diet of meats. Not that you need to know, but I just wanted to share that."

The directions his mind would go were astonishing. They never remained on the same subject for more than a moment. From incest to pedophilia to lizard dogs? He really could not follow the Kazekage's perversions or train of thought. "I am all for having a good time, but I would keep the kids, family and pets out of it," Susumu replied with the wave of his hand. This talk of his brother had soured her mood more than the kidnapping that he admittedly enjoyed more than was healthy for a man of any age.

"Your brother left me a riddle with a woman. The answer was the uncertainty principle giving me an answer as to how to catch him - which was in the moment. Your brother had ... ... pushed me to my limit. I denied him the one thing he wanted most. Ultimately ... well ... your brother was the owner of a summoning contract. Gambuta was not happy being his partner as the old toad was tortured by him. In the end ... the toad ate him."

Yet the conversation seemed to loop back around to his brother. The favorite and the fiend. he had long wondered what fate befell his brother -- he was eaten alive. Susumu let out a cackling laugh that seemed uncharacteristic considering his slender and slight form. Sousuke then retrieved from one his his pocket-like compartments a silver ring, one that Susumu could easily identify. That was his brother's ring.

"He gave this to me before then. I entertained him highly I suspected. I wonder why of course."

"So where is my brother now?" Susumu asked, truly curious. Susumu knew full well that his brother could not die but he failed to share that fact, curious as to what the Kazekage would have to say.

"I am surprised you came here by choice."

"Curiosity," Susumu immediately responded with a shrug as he leaned over and started to flip through the pages of one of the magazines.

"Those? Leverage. Against you. To be honest I did expect you to be a lot like him. You've never met my recently deceased father, and I have no siblings so you technically do not have something to compare me to."

Sousuke admitted. "Fair enough," Susumu replied as she came to an important point when he decided to ask a burning question of his own. "So, what is your conclusion Kazekage Takahashi?" Susumu raised a narrow brow, "do you consider me and my brother to be one in the same? Although I truly have to wonder how these magazines would serve as leverage against either of us." There was something odd about how Susumu said that last comment. "We worship a god of death and pain, these magazines except in this fetish one do not depict anything but pleasure. Pleasure or at the very least glory is derived from the pain," Susumu reminded Sousuke. Be it self inflicted or done onto others. Even the pain of shame or the anguish that comes with fear and anticipation served the Lord well - how else would a family develop into a group of sadists and masochists?

"A good will present then, as I have wronged you so. One of them is a historical issue. I had to sign a form fifty-seven in order to have the historical issue republished because of ... certain ... ... depictions of the Mother Suna be a particular model. My Aunt when she was Steward before my father was Steward nearly had the magazine's publication permanently banned."

Susumu accepted the bounty with a half smile. They would get some use with him at the very least and Sousuke was back to his helmet once again.

"I allowed it because ... I'm not sure why to be honest."

Because who would not want to bang a god? Susumu replied matter-of-factly as if he could read the mind of most men. Of course he like many in Wind Country had a false image of who the Desert Queen actually was. The depictions and the fetishes only added to the taboo nature of the desire. he let out a breath. Well, this was super awkward and it was totally swell. He looked around the room, still encased in reinforced steel and the tinkering Steward and he had to ask out loud. "Does this mean I have my leave or is there something else you need to know about me or my family?" He stood himself upright and ran his hand over the table they were seated at. It had a number of strange devices and mechanisms that seemed outlandish and unnecessary. He fiddled all the same if there was any buttons or leavers that did anything, the fault being the Kage's if something went terribly wrong.

Takahashi Aki · Apr 22, 2016

"I am absolutely not a people person - part of it being to a disorder I have and the fact I was bullied when I was a boy. I leave the social thing to my friends Harupia, Roku or Lord Nobu is a social drinker and an excellent Master of Ceremonies. Then again most people are aware of my social inability, but they know if they want something fixed be it mechanical, financially, or solved that involves moral insane people I can do it. I don't think you're what would refer to as a paragon either given your interactions with my staff. You focus on the female gender, self pleasure and I focus on my metal works." Sousuke answered when Susumu asked if he dealt well with people. "I'm aware of that. I'm trying to multi-task but more importantly if I solely focus upon one thing, it goes terribly. I do not like meeting new people really. So much hinges on this thing one calls a good first impression. In part my fiddling with this helmet is an attempt, on my part, to show you another aspect of my unfortunate character. I make up for my social inability with my metal works." He turned the helmet over. He stopped working on it and decided to give Susumu his full attention. "Do I think blood bonds would have prevented your brother's nature? Maybe. Nature and nurture. You know the arguments for both. Such is evidenced as you studied in Tea country." He puffed his cheeks. "I could have been raised by House Toraono, and I would probably be a very different person. I would care less for my metal works, and more for being some sort of hulking individual and fighting everything that screamed CHALLENGE to me." Susumu revealed his scars given to him by his brother. Sousuke's face turned into a frown of sorts. "The later. I would have thought your father would have stepped in and put an end to his actions before anything became permanent. My father was absent from my childhood, but he considered me his greatest creation. Does your father not have similar sentiment? Have you ... not seen a healer?" He inquired. Perhaps there was something more symbolic to this. Sousuke didn't have his facial scars healed, or his arm. They were reminders of his mistakes. "I've been informed women like scars."

When he spoke about leaving pets, family, and kids out of 'having a good time', Sousuke looked at Susumu. "I don't understand." He shook his head. "I explained to you that I don't have siblings, that I have a dog, and ... you ... where are you going with this?" He inquired. There was something Sousuke was clearly missing from this discussion. "What do you actually consider a good time? I think the answer to that led to your statement on my former inquiry." He added. "There was that one thing you wanted to show me. Why do I feel this is going to be in the realm of ... that." He stated hesitantly. "For science." He would declare lacking enthusiasm.

The next question caused Sousuke to shrug his shoulders. Back again to Shouki. "I did not call upon the Toad contract ever since that one occasion. I assume he is in the belly of the Toad, being digested. I don't know how the biology of summoning contract works. One would think ... he is in a state of decay." Susumu's laughter was unsettling. "Well. If it wasn't obvious before, it is now that you absolutely despise your brother and seem quite pleased his former contract ate him." The next two questions caused Sousuke to relax slightly. He leaned back in his chair and looked skyward for a moment. "Inconclusive. At the very least... I could say ... this is enlightening. This is the first conversation with someone outside of my immediate allies that I do not openly despise. I may in fact be enjoying this. I don't know why." He answered at first. "You are very different from your brother." Again he raised an eyebrow at the remark of banging a god? He thought about it for a moment. "Banging as in ... hitting something? ... ... Oh. The sexual connotation? Certainly not I... speaking from personal experiences." The latter part of the sentence was said quietly. Sexual reproduction with a pile of sand shaped like a person would not be comfortable. He thought it would be rough not for the other party but him due to the coarseness and texture of the sand. Flesh could be soft. Sand? No. Hugging a pile of sand did not seem ... fulfilling, even if it hugged you back? He did hug Shiori in times past, but ... well ... why didn't she break during those times back then? Did she have flesh at that time? Maybe. "Be careful of what you wish for. What is it about having intercourse with a goddess that seems so appealing? They take different forms from us. Sometimes it's a giant horrible squid monster with ... nevermind ... and ... I'm certain they function very differently. Is it because you can ... make an image of her pleasing to your ... desires, tastes, requirements? Aside from the depiction in that book what would you consider the ideal woman?" An amusing though graced Sousuke's mind of Susumu and Shiori in the same room and what would transpire between them would certainly be ... scientific if anything. "What is it that you want in this world? Some men want to rule it. Others want to merely be left to their own devices." He watched as Susumu began to press keys. He neared one button and Sousuke stopped him from hitting it. "Not that one. That one ... well ... it would drop the temperature rapidly."

Sand Council · Apr 23, 2016

Ishii Susumu
Heir Apparent - The Messenger

"I am absolutely not a people person - part of it being to a disorder I have and the fact I was bullied when I was a boy. I leave the social thing to my friends Harupia, Roku or Lord Nobu is a social drinker and an excellent Master of Ceremonies. Then again most people are aware of my social inability, but they know if they want something fixed be it mechanical, financially, or solved that involves moral insane people I can do it. I don't think you're what would refer to as a paragon either given your interactions with my staff. You focus on the female gender, self pleasure and I focus on my metal works."

"Incorrect," Susumu would announce suddenly. "There is nothing wrong with carnal pleasure, holding yourself and this world to such a puritanical standard will only deny yourself bliss," Susumu explained. He did not seem concerned or did he seem to care to debate his point, a conservative man would not become less of one because some teenager told him that there was a whole world out there that they had never considered. It was true, at least to him -- love or at the very least the physical expression of lust could serve as a distraction from this wicked world. There was also a sense of shame and while not considered as often as physical pain as something to fear or be concerned with it is something often feared and felt deeper by most. Shame was something that Sousuke likely felt more than anything else. The most stoic and least physical, the more socially awkward and untrained. Yes, this man seemed to fit a certain standard, almost a pseudo-human wearing an adult's mask hoping that nobody notices that he does not belong. It was obvious that this man had no connection with another human being on a social never mind a physical level and if he did, he had no understanding of them. The Kazekage could not even hold a singular conversation with a lone participant. The would-be king shook his head, a sad life indeed.

"I'm aware of that. I'm trying to multi-task but more importantly if I solely focus upon one thing, it goes terribly. I do not like meeting new people really. So much hinges on this thing one calls a good first impression. In part my fiddling with this helmet is an attempt, on my part, to show you another aspect of my unfortunate character. I make up for my social inability with my metal works."

"That would be like making up for the sun's lackluster display by planting a field of roses. One has nothing to do with the other and if all you do is point to a bed of roses, no matter how fine they might be, you will never impress someone who came to look at the sun." Susumu replied with a strange wisdom that a man or rather teen who has spent his entire life in studies would likely display. It is easy to forget, considering the heir's youth that he is also a learned young man.

"Do I think blood bonds would have prevented your brother's nature? Maybe. Nature and nurture. You know the arguments for both. Such is evidenced as you studied in Tea country."

There have been studies, this he had been well aware of. But similarities and propensity alone does not make a man, not truly. Even if they were full siblings he wondered how closely they would resemble eachother. Susumu and his sister were not very similar at all, she was much more mundane in his gentile opinion. "The reason is truly irrelevant considering he is what he is and there is a part of him in my nature and in yours too truly." All of humanity had the ability to be just and they also had the means to be terrible and cruel. Pain is easier to inflict onto others than onto oneself. It is simpler... better to deflect blame. Yet pain is also the gateway to enlightenment and immortality, through pain one could see the true nature of their friends, their lovers, those who have broken their hearts and most importantly themselves. True strength and potential is achieved when a man's body learns to avoid and to endure, eventually a user can become something greater and more powerful than ever before and all without the intervention of a God. That, being the true way of Jashin. Strength and power through pain making the Lord's divine intervention unnecessary.

"I consider us both, my brother and I, despite our different paths and grievances... devout men," Susumu revealed. "Pain begets power and it can become toxic. It is hard to meet pain with the apprehension it deserves when you do it for a cause and when you are blessed for things we need to fear to experience pain. When you... start to look forward to it, then the metaphorical waters become murky and pain is no longer pain... it is pleasure. My brother stopped feeling pain and shame and fear a long time ago, death had lost its hold on him young and others had to serve as his proxy." He explained in the most basic way he knew how. His brother raped, maimed and tortured because that was his prayer. Still he became perverse, when sex became involved there was a growing sense of gratification and lust that accompanied his practice but as long as the sacrifice and tithe was paid Jashin was satisfied regardless of the priest's enjoyment. "So what is a religious man who cannot pray? Wretched and wicked... Sins crawling on their back." Susumu took a breath, "once pain is no longer feared or felt a priest is forced to feed off of the pain of others like a scavenger." There is a fine line between pleasure and pain and for a great many Jashinists that line is utterly ambiguous and grey. This was a truth that he realized, he did not believe himself a better man than his brother for it rather a more studious one. Yes, Shouki was a genius in his own way but it is in what that they differed. Susumu was more cerebral where his brother was more physical in both their mental mechanizations as well as their understanding of their own nature. Where Susumu found Shouki to be an unfortunate creature, the same was felt by Shouki of his brother as odd as that would seem.

Susumu revealed the deep scars on his back, many had healed over the years but others seemed fresh. The fresh ones were not from his brother but the older ones were. Susumu dealt with his need for pain by experiencing it himself. He never felt right about causing harm to others, however mental anguish and shame was something he felt was not nearly as lasting. Something that could be inflicted onto himself or could be given onto others. The more pride, the deeper the shame. Sousuke's shame likely ran deep.

"The later. I would have thought your father would have stepped in and put an end to his actions before anything became permanent. My father was absent from my childhood, but he considered me his greatest creation. Does your father not have similar sentiment? Have you ... not seen a healer?"

"I am fine and I make no secret of what I am," Susumu replied. "I have been harmed in a great many ways -- pain comes in many forms as we are masters of such," he almost regretted admitting but that fact also made it feel good to say. Dam you righteous shame. "Believe it or not, to my father his lack of intervention is considered an act of love," he continued. For a man who believed so strongly in strength, power, and glory through pain this should not come as a surprise. "I am more fortunate than others, I both fear and enjoy pain... most have lost their tactile sense by my age or have taken a different path. I can tithe of my own blood, sorrow and shame, being that I am so weak and unworthy. In fact, I am likely the most blessed of all because I lack my brother's strength and I have not taken my father's seat and Jashin-willing I never will." The truth be told, Susumu feared what he might become with time and when he became numb. "I feed off the mental discomfort of others," he revealed in regards to Lady Tsubaki and her paramour. "I am very interested in seeing that young lady ninja again, while I cannot be entirely certain I am rather confident that it was she that compelled me to state what you had overheard. Shame, being only pain in one of its many transformed states."

"I've been informed women like scars."

"I hope she does," Susumu replied with a sly expression. The reason, or specific reason why he had such a strong interest in the young woman revealed. She was able to hurt him in a public manner and it felt wonderful. Wait, not wonderful. He was gentler than the rest of his family and while he seemed to try to be the 'devout' and 'good' son, his lack of capacity to do such and his resultant shame seemed to be enough to satiate his family's dark god for now.

The Kazekage went on a tangent about siblings and pets. Even the Jashinist who spilled blood for a pain god had his limits and he announced as such. "I don't understand... I explained to you that I don't have siblings, that I have a dog, and ... you ... where are you going with this?"

Susumu gave Sousuke a stern look. The man was truly a fool.

"What do you actually consider a good time? I think the answer to that led to your statement on my former inquiry."

"I have been talking about sex," Susumu stated as plainly as he could.

"There was that one thing you wanted to show me. Why do I feel this is going to be in the realm of ... that."

"Partly," Susumu replied with a lop-sided expression. "It would certainly--" Susumu sighed. "...Likely gain favor" with his Lord. The shame alone would be enough. He had intended to only explain what he was in a way that the Steward could understand.

"For science." Sousuke finally announced. A strange statement to be made considering the discussion topic. Was he really propositioning him? That seemed like the best pick-up line the Kazekage knew.

"Serious man?" Susumu asked as if he was attempting to obtain some sort of confirmation although he would not be waiting for a verbal affirmation to be given as he shrugged his shoulders and started to once again unbutton his shirt. It would seem that the Kazekage was again speaking without thinking things through as he continued to prattle on about his brother of all things -- talk about a mood killer.

"I did not call upon the Toad contract ever since that one occasion. I assume he is in the belly of the Toad, being digested. I don't know how the biology of summoning contract works. One would think ... he is in a state of decay."

Susumu found humor in his brother's plight but he was more than confident that his brother was having the time of his life -- that lucky asshole. Susumu was rummaging through his pockets when something could be heard clinking.

"Well. If it wasn't obvious before, it is now that you absolutely despise your brother and seem quite pleased his former contract ate him."

Sousuke's mind elsewhere as per his usual if this interaction was anything like his usual conversations. Susumu continued to chat as a pair, as in two, fuzzy pink handcuffs were liberated from his pockets. "So, what is your conclusion Kazekage Takahashi? ...do you consider me and my brother to be one in the same? Although I truly have to wonder how these magazines would serve as leverage against either of us. We worship a god of death and pain, these magazines except in this fetish one do not depict anything but pleasure. Pleasure or at the very least glory is derived from the pain."

"Inconclusive. At the very least... I could say ... this is enlightening. This is the first conversation with someone outside of my immediate allies that I do not openly despise. I may in fact be enjoying this. I don't know why... You are very different from your brother."

The magazines, apparently a gift that included a 'special edition' depicting the goddess in an apparently crude manner. Susumu would of course accept such tribute.

"Banging as in ... hitting something? ... ... Oh. The sexual connotation? Certainly not I... speaking from personal experiences."

The handcuffs clattered on the table as Susumu leaned forward. "Wait, you did what?" ((you went there man)) A man so socially inept had experienced something like that? It sounded more like a fish tale if he had ever heard one.

"Be careful of what you wish for. What is it about having intercourse with a goddess that seems so appealing? They take different forms from us. Sometimes it's a giant horrible squid monster with ... nevermind ... and ... I'm certain they function very differently. Is it because you can ... make an image of her pleasing to your ... desires, tastes, requirements? Aside from the depiction in that book what would you consider the ideal woman?"

"Tentacle monsters can be hot," Susumu admitted in what seemed to be complete seriousness. It was a shame in his book that such things were not real. "As for a perfect woman, that mostly involves leather and an amazing ass. Maybe something with a bit of demon blood, I love ladies with a set of claws," he could go on if permitted but Sousuke did not seem like the sort to entertain the topic so he left it at that unless the door was left open. In which case he would continue on and on until he was finally stopped listing off most fetishes he could think of as if he was reading numbers from a phone book. "Basically anything that would be a fight to dominate ...and if I am real lucky I might even fail to," Susumu let out a half laugh as he concluded his graphic description.

"What is it that you want in this world? Some men want to rule it. Others want to merely be left to their own devices."

"Not sure, I am more of a live for the day sort," Susumu shrugged. "So, back to your previous statement... For the sake of science why don't you try these on?" He was referring to the fuzzy pink cuffs on the desk while he fiddled with the various buttons on the desk. Most of the buttons did not seem to do much but as he neared one button and Sousuke stopped him from hitting it.

"Not that one. That one ... well ... it would drop the temperature rapidly."

"Then try them on or I will press the button," he teased.

OC: For Science. You went there man.

Takahashi Aki · Apr 26, 2016

Maybe? Maybe Susumu was right? "I don't hold the world to it. Merely myself. Kingdoms have been ruined over such." He spoke lowly as he looked at the floor. Older tales involving not ninjas, or samarai but Western knights and round tables came to mind. "You've surely heard of the ruin of Lancelot?" He would reference slightly. A great armsman who fell in love with a woman, their relationship strange. The woman gave birth and later committed suicide. Their son would go to complete a task no mortal man could . He loved the Queen of the realm, but she was promised to another. Ruin became that Kingdom. Whether Susumu knew of it would determine how well he understood part of Sousuke's plight. That being said, Sousuke's relationships were not quite yet known. Yume of all people appreciated him that he saw her as a woman of science and not a beast. There was more to it than that but ... their relationship indeed a solid thing.

Susumu had answered him with a remark with a field of roses and the sun. "Almost." He began, "The sun is required for a bed of roses to grow and live. In time the person who came to look at the sun may smell the roses and come to appreciate them. One good thing can lead to another. Granted of course you and I are worlds apart on the fact I'm a mechanic and you're ... ... a philosopher of sorts. I'm the literal, you're the metaphorical. Eventually one can at least be impressed by the other in some form... which is what I have to say at least on my part. " As Susumu spoke and continued to reveal himself. He appreciated the honestly, but when he spoke of feeding off of the mental discomfort of others, Sousuke's face turned into a frown of sorts. "I suspect then you are quite enjoying yourself right now with my discomfort with subject outside of my range of experience." Sousuke's eyes veered to the left. "Yes you may have been talking about sex, but why would you ... why hold me in that same realm as you considering ..." Sousuke paused for a moment. He looked skyward for a moment. "What your experiences of the last twenty minutes." It was a headache worthy subject. Susumu knew full well of Sousuke's non-experience in that particular field.

Sousuke's eyes narrowed at the handcuffs placed on the desk. He looked at them and then back at Susumu. "You don't know a woman named Naganisa do you?" He would question the man. He was very much afraid of the answer. He didn't need to know he and her had engaged in fornication. He really didn't. It wasn't enough that she had already been fornicating with Katuso prior to his ... Sousuke's frown deepened even more so. He raised an eyebrow as Susumu asked him about what he did. "I sliced into a goddess with twin swords. She kidnapped a friend of mine, and was holding him hostage. She was torturing him and I went to engage in combat with her. I bested her. Took her back to my ancestral home in which ... I tried to better understand the anatomy of said goddess and ... that did not end well for me at all. I was thrown out my house by her brother after a sound trashing to me." He paused for a moment. "I would say ... interpret that literally ... but I'm still certain I'm missing key details that have already caused you to interpret this odd scenario of my unfortunate participation in as some ... thing." The next statement made Sousuke's eyes widen in horror. Seriously? "NO!! Tentacle monsters ARE not hot!! They are annoying. They are annoying when they scream at you with your significant female other with no less than ten mouths that the end times are here, and that madness will consume you. It is absolutely not fun being shown what you fear most and becoming said thing for some amount of time in order to best or re-imprison said creature." Sosuke answered soundly. It finally seemed that Susumu got a rise out of him finally. He shook his head. Sousuke's experiences were in a long range of PTSD environments. That being said people were used to him not talking about it. He dealt with things alone, and not through others listening. "It's not fun either when you see a giant squid monster with seven crowns eating people and speaking obscenities at you. ... Can we not talk about what I've had to fight in times past? Has anyone told you what vile non-nonsensical and illogical things I've done battle with? Do you know what it is like to have the metal plates inserted beneath your flesh, liquefied into a state of corruption and removed by a Demon Lord? The former is how I used to have my armour surface. It was something I worked long and hard to do." Sousuke rubbed the temples of his head. "Sorry for the outburst. This happens four times in six-hundred and fifty-two instances of a set encounter." Seemingly he was going to go on next about the type of lady that Susumu wanted. The two were far worlds apart on what was considered hot. "In your case it is a shame the Lady Toraono Seika is betrothed to another. She uhm ... is a demon descendant mixed with ... tenshi aspects. Loves to fight and ... well ... one time she nearly bested me. Who knew a single wing could wrap around the human body so tightly. I had been sliced up by photon blades. That being said Kuro does have other siblings." Again Sousuke eyed the fuzzy cuffs. "I think I understand the metaphorical meaning of these. Science is indeed a worthy endeavor... but ... the last time I saw fuzzy cuffs a friend of mine had been uhm ... subjected to things ... I don't want to repeat with ... and he forsook all his rights." There was a sinking feeling he had. He picked up the fuzzy cuffs but hadn't placed them on yet. While Susumu had indeed teased him, there was something not quite right about this entire thing. Especially considering the other party was male.

Sand Council · Apr 28, 2016

Ishii Susumu
Heir Apparent - The Messenger

"I don't hold the world to it. Merely myself. Kingdoms have been ruined over such."

Sousuke reasoned. That might have been true, but was it because of the act or because of people's standards and reactions to it?

"You've surely heard of the ruin of Lancelot?"

Susumu had not heard of Lancelot, while Arthurian tales might exist in this world there was no such tome in his libraries. All the same, the inference was that it was a substantiating point. He did not indicate this fact to Sousuke one way or another. Susumu rather poetically explained Sousuke's short-coming but it would seem that the Steward did not see it as one in the least. This social disability that he suffered from

"Almost... The sun is required for a bed of roses to grow and live. In time the person who came to look at the sun may smell the roses and come to appreciate them. One good thing can lead to another. Granted of course you and I are worlds apart on the fact I'm a mechanic and you're ... ... a philosopher of sorts. I'm the literal, you're the metaphorical. Eventually one can at least be impressed by the other in some form... which is what I have to say at least on my part. "

He was right on one thing, he was quite literal all of the time. It was somewhat annoying but also entertaining in a strange way -- the mechanic and the philosopher.

"I suspect then you are quite enjoying yourself right now with my discomfort with subject outside of my range of experience."

Susumu nodded in silent affirmation.

"Yes you may have been talking about sex, but why would you ... why hold me in that same realm as you considering ..."

Yum "Realm as you considering what?" Susumu asked. Sousuke's grammar had went out the window entirely and the heir was not working very hard to hide his amusement and delight. The truth be told, his interests in Sousuke were entirely platonic but the psychological dis-ease he was inflicting in this dialogue overrode whatever social conventions that would have caused him to return to a politer discussion by now.

"What your experiences of the last twenty minutes."

"To be honest, more of an assessment of you -- I find you utterly repressed and unfortunate," he ruled. It was unfortunate that Sousuke would have to die like the rest of them in the coming war, he did not really care for his father's methods but there was nothing he could do. You are smart, I cannot deny that," Susumu admitted. His office had more custom technology than most laboratories and was leagues ahead of the technology in Tea Country which was in the midst of their industrial revolution. "But you must be intensely lonesome, that is not a problem for me," he clarified with an honesty that most men would not. He was a Jashinist and suffering what glory to them, however Susumu was not a cruel man by nature. He was a loathsome heathen in that way, he lacked his family's ambition and piety it would seem. "I do not think I have seen a person leave this room happy since our meeting, are you a member of the faith?" It was a serious inquiry and a shocking revelation to be made.

"You don't know a woman named Naganisa do you?"

Sousuke asked, a strange change of subject and to a person, possibly female that he had never heard of. Susumu shook his head and answered with a simple, "No, why did you ask." He paused for a moment, "actually yes... she was one of my brother's lovers I think. Snake-lady, right?" His face seemed perplexed, yes she was. I used to get letters about her in Cha no Kuni," he recalled. "Lovely woman, a sadist but not a member of the faith," he folded his hands on the face of the table.

Their conversation turned to grimmer topics, but Susumu attempted to keep the dialogue light.

"I sliced into a goddess with twin swords. She kidnapped a friend of mine, and was holding him hostage. She was torturing him and I went to engage in combat with her. I bested her. Took her back to my ancestral home in which ... I tried to better understand the anatomy of said goddess and ... that did not end well for me at all. I was thrown out my house by her brother after a sound trashing to me."

Sousuke explained although it was like hearing only half a story while in another room. Something about him cutting a goddess and then she kidnapped his friend and they fought and then he sought to understand their anatomy. It sounded more like a Greek tragedy than an actual tale. "So, what happened to them? Are they dead?" Susumu inquired, his interest piqued but not because he wanted to hear a good sex story but rather because he wanted to know if there was still Ancients roaming the countryside. There were rumors that his Sennin Mikaboshi was a Deep Court Lord, something that had reached as far as Sora shortly after he was granted the esteemed position but it was believed to be a tall tale shared by merchants to add intrigue to their travels. The Sennin was most assuredly a male. Little did Sousuke know that there were a number of living Ancients in Wind Country still, in fact they were the reason why Ancients had never returned or rather the Rangers were until they faded into Obscurity and the duty fell to them a long time ago. Ancients were a source of power and Susumu hypothesized that there was more to it than even his father was willing to admit but he never dared ask. Still, an Ancient outside of his father's grip was an interesting prospect indeed. "Is she still dead?"

"I would say ... interpret that literally ... but I'm still certain I'm missing key details that have already caused you to interpret this odd scenario of my unfortunate participation in as some ... thing."

I was hoping for a good sex story, but actually I am more interested in their fate. Tell me Stew... I mean Kazekage, what do you know of these gods?"

The conversation went to where it always must in terms of the profane and inhuman as he referenced tentacle monsters.

"NO!! Tentacle monsters ARE not hot!! They are annoying. They are annoying when they scream at you with your significant female other with no less than ten mouths that the end times are here, and that madness will consume you. It is absolutely not fun being shown what you fear most and becoming said thing for some amount of time in order to best or re-imprison said creature."

Sosuke shouted. Susumu, on the other hand, was still calm and rather happy with the sense of control he was having over the situation. He was understanding to a small extent what he father loved about his position. I am afraid I have to inform you... if that was your experience with a tentacle monster, then you are doing it wrong." Sousuke continued to rant.

"It's not fun either when you see a giant squid monster with seven crowns eating people and speaking obscenities at you. ... Can we not talk about what I've had to fight in times past? Has anyone told you what vile non-nonsensical and illogical things I've done battle with? Do you know what it is like to have the metal plates inserted beneath your flesh, liquefied into a state of corruption and removed by a Demon Lord? The former is how I used to have my armour surface. It was something I worked long and hard to do."

With a serious expression, Susumu looked at Sousuke and announced "you realize that I like that sort of thing, right? In fact, I am starting to find this disparity unfair," He complained.

"Sorry for the outburst. This happens four times in six-hundred and fifty-two instances of a set encounter."

Sousuke appologized before they returned to more pleasant conversation topics -- women. A topic he could never get tired of.

"In your case it is a shame the Lady Toraono Seika is betrothed to another. She uhm ... is a demon descendant mixed with ... tenshi aspects. Loves to fight and ... well ... one time she nearly bested me. Who knew a single wing could wrap around the human body so tightly. I had been sliced up by photon blades. That being said Kuro does have other siblings."

An interesting prospect but he would have to decline. Not that he would not be interested in whatever the Toraono family had to offer, but he knew well the rumors of the demon clan. Even an Ishii had their limits.

"I think I understand the metaphorical meaning of these. Science is indeed a worthy endeavor... but ... the last time I saw fuzzy cuffs a friend of mine had been uhm ... subjected to things ... I don't want to repeat with ... and he forsook all his rights."

Sousuke picked up the cuffs with the likeness one would a dirty sock. The cuff was not entirely the most clean thing he had ever touched but he did not need to know that. "That is the point," Susumu admitted. "The loss of control and the uncertainty and the dire concern it brings adds to the exhilaration," he explained simply. As for pink -- well, it was his favorite color.

Takahashi Aki · Apr 30, 2016

Every once in a while frustration had a way of oddly revealing itself. Sousuke had suffered a grammatical breakdown. He learned that Susumu did enjoy this all the same. Well at the very least the heir to the Wind Damiyo seemed to be in a much better position than he was before. Kidnapping to a sheer delight. "..." He was silent for a time. This was a bit much for him. Quietly the Kazekage tried to gather himself before speaking once more. He looked skyward for a moment. His eyes narrowed as he was quite annoyed with some unseen force. Finally he would look down back at Susumu. "What I was trying to say is ... why would you hold me to same standard as yourself? Realm of reasoning. That is." He paused for a moment, "I am glad that you are enjoying this in some fashion. We've come quite a bit forward since twenty-minutes ago."

Susumu gave the Kazekage his assessment of himself. The one thing that caught him off guard was lonely. He thought about it intently. The more he thought about it and how things unfolded in his life, the truer and truer it was. Okibi, Tama, Kitani, Uri, Shiori, and Katuso all of them were gone in one form or another. Some more horrible than others. In each case there was nothing he could do about it. Others was a much more difficult situation. Sousuke looked down at the ground. He was alone wasn't he? It was difficult being the man on the wall. Not an actual wall, but in the concept that as Kazekage he had burdens that he did not share with others. He would have to see to the dismemberment and dismantling of Ancients. A difficult task. One he did not revel in. All the same. He did have Yume, Roku, Harupia, Kuro, and Kazuki. There was a fear present, a fear of when he would no longer see them either due to whatever circumstance unfolded. "Expand upon that. Why would it not be a problem for you? Is it due to your social ability, or merely your title and that you will always find yourself surrounded by people of your choosing?" He asked. Sousuke was alone, but not as bad as one might think. There was Aki of all things. The child of Okibi that he was raising with Yume. While he had kept Aki secret and safe, that child is what perhaps brought him a great deal of joy, despite not being his son. "Quite right on both accounts, all the same." His following statement did make him raise an eyebrow. Was he a member of...? Oh. Right. "I believed in a high power at some point. Now I don't." He simply stated. It was an exhausting topic of what he believed in. "Hrm. Naganisa isn't a member of the faith. That's ... interesting. I find her presence ... exhausting, and not for sexual reasoning. She would do something over and over expecting different results. She is the personification of insanity if there ever was once. She is quite intolerable." He folded his arms and placed them on the desk. He rested his head in his arms. It was tiring. "Even thinking about it is most exhausting." He answered Susumu but his voice was slightly muffled. "Dead? No. I cannot say I know what they are doing or plotting." He answered when Susumu inquired about the fate of the Ancients. Shiori was out there. Somewhere. Regaining her strength. It would be a very tiring battle. One that he hoped he would have the time to prepare for. He had spent his time preparing for this. It was going to happen. The question of when. Mikaboshi himself underestimated Sousuke and his tech. He gave him the time to live and learn, to adapt and change. Ultimately both Suna and would find himself outwitted, outmatched, and outplayed. He had to simply hope he could do as much. If not then humanity was pretty much doomed to be just kindling and timber.

"I think..." He paused for a moment. He lifted his head up and looked to the fuzzy cuffs he had put down some time ago now. "Bearing in mind what you've said... I think I will decline. I may be in a losing fight, but even then there are certain things I can predict and control." He would point at the cuffs as if they were a truly repulsive thing. He reached to the side of his leg and clicked something in his armour. He took out his own pad and paper and began to scribble numbers rapidly. "Eldritch terrors occur every once in six-hundred and ninty-two instances to the power of sixth fold divided by an exponential increase in the occult." He wrote a date. It would be sometime this year, but Sousuke had put a potential date of August 20th. "Assuming either of us are still alive, or healthy at that point - come to sand six days before this date. Within the proper time set and events going forward the next spawn of an Eldritch Terror should occur. I will fight the thing, and you can interact with it however you like. I will not allow it to kill you of course... because I actually don't mind you. I think you're most preferable to your brother, and maybe I may consider enjoying an alcoholic beverage with you. I might be alone most of the time, but it's good to know that some people are out there of a particular intellect. Granted most of the time I think I am the one that is ... well ... I doubt myself. Have to fix that of course." He pressed panels on the table and the walls opened up. "Enjoy the magazines Susumu. I think the women in them, from what glimpses I did see are ... grossly over proportionate. Women of those body types are not going to live that much longer than those with proportionate body types."

[Concluding post, topic will end after & MFT]

Sand Council · Apr 30, 2016

Ishii Susumu
Heir Apparent - The Messenger

"Expand upon that. Why would it not be a problem for you? Is it due to your social ability, or merely your title and that you will always find yourself surrounded by people of your choosing?"

"I doubt that my title alone suffices to make me a man worthy of conversation, but unlike you even if I lose a friend that pain only brings me glee." It was a dark sentiment, the fact that with or without friends and love he was still happy. He seemed to have an ethical code that prevented him from going too far but at the same time he did relish in the misery of others in some perverse manner. This was a facet about him that he did not conceal and he did not deny. "I suppose, people are near me because of my potential power one day, but I would like to think that some chose to. I do not hide who or what I am, I am a deeply flawed human and I do not self-flagellate... at least in the metaphorical sense over my short-comings but rather I celebrate them." They are what make him different from everyone else. They are a source of powerful shame but also enlightenment to the young Jashinist heir.

"Quite right on both accounts, all the same."

The Steward-Kazekage was a miserable being, so much so that he would satisfy Susumu's dark deity. He seemed to will similar dejection, apathy and anger on those around him as they seemed to leave his presence indignant or appalled.

"I believed in a high power at some point. Now I don't."

"Well, I have seen the power of my Lord's works... I do not subscribe to false idols, and perhaps that is why you see no higher power. There is none other than the one-true Lord<" Susumu insisted. While it might seem contradictory to some to have such a devout man holding a stack of nudie magazines, that was certainly what we had here.

"Hrm. Naganisa isn't a member of the faith. That's ... interesting. I find her presence ... exhausting, and not for sexual reasoning. She would do something over and over expecting different results. She is the personification of insanity if there ever was once. She is quite intolerable."

Susumu shrugged. There is nothing wrong with being a little bit crazy.

"Even thinking about it is most exhausting."

Sousuke really did not have a mind for carnal things. The conversation moved over to the realm of Ancients, an interesting topic to the young heir. He was aware, to an extent of his father's efforts and his utilization of Ancients in his army but not to the extent of his older brother, Shouki. He knew that the Rangers had long ago captured most of the fallen Ancients and in all honesty he believed them to be extinct by now. If they had not been, he wondered why they were not flourishing by now as the Ranger Order had been dead for a very long time. Little did he know that these last two only recently resurfaced. It would be most interesting to learn that the two that remained were dis-empowered Court Lords. While his father has his uses for them, he had a few thoughts of his own and neither were any more savory.

"Dead? No. I cannot say I know what they are doing or plotting."

"Well, the subject matter of them would be most interesting to me," Susumu revealed. "If you would ever desire an unkindness to be brought upon them, in that I may be a fair resource." The things he could do to something that could not... refused to die. His conscience free from the guilt of murder and his soul filled with enlightenment through their suffering. He had read a great deal about Ancients and their generational crimes against humanity, he saw them all as fiends deserving of terrible ends. This would be a matter in which both the Kazekage and the heir would actually be in full agreement perhaps.

"I think... Bearing in mind what you've said... I think I will decline. I may be in a losing fight, but even then there are certain things I can predict and control."

The interaction seemed to have come to an end. A time and a date were provided to the young heir for a future date that likely one of them would never see. All the same he nodded graciously and accepted the slip of parchment before he picked up his fuzzy handcuffs. Rejection, something he was used to but a small bit of him longed for a harsher rebuttal than simply a deference to a later time. "Pity, we could have had fun," he half-sulked. He placed the cuffs and the paper inside of his pocket.

"Assuming either of us are still alive, or healthy at that point - come to sand six days before this date. Within the proper time set and events going forward the next spawn of an Eldritch Terror should occur. I will fight the thing, and you can interact with it however you like. I will not allow it to kill you of course... because I actually don't mind you. I think you're most preferable to your brother, and maybe I may consider enjoying an alcoholic beverage with you. I might be alone most of the time, but it's good to know that some people are out there of a particular intellect. Granted most of the time I think I am the one that is ... well ... I doubt myself. Have to fix that of course... Enjoy the magazines Susumu. I think the women in them, from what glimpses I did see are ... grossly over proportionate. Women of those body types are not going to live that much longer than those with proportionate body types."

It would seem that the meeting was now over. Susumu would remain in the office a short time longer than the Steward and before he left he would place the pair of fuzzy pink cuffs on the arms of the chair. One on each arm. Something to remember him by, regardless of how brief that might be.

[Topic Left]

Prison Grey

Kazumi

Active Member

Sand Council

Sand Event NPC

Samejima

Member

Takahashi Aki

Well-Known Member

Michi

Legendary Member

Kazumi

Active Member

Sand Council

Sand Event NPC

Samejima

Member

Takahashi Aki

Well-Known Member

Sand Council

Sand Event NPC

Takahashi Aki

Well-Known Member

Sand Council

Sand Event NPC

Takahashi Aki

Well-Known Member

Sand Council

Sand Event NPC

Takahashi Aki

Well-Known Member

Sand Council

Sand Event NPC