The Rule of Two [Team Self Modded - Teke]

[Kaen]

Revenge, Justice, satisfaction or just simply sating curiosity, the exact reasons behind such a undertaking were unknown to all but the Shinku siblings. Sadly there was no time to find her and ask her along for the trip as time was of the essence. His sources indicated that the place he sought moved from place to place like wandering nomad. Some may say things like forgiveness is the higher road and that one should not focus so much on the anger, hate and resentment that could come from that type of thing. But the things that were done to them in 'that' place were far from unforgivable. It was only a matter of time before they slipped and his bided time in Sunagakure would reveal to him the path of vengeance. For there is no true justice in today's society, no karma that will inevitably settle the score for you, no. Sometimes if you want to see a change for the better, you have to take things into your own hands. And that was just what Kaen planned to do, eradicate the organization that kidnapped, tortured and experimented on him, his sister and all those helpless souls that perished within those dreadful walls.

His search eventually led him the port of Soon's Haven, a curious little plot of land in which Kaen had never had the opportunity to visit. Well not until today at least. The sun was still high in the sky and not a cloud in sight. Nothing but endless hues of blue painted across the sky. The cool breeze that cascaded off the ocean was most welcoming in the arid heat, it was no wonder a place like this would flourish. Kaen pondered for a moment as to the reason why Sunagakure was established where it was and not closer to such a beautiful place next to the ocean. Despite his natural affinity for fire, Kaen still felt the nagging temptations of the open waters and occasionally found himself longing for the cold waters upon his skin. Whether it was some deep rooted childhood fantasy or just the fact that he didn't have to try and suppress his aura while submerged in icy waters, it really didn't matter. Who doesn't love a good swim, am I right?

In any case, Kaen had sent a raven ahead to notify them of their arrival, himself and Teke that is. As Kaen's prominent apprentice, Teke was an essential asset for this mission. A stroke of luck had befallen them as Kaen was able to find a willing participant on such short notice with a competent crew. He was to meet with him immediately upon arrival. Now Kaen had already arrived in Soon's Harbor not too long ago and was already at the docks where he intended on meeting this captain. He had instructed Teke to meet him here, but by the looks of it, as you can see, there wasn't a soul in sight. Kaen scratched his head as he pondered, where was Teke, or the crew for that matter. Where could they all have gone? It wasn't but a mere moment later when an elderly looking man un-boarded a nearby ship, a slight hobble to his step. His face was rugged, a white beard to match. His eyes seemed to tell a thousand tales, this old timer had been around the block a few times and knew what he was about.

Kaen would clear his throat as he approached him. "Excuse me, I'm looking for the crew of The Bearded Squid. Could you by any chance point me in the right direction?" The old man's eyes sparked to life for a brief moment before he put his head down and picked up a rather large barrel with surprising ease. "This be the ship ye seek, but the crew up and quit not but a day ago. I'm 'fraid I'm all that's left. What can I do ya for?" Kaen pursed his lips and his brows followed suit by furrowing the furrowest furrow you ever did see. This didnt make any sense, he had JUST sent the raven yesterday. They couldn't have quit because of him, there must be more to the story. "My name is Kaen, Shinku Kaen and I was the one who bought passage just recently. I aimed to set sail with a female associate for the metal islands. I don't understand, why would the crew suddenly quit?" Setting the barrel down beside him, the old man would use it as a prop as he did his best to explain the situation to Kaen. "Well ye see, when the crew found out about our header, they got a bit uneasy. One by one the left till there was only me. Something about a mythical beast that guards the metal islands that they will have no part in. Can't say I blam'em, It's been a good 30 years since anyone was able to take down a hydra..." The old man's eyes wandered off as if he was daydreaming, reliving a memory perhaps. He snapped back to attention and continued. "If yer set on goin', yer gonna have to convince the crew it's worth their time. You can find them holed up in the Rusty Spittoon in town. Best of luck to ya boy." And with that Kaen would give a slight nod and turn towards town, it was time to convince a couple of scared sailors that there was no such things as hydras. Hopefully he would bump into Teke soon, the sands of the hourglass were ever ebbing away.

[OOC Topic started/entered, waiting for Teke as this is a self modded team mission. Also please ignore the spoiler below, It's just there so I don't forget it. It's going to be the image I use for the captain of the Bearded Squid]

Spoiler

Captain Okita Yamato 2199

 

[Teke]

Finally a chance to stretch her legs on a mission. It had been a while since the two of them had paired up due to personal circumstances on both ends, but things were looking up once again and adventure was afoot. This would also be the first time she was going to be on a boat too, sure she'd seen them but never once had she needed to travel so it was a little-added bonus for the youngster. It was due to this excitement that the girl found herself arriving at the port town early, eager to take in the sights, sounds, and smells, she was a big fan of the sea air that's for certain. Now, arriving early came with a few other benefits, first and foremost she was able to discover the fate of the ships crew ahead of time and was already at the Rusty Spittoon ahead of Kaen.

She entered the worn down looking building with gusto, pushing the door open and standing in the frame like she was in some sort of western, letting everyone look at her and take in the majesty before finally stepping into the establishment. "Good morning." She announced loudly for all to hear as she made her way toward the bar, hopping up onto one of the stools and waving over the barkeep. "I'll take two of whatevers on tap and apologize in advance for any... mess." The barkeep looked at her suspiciously on account of both her looks and her premature apology. "Sorry miss, you don't look to be old enough to-" He would be cut of before being able to finish his statement by Tekes face changing from perfectly sweet and innocent to a scowl that would make anyone flinch. "Are you making fun of my height? What coz I'm shorter than average I'm somehow less of a person, that what you're tryna say? I'm nineteen, now get me my damn drinks while I'm playing nice." This little outburst had once again managed to silence the bar and again she was the Centre of attention, but her golden eyes were stuck on the barkeep, boring into his skull as he contemplated his next words. He swallowed and then cleared his throat. "Okay, whatever just calm down missy." was all he sheepishly got out before moving to pour out the two drinks.

Once served Teke would take one and spin about on the stool, leaning back against the bar now and drinking a few mouth fulls. "So, which of you young ladies work on the Bearded Squid?" She asked out toward the room to which most of them turned and looked to Teke who had a shit eating grin on her face."Oh I'm sorry, I just assumed you were all pure maidens since you were scared of a little squid out in the water." She mocked, taking another drink from her mug. Of course, the men in question were outraged by the outlandish words of the blonde and took little time in letting her know, shouting over one another and jeering, some name calling but all of this was expected. "It's suicide, ye stupid brat! None a us wanna die an that trips a death mission!" One of them spat at her, quite angry and already tipsy, in fact, all of them were rather inebriated for the time of day.

Teke sat calm, smiling at the men as they verbally abused her, some even coming close and getting in her face as they gave their protests, some about the dangers of the Hydra, others about how she should have respect, all Teke knew was it was all going over her head. "You gals sure are quick to rile up, aren't ya? Well, I'm afraid I have a little bad news for all of you... You'll be taking me and my partner where we want to be, by force if necessary and I do so hope you opt for the force option." As she finished her gentle threats, she gave the closer men have a little something to think about, mainly because they kind of stank too. Her left eye flashed it's vibrant magenta hue suddenly and a small jolt would arc out to each of them, making them jump back and giving the rest of them get a good look at the electricity then proceeded to travel down her arms and to her hands. Of course, Teke wasn't looking to hurt these men long term, she just wanted to put a little fear up them and make them see her way and as such, she would limit the voltage of her hands to just enough to stun them for a few moments, her actual strength though? no need to hold that back against big, burly men like these.

She didn't need to sit in wait for too long for one of the men to decide to try and test his luck, lurching forwards and throwing a heavy fist at the girl. She dodged by throwing herself to the ground as well as the stool she was sat upon, but with a perfect landing and some quick movement, her fist was firmly planted in the man's stomach, to which his only reaction was a grunt as she stood their, stiff as a board. "That surely would have hurt my precious face, you brute, hitting a lady so willy-nilly, what would your mother think?" She laughed, removing her fist from the pit of the man's stomach who slowly fell to his knees, then to the floor completely clutching his mid-section. "I can do this all day ladies, so who's next?" Thing would proceed this way until Kaen finally caught up to her, but how many of them would take a knee by that time?

 

[Kaen]

The walk towards the Rusty Spittoon was actually quite pleasant. The gravel beneath his feet lightly crunched with each step, the caws from the ocean birds echoed across the skies. The ocean in full view, crisp and blue as ever, beckoning him towards it with each mesmerizing crashing of the waves. Perhaps someday he and Kasen can just get on a boat and set sail for the great unknown, no orders, no weight of responsibility or danger, just peace and freedom. That day would remain out of their grasp for some time, but it's still nice to dream every once and a while. It's one of the few things that he can find solace in. This daydream like state would remain up until he arrived at the Rusty spittoon.

CRASH!!!

The sound of glass shattering resounded outwards as the body of a burly young sailor breached the wooden paned windows of the front entrance. Kaen's dreamscape of the future was equally shattered as the broken window and sailor threw him back into reality. Raising a single brown in curiosity and confusion, Kaen glanced down to the slow moving individual on the ground. "Unnggh..." The red-headed man cracked a small smile as he continued to look down upon the sailor. "I can see you're still alive, that's good. You wouldn't happen to be part of the Bearded Squid's crew, would you?" The young man groaned a little more as he picked himself off the floor. That yeller haired bitch is gon' pay!" The sailor exclaimed loudly as he shuffled over and opened the western style swinging door. Another body happened to be flying through the door at the exact moment he opened it, sending him, and the new participant, back onto the ground. "Right well, just in case you are..." Kaen knelt down and threw one limp body over each of his shoulders and kicked open the swinging door. He walked through to witness the chaos ensuing within. As he should have known, the 'yeller haired bitch' was none other than Teke herself. And there she was in all her glory, smack dab in the middle.

Kaen let the bodies slump off his shoulders, their bodies crashing loudly to the floor below. Still it wasn't enough to break up the fight, hell the bartender was cowering behind the counter as numerous bottles were flying and hitting the shelves behind the counter sending sharp shrapnel everywhere. "Fun's over ladies..." Kaen spoke but the fight was still on, Teke still sending bodies flying that just seemed to keep getting up and coming back. Kaen knew Teke better than this, she was obviously holding back, she must really be bored. This mission would surely alleviate any issues of that sort.

Realizing that they either didn't hear him or simply ignored him, Kaen would need to resort to something a bit more serious. With a deep breathe, Kaen boomed out his orders while simultaneously releasing his fiery aura in the hopes they would realize this was shinobi business and they might actually calm down. [Devastating Aura] I SAID ENOUGH!" A woosh of light surrounded Kaen as his physical manifestation of his inner aura was released not only for them to see, but to feel the weight pressing down upon their body and mind. Teke on the other hand might not be as susceptible to his power, but she wasn't the ones he wanted to calm down. The bar grew eerily quiet as the crew and accompanying bar patrons stopped what they were doing and looked to the mass of living flame near the entrance. Alright then, that's much better..." Kaen would start as he released his aura and reached down to pick up both men with one hand each, propping them up on the bar stools. "I can see that you've all met my associate here already. Give them all a wave Teke." Well now he was just being facetious, but surely Teke didn't mind, perhaps even enjoyed the additional spotlight he so loved to provide her. Kaen would then walk up next to Teke, which was conveniently located near the front-middle of the building in which everyone would be able to hear them.

Kaen would clear his throat before starting. "Now I've come to understand that the lot of you have recently ---" Kaen was suddenly cut off, rudely, by a rather stout looking fellow in the back; "Who the fuk do ya think ye are, comin to our town, givin us orders like we's slaves. I say take yer golden bitch and go back to wherever it was ye came from. We dun need your money!" The rest of the building erupted in hoots and hollers, it would appear they were all in agreeance with this rather insubordinate sailor. Kaen would smile as he raised a hand to stop Teke from acting as he assumed she might very want to. Had this been any other day he might very well have joined her in teaching this plebeian some manners. But this was important, personal even, but I suppose that bit wasn't worth mentioning quite yet. The crowd would quickly die down as Kaen began to speak again while reaching into his pocket to reveal a scroll. Our names and titles are of little concern to you people, but..." Kaen would unveil the scroll and walk over to a nearby pillar and planted a kunai into it, letting it fall loose for all to read. I think an official order from the government of Sunagakure, approved by the Kazekage himself ought to do the trick, wouldn't you say?" Kaen would give them a bit of time to let most of them read the scroll, murmurs echoing across the pool of sailors.

After a minute the same sailor from before spoke up once more; "Well that Sand village is awful far away. What's gon happen if we tell ya to just fuk off? Aint a whole lot they can do way out here, hell we don't even see them fancy shinobis round these parts." Kaen chuckled to himself lightly, already knowing what to say. "Well as human I suppose you could hypothetically say no, don't take your sorry asses back to the ship and not sail me and my partner here where we want to go. But then we would hypothetically have to return to Suna with nothing to show. And then I will give them my report, this is all hypothetical of course, and we would be forced to have agents track and capture each and every one of you and you would all, hypothetically, stand trial for treason. That or end up being killed since I can imagine most if not all of you will not come quietly. Oh and you can rest assured that I would make sure the my partner here is the one to collect you all." The man in the back could only let out a small and defeated "Oh..." in response.

"Now then, ship sails in one hour. Get your shit together and I'll see you ALL on board. Don't worry, we already have all your names, feel free to run away. But we will find you!" Kaen shouted after the last remaining people to filter out of the saloon as he finished that sentence. With a deep breathe, Kaen exhaled a sigh of relief as he turned to Teke. "I hope you didn't have too much fun, Bee. I'd ask if you were alright, but I know you better than that." Kaen placed his hand on Teke's left shoulder. "I'm glad you were able to make it, I'm not sure I can do this alone. I know I can depend on you." It was a rare thing for someone to be able to trust another in this day and age. Shinobi everywhere with their own secret motives, betrayal at every turn. It was a heartwarming feeling to be able to confide and trust in a choice few people. Kaen smiled lightly as he removed his hand. "Come on, let's get our stuff on board and find our cabin. I brought something I think you might like." And with that Kaen would head towards the saloon style door and exit while holding the door for Teke, letting it fall loosely behind them as they walked back towards the docks.

---

*Ding Ding Ding*

The ship bell rang out signaling that it would soon depart. Gulls flew low in search of scraps or other sweet morsels, their caws echoing across the surface of the water. As they walked side by side down the docks towards their rented ship, other vessels could be seen docking, throwing their ropes over to help anchor them. Various shouting and hollering was traded back and forth as they all worked. Along the path a few ships had already docked and where unpacking their goods, a few of them even bartering right in front of their ship. The heavy aroma of the sea was heavy here, fresh crab, tuna and the sea lions basking in the sun atop large rocks protruding out of the water appeared to be the culprit. But it wasn't unexpected to find such smells here, it was just a noticeable difference from the arid lands of Sunakagure. Perhaps even a welcome one. However much he wanted to pretend like this was just a relaxing vacation, it couldn't have been more the opposite. Keeping his eyes forward as he walked, Kaen spoke to Teke. Not that I don't think you can't take of yourself, but I don't trust these men. Having to beat them and threaten them into submission is not the best of to make friends. And with our voyage taking us deep into the ocean expanse, well... I don't want to have to walk home, if you know what I mean." Kaen chuckled lightly at the thought of walking across the ocean to get back home. That would be most unfortunate should something cause that outcome.

Finally they arrived back at the ship, there waiting for them was the same man Kaen spoke to earlier and discovered the location of the missing crew. A stern look enveloped his face, but appeared more official than upset. He greeted them both with a stiff salute. "Captain Tosaka at your service, sir. I've taken the liberty of getting your luggage aboard and into your cabins. If you would follow me I would happy to escort you both to your chambers." Kaen gave a quick nod. "Perfect, lead the way Captain." Tosaka released his salute and turned to walk up the gangway leading to the ship. Once aboard he would lead them down the deck and under the ship. Various crates and barrels lined the walls of the ship, possibly full of supplies for their long voyage. Everything looked just as you might imagine it to be, ropes hanging from the ceiling, already opened barrels of rum, hell there was even a crudely fashioned brig.

"Here we are, just enough room for the both of ye. It's not very roomy but It'd do the trick." Kaen walked into the room and looked around briefly. "No no, this is perfect. We appreciate your hospitality, Captain. Tosaka gave a subtle nod before turning away. He stopped mid way and turned back to Kaen. "Is there anything else I can assist you with before we set sail? Kaen again looked around before speaking. "Actually, yes. There was a small parcel wrapped in yellow fabric. I don't see it here." Without hesitation the Captain entered the already cramped room to show him where it was. Lifting the mattress up he revealed a hidden compartment. Within was the package he was seeking. "Perfect, thank you again Captain. Please report back to us one we have left port. Tosaka would give a nod before leaving and closing the door behind him.

Kaen double checked the door to be sure it was secured. Unfortunately there was no locking mechanism, but I'm sure between the two of them they could figure something out. I had intended on waiting to give this to you, but I feel like you might need to use them on this mission." Kaen started as he made his way to the bed that Tosaka showed him, revealing the yellow hued wrapped package. He carefully placed it on the other bunk which would belong to Teke during this trip. "I hope you like it, I had it specially crafted for you by one of the journeymen in Suna. Don't ask me how much it was because it isn't important and I wouldn't tell you anyways. Well, go on and open it." If she did indeed open it, within she would find an assortment of beautiful and exquisitely crafted weapons. One longer blade and a short blade to match. Inside a pouch would be a pile of unique looking shuriken, all of the weapons matching in color and style.

[OOC MFT - The gift is the one we spoke of a while ago. I will upload the picture after I get off of work tonight, just really wanted to get this post out because of how late I was.]

 

[Teke]

The small yet tough girl was clearly having a ton of fun messing around with these burly, grown men. She was actually fairly impressed at how much of her held back strength they could take, being lowly meat bags she expected far less than they were giving. She was having to dodge quite a bit more than she'd anticipated but as this was her first real barroom brawl her adrenaline and excitement kept her on her toes as one after one men were either sent flying or crumpling to the ground. Of course in such an environment control was bound to slip if but for a moment, in this instance it was some poor sap trying to tackle the young blonde from behind who quickly found an elbow to his gut followed by a jolt of electricity that would send him flying through the window and to the outside of the establishment. "Oopsie." She chirps with innocent sarcasm as another one came at her and she did the same to him, though aiming for the doors, hoping to cause less property damage that was already happening.

That would pretty much be the end of her mini rampage as those two men were escorted back into the bar shortly after and dropped unceremoniously onto their arses as Kaen boomed his voice and let his inner flame shine, needless to say, they were probably pretty intimidated. Teke would indeed give the onlooking crowd a wave as she was instructed but did so with a shit eating grin, seeing if anyone was still brave enough to come for her now that there were two of them. She then found her way back up onto her stool and sipped at her drink, letting Kaen do some more convincing, as much as she didn't like it words just didn't come to her as easily but that's usually because she didn't pay attention to the finer details of things, but she liked to be intimidating rather than being a wordsmith.

Teke would shrug to Kaens question as the rabble started to grumble their way to the exit. "I figured they needed a little softening up before they'd listen to any sort of reason but yeah, it was an adequate amount of fun for this early in the morning." She said with a smile. "I mean, I always enjoy getting out into the world, seeing new places so I'm rarely ever going to decline, though it helps that it was a request from you. I do so enjoy our little outings." When the promise of a gift was brought up her ears perked up and she was quickly back to her feet, quickly she fumbled in her pockets before slamming down a stack of notes on the bar. "Should be enough to cover damages." She spoke with a serious tone before following along out of the building.

Teke would nod in agreement with Kaens thoughts on the sailors, but she was hopeful that the captain she'd met earlier would be able to put a damper on any sort of mutiny, after all, he had stayed with the ship and seemed happy enough to brave what the rest of the men weren't so he could probably handle that rabble. "Push come to shove we just knock them out long enough for us to do what we need to and everything goes nice and smoothly. Sure I have a sleeping gas of some sort in one of these pouches." She said with a giggle, but she was indeed carrying some lethal and non lethal poisons and such on her, seemed like a smart thing to carry.

Once at the ship and during their guided journey down to what would be their room, Teke remained pretty silent, simply eyeing each of the men as she moved past. Her expression was a serious one, hopefully, that would get the message across that they were not to be double-crossed but with people like these, you could never know. Once in the room she nodded politely to the captain and sat herself down on the bunk that had her luggage at the foot. Once offered the gift she would look it over curiously before pulling away the wrappings, curious about what it could possibly be, she would and she was anything but disappointed with the contents of the package. "They're gorgeous!" She would exclaim, taking the longer of the blades and unsheathing it, admiring the unusual coloration and posing with it somewhat from her sitting position. "I've been thinking about picking up some weapons recently so this is really fucking cool, Gonna need to get in some practice with these babies." She cooed happily, letting a small electrical surge pass through the blade as a test for its conductivity. "I almost feel bad, but then you get the present of sleeping in the same room as me so we're fairly even." She laughed, still playing with the weapons like a child with a new toy.

[WC - 832]

 

[Kaen]

Kaen smiled as he watched Teke open her gifts, even chuckling a bit at her suggestive 'present'. These moments were rare, far and few between these days, but it was nice to see some semblance of joy still finding its way through Kaen's rough exterior. It was times like this that for just brief window, the world seemed almost tolerable, like it was getting better. "I'm really glad you like it, I hope it suits you well. And fear not, I can guarantee you will be able to thoroughly test its capabilities by the time we return home. And you're quite right, I have the prestigious honor of being able to sleep in the same room as y--" Suddenly the world slapped him back down to reality.

</B>

<B>Play

Me​

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A massive horn resounded throughout the entirety of the vessel signaling that they were setting sail. The ship lurched forward as the engines kicked into gear, propelling the ship forward. Kaen reached out to brace himself from the sudden movement, holding onto the steel walls. Up above you could hear the footsteps of the ship's crew hustling around, most likely assuring that everything was in order. There were many things that could go wrong at sea, every little thing was important. Kaen cleared his throat to ease the tension in the air. "Yes well, I have to see the captain about some things. You and I have clearance for any part of the ship, so while I'm talking to Tosaka, I want you to have a look around and make sure there is nothing nefarious going on. I'm not about to let Tosaka's idiot crew jeopardize this mission, and neither will you." Kaen started towards the door to leave Teke to her own devices, but paused in the door frame and glanced back. "I'll meet you on the stern when you have finished, I'll have my radio on just in case." Kaen gave a subtle wink before disappearing from sight.

---

Meanwhile on the bridge...

"Keep her steady, we have our bearing. Speed update?" Captain Tosaka was filled with a command presence as he moved about the bridge. A smaller looking fellow piped up reading off the numbers on a gauge in front of him. "Approximately 15 knots and climbing, Captain!" Captain Tosaka peered out onto the aquatic horizon before them with a stern look and a blank expression. "Very good, climb to 20 knots and hold her steady, I'm gonna he--" A sharp rap at the large metal door interrupted the captain. Another crew member jumped up and rushed over to the door and peered out the crude peep hole. "It's one of the shinobi, the redhead." Tosaka nodded and the crew member turned the large wheel like mechanism to open the door. A prolonged groan resounded outwards as the heavy door swung open.

Kaen stepped through and looked around the room, taking everything in. No detail was unimportant on a mission, especially one such as this.
"Sorry for the intrusion, I hope I'm not interrupting anything." Kaen started off politely, the Captain responded in kind. "No, no. Not at all my boy." Boy? What a strange feeling it was to be called a boy. But someone of Tosaka's reputation surely commanded such respect. Kaen brushed it aside as he was quite sure it was not intended to be demeaning as some in power might otherwise do. "I was just getting ourselves situated for our journey. What can I do ya for? I hope the room is accommodating enough." Kaen nodded a few times. "Oh yes, our room is just fine. I've actually just come up to get a rundown of the ship. Seeing as how we're going to be spending some time aboard your vessel, I feel that it's most important that I learn what I can." Tosaka lurched back and let loose a booming laugh. "My boy, you remind me of myself when I was young. Full of spirit and fire, gung ho and always trying to keep ahead of your peers. But sure, I can give you a quick rundown."

Captain Tosaka extended his arm outwards towards an open door that led to a room surrounded in glass. The Captain's private little room where he can keep an eye on the bridge and all his other crew members. Kaen nodded and entered and Tosaka followed. Closing the door behind him, Tosaka turned back towards Kaen. "Scotch?" Kaen raised a single brow before attempting to sputter out a response. "Gah, don't be shy boy. Nothing but us out here, I'm the Captain and I'm sure you're responsible for that short gal down there. Nobodies gonna say a thing, lighten up and have a drink with me. It's going to be a while yet before we reach your Metal Islands." Kaen again nodded in agreement, a small smile perking out from behind his otherwise calm and stern demeanor. "Very well, but only one. I am to meet with that 'short gal' in a short while." Without hesitation Tosaka reached into a curio cabinet in the corner and pulled out a shiny new bottle. Tosaka held it up to the light peering through the golden brown liquid. "Twenty-five years old, single malt. Imported from Tea Country. If this don't light a fire under your ass then nothing will." A look of glee washed over the previously stern commander as he collected two small glasses and poured each of them about half full with scotch. Immediately Tosaka lifted the glass up and leaned it closer towards Kaen. "To a safe journey!" Kaen reciprocated the notion and lifted his glass as well. "To a safe journey..."

[OOC MFT]

Spoiler

Places of interest for Teke to explore;
~ The engine room
~ The galley
~ The hold
~ The gun deck

Teke has about 1 hour to spend searching before she needs to meet Kaen. Each area will take about 30 minutes to fully explore, choose wisely. Once two areas have been chosen (PM me the choices) details about that area and current activity will be given.

 

[Teke]

Teke nodded toward Kaen as she continued to examine the uniquely colored blades with admiration. She'd never truly realized it but she hadn't really been given such a big gift before so her reaction was completely genuine and if anything, her inner child coming out to play for just a little while. "Yeah, I'll have a little wander. Never been on a ship before so it should be fun." She said with a beaming smile before being left to her own devices. She quickly sheathed the swords and attached them to her hip, she'd never really owned a proper weapon before and the whole idea was very exciting for her. Moments after Kaen had left to go about his business, Teke was out the door herself and her first destination would be the galley, she'd not eaten much today and the scene at the tavern had sped up her hunger pangs. Teke had started to notice quite a drastic change in herself over the past weeks, normally she'd be disgusted at the thought of eating anything but human flesh, even the raw beef she'd used as a surrogate was barely tolerable. That was all changing, however, ever since she'd undergone that ritual with her Deity she'd been less and less repulsed by actual, normal food, sure she still enjoyed and craved human but that wasn't the only option anymore which she was sure Sousuke would be ecstatic about for various reasons.

It didn't take the girl all that long to find her way to the galley, she was able to simply follow her nose at a certain point and soon enough she was stood in the doorway of the rather spacious kitchen, given the amount of food they were expected to serve u each day she figured that a well-stacked kitchen was a must, especially for moral. With little shame or hesitation she walked right up to one of the closer chefs who was pushing a chopping boards worth of vegetables into a pan of some sort of boiling stock. "That sure does smell good." She commented as she watched him going about his business. "Thank ya, miss. I'd offer you a taste but it's barely started cooking." He explained, pride evident in his voice. "Damn, I was hoping there'd be something to eat here, I'm pretty hungry and I didn't bring anything with me." She replied with a small sigh, given that the boat had only just set off it was unlikely that meals were going to be served for at least a few hours, the chef, however, wasn't one to disappoint a hungry person, especially a lady. "Tell you what, give me an idea of something you want and I'll whip it up for ya, once I've got these pots sorting and simmering." He said with a chuckle and a wink, Teke beamed a sharp-toothed smile up at him but then her mind got to wondering what she actually wanted, she didn't really know dish names or anything. "Ermm, I'm not really used to eating anything that isn't meat, as in, I've never eaten anything in my life that wasn't meat so... something involving a lot of meat to ease me into vegetables or something would be appreciated." She conveniently left out the part about where the meat she usually ate came from which was probably for the best. The man pondered for a few moments, clearly trying to wrap his head around a girl who'd never eaten anything but meat and yet looked to be in peak physical condition but he thought better of asking about it. "Well, I'm sure I can manage something that'll be good for a begginer." He said whilst making air quotes. "Have a little wander and come back in like ten minutes and I'll have something." He added and Teke nodded happily, just as their exchange finished however Teke heard the odd noise coming from what seemed to be the storage room for the Kitchens, a loud thud as if something heavy was being moved and being a curious lass she decided to go right ahead and check on it, someone could have fallen after all and that wouldn't be good.

The young lady pulled the door right open, not trying to be stealthy at all because she had nothing to really be scared of, except maybe Kaen but he was busy elsewhere and unlikely to start a fight with no good rhyme or reason. She watched the very awkward and obvious hiding of the bag and rolled her eyes, she didn't really recognize the men but they certainly recognized her, they were some of the men she'd given a spanking earlier on. "Well, well, well," Teke spoke with a mischevious grin. "What would you boys be doing with that barrel and that package, hmm?" She asked menacingly as her eyes scanned the room a little closer. "None of yer business, girl. Now get lost." The one who stepped forward sneered, Teke didn't flinch as expected and instead, she stepped into the room and pulled the door shut behind her. "Oh I don't think so, not without some answers, you're too defensive for it to be something simple like pinching some supplies or a payment for narcotics, though I don't doubt something interesting was in the package." She explained with confidence, as a spark arced from her fingers, striking the first man on the back of one of his hands, eliciting a yelp from him. She would do the same to the other two and get the same reaction. "Yah crazy bitch, what cha think yer doin'?" She smiled and winked. "Marking you obviously, so the captain can find you easier once I deliver your package to him and tell him about the suspicious circumstances." The three men gulped and as they did Teke slowly drew the shorter of her two blades, letting the metallic rasp ring through the silence as she watched them squirm. "So would we like to hand it over calmly or do I need to get rough? I'm itching to test these things out you see." The three men looked at each other and silence filled the room for a good minute before the one with the package took it from his pocket and put it toward Teke who took it before stepping aside to let them leave. "A wise decision." She spoke as she opened up the package and looked inside, immediately she recognized the dust inside from her research into poisons, which she carried around with herself most of the time. Just to be certain she dipped her pinkie into the bag and then placed it on her tongue. "I can hazard a guess as to their plan, idiots." She spoke to herself before leaving the room and pocketing the bag in one of her thigh pouches, giving a final zap to the barrel in question to scar it for identification reasons.

At this point, she returned to the cook who had just at that moment finished preparing the snack she'd asked about. "Ahh, just in time." He said as he spotted her out the corner of his eye, he then lifted the foodstuff which was half wrapped in tinfoil, so it was holdable and offered it to her, she of course accepted. "It's nothing groundbreaking, it's mostly a chicken in a spicy garlic sauce with a few peppers, onions and lettuce wrapped in flatbread, beginner friendly if I had to categorize it." He chuckled as Teke looked it over and the smell of the still sizzling chicken was actually making her mouth water. "It smells pretty amazing which bodes well." She smiled and took a small bite, it was, indescribable, every single flavor was new to her not to mention the textures. "No good?" He asked, seeing her face was trying to figure out things. "No no, it's amazing I just... this is extremely new for me in the literal sense, thank you." She remarked. "Not at all, miss. I must, however, get back to work before someone accuses me of slaking." Which was true, each of the cooks who hadn't been concocting in the storage was very into their work. "Before you go, I found three sailors in that closet doing something rather nefarious and figured I'd let you know and you can deal with it however it is that you do." She went on to explain about the powder and what she believed it was and how they seemed to be planning to use it and just in case they had already tampered she'd scored the outside of the barrel with a lightning mark as well as the backs of each of their hands so that identifying them would be easy.

With that all said and done she excused herself and began to wander once more, eating as she walked. It was so strange to be actually enjoying normal food though she had to admit the taste of the chicken was helping her cope with the greens, the sauce was pretty nice to because she'd never tried spicy food before and it was pleasant to her. Her aimless wandering eventually found her stumbling into what she had to assume was the gundeck, the cannons, and portholes being a dead give away. It did seem pretty empty however which was strange considering everywhere else had at least two or three people doing some kind of work and given how shitting pants scared half these guys were about the sea creature she figured they'd be all about preparing for the worst case scenario. She continued to explore as she ate and as she came closer to the rear she started to head muffled sounds of mirth and jovial tones and with food in mouth she peeked into the room, seeing a group of men, five to be exact drinking from a barrel and generally having a good time. She shrugged and wandered in, the smell didn't phase her but she certainly noticed it, she made a beeline for the barrel and no one really tried to stop her, she took the final bites from her wrap. "Are you meant to drink something this flammable?" She asked, half joking as she was fairly certain it would indeed catch flame if she tried. The men laughed and one of them placed a hand on her shoulder. "Thish ish the speshul stuff! Don't tell deh cap'n though, he'll keelhaul ush all..." He slurred his way through, Teke had zero idea what a keelhaul was and didn't feel like an explanation from this particular group. "Well, I'll keep quiet about your little... party if you promise to do at least a little work? I assume you're meant to be preparing the cannons." The men grumbled and another of them answered. "S'the point? tha monshter comes we're all dead anywaysh." Teke rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders. "Trust me, no monster is gonna get the better of me and my friend, it'll be long dead before it can touch any of your paranoid little heads. It would be nice to know you have our backs at the same time, I'm certain a few cannonballs to the face will make everything go even smoother than expected." She lectured the men who looked between one another and nodded. "I s'pose yer right girly... We promish we'll get back to work soon enough." Teke smiled. "That's all I can ask." She said, taking a final look into the barrel of unknown liquid and deciding that she would not partake in it this day, she was still tasting the wrap and wanted to keep it that way for now.

With her belly and curiosity satisfied for the moment, she made her way up to the deck, contemplating her newfound pallette and obvious drastic changes to her inner workings. She made her way round to the stern of the deck and leaned over the railing, watching the water as they chugged along. "Perhaps this is all for the best? I guess I just have to trust in you, mistress?" She asked to herself, half hoping for an answer but she knew it was impossible now, she was truly gone and now was a part of her but she still didn't understand what that actually meant and let out a sigh and watched out to sea in silence.

 

[Kaen]

Who am I, where have I been, where am I going? Typically the sort of people that ask these kinds of things are usually struggling with their identity, searching for some core of themselves. Perhaps it's just a feeling of intense longing for something lost, absent or unattainable. The irony in all this is that the more you actively seek out these unknowns, the more fragile you are likely to feel about yourself. I suppose the key is to be more malleable with what life throws at you, be more like a willow tree and bend with the wind in the storm, go with the flow if you will. But if you do that, are you just floating through life and never really taking command of your self, is destiny even real or is just some made up thing to give hope to the hopeless? Maybe these are just the rambling thoughts of some 4th wall breaking subconscious, but one thing was for sure, both Kaen and Teke were searching for something.

Kaen had finished conversing with the Captain and arrived after Teke. He would break the silence as he approached her side, leaning over the railing and gazing out into the open water just as she was. Three people just went to the brig..." He started, his gaze remaining forward onward into the distance. His voice was calm, disturbingly so. Like the calm before a storm. It was obvious he had more on his mind than a few idiot crew members. "Probably for the best, they will be safer locked in there." Kaen would push off the railing and raise his arms as high as they could go and stretch. His mouth opened wide to reveal his razor sharp teeth as he yawned obnoxiously. His eyes looked tired, heavy and dark. A faint smell of alcohol would be present as Kaen smacked his lips together a few times. But this was not the reason he appeared so weary, perhaps being away from everything he was able to come out of his hyper-vigilant state of mind and actually relax. Though that is often dangerous, not constantly thinking about everything that needs to get done opens your mind up to all sorts of funny thoughts.

Kaen would lean up against the railing with his back facing the water, tilting his head up to look at the red tinted clouds from the approaching sunset. Teke..." Kaen started, an apprehensive tone heavy upon his words. "Can I ask you something?" Obviously she would say yes, what else was there to do on this boat anyway. "I suppose it's not really a question, but more of a request." Kaen would relax further, letting his body slide down and slump to the floor of the deck, his arms catching the next row of the railing. His head now resting up against a vertical portion of the railing. "If anything were to happen to me, I want you to take care of Kasen in my stead." Such ominous things coming from him, it was almost worrisome. "She's more than capable herself, but she's alone in this world. People like us... We... We just don't belong. But you are different, you understand. And if it's not that, it's acceptance. I know you two are close, friends perhaps. Out of everyone I know, I feel I can trust you the most. You don't have to say yes, but I needed to ask." Kaen wished that life were simpler. In truth it could be, but society, business, humans, they have this strange compulsion to make it so damn complicated. The wild beast that resides deep within the mortal heart dared not show its face for so long. But then the rise of the shinobi world pierced through that barrier that shackled the beast. And here we are...


[OOC MFT - Sorry for the short post, I think I want to do some quick back and forths with you so it's easier for me to get some information out, and then I will progress the mission]

 

[Teke]

The girl acknowledged her teacher's presence with a slight turn of the head and a nod before turning her gaze back to the waters. He joined her in her sea viewing, silent if only for a moment but she suspected there were many things to discuss and was waiting for the moment such would happen with baited breath. He started by mentioning that three sailors had been put in the brig which made her smirk softly. "Well, they should have been smarter." She said as she pulled out the bottle of liquid they were planning on using. "Got myself some extra poison though so not all bad." She added, sloshing it around a bit before pushing it back away into her pouch.

The tone quickly shifted to something much more serious and foreboding, Teke wasn't great at reading social cues but even she could feel it. She didn't even nod a reply to his initial question, instead just turning her golden eyes to him and focusing on whatever it was he wanted to ask, she asked herself what could be so important that he'd need to ask this now, on a mission but those queries wouldn't see the light of day as he quickly made it all quite clear if a little mysterious at the same time. Perhaps he was right and Kasen, Teke and himself were some of the few that would truly know what being different felt like, sure people have their quirks and neuroses but when it comes down to it they are all human and share common instincts, no matter if they're a priest or a convicted murderer. Being able to survive whilst not having that same humanity could and does take its toll and very few people would ever understand that so, yes she was the perfect person to pose this question too.

"I understand, but I have one condition." She would push herself away from the railing and turn herself around, still looking down at the slumped man as she remained on her feet. "Don't go and do something stupid, when people say these kinds of things it's five minutes before they go walk off the tallest building they can find." It may have seemed like she was trying to add some humor to her response but one glance at her face would signal otherwise. "It's nothing against her, but I refuse to let your soul rest easy if you take the easy way out, you know? Outside of that obviously I have no problem being the one she can turn too." Truth way the relationship between her and Kasen was rather odd and Teke wasn't even sure if she could call it a friendship. They'd met briefly a handful of times and yet she'd left somewhat of an impact or Teke wouldn't even recall who she was, there were plenty of questions about the redheaded girl she needed answering but those had been put on hold as both of them had huge things going on in their lives and still had to the best of her knowledge.

"I don't think anyone has ever trusted me once in my whole life, so I'll do my best to uphold your request so long as you don't break my trust in you." It may seem harsh from anyone looking in on the conversation but she was certain he would understand.

[WC - 564]

 

[Kaen]

Kaen would smirk as Teke scolded him not to go running headstrong into trouble, or jumping off a tall building. He had no intentions of doing such a silly thing, Kaen would never give up so long as he lived. But it was wise to always have a plan B, Teke was his plan B should he ever succumb to tragedies of life. "Oh no, it's nothing like that. And besides, I couldn't leave you two all alone in this world, not if I can help it." It was a strange thing to be trusted. I could probably go on and on about the nature of trust and all that, but there's a time and place. What mattered in this instance was that Kaen trusted Teke with his life, and hopefully him as well with hers.

Kaen picked himself off the deck and then proceeded to stretch afterwards. "Not to get too sentimental here, but I promise to never break that trust. It's a delicate thing, trust is. And I trust you completely..." Kaen turned to face Teke directly, his eyes staring deep into her golden eyes. "I think this is where the normal people might embrace each other or something like that..." A slight lull in the conversation was slowly creeping towards an awkward state. But just before it reached that point, Kaen would speak up once more. "But we're not normal, are we." Kaen chuckled to himself briefly before turning to face the ocean again, placing his arms on the railing. Today was really turning into an eye opener in the book of Kaen.

Taking a deep breathe of the briny ocean air, Kaen exhaled dramatically. "There's something you need to know before we get to The Metal Islands. If we're going to trust each other than we're going to have to be open about some things." Kaen kept his gaze forward as he continued to speak, a serious look weighed heavy upon his face, an apprehensive feeling filled his eyes. "There's more than one reason why we're on this mission, a reason why I practically begged to take this mission. These laboratory experiments are highly unethical, illegal, an affront to the very foundation of nature itself. But I care very little for these things, aside from completing the mission. The real reason I'm here... is for my father..." Not once has Kaen told anyone about his father, even he and Kasen rarely speak of it. It's a rather sensitive topic for the both of them to tell the truth.

[OOC MFT]

 

[Kaen]

[OOC topic left]

 

[Teke]

[OOC Topic Left, Accepting failed rewards]