Rambuctious loud roaring of excitement echoed from outside of the Izakaya. Food was plentiful, and inside the lanterns illuminating the tables revealed a large group of rowdy tawny beige and brown people had gathered. The smoking most of them were doing had given the room a pungent smell of tobacco. They were the only patrons inside. Presumably due to their loudness. Glasses clink regularly, and the common growl of men eagerly suggesting further escalation, "Come on, another one!" "Eeh! Eeeh! Come on! Drink up!" Both desk and shoulders saw regularly slapping. On one corner of the table three of the patrons had begun playing cards, betting little pins and trinkets, some with clear blood on them, war trophies one might assume.
At the center of the table on the far-side from the door sat someone with a history to tell. It was clear everyone by the table held him at the highest respect, as the ones sitting next to him kept offering to refill his glass, despite it not being empty yet. He drank the slowest, but also seemed the most collected and calm. His wild dreadlocks were tied up behind his head and he gave everyone that had to go take a piss a bow in awknowledgement. The handful of girls that were at the table seemed to only have their eyes set on him, despite the fact that on his ring finger sat a small golden ring. It represented his connection and ties to the village of the Leaf. And his eternal love to one he holds very dear.
He hadn't seen this person for quite a while. Him and this merry band of brothers were all of an organisation he helped maintain and their bond to him were that of family. He was their leader by all respects. Highly trained and very knowledgable in the field of both medical and that of killing. They'd all seen their fair share of both.
They finally returned to the village after a long mission. One of personal importance to all of them. A friend, and previous member of their band saw it proper to leave them and join a rival clan, at first this was fine by itself, but then hearing of how this clan had decided not only to tie their friend up, torture him and managed to pulled off his skin bit by bit, and then leaving him out with the birds flayed and practically dead. His final moments were of pure agony. They found his body, an ANBU saw the body and were only able to identify him because his flayed skin and belongings were left by his feet like a warning.
When they had heard of this, they all met up again and concluded what had to be done.
The clan house is no more. And the people inside, all connections and family ties were completely wiped out. All that was left was their smallest trinkets, symbols they use for recognizing each other and their rank. Their future was no more, just as their friend's future was no more. They did manage to find out they were blackmailing their friend, they had kidnapped and subsequently murdered his wife and kid. Based on their treatment of him, one might suspect he didn't say anything of their order and their identities. But best safer than sorry they had all decided.
"Come on Suzaku! Cheer with me!" Another one sat opposite to him proclaimed, they both lifted their mugs and clinked together, as their eyes met, they both had a solemn relaxed look between, like a mutual respect of the moment. This was not a celebration per-say, it was a memorial party to their friend.
In some cultures, it was reported that when they lost someone, instead of quiet contemplation and mourning. They instead partied, they drank till their bellies burst, they fought and they were loud, the louder they were the more likely the deceased friend of family would hear them from their new spirit land, and he'd be more welcomed in the eternal mead halls of past warriors. While they weren't in this case stout believers, the ritual seemed fitting for this friend in particular.
The night progressed and outside of the Izakaya some of them had ended up fighting. More of a drunken brawling which didn't exactly showcased a deciding winner, but it did have its humor tied to it, especially when it ended as soon as one of them started vomiting on the other...
By the earliest morning light, the owner of the bar had called the party over. And everyone had begun crawling, limping and slowly walking out of the door. The dreadlocked man paid the owner a handsome sum of money and then left as the final one. Everyone went their way and Suzaku Keiji walked with a slow pace towards the clan home he hadn't seen for a long time. He missed the heated floors, he missed his morning coffee, he missed his view out the windows from the dining hall, he missed seeing the smile of his loved one every day, he missed seeing his eyes, he missed sharing the bed with his red-headed hottie of a fiancee. But more than that. He missed just being with him.
It was time get home.
At the center of the table on the far-side from the door sat someone with a history to tell. It was clear everyone by the table held him at the highest respect, as the ones sitting next to him kept offering to refill his glass, despite it not being empty yet. He drank the slowest, but also seemed the most collected and calm. His wild dreadlocks were tied up behind his head and he gave everyone that had to go take a piss a bow in awknowledgement. The handful of girls that were at the table seemed to only have their eyes set on him, despite the fact that on his ring finger sat a small golden ring. It represented his connection and ties to the village of the Leaf. And his eternal love to one he holds very dear.
He hadn't seen this person for quite a while. Him and this merry band of brothers were all of an organisation he helped maintain and their bond to him were that of family. He was their leader by all respects. Highly trained and very knowledgable in the field of both medical and that of killing. They'd all seen their fair share of both.
They finally returned to the village after a long mission. One of personal importance to all of them. A friend, and previous member of their band saw it proper to leave them and join a rival clan, at first this was fine by itself, but then hearing of how this clan had decided not only to tie their friend up, torture him and managed to pulled off his skin bit by bit, and then leaving him out with the birds flayed and practically dead. His final moments were of pure agony. They found his body, an ANBU saw the body and were only able to identify him because his flayed skin and belongings were left by his feet like a warning.
When they had heard of this, they all met up again and concluded what had to be done.
The clan house is no more. And the people inside, all connections and family ties were completely wiped out. All that was left was their smallest trinkets, symbols they use for recognizing each other and their rank. Their future was no more, just as their friend's future was no more. They did manage to find out they were blackmailing their friend, they had kidnapped and subsequently murdered his wife and kid. Based on their treatment of him, one might suspect he didn't say anything of their order and their identities. But best safer than sorry they had all decided.
"Come on Suzaku! Cheer with me!" Another one sat opposite to him proclaimed, they both lifted their mugs and clinked together, as their eyes met, they both had a solemn relaxed look between, like a mutual respect of the moment. This was not a celebration per-say, it was a memorial party to their friend.
In some cultures, it was reported that when they lost someone, instead of quiet contemplation and mourning. They instead partied, they drank till their bellies burst, they fought and they were loud, the louder they were the more likely the deceased friend of family would hear them from their new spirit land, and he'd be more welcomed in the eternal mead halls of past warriors. While they weren't in this case stout believers, the ritual seemed fitting for this friend in particular.
The night progressed and outside of the Izakaya some of them had ended up fighting. More of a drunken brawling which didn't exactly showcased a deciding winner, but it did have its humor tied to it, especially when it ended as soon as one of them started vomiting on the other...
By the earliest morning light, the owner of the bar had called the party over. And everyone had begun crawling, limping and slowly walking out of the door. The dreadlocked man paid the owner a handsome sum of money and then left as the final one. Everyone went their way and Suzaku Keiji walked with a slow pace towards the clan home he hadn't seen for a long time. He missed the heated floors, he missed his morning coffee, he missed his view out the windows from the dining hall, he missed seeing the smile of his loved one every day, he missed seeing his eyes, he missed sharing the bed with his red-headed hottie of a fiancee. But more than that. He missed just being with him.
It was time get home.