Meeting of the Aki’s
The Sunflower Cove was a beach resort. A hidden gem with a private span of beach that was accessible only to guests. Yet it was not a particularly well known place. It did have a good atmosphere however. The Venue was run by a family, and was traditional in style. Here they served Iced tea, and cool fruit to help you beat the heat. They served regular fare as well which involved various dishes always with a free bowl of rice. The interior of the building had a smoky atmosphere whose aroma mingled with the sweet salt breeze of the ocean. There was a small stage for performers in one portion of the dining area. Akiko approached the propriety of this little establishment. The owner was an aging gentleman wearing a grey striped summer yukata. He held his hands behind his back and looked at her expectantly. ”Excuse me sir, do you happen to have any performers? Would you mind if I took to the stage?” She asked him.
”Oh my! Of course be my guest”
Akiko stepped onto the stage and knelt. She was a pale skinned woman wearing a white and pink yukata. She had long pink hair worn in an updo adorned with pale flowers and decorations. She looked the part of an oiran. She had a Shamisen slung across her back and as she knelt she brought it to rest upon her lap. She drew a bachi from her robe robe and began to play the strings. She played a few measures before finally adding lyrics to the song.
The forest. To say the forest. To suggest some music.
To carve the breeze.
To see a landscape. See it raining. Without rain but with raining.
With that raining that I always conjure when slowly, softly,
filled to the brim with tiny traces of an air that's weightless,
I say to myself I'll see it rain. I say it again, beside the window,
that it's going to rain. That I'm going to see it rain.
To put forth the idea of rain before. The downpour plants
all its doubts.
To pour oneself on the raining. Allow oneself to rain.
To see raining. To say I see it's raining.
Until the raining.
Until the rain.
Until then.
Until.
Meeting of the Aki's
Meeting of the Aki's
Akito had spent much of his day on the beach, walking along the water, reading his book, and even stopping to sketch a few beach scenes in the empty scroll he had brought with him. As the sun passed its zenith in the sky, Akito started to look for a place to rest. His eyes were tired from the bright sun reflecting off the sand and water, and between his open summer yukata and swim trunks, he knew that if he stayed in the sun much longer he was liable to start burning. It was then that he caught sight of a resort with a sign denoting it as the Sunflower Grove. The building was a traditional structure with rows of sunflowers planted on either side of the door. It looked like Akito’s sort of establishment.
“Welcome to the Sunflower Grove,” an older man in a striped yukata beamed as Akito pushed aside the curtains and walked in. “Sit wherever you would like! Can I interest you in some tea? Or maybe a light meal? We are about to have some music.”
“Thank you,” Akito said, looking at a placard with the Grove’s fare on it. “I will have some iced oolong tea and a small plate of fruit.”
“Coming right up!” The man darted off to the back, and Akito went and took a seat near the stage, unrolling his scroll of sketches and titling them with little bits of calligraphy.
Akito stopped his calligraphy briefly as the old man brought out his tea and fruit. The tea was delicious: deep and woody, but with some slightly floral, almost tropical notes. It paired nicely with the fruit: juicy slices of orange, and perfectly ripe cantaloupe. As he enjoyed his refreshment, a young woman got up on the small stage and started playing. Akito was entranced. Between her appearance, poise, and the beauty of her music, he could not look away. When the song came to an end, Akito gave a hearty clap, and watched as the woman left the stage before returning to his art.
“Welcome to the Sunflower Grove,” an older man in a striped yukata beamed as Akito pushed aside the curtains and walked in. “Sit wherever you would like! Can I interest you in some tea? Or maybe a light meal? We are about to have some music.”
“Thank you,” Akito said, looking at a placard with the Grove’s fare on it. “I will have some iced oolong tea and a small plate of fruit.”
“Coming right up!” The man darted off to the back, and Akito went and took a seat near the stage, unrolling his scroll of sketches and titling them with little bits of calligraphy.
Akito stopped his calligraphy briefly as the old man brought out his tea and fruit. The tea was delicious: deep and woody, but with some slightly floral, almost tropical notes. It paired nicely with the fruit: juicy slices of orange, and perfectly ripe cantaloupe. As he enjoyed his refreshment, a young woman got up on the small stage and started playing. Akito was entranced. Between her appearance, poise, and the beauty of her music, he could not look away. When the song came to an end, Akito gave a hearty clap, and watched as the woman left the stage before returning to his art.
| Akito Hyuuga | Konoha | Jounin | #008080 |
|
Jirou Kisama | Heart Empire | Akibushi | #BF4000 |
|
Hanzou Fukusha | Iwa | Genin | #800080 |
-
HotelBravo
- Posts: 406
- Joined: Thu Jul 07, 2022 11:12 pm
Meeting of the Aki's
This place didn’t have much by way of a crowd. So it was nice to see some appreciation for her work. Akiko made her way off the stage and slung the shamisen onto her back. She figured that she should thank the person who had so heartily supported her. She strode over to Akito’s table, a brief glance noticing the careful calligraphy that he was performing. She waited for a good moment to interrupt, not wanting to disrupt the flow of his own art. ”I really appreciated your support earlier when I was performing. Do you mind if I join you for a moment?” she asked the man before her. His eyes were blank and white, and his skin made her think of a blanket of snow. He was tall though. She had become accustomed to tall men sitting down meeting her in height, given that she was a rather petite woman. She stood out of the way as the family brought Akito’s order to his table, cool fruit and a some tea as well. He certainly was a gentleman with good taste.
”Oh, That is calligraphy isn’t it? I don’t mean to pry, but what are you making? If you wouldn’t mind telling me I’d like to learn more?” She leaned over the table and examined the careful brush strokes. Yes, this atmosphere did seem like the right place for calligraphy. The lines were very elegant, and each one had depth. Perhaps that was the wrong term to use for this. Akiko thought perhaps the correct way to describe it was that each line had variety in its quality. Like a type of weight. Sometimes a line would start strong and grow thing and graceful. Yet in other lines it was the opposite. It was a pleasure to follow the contours of the lines with her eyes, it was like watching music on the page.
”Oh, excuse me.” Akiko would stop the waiter as they were on their way to make a delivery to another table. ”The Usagi Apples please, and some ice water. Thank you!” The waiter bowed and Akiko returned her bow. Then she turned back to the Hyuuga, looking at him expectantly. ”I would very much like it if you would pull a chair out for me, like a gentleman. I hope I’m not being to bold in the request, I’d just like to be treated like a Lady. In return I’ll treat you like a royal gentleman. That sounds fair doesn’t it?” Akiko gave an apologetic short bow, and then waited to See whether Akito was willing to assist her with her chair and let her sit at the table. It wasn’t far that she was practically forcing herself upon his time and space, but she had found that the good men were often so shy and passive that one had to get a little aggressive to get any amount of attention from them. This was one such occasion, she supposed.
511/500 Stat Training +1 Chakra Pool
”Oh, That is calligraphy isn’t it? I don’t mean to pry, but what are you making? If you wouldn’t mind telling me I’d like to learn more?” She leaned over the table and examined the careful brush strokes. Yes, this atmosphere did seem like the right place for calligraphy. The lines were very elegant, and each one had depth. Perhaps that was the wrong term to use for this. Akiko thought perhaps the correct way to describe it was that each line had variety in its quality. Like a type of weight. Sometimes a line would start strong and grow thing and graceful. Yet in other lines it was the opposite. It was a pleasure to follow the contours of the lines with her eyes, it was like watching music on the page.
”Oh, excuse me.” Akiko would stop the waiter as they were on their way to make a delivery to another table. ”The Usagi Apples please, and some ice water. Thank you!” The waiter bowed and Akiko returned her bow. Then she turned back to the Hyuuga, looking at him expectantly. ”I would very much like it if you would pull a chair out for me, like a gentleman. I hope I’m not being to bold in the request, I’d just like to be treated like a Lady. In return I’ll treat you like a royal gentleman. That sounds fair doesn’t it?” Akiko gave an apologetic short bow, and then waited to See whether Akito was willing to assist her with her chair and let her sit at the table. It wasn’t far that she was practically forcing herself upon his time and space, but she had found that the good men were often so shy and passive that one had to get a little aggressive to get any amount of attention from them. This was one such occasion, she supposed.
511/500 Stat Training +1 Chakra Pool
Meeting of the Aki's
“Please miss, feel free to join me,” Akito said with a smile. As she stood to the side to let the waiter through, Akito took a moment to subtly admire the young woman. She was poised, elegant, and had the sort of traditional beauty that Akito appreciated.
“It is calligraphy,” Akito replied to the woman's question, putting his brush aside and turning the scroll to give Akiko a better view. “I was doing some sketches earlier and thought I would title them with a little bit of fun titling them.”
On the scroll was a minimalistic ink beach scene. The texture of the sand was expressed with a mixture of tiny dots and thin, hatched lines, while waves were drawn onto the paper in thicker, smudged lines to suggest the texture of seafoam. Bold cliffs topped with trees rose on the right side of the composition, and tiny, precise sandpipers could be seen dotting the beach. “Seabirds’ Home” was written at the top in thin, sketchy characters which matched the style of the sandpipers below.
When Akiko looked up from the page and asked to be treated like a lady, Akito felt his heart start to race. This was not a sort of attention he was used to from women. In his experience, Hyuuga women looked straight past him and non Hyuuga women treated him as off limits. His recent date – if you could even call it that – with Inokara flashed through his mind.
That was different. Having a little flirtation with her in Konoha would come with too many consequences. This is different tnough. I'm not in Konoha. This woman is not a Yamanaka. Why shouldn't I reciprocate?
With one a fluid motion Akito pushed his chair back quietly and stood up. As he turned to face her, the size difference between the two became starkly apparent. Akita was nearly a foot taller than her, and next to Akiko’s petite figure, Akito's broad shoulders and muscled arms made him look like a giant.
Akito pulled out the chair opposite him and gestured to it dramatically.
“For you, Lady…” Akito left that title hanging, clearly waiting for his interlocutor to fill in the blank with her own name.
“It is calligraphy,” Akito replied to the woman's question, putting his brush aside and turning the scroll to give Akiko a better view. “I was doing some sketches earlier and thought I would title them with a little bit of fun titling them.”
On the scroll was a minimalistic ink beach scene. The texture of the sand was expressed with a mixture of tiny dots and thin, hatched lines, while waves were drawn onto the paper in thicker, smudged lines to suggest the texture of seafoam. Bold cliffs topped with trees rose on the right side of the composition, and tiny, precise sandpipers could be seen dotting the beach. “Seabirds’ Home” was written at the top in thin, sketchy characters which matched the style of the sandpipers below.
When Akiko looked up from the page and asked to be treated like a lady, Akito felt his heart start to race. This was not a sort of attention he was used to from women. In his experience, Hyuuga women looked straight past him and non Hyuuga women treated him as off limits. His recent date – if you could even call it that – with Inokara flashed through his mind.
That was different. Having a little flirtation with her in Konoha would come with too many consequences. This is different tnough. I'm not in Konoha. This woman is not a Yamanaka. Why shouldn't I reciprocate?
With one a fluid motion Akito pushed his chair back quietly and stood up. As he turned to face her, the size difference between the two became starkly apparent. Akita was nearly a foot taller than her, and next to Akiko’s petite figure, Akito's broad shoulders and muscled arms made him look like a giant.
Akito pulled out the chair opposite him and gestured to it dramatically.
“For you, Lady…” Akito left that title hanging, clearly waiting for his interlocutor to fill in the blank with her own name.
| Akito Hyuuga | Konoha | Jounin | #008080 |
|
Jirou Kisama | Heart Empire | Akibushi | #BF4000 |
|
Hanzou Fukusha | Iwa | Genin | #800080 |
Meeting of the Aki's
Warm weather galore! The pink haired teen could not believe how nice it was! However, with the looming threats in the world and slight more maturity on his side (emphasis on slight), Aki had dedicated every day to a healthy balance of training and leisure. He had already spent a couple days in Aroma Country and has found that jumping in the water after working out was an incredible and fun way to cool off. So what was on today's regiment? Akihiko had made a list of different workouts to do every day, it had seemed that today was a simple one. Run around Aroma Country within the Limbo Realm. He would have to practice running silently while within the 1st Layer of the Limbo Realm. Which meant he most definitely had to avoid people. The child had figured running in a way that helped with controlling his breathing would help with continuing his master of his body and increase his efficiency with being silent. As a ninja, would could be better! Oh the strain on his chakra pool would also be a good way to increase how much chakra he could use. Maybe even help with control. To be honest, Aki himself didn't know what it would help fully, but he knew if he could utilize all of these functions at once.. he was bound to get a little stronger..... right?
Well regardless, the boy had gotten up from his little hotel room that Kumo comped and started to get ready for the day. Once he put on his casual clothes, the boy weaved a couple of hand signs and ripped himself into the 1st layer of the limbo realm. As he entered the world around him turned black and white as if it wasn't colored in. To the outside world, Aki would simply be gone. The child opened the door and left the hotel room in all of his invisible glory. With a couple of simple stretches, Aki focused on his legs as he began to enter into a walk. With the skills he acquired over time, the boy was able to walk in silence. After walking for a couple of miles, the child increased the speed to a job. It was the same thing, the child was silently jogging throughout the town and the area he was staying at.
It was beautiful out and Aki took advantage of the heat from the sun, but at the same time was dodging people left and right to make sure he didn't bump into them. While he was running, Aki saw a plethora of shops, restaurants, and even entertainment spots. However, one place in particular caught him by surprise. A man with black hair and eyes like Takeshi. Was he part of the same family? They could be brothers! This was the second person Aki had seen with those weird ass eyes. Aki stopped in his tracks. He continued to control his breathing and positioning not to let out any noise. The child was careful of his surrounding to not bump into anyone or have anyone bump into him. However, the child could not stop staring at the man with white eyes. It was so intriguing to him. What did they do??
As Aki was gazing upon the man, something interesting happened. Was he flirting with a girl? Were they dating? The child had decided to spend a couple minutes watching them.. lurking, creeping, to see what exactly was going on there. Who knows, maybe they could be friends of friends. Regardless, the child found a spot to sit in slightly distanced from them in order to creep properly.
Word Count: 609
Stat Trained: 1 (600 Words)
Word Bank: 9
Well regardless, the boy had gotten up from his little hotel room that Kumo comped and started to get ready for the day. Once he put on his casual clothes, the boy weaved a couple of hand signs and ripped himself into the 1st layer of the limbo realm. As he entered the world around him turned black and white as if it wasn't colored in. To the outside world, Aki would simply be gone. The child opened the door and left the hotel room in all of his invisible glory. With a couple of simple stretches, Aki focused on his legs as he began to enter into a walk. With the skills he acquired over time, the boy was able to walk in silence. After walking for a couple of miles, the child increased the speed to a job. It was the same thing, the child was silently jogging throughout the town and the area he was staying at.
It was beautiful out and Aki took advantage of the heat from the sun, but at the same time was dodging people left and right to make sure he didn't bump into them. While he was running, Aki saw a plethora of shops, restaurants, and even entertainment spots. However, one place in particular caught him by surprise. A man with black hair and eyes like Takeshi. Was he part of the same family? They could be brothers! This was the second person Aki had seen with those weird ass eyes. Aki stopped in his tracks. He continued to control his breathing and positioning not to let out any noise. The child was careful of his surrounding to not bump into anyone or have anyone bump into him. However, the child could not stop staring at the man with white eyes. It was so intriguing to him. What did they do??
As Aki was gazing upon the man, something interesting happened. Was he flirting with a girl? Were they dating? The child had decided to spend a couple minutes watching them.. lurking, creeping, to see what exactly was going on there. Who knows, maybe they could be friends of friends. Regardless, the child found a spot to sit in slightly distanced from them in order to creep properly.
Word Count: 609
Stat Trained: 1 (600 Words)
Word Bank: 9
Jutsu UsedShow
Asashin to Supa - Faster and Silenter
C-Rank Dicipline
A quieter version of Basic Silence. By honing his muscles in his legs, and adjusting his feet slightly, Aki can run in a silent manor without being heard unless the person seeking him out has a higher perception technique.
C-Rank Dicipline
A quieter version of Basic Silence. By honing his muscles in his legs, and adjusting his feet slightly, Aki can run in a silent manor without being heard unless the person seeking him out has a higher perception technique.
| Characters | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Village | Rank |
| Hatake, Tenzin | Konohagakure no Sato | Bannin - [color=#BF0000]Text Color[/color] |
| Ishiguro, Akihiko | Kumogakure no Sato | Chuunin - [color=#FF4080]Text Color[/color] |
| Kisama, Ginjiro | Heart Empire | Natsubushi - [color=#80BF80]Text Color[/color] |
| Murasaki | Iwagakure no Sato | Genin - [color=#FF8040]Text Color[/color] |
-
HotelBravo
- Posts: 406
- Joined: Thu Jul 07, 2022 11:12 pm
Meeting of the Aki's
“Please miss, feel free to join me,” the seated man answered her. Akiko wasn’t used to getting eyed up, being a modest woman with modest proportions, it brought a little hotness to her pale cheeks. Despite this, she did not let it affect her dignity and posture. Blushing and was just a natural part of life, and she would not let that embarrass her. “It is calligraphy,” He moved his brush aside helpfully to allow her to look at the work that he had completed. It was a scroll with minimalistic art done with a brush. It wasn’t just all lines though. It was the weight and quality of them and the she couldn’t help but admire the talent that it took to do such a thing. The time that was required to learn how to do it and make it look so elegant on the page. Yes, he did seem to be a nobleman. She on the otherhand was just the child of a small time priest who ran a forgettable shrine. “I was doing some sketches earlier and thought I would title them with a little bit of fun titling them.” He answered. After her suggestion that he should treat her like a lady, he immediately stood and pulled out the seat for her. She sat down and allowed herself to be attended to. “For you, Lady…”
”Akiko. I’m afraid its just Akiko. No family name. My parents are priests at a small shrine in the Heart Empire, but I think my own worth and value is equal to that of any noble woman, no offense of course…” She would pause in a playful way, awaiting for Akito to fill in the space with his own name. ”You seem an interesting person, so I had a proposition for you - aside from sharing a meal. A story for a story? How about it? I want to hear your story, and in Return I’ll tell you a story of your choosing.” Akiko took her shamisen from her back and set it gracefully to lean the neck against the table. Her order was soon delivered - a plate of apples that were cut into the shape of little rabbits, with the peel acting as the rabbit ears and sprinkled with cinnamon. She picked up a toothpick and loaded one apple slice upon it and then took a bite. She covered her mouth as she enjoyed the treat, setting the toothpick back onto the plate once she was done.
”Akiko. I’m afraid its just Akiko. No family name. My parents are priests at a small shrine in the Heart Empire, but I think my own worth and value is equal to that of any noble woman, no offense of course…” She would pause in a playful way, awaiting for Akito to fill in the space with his own name. ”You seem an interesting person, so I had a proposition for you - aside from sharing a meal. A story for a story? How about it? I want to hear your story, and in Return I’ll tell you a story of your choosing.” Akiko took her shamisen from her back and set it gracefully to lean the neck against the table. Her order was soon delivered - a plate of apples that were cut into the shape of little rabbits, with the peel acting as the rabbit ears and sprinkled with cinnamon. She picked up a toothpick and loaded one apple slice upon it and then took a bite. She covered her mouth as she enjoyed the treat, setting the toothpick back onto the plate once she was done.
Last edited by HotelBravo on Tue Apr 09, 2024 10:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Meeting of the Aki's
“Akiko?” Akito asked incredulously before breaking into a snickering laugh. He moved back to his seat, waving his hands in front of him, as if to excuse himself. “Apologies, apologies. It is a lovely name for a lovely woman. I was just taken aback. You see, my name is Akito. Hyuuga Akito. Written ‘Aki’, like ‘chapter’” and ‘To’ like the constellation.”
Akito pulled the scroll back towards himself, and quickly inked something in the corner of the sketch he had shown Akiko. He turned it back around and placed the scroll back in front of Akiko where she could see his signature in the corner: 章斗.
“Again, apologies for laughing.” Akito took a sip of his tea. “In my defense, it is quite the funny coincidence.”
As Akiko asked her question of Akito, he took another slice of melon from his plate and chewed it pensively.
“A story for a story? My story for one of yours? An interesting proposition.”
What is this? A strange flirt? Intelligence gathering? Either way, I suppose there is little that could be gleaned from my story: even the fact that I'm only half Hyuuga is of no utility for intelligence or blackmail.
“What do you know of the Hyuuga clan?” Akito asked, settling back into his chair. When he saw a look of confusion on Akiko’s face, he kept going, deciding to err on the side of explanation. “The Hyuuga are one of the great Shinobi clans. They, or should I say, we hail from Konoha in the Hi no Kuni where we are one of the three founding clans alongside the Senju and our ancestral rivals, the Yamanaka. The kekkei genkai which binds us as a clan is this,” Akito pointed to his left eye, the iris and pupil of which were only just barely a different color than the sclera. “The Byakugan, a doujutsu which, among other powers, lets us see chakra, including the chakra systems of living things.”
Akito took a short break from his explanation to have another sip of his tea before it warmed up to room temperature.
“As a rule, the Hyuuga are a proud clan, bound by tradition. We hold filial piety as a central value, and look to our elders to guide our decisions, up to and including our choice of partners. In this way – through arranged marriage and guided reproduction – the clan seeks to keep the Hyuuga bloodline both pure and strong. Breaches of these rules are dealt with strictly.”
Akito smiled and took a deep breath.
“That was an extensive forward, I know. My story starts some forty-odd years ago with two brothers of the Hyuuga clan: Shinji the elder, and Shigure the younger. Shinji was the naturally gifted of the two. He quickly mastered the Hyuuga’s style of fighting and shot up through the ranks. Shigure, on the other hand, struggled. He was a mediocre shinobi in all respects, but where his brother was stern and over-serious, Shigure was amiable and gregarious, even with people outside the clan. While Shinji kept his teammates at an arm's length outside of missions, Shigure became very close with his. One of those teammates was a girl named Michiru, the daughter of a relatively well-known family of medical ninjutsu practitioners. They became genin sweethearts who continued their relationship as they advanced through the ranks to chuunin. When the pair were twenty, they were – one would usually say blessed by children – but the Hyuuga did not see it that way. Shigure was told that they must either abort their unborn child or that Shigure would be banished from the clan. He chose banishment and went to live with his wife’s family, the shame stopping his already shambling career as a shinobi. Nine months later, the child was delivered in the modest home and shop of his mother’s family. At the suggestion of his maternal grandfather, they named him Akito. Written ‘Aki’, like ‘chapter’” and ‘To’ like the constellation.”
Akito pulled the scroll back towards himself, and quickly inked something in the corner of the sketch he had shown Akiko. He turned it back around and placed the scroll back in front of Akiko where she could see his signature in the corner: 章斗.
“Again, apologies for laughing.” Akito took a sip of his tea. “In my defense, it is quite the funny coincidence.”
As Akiko asked her question of Akito, he took another slice of melon from his plate and chewed it pensively.
“A story for a story? My story for one of yours? An interesting proposition.”
What is this? A strange flirt? Intelligence gathering? Either way, I suppose there is little that could be gleaned from my story: even the fact that I'm only half Hyuuga is of no utility for intelligence or blackmail.
“What do you know of the Hyuuga clan?” Akito asked, settling back into his chair. When he saw a look of confusion on Akiko’s face, he kept going, deciding to err on the side of explanation. “The Hyuuga are one of the great Shinobi clans. They, or should I say, we hail from Konoha in the Hi no Kuni where we are one of the three founding clans alongside the Senju and our ancestral rivals, the Yamanaka. The kekkei genkai which binds us as a clan is this,” Akito pointed to his left eye, the iris and pupil of which were only just barely a different color than the sclera. “The Byakugan, a doujutsu which, among other powers, lets us see chakra, including the chakra systems of living things.”
Akito took a short break from his explanation to have another sip of his tea before it warmed up to room temperature.
“As a rule, the Hyuuga are a proud clan, bound by tradition. We hold filial piety as a central value, and look to our elders to guide our decisions, up to and including our choice of partners. In this way – through arranged marriage and guided reproduction – the clan seeks to keep the Hyuuga bloodline both pure and strong. Breaches of these rules are dealt with strictly.”
Akito smiled and took a deep breath.
“That was an extensive forward, I know. My story starts some forty-odd years ago with two brothers of the Hyuuga clan: Shinji the elder, and Shigure the younger. Shinji was the naturally gifted of the two. He quickly mastered the Hyuuga’s style of fighting and shot up through the ranks. Shigure, on the other hand, struggled. He was a mediocre shinobi in all respects, but where his brother was stern and over-serious, Shigure was amiable and gregarious, even with people outside the clan. While Shinji kept his teammates at an arm's length outside of missions, Shigure became very close with his. One of those teammates was a girl named Michiru, the daughter of a relatively well-known family of medical ninjutsu practitioners. They became genin sweethearts who continued their relationship as they advanced through the ranks to chuunin. When the pair were twenty, they were – one would usually say blessed by children – but the Hyuuga did not see it that way. Shigure was told that they must either abort their unborn child or that Shigure would be banished from the clan. He chose banishment and went to live with his wife’s family, the shame stopping his already shambling career as a shinobi. Nine months later, the child was delivered in the modest home and shop of his mother’s family. At the suggestion of his maternal grandfather, they named him Akito. Written ‘Aki’, like ‘chapter’” and ‘To’ like the constellation.”
| Akito Hyuuga | Konoha | Jounin | #008080 |
|
Jirou Kisama | Heart Empire | Akibushi | #BF4000 |
|
Hanzou Fukusha | Iwa | Genin | #800080 |
Meeting of the Aki's
The child only stopped for a minute, but what he heard would change his life forever. Well.. that's a bit dramatic. It would change his life for the next 5 minutes really. When the boy heard the girl's name, he started walking over silently. How exciting! Someone else that called themselves Aki possibly. However, what he didn't expects is for the white eyed man to also have a name starting with Aki. How crazy! It was almost like fate combined with out of body medaling created this very convenient opportunity for all of the parties involved.
The pink haired brat couldn't let this opportunity just pass by! The child weaved a couple of hand signs and didn't do anything until they finished their conversations. After all, he was going to rock their world and be praised by all who enters his presence. Or at least all who is forced to embrace his presence. The boy would release his jutsu, but to the naked eye nothing really happened. The child would wait as an exit formed from the Limbo Realm. He would listen on, after all what if they were enemies?!
After listening carefully, the child had rightfully deduced that these two were literally strangers and meeting with no evil or harmful intentions. So why not grace them. With great excitement Aki jumped through the exit portal and lifted both of his hands in the air while spreading his legs as he landed. Almost like he was going to yell surprise. The boy jumped out with nothing but excitement on his face as his pink hair bobbed in the air. With enthusiasm that only a child could convey, he shouted. "AND I AM AKIHIKO!" Upon his landing, the boy would straighten up a little bit, but still be relaxed in his overall demeaner. After potentially scaring them, the boy would disclose his true thoughts, which weren't that deep to begin with.
"Who would have thought! Three Aki's together!"
The pink haired brat couldn't let this opportunity just pass by! The child weaved a couple of hand signs and didn't do anything until they finished their conversations. After all, he was going to rock their world and be praised by all who enters his presence. Or at least all who is forced to embrace his presence. The boy would release his jutsu, but to the naked eye nothing really happened. The child would wait as an exit formed from the Limbo Realm. He would listen on, after all what if they were enemies?!
After listening carefully, the child had rightfully deduced that these two were literally strangers and meeting with no evil or harmful intentions. So why not grace them. With great excitement Aki jumped through the exit portal and lifted both of his hands in the air while spreading his legs as he landed. Almost like he was going to yell surprise. The boy jumped out with nothing but excitement on his face as his pink hair bobbed in the air. With enthusiasm that only a child could convey, he shouted. "AND I AM AKIHIKO!" Upon his landing, the boy would straighten up a little bit, but still be relaxed in his overall demeaner. After potentially scaring them, the boy would disclose his true thoughts, which weren't that deep to begin with.
"Who would have thought! Three Aki's together!"
Jutsu usedShow
Limbo • Exit
E-Rank Ninjutsu
By channeling chakra or weaving the a single hand sign with either hand, Akihiko focused on creating a small slit in front of whatever is foreign to the Limbo Realm. This slit is an opening back into entering the Physical Realm and exiting the Limbo Realm.
E-Rank Ninjutsu
By channeling chakra or weaving the a single hand sign with either hand, Akihiko focused on creating a small slit in front of whatever is foreign to the Limbo Realm. This slit is an opening back into entering the Physical Realm and exiting the Limbo Realm.
| Characters | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Village | Rank |
| Hatake, Tenzin | Konohagakure no Sato | Bannin - [color=#BF0000]Text Color[/color] |
| Ishiguro, Akihiko | Kumogakure no Sato | Chuunin - [color=#FF4080]Text Color[/color] |
| Kisama, Ginjiro | Heart Empire | Natsubushi - [color=#80BF80]Text Color[/color] |
| Murasaki | Iwagakure no Sato | Genin - [color=#FF8040]Text Color[/color] |
-
HotelBravo
- Posts: 406
- Joined: Thu Jul 07, 2022 11:12 pm
Meeting of the Aki's
“Akiko?” Akito was snickering as he took his seat. What was so funny? Akiko waited with patience to see what exactly he was up to. He waved his hands and she nodded as though to encourage him to continue. “Apologies, apologies. It is a lovely name for a lovely woman. I was just taken aback. You see, my name is Akito. Hyuuga Akito. Written ‘Aki’, like ‘chapter’” and ‘To’ like the constellation.”
”Ah! I think I get it now.”
“Again, apologies for laughing.” Akito took a sip of his tea, and Akiko followed suit drinking her ice water. A hint of lemon. It tasted fresh, and rich. Cool. It wasn’t often that one could drink a cup of water that was as refreshing. She took a satisfied breath as Akito continued his thought. “In my defense, it is quite the funny coincidence.”.
”Oh no, I quite agree!”
“A story for a story? My story for one of yours? An interesting proposition. What do you know of the Hyuuga clan?” Akito asked. ”Very little I’m afraid.” Perhaps it was a ninja clan. Akiko hadn’t been involved much in the war nor with ninja clans in general. She was getting a suspicion that he was nobility from his easy mannerisim, but his confidence and movements screamed to her that he knew how to use his physique to his advantage. He used measured movements, something that the stronger samurai did. A Shinobi would probably do the same right?
“The Hyuuga are one of the great Shinobi clans. They, or should I say, we hail from Konoha in the Hi no Kuni where we are one of the three founding clans alongside the Senju and our ancestral rivals, the Yamanaka. The kekkei genkai which binds us as a clan is this,” Akito pointed to his left eye, the iris and pupil of which were only just barely a different color than the sclera. Akiko nodded, listening quietly and leaned in to look as he gestured to his eye and took mental note on the eye. “The Byakugan, a doujutsu which, among other powers, lets us see chakra, including the chakra systems of living things.”
“As a rule, the Hyuuga are a proud clan, bound by tradition. We hold filial piety as a central value, and look to our elders to guide our decisions, up to and including our choice of partners. In this way – through arranged marriage and guided reproduction – the clan seeks to keep the Hyuuga bloodline both pure and strong. Breaches of these rules are dealt with strictly.” Akiko let the man continue to weave the tale and remained in silence until Akito finished his story. Akiko mused on the things that he had told her so easily. He had woven the tale of his parents, it had started becoming apparent on who this story was about some where along the way. She waited politely for him to finish and paid close attention as to demonstrate her respect for the tale that he was telling. She was about to open her mouth when suddenly -
"AND I AM AKIHIKO!" A pink haired boy appeared out of thin air. Akiko jumped in place her hands over her chest, initially. Her jump caused her to bump into her shamisen causing it to fall over! "Who would have thought! Three Aki's together!" The boy said. It was incredibly rare to have pink hair. Akiko’s Pink hair was a choice, although many people had strange hair colors in this world. His hair was a different shade of pink than hers so at the least if he was the type to dye his hair pink, he wasn’t using the same hair dye as she was.
”Oh my, you startled me! How quaint, another ‘Aki’ with pink hair? I think I’m starting to feel less out of place. Perhaps you could use some Pink Hair Hyuuga-sama?” Akiko considered the new Aki who had just joined them. ”We were just swapping stories Aki-san, with Hyuuga-sama’s permission of course, would you care to join us? A story for a story. Speaking of stories however - I believe its my turn. What kind of story would you like Hyuuga-sama? Just name any kind of story, and I’ll try and tell you one that matches what you ask for? After all you told me about yourself, and about your clan's powers - perhaps a careless story to tell and I would feel terrible if I couldn't reciprocate”
”Ah! I think I get it now.”
“Again, apologies for laughing.” Akito took a sip of his tea, and Akiko followed suit drinking her ice water. A hint of lemon. It tasted fresh, and rich. Cool. It wasn’t often that one could drink a cup of water that was as refreshing. She took a satisfied breath as Akito continued his thought. “In my defense, it is quite the funny coincidence.”.
”Oh no, I quite agree!”
“A story for a story? My story for one of yours? An interesting proposition. What do you know of the Hyuuga clan?” Akito asked. ”Very little I’m afraid.” Perhaps it was a ninja clan. Akiko hadn’t been involved much in the war nor with ninja clans in general. She was getting a suspicion that he was nobility from his easy mannerisim, but his confidence and movements screamed to her that he knew how to use his physique to his advantage. He used measured movements, something that the stronger samurai did. A Shinobi would probably do the same right?
“The Hyuuga are one of the great Shinobi clans. They, or should I say, we hail from Konoha in the Hi no Kuni where we are one of the three founding clans alongside the Senju and our ancestral rivals, the Yamanaka. The kekkei genkai which binds us as a clan is this,” Akito pointed to his left eye, the iris and pupil of which were only just barely a different color than the sclera. Akiko nodded, listening quietly and leaned in to look as he gestured to his eye and took mental note on the eye. “The Byakugan, a doujutsu which, among other powers, lets us see chakra, including the chakra systems of living things.”
“As a rule, the Hyuuga are a proud clan, bound by tradition. We hold filial piety as a central value, and look to our elders to guide our decisions, up to and including our choice of partners. In this way – through arranged marriage and guided reproduction – the clan seeks to keep the Hyuuga bloodline both pure and strong. Breaches of these rules are dealt with strictly.” Akiko let the man continue to weave the tale and remained in silence until Akito finished his story. Akiko mused on the things that he had told her so easily. He had woven the tale of his parents, it had started becoming apparent on who this story was about some where along the way. She waited politely for him to finish and paid close attention as to demonstrate her respect for the tale that he was telling. She was about to open her mouth when suddenly -
"AND I AM AKIHIKO!" A pink haired boy appeared out of thin air. Akiko jumped in place her hands over her chest, initially. Her jump caused her to bump into her shamisen causing it to fall over! "Who would have thought! Three Aki's together!" The boy said. It was incredibly rare to have pink hair. Akiko’s Pink hair was a choice, although many people had strange hair colors in this world. His hair was a different shade of pink than hers so at the least if he was the type to dye his hair pink, he wasn’t using the same hair dye as she was.
”Oh my, you startled me! How quaint, another ‘Aki’ with pink hair? I think I’m starting to feel less out of place. Perhaps you could use some Pink Hair Hyuuga-sama?” Akiko considered the new Aki who had just joined them. ”We were just swapping stories Aki-san, with Hyuuga-sama’s permission of course, would you care to join us? A story for a story. Speaking of stories however - I believe its my turn. What kind of story would you like Hyuuga-sama? Just name any kind of story, and I’ll try and tell you one that matches what you ask for? After all you told me about yourself, and about your clan's powers - perhaps a careless story to tell and I would feel terrible if I couldn't reciprocate”
Last edited by HotelBravo on Mon Apr 22, 2024 11:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Meeting of the Aki's
Several times in his life, Akito had experienced something like this: what he thought was a calm moment interrupted by an adversary appearing from nowhere. These tended to be, almost without fail, negative experiences. Because of this when Aki burst forth from the Limbo realm, Akito’s training kicked in. He stood with a suddenness that sent his chair toppling over behind him and jostled the table, sloshing tea and water from their respective cups and onto the tables’ surface. Without even meaning to, Akito adopted a Jyuuken stance, his hands coming up to about chest level, palms out.
It quickly became apparent that the newcomer was no assassin or ambusher. He looked to be no older than 16, and appeared to be unarmed. Come to think of it, he also introduced himself as Akihiko.
"Who would have thought! Three Aki's together!"
At that, Akito’s fingers relaxed and he let out a small chuckle that grew into a full laugh as his stance relaxed fully.
“Welcome, Akihiko-kun,” Akito said as he righted his chair, the echoes of his laugh still audible in his tone. “Apologies for my reaction. This may be the first time in my line of work that someone appearing like that has been anything but negative. Please, sit, join us. If you would like.”
Akiko spoke as Akito returned to his seat, briefly running a hand through his hair in response to her comment about dyeing it pink.
“A careless story? I think not. My clan’s powers are not exactly a well-kept secret. You will find talk about them in any book on the shinobi clans. In fact,” Akito turned to face Akihiko. “By the way you made your entrance I would wager you are a shinobi as well, no? I do not recognize you from Konoha, so I would further wager that you come from another village. Even had the lady here not said my surname, could you have guessed it from my appearance?”
He turned his attention back to Akiko. “As for a story in return: how about something obscure? Esoteric. Something that few scholars would know and fewer would have written down?”
It quickly became apparent that the newcomer was no assassin or ambusher. He looked to be no older than 16, and appeared to be unarmed. Come to think of it, he also introduced himself as Akihiko.
"Who would have thought! Three Aki's together!"
At that, Akito’s fingers relaxed and he let out a small chuckle that grew into a full laugh as his stance relaxed fully.
“Welcome, Akihiko-kun,” Akito said as he righted his chair, the echoes of his laugh still audible in his tone. “Apologies for my reaction. This may be the first time in my line of work that someone appearing like that has been anything but negative. Please, sit, join us. If you would like.”
Akiko spoke as Akito returned to his seat, briefly running a hand through his hair in response to her comment about dyeing it pink.
“A careless story? I think not. My clan’s powers are not exactly a well-kept secret. You will find talk about them in any book on the shinobi clans. In fact,” Akito turned to face Akihiko. “By the way you made your entrance I would wager you are a shinobi as well, no? I do not recognize you from Konoha, so I would further wager that you come from another village. Even had the lady here not said my surname, could you have guessed it from my appearance?”
He turned his attention back to Akiko. “As for a story in return: how about something obscure? Esoteric. Something that few scholars would know and fewer would have written down?”
| Akito Hyuuga | Konoha | Jounin | #008080 |
|
Jirou Kisama | Heart Empire | Akibushi | #BF4000 |
|
Hanzou Fukusha | Iwa | Genin | #800080 |
Meeting of the Aki's
Pink Hair, Pink Hair, BLACK HAIR???? Come on! The Aki's had to have the same hair, it comes with the name of course. The boy nodded to both of them with equal amount of respect. He would look at the pretty woman with pink hair. She didn't wear or have anything that resembled where she was from. "Thank you other pink haired Aki, it is great to meet you." The boy would turn to Akito as he apologized. The child would sit in a seat to be with the other two and acknowledge his apologies. "No you are fine. I have trained with someone similar to you, so I half expected a reaction like yours." The pink haired boy was just only slightly hinted that he has trained with a Hyuuga before. What gave it away was their eyes... Takeshi, whom Aki had trained with had very very similar eyes. To Aki, he thought they were at the very least brothers. Or maybe they were lovers? The thought of this new Aki and Takeshi making sweet passionate love near a waterfall blipped in his single celled brain for only a fleeting second, but enough for the boy to shiver outwardly a little bit.
Aki watched the two interacting. Hmm there was some kind of chemistry here that the boy couldn't ignore. Maybe he shouldn't have but in. They might have gone further than tea. The boy listened to Akito and this only allowed Aki to smirk a little bit. "Yes, I trained for a little bit with... whom I can only assume is your partner Takeshi. He was rough around the edges and reactionary like you. You are like a billboard for Konoha!" The boy hadn't really known Akito too well, but all he wanted to do was get a reaction. That's why he had a very annoying laugh after the statement. When the laughter settled, the boy had a question for Aki as well. "Great guess on me being a shinobi, can you tell where?"
After his laughter, the boy would turn towards Akiko and continue to smile. The pink haired child would excitedly look at her as he muttered, "Yes a story!!"
Aki watched the two interacting. Hmm there was some kind of chemistry here that the boy couldn't ignore. Maybe he shouldn't have but in. They might have gone further than tea. The boy listened to Akito and this only allowed Aki to smirk a little bit. "Yes, I trained for a little bit with... whom I can only assume is your partner Takeshi. He was rough around the edges and reactionary like you. You are like a billboard for Konoha!" The boy hadn't really known Akito too well, but all he wanted to do was get a reaction. That's why he had a very annoying laugh after the statement. When the laughter settled, the boy had a question for Aki as well. "Great guess on me being a shinobi, can you tell where?"
After his laughter, the boy would turn towards Akiko and continue to smile. The pink haired child would excitedly look at her as he muttered, "Yes a story!!"
Last edited by Texas on Sat Apr 27, 2024 9:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
| Characters | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Village | Rank |
| Hatake, Tenzin | Konohagakure no Sato | Bannin - [color=#BF0000]Text Color[/color] |
| Ishiguro, Akihiko | Kumogakure no Sato | Chuunin - [color=#FF4080]Text Color[/color] |
| Kisama, Ginjiro | Heart Empire | Natsubushi - [color=#80BF80]Text Color[/color] |
| Murasaki | Iwagakure no Sato | Genin - [color=#FF8040]Text Color[/color] |
-
HotelBravo
- Posts: 406
- Joined: Thu Jul 07, 2022 11:12 pm
Meeting of the Aki's
“Welcome, Akihiko-kun,” Akito fixed his chair. “Apologies for my reaction. This may be the first time in my line of work that someone appearing like that has been anything but negative. Please, sit, join us. If you would like.” It was good that the two boys were getting along well enough. Akiko
"Thank you other pink haired Aki, it is great to meet you." The New Aki, with Pink hair sat took a seat. Akiko called down the waiter in the meantime. "No you are fine. I have trained with someone similar to you, so I half expected a reaction like yours." the third of the Aki’s was saying. ”Would you care for something Pink Haired-Aki-Sama?” Akiko took another menu from the Waiter and placed it in front of the other Pink hair Aki. ”Feel free to order whatever you wish, I’ll be happy to cover the fee.” Although the truth was that Akiko wasn’t by any means wealthy. From a family of priests she had never had much money and ever since she ended her commission in Heart as a samurai she didn’t currently have a source of income. How much could he eat?
“A careless story? I think not. My clan’s powers are not exactly a well-kept secret. You will find talk about them in any book on the shinobi clans. In fact,” Akito turned to face Akihiko. “By the way you made your entrance I would wager you are a shinobi as well, no? I do not recognize you from Konoha, so I would further wager that you come from another village. Even had the lady here not said my surname, could you have guessed it from my appearance?”
"Yes, I trained for a little bit with... whom I can only assume is your partner Takeshi. He was rough around the edges and reactionary like you. You are like a billboard for Konoha!" Akihiko answered. From what Akito had said about his clan, it became a lot more apparent after Akito’s story. "Great guess on me being a shinobi, can you tell where?" Akihiko had challenged Akito. When Akiko brought up the idea of a story the young Akihiko seemed to immediately lose his train of thought as he seemed to jump at the idea of telling a story "Yes a story!!"
“As for a story in return: how about something obscure? Esoteric. Something that few scholars would know and fewer would have written down?” Akito prompted.
”Hyuuga-sama has exquisite tastes I see. I suppose that should only be expected from someone from such a storied lineage. It sounds like what you are asking for is not just a story, but an old one that few know - is that right?”
”Then I shall tell you such a tale.” Akiko pulled up her Shamisen and set it upon her lap and took the shamisen bachi in the other hand. She began to dance upon the strings as she wove a tale through song and lyrics.
He was just a woodsman, With his wife he did dwell
A man of Giant Stature, A Golden Heart as well
He labored from dawn, and long after dark
He’d return the next day at the cry of the lark
When he reaches the door, a welcoming sight
There’s his son and his dog along with his wife
But today something strange, a guest dines tonight
Its an old priest, who sought shelter
“Tell me, your labors are long yet when do you pray”
“Don’t accuse me priest, I have no time to waste
For I must feed my son and my wife too
And I have to buy bread with my sweat
the labor requires All of my might.
So I work from dawn and long into dark
And return the next day at the cry of the lark
Through the teeth of the tempest, and the mouth of the gale
May the Kami protect us if my strength should fail
And my table be empty, save for a wail”
O the roar of the chains and the cracking of timbers
The sound of his labors near and dear
And through the sweat of his might and sweat of his brow
May my table never fail.
“But without a prayer
You will offend the gods
And live a thousand generations as a toad
Or a mouse or an insect or fish or a cod”
So the fear struck the woodsman and he fell to his knees
He prayed till the sun went from West to the East
The fields lay empty and became the least
And his table was bare without to feast
And his wife cried to him, but “woman be at peace”
“Rise good husband and take up your axe
And go tend to your lands
For the table is empty and you starve your son
The food in the storage is all but gone
And soon we will die if not in the least
You buy some bread with the sweat of your feats”
“Have you no shame or fear not the gods?
Do you wish to be a toad or a mouse or a cod?
Then leave me to pray and give due to the gods”
He stood and took his axe and was gone
He kept on moving until he climb up a hill
He kept on praying that he might have mercy still
But when he spied a fox, and the smile of luck
This must be a sign from the heavens above
So he chase and chase and chased past noon
But the fox was quick and lost him so soon
But a clearing before him appeared at this time
And two women sat with a game between
As the one reached to move a single peace
“Wait!” cried the woodsman “That will lead to defeat!”
The women became foxes and vanish without a trail
Disheartened at his fortune he left as well
And returned to his cabin which was now gone
For the cabin was ash and two graves remained
On the stone son and his wife’s names
For though he prayed he forgot to work
To labor with his might in the mud and the dirt
To buy bread with the sweat of his brow
To feed his son, his wife, and dog as well
His strength of his life was all but gone
A passing stranger he called upon
“If you pray woman remember what must be done
Labor with your might while you still have the strength”
Through the teeth of the tempest, and the mouth of the gale
May the Kami protect us if your strength should fail
And your table be empty, save for a wail”
O the roar of the chains and the cracking of timbers
The sound of his labors near and dear
And through the sweat of his might and sweat of his brow
May my table never fail.
And so in the morning and long past the dawn
The ghost of the man has his work to be done
A moan from his lips as warns as saws a tree
Do not do the same as foolish me
"Thank you other pink haired Aki, it is great to meet you." The New Aki, with Pink hair sat took a seat. Akiko called down the waiter in the meantime. "No you are fine. I have trained with someone similar to you, so I half expected a reaction like yours." the third of the Aki’s was saying. ”Would you care for something Pink Haired-Aki-Sama?” Akiko took another menu from the Waiter and placed it in front of the other Pink hair Aki. ”Feel free to order whatever you wish, I’ll be happy to cover the fee.” Although the truth was that Akiko wasn’t by any means wealthy. From a family of priests she had never had much money and ever since she ended her commission in Heart as a samurai she didn’t currently have a source of income. How much could he eat?
“A careless story? I think not. My clan’s powers are not exactly a well-kept secret. You will find talk about them in any book on the shinobi clans. In fact,” Akito turned to face Akihiko. “By the way you made your entrance I would wager you are a shinobi as well, no? I do not recognize you from Konoha, so I would further wager that you come from another village. Even had the lady here not said my surname, could you have guessed it from my appearance?”
"Yes, I trained for a little bit with... whom I can only assume is your partner Takeshi. He was rough around the edges and reactionary like you. You are like a billboard for Konoha!" Akihiko answered. From what Akito had said about his clan, it became a lot more apparent after Akito’s story. "Great guess on me being a shinobi, can you tell where?" Akihiko had challenged Akito. When Akiko brought up the idea of a story the young Akihiko seemed to immediately lose his train of thought as he seemed to jump at the idea of telling a story "Yes a story!!"
“As for a story in return: how about something obscure? Esoteric. Something that few scholars would know and fewer would have written down?” Akito prompted.
”Hyuuga-sama has exquisite tastes I see. I suppose that should only be expected from someone from such a storied lineage. It sounds like what you are asking for is not just a story, but an old one that few know - is that right?”
”Then I shall tell you such a tale.” Akiko pulled up her Shamisen and set it upon her lap and took the shamisen bachi in the other hand. She began to dance upon the strings as she wove a tale through song and lyrics.
He was just a woodsman, With his wife he did dwell
A man of Giant Stature, A Golden Heart as well
He labored from dawn, and long after dark
He’d return the next day at the cry of the lark
When he reaches the door, a welcoming sight
There’s his son and his dog along with his wife
But today something strange, a guest dines tonight
Its an old priest, who sought shelter
“Tell me, your labors are long yet when do you pray”
“Don’t accuse me priest, I have no time to waste
For I must feed my son and my wife too
And I have to buy bread with my sweat
the labor requires All of my might.
So I work from dawn and long into dark
And return the next day at the cry of the lark
Through the teeth of the tempest, and the mouth of the gale
May the Kami protect us if my strength should fail
And my table be empty, save for a wail”
O the roar of the chains and the cracking of timbers
The sound of his labors near and dear
And through the sweat of his might and sweat of his brow
May my table never fail.
“But without a prayer
You will offend the gods
And live a thousand generations as a toad
Or a mouse or an insect or fish or a cod”
So the fear struck the woodsman and he fell to his knees
He prayed till the sun went from West to the East
The fields lay empty and became the least
And his table was bare without to feast
And his wife cried to him, but “woman be at peace”
“Rise good husband and take up your axe
And go tend to your lands
For the table is empty and you starve your son
The food in the storage is all but gone
And soon we will die if not in the least
You buy some bread with the sweat of your feats”
“Have you no shame or fear not the gods?
Do you wish to be a toad or a mouse or a cod?
Then leave me to pray and give due to the gods”
He stood and took his axe and was gone
He kept on moving until he climb up a hill
He kept on praying that he might have mercy still
But when he spied a fox, and the smile of luck
This must be a sign from the heavens above
So he chase and chase and chased past noon
But the fox was quick and lost him so soon
But a clearing before him appeared at this time
And two women sat with a game between
As the one reached to move a single peace
“Wait!” cried the woodsman “That will lead to defeat!”
The women became foxes and vanish without a trail
Disheartened at his fortune he left as well
And returned to his cabin which was now gone
For the cabin was ash and two graves remained
On the stone son and his wife’s names
For though he prayed he forgot to work
To labor with his might in the mud and the dirt
To buy bread with the sweat of his brow
To feed his son, his wife, and dog as well
His strength of his life was all but gone
A passing stranger he called upon
“If you pray woman remember what must be done
Labor with your might while you still have the strength”
Through the teeth of the tempest, and the mouth of the gale
May the Kami protect us if your strength should fail
And your table be empty, save for a wail”
O the roar of the chains and the cracking of timbers
The sound of his labors near and dear
And through the sweat of his might and sweat of his brow
May my table never fail.
And so in the morning and long past the dawn
The ghost of the man has his work to be done
A moan from his lips as warns as saws a tree
Do not do the same as foolish me