[Social] These are some big ships

[Zao]

A young-looking man with rather spikey brown hair that hung down around the edges of his face in an unkept manner moved through the streets of Xincha. This wasn't the first time the hunter had traveled to the main city of Tea country and what was considered the heart of the Heart Empire by man. Yet, this would be the first time for Hoka coming here as an actual member of the great empire that Lord Fuhen had built up. Even he was surprised at the opportunity that had been given to him. The tanned skin of the man seemed slightly out of place with many of the locals within the city that didn't appear to live their lives through hard work outdoors and his appearance drew attention from some as he passed but many barely noticed the man as he walked.

Most could see the pack wearing figure but what drew their eyes was the white and red umbrella that was strapped to the right side of his rather ordinary looking ruck sack, causing many to glance up at the sky as if checking to see if there was any rain on the horizon. Many different walks of people traveled and stayed within such a large city, Xincha being quite the metropolitan hub in this part of the world. Soft purple hue eyes casually scanned from side-to-side, taking in the various people and vendors that were along the side of the street outside other larger businesses that were in the modern looking structures that rose a few stories into the air. 'How vastly different from Dragon country.'

He couldn't help but reminisce a bit about his former homeland, growing up in a small village where hunting and fishing were the main stays as almost everyone there farmed in some form and trades with one another. It felt like a lifetime ago despite it only being around five years, having gone from a simple hunter back then with his father to a full-blown soldier that had taken the life of many along the way after working with the bounty hunter unit for some time as he matured. Adjusting the shoulder straps to his back the soldier turned a corner and approached a large structure, perhaps one of the largest set of buildings within the city, but these did not belong to some sort of city official as he tilted his head back looking up now.

His head tilted back to the point that the back of his head rested on the high collar yoke of his flak jacket, allowing him to look up and take in the sight before him of the military might and innovation that Heart had brought forth as he was able to see the airship port above him as two air ships were in port and another could be seen patrolling off in the distance to the point that was barely more than a brown speck in the sky. 'Never thought I'd be allow to enter this place.' On his first visit here a few years ago with his unit, the boy then had been mesmerized at the sight of these air ships but due to the unit of bounty hunters that he belonged to he was not able to access the towers and see them in all their glory up close and personal.

Yet, he'd embarked on a new path in this life after receiving a former recruitment invitation to the Battosai unit, even now he didn't really understand the reasoning, but it was a chance to be around some of the most powerful swordsmen and innovative minds outside of the shinobi villages. How could the eighteen-year-old refuse something that could potentially accelerate his growth in combat and his crafting ideologies? Cutting through the crowded streets he popped out near the tower where fewer people were seen going in and out, most were sporting some form of uniform or looked the samurai part as Hoka kind stood out looking neither like he was part of the military or a normal ronin. Approaching slowly the guards at the post took notice as the large, bellied man who was closest to him shot him a questioning glance before asking for his papers.

Hoka politely nodded and reached into one of the pouches of his flak jacket, before removing a small scroll and his identification. The identification paperwork was standard in his former line of work, but it was the scroll that was the most important part as it was from the leader of the Battosai, formerly recognizing him as a new recruit into the unit and granting him access to this place in particular as it was here he would be formerly meeting with his cell leader. After the identification and paperwork were confirmed, he was given a young-looking male samurai as an escort as the part began to ascend the tower up to the port, helping him navigate the building until they had arrived at the south side port where one of the airships was being maintained.

"Wow, they're bigger in person!" There was a certain childlike excitement to the voice of the soldier as he smiled while tilting his head up slightly to take in the entire airship at the moment...


WC: 876

[Kaida]

The trek to Xincha had been easy enough, Kaiyo and Hayami were making it a habit to rotate throughout all the airship stations that fell under Battosai jurisdiction since she had been recruited to lead Shiro Cell. They hadn't started making any upgrades yet though, Kaiyo had seemed to hit a wall not only with improved weaponry, but improving the caliber of soldiers on board for if a strike team was needed. Thinking back to their encounter with Kozan...it was more likely than ever that war might find their refined and peaceful homefront. And it was up to them, to defend it.

She passed through guard posts with Hayami behind her like a guard dog, the two still hadn't spoken much beyond what was necessary for duty. Kaiyo nodded at everyone she passed, her credentials no longer needed as the control crews had become very familiar with her presence. She inspected the reports for each ship as she made her way down the hanger line, making sure everything was in order and bare bones stocked as she battled administration on the supplies they would need when the time came.

It was when she entered the South side port that she saw an unfamiliar face, though she recognized him well enough from the file she had been given by Nibui during their horrid meeting. The mercenary that apparently the council deemed fit to join a team of samurai, Hoka. Not that she could remember his last name. She still felt a disgusted shiver every time she thought back to that meeting and the lack of decorum their supposed captain had.

Clearing her throat, she approached the young man where he stood. He was quite a bit taller than she was, younger though, if her memory was correct. And had an impressive portfolio with weaponry that could be well suited for this particular division. No matter her distaste for mercenaries and their profession, or their lack of honor. "Good morning. I'm Byakko, captain of Shiro Cell. And this is Kamaitachi, my second in command and personal guard." Her voice was soft as air as she spoke to the young man, her posture perfect and her bright ocean eyes calculating as she looked him over. The regal air that followed her wherever she went often had people thinking her arrogant, something she used to her advantage. "Hoka, is it?"

[Zao]

Hoka had been a bit mesmerized by the grand sight of the south port before the soft words of a feminine origin that held a certain amount of respect and authority could be heard come from behind him as he turned, but at first all he saw was not Kaiyo, but instead it was Hayami who came into his vision first. 'Is this...' His thoughts paused as the woman next to the taller young lady began to introduce herself and the man's light purple eyes drifted down slightly to take in the cell leader of the Shiro cell, Byakko, then the woman he had first seen was the second in command, Kamaitachi. "Good morning, Captain." Glancing between the two he gave a gentle bow of his head as a sign of respect to his soon to be superior yet couldn't help but make a note of the captain's tiny stature but tried not to let his eyes linger too long to make his thoughts obvious.

Though a new initiate to the Battosai division and specifically the Shiro cell that focused on the user of the steamships, being part of a former mercenary group, the teenager fully understood a chain of command thus his tone of voice and actions were those showing respect. "It is a pleasure to meet you both." The man's voice wasn't too deep and came out with a gentle flow as he lifted his head from the slight bow to both of them a moment earlier. He hadn't been told much about those he would be working with yet, perhaps because of his secretness of the organization and the members true identities which was part of what led to the brief confusion of which one of them was the cell leader.

The personal thoughts on him or his former life as a mercenary that his new captain had on him were not something passed to him, so he had no idea on the true thoughts or first impressions that his cell leader or her second in command had about him at the moment. So, the only thing on Hoka's mind was making a good first impression and the excitement of this step up in his life to work with such an organization as the Battosai. He didn't try to size up either of the young women in a competitive manner, now didn't seem to be the time or place but as a member of this unit of course he wished to know the strength of each of them and how he compared. "Yes ma'am, just Hoka."

Since having been picked up by the bounty hunters as a child, he had foregone using his old family surname and simply went by his first name, even now he liked the simplicity of a single name, though he wondered when he'd get a cool code name like the captain and her first mate. "A pleasure to meet you both, I look forward to working with you both."


WC: 497

[AFungalNetwork]

Tsuki walked through Xincha, some people gave her strange looks, apparently not everyone was used to the Kinoko. Though it probably didn't help that she had been whispering to the shrooms on her shoulder as they passed by. She hadn't spent a lot of time in Xincha, the fast paced hustle and bustle didn't suit her. But she was part of Shiro cell and they had airships. Airships were something she only ever heard stories about until today. So, she was excited to finally see one up close.

As she entered the hangar holding the airships, she saw 3 figures standing off in the distance. They would come later. She walked alongside one, admiring the massive masterpiece of machinery. How did such a large thing manage to stay in the air? She wondered to herself. Finally, she turned her attention to the others. Tsukiyotake Kinoko, reporting for duty

[Kaida]

Just as Kaiyo was about to respond to Hoka, a new voice entered the fray. Turning her body slightly, she took in what was obviously a Kinoko clan member. The little shrooms on her shoulders a dead giveaway. This must be Tsuki, her other subordinate in Shiro Cell. She nodded her greeting and restated her name as well as Hayami. "Good morning Tsuki, I am Byakko and this is Kamaitachi. I am the leader of Shiro Cell, while Kama is my second in command. A pleasure to meet you both." She looked over the two of them closely, her ocean blue eyes calculating as her plans for the air ships came to mind. They both had distinct skills that she could use to propel Heart forward in it's defensive line as well as discouraging others from targeting them offensively for staying neutral in shinobi engagements.

The tricky part for Kaiyo would be getting to know her team on a personal enough level that she could trust them to perform and stay on task without her supervision. The only real wildcard in that regard in her mind was Hoka, her distrust of mercenaries running deep in her bones. "There will be two parts to Shiro Cell. The first is arming and improving the airships. They need enhanced weaponry and improved response time. Our goal is to protect Heart at all costs. The second will be ground control should the airships be taken down." She let her soft voice echo out around them as she got down to business. It was one thing to engage in pleasantries in her life as a noble, but here they needed focus and guidelines to follow in order to succeed.

"Hoka, despite your...past endeavors, I believe you would be well suited to helping me create and install a weapons system for these machines. Tsuki, with your fungal knowledge, I would like to apply that in various forms that can be weaponized from the air. As for engaging in individual combat, we will have training sessions twice a week. One for fundamentals and the other for expansion of select skills." She looked to Hayami then for the woman to expand on their regime to follow.

The taller dark haired woman seemed to straighten as her Lady gestured for her to take over. She seemed imposing in her all black attire with her muscled frame. "Training will consist of muscle development and stamina. It's important that your body can be relied on in a fight. The next step is to hone your individual skills while granting you base fundamentals that will serve you regardless of your specialities. The point is to make you well rounded soldiers both in the air and on the ground. Our first session will be in two days time so that I can assess your strengths and identify your weaknesses." Her matter of fact statements held an air of finality. Though she did not possess the refined regal nature of Kaiyo, Hayami had her own brand of authority and no nonsense about her.

Clearing her throat, Kaiyo continued, her expression softening slightly so as not to overwhelm her new comrades. "There will be a learning curve as we all find our way to becoming a successful team. I will take all suggestions to heart and discuss them with you openly. For now, I'd like to open the floor for anything you deem fit to tell me. Your reasons for accepting the position, your affinities and specialties, how your transition has been so far in the country, any concerns or questions, and lastly anything else you think I should know." With that, she would wait patiently for their response.

[Zao]

Perhaps to captured in the moment of being here within the great city of Xincha on the south port and with his full attention placed on his cell leader and her right-hand woman, but Hoka didn't really register the approaching little mushroom that was Tsuki. Perhaps due to her similarly short stature like the captain or her soft footfalls amongst the hustle and bustle that was the south port at the moment. Hearing the soft-spoken young woman he turned his head, sensing a familiarity in the voice itself and without realizing it the teenager's lavender hue eyes shifted with a subtle turn of his head to match the voice with its owner, Tsukiyotake Kinoko. 'It's her.' Seeing the Kinoko clanswoman caused the hunter to smile slightly, not having expected to run into the fungal specialists again or at least so soon after their last encounter. But seeing at least one familiar face was a bonus in this situation though he had not expected her to be under the same cell as himself.

With a light nod he turned his attention back to the captain as she spoke quick introductions once more of herself and Kamaitachi, the woman's words turning straight to business about the Shiro cell that he'd only been faintly briefed upon before his arrival here in Tea. Though this was just their initial meeting it seemed they had already been assigned a mission or perhaps better spoken as direct tasking the most pressing matter dealt with arming and improving the airships combat prowess. This was something that Hoka was already having ideas about, being a weapon's specialist that dealt in long ranged combat and his study of runes, he had a few things in mind that he wanted to test out, with his captain's permission of course. The second thing being an improved response time, but as a soldier he understood such things came with diligent practice and discipline, both of which his new commander seemed to be fully capable of just judging from her words and demeanor thus far. Plus, perhaps there were engineering modifications that could be made to make the ships more maneuverable and fortified against the potential threats ahead.

Hoka nodded quietly, keeping his ideas and thoughts on the first couple matters of consideration to himself at this point, not wanting to interrupt or disrupt the flow of the commander as she continued to speak. His eyes locked briefly with those of Byakko, understanding her meaning about his past endeavors, as being a former mercenary the judgement of others was sometimes harsh but it didn't cause him to shy away as it was his past that had forged him into the soldier that stood here on the south pier today as a new member of the Shiro cell. But just judging from his own private assessments on the captain, it might be a bit of an uphill battle in order to change the predetermined notions that she might have about him due to his background. Though she still seemed to be able to think clearly and rationally about the skillset he brought to the team, and he just gave a solemn nod of his head in response to her words and continued to listen.

As the taller, darker haired woman started to speak he couldn't help but take notice of her rather muscled frame, something he hadn't seen too often on a woman, but it just made him instinctively a bit more cautious towards the person. Especially after hearing that she would be the main person in charge of their physical and combat related training that would be conducted a couple times a week. Those put in charge of such things would never be push overs or weak, it was something that silently excited him to have found another person to learn from, as the young man was still rounding out his own person fighting styles and forging new ways to link them together to be an efficient soldier. "Two days, I look forward to that." The words were more so spoken to himself, a gentle smile on his lips as he nodded to her words before his attention was brought back to their leader who opened up the discussion floor for them all.

Hoka wasn't exactly sure what to say, glancing over towards Tsuki to see if she wanted to speak before him, if she didn't, he would go next but if she did, he would politely wait. When it seemed to be his turn to speak, he adjusted his position slightly as to be able to see all three of the women before he cleared his throat quietly before speaking. "My specialties rely mainly around mid-to-long range combat through my custom weapons and combat tactics, though my close-range skills aren't terrible. I enjoy creating and inventing, both weapon and equipment ideas, so I'm excited to examine the famous air ships and see what enhances we can make." He paused for a moment to glance at one of the air ships, it was truly a modern marvel of the engineering revolution that the Heart Empire had started in the last five to ten years, pushing the edge of technology. "I've had no issues with my transition so far." Not one to talk overly much about himself the young man ended to kind of abruptly, not sure what other information he should or shouldn't say so he just stopped.


WC: 905

[AFungalNetwork]

She listened intently as the three of them spoke. Training two times a week would be perfect, she was certain she could match Aichi's speed at that rate, maybe even surpass him. She smiled gently at Hoka as he acknowledged her, he had done her a massive favor she wouldn't soon forget. As he spoke of his prowess she continued to listen, though she had first hand experience with what he could do. But then he finished, and everyone's eyes slowly turned to her.

As you know, I'm a Kinoko. On top of ny clan's regular jutsu, I have developed unique abilities myself. Things the others can't do. I am a close range specialist, but I can control terrain; as she spoke she began weaving spores about her body, the small mushrooms on her armor began growing until they fell and their roots started to dig into the floor, breaking through the material before taking root and growing to the size of Hoka. Apologies for the floor. I can also, briefly, use my spores to bring the dead to life. I am a novice at Iaijutsu but it is my preferred fighting style. I can also use Doton, Iijutsu, and Tenkujutsu. I apologize for speaking at length but its important you know. With that she looked from side to side, measuring each person's reaction to the received information. Her eyes grey green and set in a bored expression. Her remaining mushrooms danced theatrically, a mind of their own, as if they were trying to hype her up in their own way.

[Kaida]

The young Tokudai heir nodded her head as her subordinates answered her questions concisely and clearly. It was more than enough for her and Hayami to work with. "Excellent, thank you. Training begins tomorrow. I would like you both to come prepared with initial schematics and logistics for arming the airships with enhanced weaponry. This will include guns, canons, ammunition, automated arrow projectiles that can be customized and weapons involving spores and their effects." Just then a mechanic walked by asking questions about the structural integrity of the ship and how much load out there would be so he could prepare. Kaiyo nodded her head towards the group and took her leave for an in depth conversation regarding maintenance and imminent upgardes.

The taller of the two woman shook her head fondly as her lady took her leave without so much as a goodbye. Some things never changed. "As Byakko said, training starts tomorrow, 8am sharp. You're free to walk the ships as you'd like in order to get a better idea for what's needed from you. Our captain has her own designs already prepared for discussion and she is eager to have construction under way should we recieve another shinobi interloper like Shiimu Kozan who appeared last week and we were all caught unprepared. We will be in the hanger for another couple of hours should you have any questions." Her stern no nonsense voice echoed throughout the airy environment. It was clear that both women took this posting seriously and wanted to ensure the safety of everyone under their jurisdiction.

[Zao]

This wasn't the first time for Hoka to witness this unique talent of the Kinoko girl, but even so he couldn't help but marvel a bit at the ability of her to create these fungi as some even stretched up to the point that it was eye level with the taller bounty hunter. He could only shake his head lightly in the moment as the mushrooms finished growing around Tsuki and even seemed to have their own form of rhythmic movement akin to some form of cultural dance or body language. The teenager thought back to the mission with her and how her spore was for much more than just show as they were doing right now, thinking about how tough the undead creatures were and naturally wondering just what else she was capable of doing with the support of her mushroom spoors. "As interesting as always." Hoka gave her a gentle nod, speaking quietly to himself as his new comrade finished speaking about her own strengths that extended out into the realms of doton, Iijutsu, and even Tenkujutsu.

Of the trio mentioned he didn't care much personally about the latter two for his own arsenal, though had a good understanding about the importance of a medic on missions and the battlefield, but his ears perked up slightly at the mention of Doton. Whie he wasn't overly curious about many ninjutsu arts, the art of earth ninjutsu was something practical and had many versatile uses that were more than just direct combat. It was good to know more about Tsuki as he soon turned his attention from her and the dancing mushrooms back to their captain. "Yes ma'am." Hoka spoke up after she finished, his reply short and respectful to the short woman as his mind lingered on getting to see just what was inside the airships, believing that the technology concealed within would be of great help to his own thoughts and ideas towards creating weapons appropriate for the large vessel.

But his thoughts were put aside again as the second in command started to address them now as the captain had said her piece and walked away to attend to other things it seemed. 'Shiimu Kozan?!' A frown formed on the man's face as his eyes widened a bit, the man she mentioned was a well-known Kiri shinobi, part of the Mist Swordsmen, but all this was found inside any bingo book, an S-ranked target of opportunity. He didn't know that Water country was venturing this far into the mainland but if there were such high-profile threats then he would need to improve both his weapons and him to not drag others down. "Thank you, Kamaitachi-san." Hoka still had a slight frown on his face at the thought of Kozan but shook his head and tried to return his appearance to normal as he turned to Tsuki. "Did you want to check out the airship with me?" His first stop was without a doubt the large ship on the port and the mechanics bay nearby that serviced the large ships here in the capital city, but it was only polite to ask Tsuki if she wished to walk with him.


WC: 580

[AFungalNetwork]

Tsuki had spent a lot of her time exploring forests and the various dojos in Tea Country. So, when the woman mentioned Shiimu Kozan and Hoka's expression twisted to one of possible anger and disgust, she figured this man was bad news. She had never heard of him, not the Seven Swordsman of the Mist, for that matter. But, given the context of the situation she figured he was a dangerous individual so she just nodded her head intently as they spoke. Her spores danced and wiggled inquisitively, they spoke to her in their own way and she answered their questions patiently. Even though the others around her wouldn't understand what she was saying.

No’ken Kozan-root, lum-vra. Vel’shumra all’sa, threnn-keh shru’tol — krinn’sa vekk sporrak-vek, noll-mur uth drann
The mushrooms seemed to wiggle in a motion similar to nodding; they were satisfied. Tsuki turned her attention to Hoka, who had just asked her a question. She was a little concerned at the idea of integrating her spores into the airships weaponry, she had already seen what happened when they fell into the wrong hands. But perhaps she could find a workaround once she had better control over her powers. That was a future problem to worry about. She looked at Hoka, who was likely wondering why it was taking her so long to answer, and she spoke.

I'd be delighted to accompany you. This is my first time seeing airships and I'd like to learn more about them.

What Tsuki saidShow

Plain English: I don't know who Kozan is, my loves. Since everyone here is unharmed, I'll assume he was some brat who thought he could step to us but was defeated.

Direct translation: I do not know this Kozan, my loves. Everyone remains whole — so he was likely an eager spore that rooted poorly.

[Zao]

"I've only seen them from afar, so I can't wait to learn a bit more about them, as well." Hoka couldn't hid the bit of excitement in his tone as he spoke, turning towards the shorter young woman who was still surrounded by her seemingly dancing mushroom. Who hadn't looked up at the sky and wondered what it would be like to fly like a bird or winged creatures? The man had experience dealing with flying creatures in one of his hunts, anything that was able to take to the air was of course more dangerous that something that was grounded to the land and had to fight on a single plane. Once things become a fight on multiple planes then it was much more difficult to deal with. Thus, he looked for to what seemed to be the unfiltered access to these high-tech machines that roamed the skies about the Heart Empire.

Though, something that more so interested him was the way both the Captain and her Lieutenant spoke, almost as though their captain had her own ideas to not just retro fit a current airship but eventually craft an entirely new one. A good number of thoughts races through his mind as a simple smile found its way onto his thin lips in the moment. "Shall we?" Using his right hand, the man gave her a courtesy of walking ahead, "Ladies first." He spoke as he tried to find his manners that his late father had taught him back when he had been just a young boy. "What do you want to see first?"


WC: 266

[AFungalNetwork]

She stepped forward, looking around and taking everything in. "What do you want to see first?" Hoka asked, allowing her to take the lead. Weapons systems and training area. she said as she began walking. She studied the different weapons and wondered how her spores might be used on a bigger level. Perhaps they could be made into a gas that would be released from the airship. Which weapon is your favorite, Hoka? she asked in her normal gentle tone. I take you for more of a cannon guy. she smiled as she looked to him and waited for his response.

[Zao]

"Then let us see just what kind of weapons these bad boys have on them." Hoka was almost rubbing his hands in excitement and anticipation to step onto one of the ships and have more or less unfiltered access to them. While his comrade in arms was debating the use of her spores as a weapon the man was also having thoughts of his own about creating a large-scale arrow launcher weapon. It was hearing his name from Tsuki that drew his attention from the ship they were approaching that only seemed to get bigger as they neared the gangplank that led from the port up to the floating vessel. "Hah, a cannon guy you say?" The Kinoko's words only brought a smile to his face, though she'd been exposed to a couple of his weapons on the mission they had met on before this, he did in fact have a cannon like weapon that he had been working on. It was a bit of a dream for him to be able to fly on such a piece of advanced technology and the cannon he had designed was something he had built and was still continuing to tinker on for just the chance that he would get an opportunity to be on one of these ships.

But having it brought up, even in her gentle tone, caused a hint of what could have been considered to be embarrassment to flash on the hunter's face, something that was truly a rare sight for someone like himself. Which caused for him to reach up with his left hand to scratch the back of his neck as he found the words to follow up her comment. "What makes you think that?" Hoka smile as he responded back with the two of them nearing the two-foot-wide ramp that led up about thirty feet onto the top deck of the ship and connected it to the port. A handrail on either side of the ramp at about waist level for the taller man could be seen to help those walking across it and to prevent one from falling off as they were many stories off the ground at this point and such a fall would almost certainly be a fatal one. Stepping to the side he motioned with his right hand to see if she wanted the pleasure of boarding the flying ship first.

WC: 399

[AFungalNetwork]

Tsuki’s head tilted, her spores twitching and coiling gently in the air as she regarded Hoka’s reaction. His smile, the subtle brush of embarrassment—she caught it all, cataloging the little shifts in his expression the same way her spores read changes in wind and warmth.

You smell like soot and oil, she said softly, not unkindly. Tinkering is etched into your being like grooves in bark. Cannon guy seemed right.
She stepped onto the ramp with her usual calm grace, her feet barely making a sound. The mushrooms clustered around her ankles shivered once, then began to drift upward, forming a halo of slow, curious motion around her shoulders.

I want to see what they built to kill, she added after a beat, her tone still mild, though her eyes had sharpened faintly. And what’s left behind after it’s used. My spores don’t like fire, but they learn. They remember.

Then she glanced back at him, giving a faint, almost teasing smile.

Besides… I figured cannon guys were always a little shy when you point it out.

[Zao]

"Soot and oil?" Hoka drew his head back slightly and even sniffed the air, almost as if he was trying to verify the odd words from the mushroom lady as he listened to her continue to explain the reasoning behind, he earlier words. He put both his hands up in defeat, "You have a rather accurate read on me, you can call me cannon guy." A light laugh escaped the young man's mouth as he could only shake his head and soon followed as the Kinoko took the lead and stepped onto the ramp. An odd look came over the youth's face as the mushrooms drifted up from the lower torso on his comrade. While not his first time witnessing her unique power it was still something that caught him a little off guard, but he pushed through the thought and stepped onto the ramp a few feet behind her.

Placing his hands on either guide rail, he took a look over the edge and tightened his lips slightly at the height he was at before readjusting his gaze back solely onto the back of the mushroom cap lady in front of him. 'A fall from here wouldn't be good.' While he had done some short-range flying with his Myriad Umbrella, he'd never actually flown nor been at such a height as it caused a strange tingle to run through his legs. Closing his eyes and letting out a slow exhale he fixed his nerves and started walking again as he could hear the woman speaking ahead of him.

The way she spoke about her spores, it was a bit odd for the former mercenary and that was taking into account him meeting a decent number of unique and weird people in his former job. Yet, the lady before him was probably at the top of this list of strange people, but still he felt at ease and understood she was as strong ally to have based on the mission he had completed with her. "Now you're just teasing." He took his left hand off the guide rail and waved it in a dismissive manner at her teasing words. It only took a few more steps before he too would step off the ramp and onto the wooden upper deck of the flying ship.

His lavender hue eyes drifted off Tsuki and looked up taking in the different mechanisms that had been developed to attach the ship body to the upper balloon like invention that allowed the entire ship to float. "Too bad that won't let me take this thing apart." He mused quietly to himself as he pulled his gaze back down to their level, very interested to have a look at the ship's schematics when he had the chance. "I have a few weapon designs that should help make this ship much more combat ready that it is right now." Hoka spoke almost in a matter-of-fact tone with his words, having already started to paint a mental picture of where new weapons and defenses could be placed, fully believing in himself and his crafting ability that had allowed for him to grow to the point of where he was today.


WC: 532

[AFungalNetwork]

Tsuki’s mushroom-capped head tilted slightly at Hoka’s comment about weapon designs, her usual tone clipped and deadpan as she replied over her shoulder.
Just don’t take it apart unless you’re sure you can put it back together. I’m not looking to test the parachutes from thirty stories up because you had a creative itch.

She stepped a little further onto the deck, pausing just long enough to let the wind tug at her clothes. The groaning of ropes and creak of timber under pressure filled the air, accompanied by the rhythmic hum of fans somewhere below. Tsuki’s eyes scanned the mechanisms with a subtle, analytical curiosity, her voice growing more thoughtful.

I met someone recently, back in Kumo. Yuurei Kurui. Cotton-candy hair, eyes like empty glass jars. She looked at me the way people usually look at puzzles or cadavers. A pause, before she muttered with a slight scowl, Didn’t care for it. Her mushrooms shuddered as she spoke, remembering the various pokings and proddings they had undergone.

Her fingers twitched unconsciously, a few translucent spores drifting lazily from her sleeves and dispersing on the wind.
But... she did understand spores. Had this weird, unnerving curiosity about them. Especially the necrotic ones. She asked too many questions about how I 'raise' things.Her tone grew dry again. Either she wanted to study me or keep a sample in a jar.

There was a moment of silence as she stared out and then she added,
Still. If she’s half as smart as she thinks she is, she might be useful. Someone from the Battōsai should talk to her. See if she can engineer some poison clouds, maybe biochemical deterrents for the underside or perimeter of these things. Passive defenses, persistent clouds, neurotoxins—there’s potential.

Her hand reached out to brush the nearest rail, knuckles white where they gripped the wood a little too tight. She wasn’t afraid of the height—just very aware of it. She moved along the railing toward the bow of the ship, eyes narrowing at the mechanical junctions, the bolted plates, the rotors and the lengths of reinforced cable running up to the envelope overhead.

I’m curious how this thing fights, anyway. Is it just altitude and speed? Or are there seals and compartments for armaments? Wouldn’t mind seeing the weapon layout. Not every day I get to ride a floating war platform.

[Zao]

"Have some faith." Hoka smiled as he replied back towards her comment about not wanting to test out the parachutes, "I can probably figure it out." With his jesting out of the way for the time being the young man did actually thing that with enough time and after taking some things apart he could better understand how everything worked individual and how they functioned as one well-oiled machine in order to keep this thing off the ground and flying. And there was at least a fifty percent chance that he could get it back together the correct way on the first try.

The spikey haired teen was about to step off towards the front of the ship when she chimed in with the rather odd statement and he could only mumble under his breath to himself as she continued to speak about this stranger, "Kumo...Yuurei Kurui." He could only take a mental note of the name and the village before listening to the rest. "Perhaps." He only responded with a single word as he wondered about the possibilities. Currently, Hoka had only begun to dabble in the art of poison making so he was only a beginning at it and didn't believe himself up to the task of figuring out how to truly weaponize the woman's fungal spores, at least not yet. "I can understand the potential for sure." Having experienced it a bit himself on the first meeting with the mushroom lady and his first official mission as a Battosai member.

"True, a first really." Her words had steered the conversation back to the boat and its arsenal and as the man gazed around, he didn't see too much really. Was the ship mainly used to rapidly transport people and goods? How fast was it? What level were its defenses at? All of these questions and many more were popping up in the inventor and hunter's mind as he took a step towards the port side of the ship and took note of the railing and deck makeup. Slipping off his assault pack and placing it down in between his feet in front of him, the young man proceeded to open up the bag as from the underside of the lid she would be able to make out fuuin diagram symbols on it and within the bag.

"Let me see here...." The former mercenary's eyes carried a hint of excitement and enthusiasm for whatever he was about to do, reaching his right hand into the bag a quick surge of chakra flashed from his body into the bag activating the storage seal within. Next came a three-meter tall one meter side chakra smoke cloud that soon swept away in the height altitude wings to reveal a real cannon. "Seems your assumption of me was rather spot on." He gave a playful wink at his comrade as he had turned in her direction after summoning out his Hades Cannon. "I'm thinking this could be mounted over here..." Moving closer to the railing he seemed to carry the massive cannon weapon with relative ease despite its rather bulk size and weight.

WC: 521

[AFungalNetwork]

Tsuki didn’t react immediately when the cannon emerged from Hoka’s scroll-packed bag, though her mushrooms twitched in a subtle, synchronized shudder, like a cluster of curious birds turning to observe a strange storm on the horizon.

Her eyes lingered on the cannon—with the detached focus of someone watching a fire spread across an abandoned field.

Of course you have a cannon in your backpack, she murmured dryly, as though this development was somehow the most logical conclusion to everything she’d seen of Hoka thus far.

She stepped back slightly, the wind tugged gently at her cloak, carrying a few pale spores out toward the clouds as if they were returning home.

Her gaze swept the weapon from end to end. Now how would you do that?

She didn't wait for an answer before moving again, this time toward the edge of the bow where the angle of the ship’s front cut into the air like the blade of a slow, drifting weapon. Her hand touched the steel-plated hull with a sort of cautious reverence—like she was waiting for it to breathe.

You fire your cannon. I follow it up with a spore cloud to fill the impact site. Confuse them. Blind them. Rot anything left standing.

The words weren’t hypothetical. They were plans. And when she turned back to look at Hoka, her expression had shifted from passive observation to something sharper.

She paused.

Then, almost as an afterthought:
...in a defensive sense. Mostly.

[Zao]

Hoka couldn't help but let a satisfied smile cross his lips at the comment from the young lady about him having a cannon in his backpack, it was a little funny, but he suppressed the chuckle that was trying to escape his throat as he turned to follow the movements of the mushroom lady towards the front of the ship from his former position on the port side.

"Hm." The hunter gave a gentle nod of his head as his lavender hue eyes scanned the bow of the ship and landed on Tsuki, with a gentle movement of his arm that looked as though he was lifting something rather light he moved the large cannon and placed it across his shoulders and seemed to have the look of being in thought at her next set of words. "Potentially or perhaps, you'd like to help me create cannonballs infused with your spores that spread upon impact."

His free hand lifted to stroke his chin lightly, already thinking about how dangerous and useful the unique spores that Tsuki could create would be on the battlefield, more so against large number of foes but still having usefulness against individual targets. Yet, as the allied figure spoke a bit about her spores it seemed that she was able to do much more than her thoughts with them. Truly a utility tool, though the last part did make him raise an eyebrow as he glanced back in her direction now.

"Of course." Though she seemed to double down on her words, Hoka didn't mind as he came from a life as a mercenary where honor wasn't the highest mark for those in his line of work and using all the tools you had available was the norm. "I like how you think." A half smirk and nod towards his teammate as he stood up at the front railing of the ship peering down before below them as he imagined the level of destruction that could be rained down from a combined assault of their skills and weapons combined.

WC: 343

[AFungalNetwork]

Tsuki fell silent for a moment, contemplating whether she even wanted to say what was on her mind. Her gaze lingered on the horizon beyond the drifting clouds, a quiet tension in her frame as though the wind itself might change depending on her next words. Finally, without looking at him, she spoke.

Hoka… I’ve been thinking recently.

Her voice was soft—quieter than usual, but not hesitant. Grounded.

I’ve started to really trust you.

She turned then, her mushrooms curling slightly with a kind of inward motion, as if responding to the vulnerability she rarely allowed herself to show.

I would like you to join my Fungal Network.

The words hung in the air between them—strange and heavy with meaning.

It would be useful, since we’ll be working together. We could communicate without speaking. Share signals, thoughts, even senses when needed.

She paused again, not blinking. Her eyes searched his face before she continued.

Would you be okay with that?

A beat passed. Then she added, carefully—almost apologetically:

The process is… rather invasive. But once it’s done, things will feel normal again.

She stepped closer, the space between them narrowing and her voice was quieter still, like she was telling a secret.

I will send a puff of spores into you. Through your nose and mouth. They’ll find their way into your brain.

Her gaze did not waver.

It will feel like someone is sliding their fingers through your mind—pulling threads loose and tying new ones together.

Her hand lifted slightly, as though visualizing the sensation in the air.

Your vision will blur. You will be hit with an intense migraine for a few seconds. You may taste soil. You might feel... memories that aren’t yours. Shapes without names. The sense of roots growing—under your skull, in the folds of thought.

Her tone was clinical now. Not unkind, but stripped of comfort. She wasn’t warning him to dissuade him—just making sure he understood.

Some describe it as pressure. Others, like a splitting pain. And there are some who have described it as a religious experience.

Her mushrooms twitched again, releasing a faint, luminous cloud that drifted only inches before dispersing harmlessly. A preview.

But once it’s done, she continued, voice softening again, you’ll be connected. To me. And to the others I’ve chosen. You’ll never be alone in silence again.

Then, more gently:

You can say no. I won’t take offense. But I wouldn’t offer this if I didn’t mean it.

And then she took a step back, examining his face for a reaction.
She waited then—utterly still, a quiet thing standing at the edge of something ancient and strange, offering Hoka the chance to step through.

[Zao]

Her first words drew the attention of the sturdy young man as he transitioned his gaze from the many people going about their own daily routines below on the streets towards the young woman off to his right side now. "What is it?" The man responded with genuine curiosity when she spoke. "Oh?" He responded to her a bit surprised though they had managed to work well together in the previous mission in order to deal with the rogue group who wanted to raise an army of undead.

"Your fungal network?" The youthful mind of him had perhaps been expecting something else, no for sure this was something that he hadn't been expecting for her to ask as even he still didn't fully understand exactly what that was at it caused for him to raise his eyebrow as he questioned back to Tsuki somewhat but allowed for her to continue to explain without interrupting her words to much.

It was then that she began to give a rundown of just what she had meant by him becoming part of her fungal network, a rather invasive progress in which the fungal spores that her body produced would be allowed to enter and more or less take root within him. This would connect the pair on a level that he truly didn't understand still but it sounded like they would share thoughts and perhaps even memories with one another, linked at the very conscious level. Even as she stepped closer, narrowing the distance between them it didn't cause him to flinch nor step away, but his mind was still in thought about this.

The boy after all was young and had developed a liking and trust for the young mushroom capped woman to his side, but it was the part of him that had grown up in the ranks of his mercenary unit that cautioned him of jumping into such an engagement without deliberate thought and consideration. Yes, they were destined to be teamed up on the same unit and would be working hand-in-hand for a number of tasks and future missions, but something was preventing him from taking a step forward.

This was a step that would take him into something ancient and strange, something unknown, perhaps it was because of the barriers put him from his loss of family and friends during the war but getting that close to someone else actual kind of frightened him to an extent. Slowly he exhaled after leaving a short pause between the end of her own words and the beginning of his own response. "I do trust you, especially after seeing your skills in our last mission. But I'm not ready for something like that, just yet."

He didn't completely shut down the idea, but more so had pushed it off to a later time as he still was learning about the young woman. Perhaps he would be more open to the idea of connecting with her in such a way later down the road. As their own partnership as teammates had just begun under the reigns of their cell leader and her lieutenant, who knew where they would go from here.


WC: 529