[Graded][Plotboard] Greetings

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Trucro
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[Graded][Plotboard] Greetings

Post by Trucro » Wed Jul 13, 2016 8:30 pm

The Trip to Sunanada Mako let out a rather loud sigh, but there was no one around to hear it. He rolled over in his bed that lay on the dusty ground of his room. He had lived in the same room all his life, and it felt like home. That didn’t mean it was clean, thought. As Mako sat up, he spun around, placing his feet on the floor. He could feel the dust and sand that coated the ground in between his toes. It didn’t worry him at all.

He stood and got dressed. He slowly made his way to the kitchen where he found a half-eaten loaf of bread and a day old apple on the counter. He sat at the long table in the massive dining room he now owned, but he never used more than one seat. As he ate his breakfast, he paged through his notes on the briefing for his next mission. It was a simple one, probably one that could easily be done by someone less skilled than he. He had to protect a caravan traveling to Sunanada; he had done missions like that when he was Chunin, so he was a bit confused why he was being sent on this mission. Caravan safety was extremely important in Wind Country whose large cities couldn’t support themselves with food from the surrounding areas due to the sprawling deserts of the country. Caravans allowed these cities to survive and even thrive. But if they were disrupted, mass starvations wouldn’t be far off.

Mako had not completely rationalized his position when he reached the end of his notes. There, at the bottom, he had written the name Arata Fujitsuna. He had recognized the name during the briefing, but couldn’t place it off the top of his head. Of course, he knew many people throughout the village, having run into them here and there. He wouldn’t be surprised if he knew this Arata.

As he downed the last bit of bread remaining, Mako stood to leave. He locked the door on his way out before turning towards the outskirts of the city. He was to meet up with Arata while heading to the edge of the village to find the caravan. He sighed as he suffered under the heat. The sun was out again, as it always seemed be in Sunagakure, and it was hot as ever. Mako raised his hood and his mask to cover his face, protecting his pale skin from the sun. The last thing he needed now was a sunburn.

The village was bustling as usual, and so Mako slipped through the streets, entirely unnoticed. He was rarely stopped by anyone in the village; few people knew Mako well, and he didn’t appear to be the most welcoming person, especially with his mask with teeth stitched into the front. He swallowed hard as he thought about going for his water, but decided against it. He’d need to save it for the trip.
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Ryuu Genkouyoushi; Jounin; Iwagakure No Sato

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[Graded][Plotboard] Greetings

Post by Willoria » Thu Jul 14, 2016 9:34 am

There was so much blood, his fingers were slick with it and he could hardly keep his hands over the wound. He had to stop the bleeding didn't he? He had to try. He could hardly see as tears clouded his vision and he begged her to stay with him, begged her not to go and yet, he the boy, failed to see the light had already left her eyes. The name was on the tip of his tongue and yet he couldn't recall it. Even as he gathered her broken body into his arms and cradled her against him, her life having slipped through his own fingers in the form of her blood, he couldn't even say the name.

Arata awoke with a start, that name on his lips. "Akemi..." it came out in a whisper as he sat there, taking a few deep breaths to steady himself as his eyes wandered to his end table. There was a picture there, turned on its face so you couldn't see it, and as he had done so many other mornings, he reached over and lifted it, staring at the faces for a moment. One was his own, and the other of a young woman, of his twin. A thumb caressed the image before laying it down once more, as it had been before, and he swung his feet off the bed.

That nightmare was not unfamiliar, the man woke up with it often as well as the headache of a hangover that lingered even now. Last night had been another romp with some girl he had paid, another night of being the Faithless as he had been so dubbed by many, and for good reason. He reached over for the now warm beer on his nightstand and downed what was left, not even half a bottle. It wouldn't do much for him, except hopefully chase a bit of the edge off the hair of the dog he was suffering now.

He took enough time to wash away the cold sweat of the memory and nightmare that had awoken him before getting dressed and eating a ricecake. He didn't have much in the house, but he had that much and he remembered he had a mission that day. He grabbed a pouch of leaf and a pipe which he stashed away in an inside pocket of his kimono shirt, hoping he'd have a chance for a good smoke later. After all, a day when he was straight and sober was a bad one in his book. Yet as he left his small apartment, he tried to leave behind the memory of his twin who had once died in his arms.

By time he hit the street he bore his typical smirk, his weapons about him, and his emotional armor was up. One hand rest on his wakizashi on his left hip, the other in his shirt. Any woman he passed he winked out, and should she be dressed in a way that gave him perfect view of her other features... she'd likely get a tap on her backside. Of course Arata was sure to dance away before any repurcussions could be had, in most cases. Yet by time he reached the place where the caravan was getting ready to leave and he was sure to meet his partner, he already had a red mark on his right cheek from at least one slap, probably more.

Yet he was still grinning from ear to ear like the faithless fool most knew him as.
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[Graded][Plotboard] Greetings

Post by Trucro » Thu Jul 14, 2016 11:51 am

Mako closed his right eye as the wind kicked sand up in his face. The closer he got to the edge of the village, the less buildings protected against the wind, and the more sand swirled around. He kicked his way through the sand, finally reaching the edge of the city. Some three dozen people sat just behind the two large cliffs that formed the passageway out of the village. They were all busy, pushing through their packs, placing their goods on the wagons, and hitching up the horses. It was a good sized caravan, Mako thought, but still wasn’t anything special. He sighed in disappointment.

“Hmmmm…” he mumbled out loud, scanning the crown for his partner. He didn’t know what Arata looked like, but he figured he’d be able to tell when he saw another ninja, especially someone of Arata’s rank. His eyes eventually landed on a black haired man carrying what appeared to be a good number of bladed weapons hanging off his person. The man had a familiar face as well, verifying Mako’s decision. He lowered his hood, but left the mask covering his mouth up. It was a pretty ugly mask, with a mouth stitched into it. In the center, where the rows of teeth met, was a small zipper. It was a useful little hatch for drinking or eating without exposing one’s face to the wind and sand, but it did look quite inelegant. As he approached the man, he began speaking.

“Hello, Arata Fujitsuna. I’m Mako Notaramu.” Mako wasn’t much of a talker, and he didn’t feel the need to say anything else.
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[Graded][Plotboard] Greetings

Post by Willoria » Thu Jul 14, 2016 8:43 pm

Arata turned as he heard his name and turned in time to hear the name given as well. His eyes moved to the mask on the man's face rather briefly, raising an eyebrow at the site of it. It was the only reaction he showed to it. But he reached out a hand to shake Mako's in greeting before speaking. "You're my partner then." he remarked, his eyes flitting to the mask again before his eyes went to the caravan as people rushed around to get ready. "Ever seen a more boring sight?" he asked as his hand reached into his Kimono shirt and withdrew a couple of things.

He put a bit of his 'herb' into the pipe before pulling it up to his lips and lighting the end of it, taking a drag before sighing quietly and letting the pipe rest at his side, flicking the used match aside that he had used to light it. A moment later it seemed gone and away back into his inner pocket though the smell of the herb lingered around the man himself.

"Well maybe if we're lucky at least one of the girls will have a decent ass, right?" He asked with a laugh as he smacked Mako lightly in the chest as if he were part of the joke, before turning and walking up towards the caravan itself. Clearly he was planning on walking the line of it, taking a look at just what they were protecting.
The Tales of the Aes Sedai Fukusha Reina - Iwagakure No Sato - Jounin - #EF2B2D Atsushi Cho - Tea Country - D Rank Samurai - #A34402 Hanzo - Sunagakure No Sato - Genin - #35C4AF

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[Graded][Plotboard] Greetings

Post by Trucro » Fri Jul 15, 2016 6:21 am

It was official: Mako hated Arata. Mako was a quiet guy, and was generally rather quick to resent people; it didn’t take much to put Arata on that list. As Arata smacked him on the chest, a pipe lit in his mouth, Mako was contemplating ways to kill his new partner and get away with it. He would never carry it out, but a man could dream. Mako never felt good about being touched by other people, particularly those he just met, and he could already smell the rotten smoke filing out of his pipe. Mako was glad he was wearing his mask to cover up this feeling, but he wasn’t showing any emotion on his face anyway.

“We need to make sure the caravan is in proper formation. Joro Amike and his carriage are to have the front slot. Let’s find him first, then you can do what you want.” Mako Actually knew the man, Joro Amike; Joro had done business with his father when he was alive. Mako hadn’t seen him in years, but he figured he’d be able to pick the man out of a crowd. He scanned the group that was packing for a moment, ignoring whatever Arata was saying, if he was saying anything at all.

“I don’t see him here. We’ll have to wait a little longer for him,” he said with despair. He realized this meant spending more time with his assigned partner, but there was no other way. Mako would have to hide his resentment as best he could. It wasn’t quite time for the caravan to leave yet; the scheduled departure was around midday, and the sun wasn’t quite at its zenith. He watched carefully as the others continued their busywork, preparing their goods and carriages for the trip to Sunanada.
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Ryuu Genkouyoushi; Jounin; Iwagakure No Sato

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[Graded][Plotboard] Greetings

Post by Willoria » Fri Jul 15, 2016 9:20 am

"What do you think I'm doing?" Arata called to Mako as the man mentioned making sure the caravan was in formation. Oddly enough it really was what Arata was doing as he walked the line, meeting his new partner at the front just as the man expressed his disappointment about the lead cart not being there. Arata had already taken another hit from the brass pipe in his fingers before it disappeared into his kimono shirt once more. He glanced around and shrugged, looking at Mako again. "Eh, what's a few more minutes? Keeps us unpredictable." he remarked as he turned and started down the line once more.

Arata could see in Mako's body language already that the guy didn't like him, and that was the reason Arata was smiling. It was the entire point of just about everything he did after all. Keeping attachments at bay, keeping people safe. As his mind worked over it, probably for the hundredth time since he started doing this, someone suddenly leaped off one of the carts and bowled into him. "ARATA!"

By this point Arata was looking up from the ground, a girl sitting on him. The girl had short dark hair and loose pants, a loose fitting no-sleeve shirt that almost made her look like a boy. It took a moment for Arata to recognize her. "Mai...? I haven't seen you since-."

"Since you and Akemi escorted us once!" She finished for him, an answer that made the man under her freeze for a moment. "How is your sister?"

This was one way to come off a quick buzz, and it certainly wasn't one Arata enjoyed. Just naming his sister was enough to cause the man issue. As Mai asked about his twin, Arata suddenly sat up, grabbing her around the waist on the way up as he stood and set her down. "Get back where you were, Mai. You need to be ready to move out." he told her, harsher than he'd intended.

Mai blinked a moment, taken aback by Arata's behavior. The girl had no idea that Akemi was dead or that Arata had changed so drastically since. "Wait, but Ake-."

"Get back in position!" he snarled, turning to stalk his way the rest of the way down the line and leave Mai speechless in his wake.
The Tales of the Aes Sedai Fukusha Reina - Iwagakure No Sato - Jounin - #EF2B2D Atsushi Cho - Tea Country - D Rank Samurai - #A34402 Hanzo - Sunagakure No Sato - Genin - #35C4AF

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[Graded][Plotboard] Greetings

Post by Trucro » Fri Jul 15, 2016 10:00 am



Mako carefully watched the events unfold with a constantly furrowed brow. A young girl sat on top of Arata, screaming his name, some 10 meters away. They talked for a moment before Arata stood up, and spoke angrily to the girl. Mako couldn’t hear much of what they said, as the commotion from the rest of the caravan drowned it out. Un-phased by the confusing events he half-witnessed, he turned away. Several more people had joined the caravan with another carriage that carried a group of boxes and barrels. Still, Joro had not arrived. He turned to look down the street for the man, but saw nothing.

“My my, could that really be you?” a voice from behind Mako said. He turned around to see a bulky old man with a smile spread across his face. He wore plain looking tattered robes, but smelled of fresh perfume. Furthermore, his sandals were held together with a gold broach that revealed his true wealth. He stood in front of a single horse who pulled not a carriage, but a wooden cart, stacked to the brim with bags and boxes. A slight smirk pulled the side of Mako’s mouth out to the left, but no one could see it because of his mask. His eyebrows rose, however, and they were clearly visible. Mako slowly reached up to his mask and lowered it, revealing the rest of his face. “Haha! How have you been, Notaramu? It has been a few years I think...” Joro paused for a moment, clearly thinking whether or not to bring the conversation around to Mako’s dead parents. Mako decided to save the man.

“It is good to see you again, Joro. Where have you been?” Mako said, thrusting his eybrows up and down as he did. Before Joro could answer, Mako turned to see look at his partner before returning to the conversation.

“I had some last minute transactions to deal with; it’s nothing to worry about,” Joro said with a smile, rubbing the back of his head. “But really, let’s talk about what you’ve been up to, Mako.”

“We can talk about that later. Right now you need to get ready to leave; you’re supposed to head the front of the caravan.” As Mako finished speaking, he turned around to reach out to Arata, but Joro called after him.

“I was sorry to hear about your father,” he said, seemingly wishing that he had said it earlier. “I was going to come back, but I had to do some business across the desert…”

“We can talk later,” Mako responded coldly, without turning around. Joro closed his mouth quickly, and, nodding to himself, he headed over to where the caravan was organizing.
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Ryuu Genkouyoushi; Jounin; Iwagakure No Sato

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[Graded][Plotboard] Greetings

Post by Willoria » Fri Jul 15, 2016 10:21 am

Arata made his way to the back of the caravan, stepping around the last cart and pausing, one hand on the cart as he tried to steady himself. He took a few deep breaths, staring at his left had as for a moment he truly thought he saw it coated in her blood. "Akemi...." The name was just a whisper and with a snarl Arata banished it from his mind, slamming his fist against the cart before spinning on his heels and heading back down the line.

Ahead he could see Mako walking towards him, and past that he saw Joro. He tried to put on his usual grin though hardly managed a grimace as his thoughts still spun. "Seems your friend has joined us!" he called as he approached. "We're ready to go then, this half is all in place. With Joro in position we'll be ready to go, he was the last straggler it seemed." he said, hardly noticing himself that even Mako seemed to have a change in body language. Something had gotten to him as well though this time Arata made no attempts to figure out what. He had enough going on in his own mind without worrying about someone else's.

"So how do you want to position ourselves?" he asked Mako, trying to keep his mind on the task at hand, even as he could see Mai up ahead leaning off her cart with a frown as she looked at the pair.
The Tales of the Aes Sedai Fukusha Reina - Iwagakure No Sato - Jounin - #EF2B2D Atsushi Cho - Tea Country - D Rank Samurai - #A34402 Hanzo - Sunagakure No Sato - Genin - #35C4AF

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[Graded][Plotboard] Greetings

Post by Trucro » Fri Jul 15, 2016 10:48 am

Mako was relieved to see that Arata wasn’t going after women, or being attacked by children any longer, and even more relieved to see that he was focusing on plans for their mission. Perhaps he wouldn’t be a total waste after all; he was a Special Jounin. This relief wasn’t happiness, however, and Mako’s face showed no change in emotion.

“This caravan isn’t huge, so don’t worry too much about position; we’ll hear shouts from any member of the caravan.” As Mako spoke, he began fitting his mask back on the lower portion of his face, muffling some of his words. “That having been said, we can minimize damaged by having one of us in the front and one of us in the rear.” Mako paused for a moment as he thought. The plan was a very basic one; the ninja in the back would be able to see others following the caravan, and the one in the front would sniff out any traps. This type of positioning was pretty commonly used; since Mako and Arata weren’t trying to lure anyone in, there was no need to make the caravan look enticing, and since they weren’t protecting an individual, there was no need to focus on one point.

“You’ll take the front,” he said, strategically placing himself away from Joro. For some reason that he couldn’t place, Mako didn’t want to speak with Joro. There was something about him that felt phony; all tradesmen felt phony to him. That was the whole reason he avoided his father’s profession to begin with. “Is that acceptable to you?”
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Ryuu Genkouyoushi; Jounin; Iwagakure No Sato

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[Graded][Plotboard] Greetings

Post by Willoria » Fri Jul 15, 2016 11:21 am

Arata managed a glance at Mai as Mako spoke and simply nodded. "Works for me." Normally he would have made some quip about the fact that Mako seemed to be avoiding someone he was familiar with, but right now he wasn't caring too much about that, and in fact was okay with that. Mai was near the back of the caravan, being in the front would get him away from her.

As Arata started away towards the front, Mai seemed to watch him go a moment before her eyes moved to Mako. The mask was creepy but she didn't seem phased by it as she waved at him. "Pssst. Hey!" she said, trying to get his attention. The girl was still trying to figure out where Akemi was. Last she had known of the twins, they were never on missions apart, taking every single one of them together. To her it was more than strange seeing Arata without Akemi, it was downright wrong.
The Tales of the Aes Sedai Fukusha Reina - Iwagakure No Sato - Jounin - #EF2B2D Atsushi Cho - Tea Country - D Rank Samurai - #A34402 Hanzo - Sunagakure No Sato - Genin - #35C4AF

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[Graded][Plotboard] Greetings

Post by Trucro » Fri Jul 15, 2016 11:37 am

Arata’s agreeableness surprised Mako, but he wasn’t going to question it. In fact, he said nothing, even as Arata began to walk away. It was nice to be able to give orders, and to have them be followed. He did outrank Arata, after all. As the traders and travelers began making their final preparations, closing up their carts and carriages and hoping on their horses, Mako began making his way to the back of the caravan. It was then he heard a little girls voice calling out to him, rudely.

“What is it, little girl?” he half-snapped at her. He was wanting to get moving and get the trip over with. The sun was just about at its peak, signaling it was time to leave. He often appeared to be angrier than he was, and he remembered this only after he heard himself snap at the girl. He calmed himself, glancing away and then back at the girl in an attempt to diffuse the tension. “What do you want?"
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Ryuu Genkouyoushi; Jounin; Iwagakure No Sato

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[Graded][Plotboard] Greetings

Post by Willoria » Fri Jul 15, 2016 1:41 pm

Mai didn't seem bothered by the way Mako snapped at her, despite his creepy looking mask. She jumped down from the cart she was riding in and glanced up the line to where she could see Arata speaking with Joro. She seemed to be making sure Arata wasn't paying attention to her now.

She turned back to Mako as she got close to him, making more clear she was nearly eighteen herself. Dressing like a boy seemed to hide her age well. "Arata. He and his twin sister Akemi used to guard caravans like this, back when I did these runs with my father. Where is she? He would never do a mission without her and he won't tell me where she's at. Do you know?" She seemed to be assuming that Mako was his new partner and would immediately know what she was talking about, or where Akemi was.

Arata himself seemed to be talking to Joro and ushering the man into his own place. "Soon as we can move the better." he remarked, already hating this mission, which was strange, easy missions like this were usually his favorite.
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[Graded][Plotboard] Greetings

Post by Trucro » Fri Jul 15, 2016 2:34 pm

Mako looked up and down at the young girl who was sitting on one of the carts. She seemed to think he was some sort of expert on Arata just because he had been talking to him. He reminded himself that children were addle minded, and lowered his mask, revealing his full face as he leaned in to speak to her.

“Well, I don’t know him that well, so I don’t know anything about his sister.” He straightened his back as he stood to his full height and shrugged his shoulders. “Sorry.”

Meanwhile, Joro was speaking with Arata. He was strapping down some of the bags that had become loose and shifted around in his small cart. Joro was kneeling on the ground as he worked, sweating in the sun. He looked to be struggling, trying to tie fine string with his old hands. He spoke to Arata without looking at him, remaining focused on his task as he did.

“Don’t need to tell me,” he responded. He kept fiddling with the string, but his hand seized and he dropped the string. “Argh! Damn!” He rose to his feet and stretched out his back. Sighing, he turned to face Arata for the first time. “Would you be able to help me, young man? I’d do it myself, but as you’ve seen, my hands… they don’t work as well as they used to.” He stretched out his arm, handing the string to Arata.
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Ryuu Genkouyoushi; Jounin; Iwagakure No Sato

Mako Notaramu; Jounin; Sunagakure No Sato

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[Graded][Plotboard] Greetings

Post by Willoria » Sat Jul 16, 2016 1:54 pm

Mai frowned as Mako gave his simple answer. She glanced up the line where she could see Arata in the distance and seemed to be talking to herself, only just loud enough for Mako to pick up if he were paying attention at all. "Maybe something happened to her... for him to act like this..." She shook her head and started to climb back into the back of the cart she was driving, glancing back at Mako briefly. "Thank you." she said sincerely before moving back up to the driver's seat and giving things a quick lookover.

Arata meanwhile was watch Joro struggle, seriously debating helping him though his mind was clouded by thoughts of his sister. If it was Akemi she would have helped him as soon as he started, but Arata hadn't been that thoughtful for a long time. Not since he'd seen her bleed out in his arms.

Joro speaking seemed to knock Arata out of his daze and the swordsman walked over. "Sure, I got it." he replied, and set to work with the string, completing the task easily. "Sorry I didn't help sooner... guess my mind was on something else for a minute." he said with a chuckle. "Anything else I can do to help you get underway?" He was trying to retrieve his mask of uncaring and often even oblivious. It seemed to keep people away as such a carefree attitude annoyed them, especially when coupled with smoking that herb in his inside pocket. But Arata didn't reach for it this time.
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[Graded][Plotboard] Greetings

Post by Trucro » Sat Jul 16, 2016 3:17 pm

Mako watched the child carefully as she thought to herself. He was dismissive of all people, everyone, except for children. They were easy to read, generally honest, and simple. They shared very few of the sins that afflicted all men; and of course, some of them developed earlier than others. Nevertheless, children had always been able to break through Mako’s exterior, and this time was no different. He had actually surprised how quickly he had changed from anger and impatience to calm reassurance.

He nodded to the child, not saying another word, before turning away. He kicked his way through the sand, heading to the back of the caravan. It was time for them to leave, and he was relying on Arata to get the convoy moving. Perhaps he should’ve taken the lead, but the rear was actually a more important position. Any fool can walk on the path in front of some horses, or see men coming down the open road. The rear guard, however, has to make sure they aren’t being followed, and that none of the caravan falls behind. He pulled his mask back up to cover his mouth as he reached the very rear.

“Ah, thank you young man,” Joro responded as Arata completed the task. He took a few steps over to his cart and patted the top, now covered with his string. Clearly satisfied, he turned back to Arata. “Should be fine. Unless you’d like give Tsuki here a rest, I daresay we should set out.” Joro patted the back of his horse as he said these words before letting out a heavy, forced laugh. He paused as he read Arata’s mood. “I reckon you ninja have a host of things to worry about. That’s why poor old Notaramu down there’s so quiet now. It’s a defense against those things that bother most men in the night; it prevents them from doing what you just did there.” Joro nodded towards Arata. “Care to share what’s gotten through your defenses, young man?”
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Ryuu Genkouyoushi; Jounin; Iwagakure No Sato

Mako Notaramu; Jounin; Sunagakure No Sato

Inozu Yamanaka A-Rank; Missing Nin #AF2626

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Willoria
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[Graded][Plotboard] Greetings

Post by Willoria » Sat Jul 16, 2016 9:24 pm

Arata sighed, turning to look down the caravan as Mako walked towards the back and he could see Mai getting into her cart again. 'Please tell me she didn't...' He shook his head and turned to look at Joro again. A moment of silence followed the question and he frowned. Arata hadn't talked about what happened much, he had one friend who ran a ramen shop who knew more than anyone, but that was it.

"Tell you what, let's get moving and maybe I'll tell you." Arata found himself saying as he walked over, running a hand over the flank of Joro's horse. "It's a long story, and I think my partner is annoyed with me already, without me delaying things. We'll have time on the trip for that story." he said, unsure if talking about this was really a good idea... but it had been forever since he'd spoken of his sister to anyone else.
The Tales of the Aes Sedai Fukusha Reina - Iwagakure No Sato - Jounin - #EF2B2D Atsushi Cho - Tea Country - D Rank Samurai - #A34402 Hanzo - Sunagakure No Sato - Genin - #35C4AF

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Trucro
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[Graded][Plotboard] Greetings

Post by Trucro » Sun Jul 17, 2016 10:13 am

“Oh, for certain, of course,” the old man responded, stepping to the front of the horse, apparently named Tsuki, who was pulling his cart. He grasped the reigns in both hands, before pulling on them sharply twice. The horse shook her head, before beginning to walk forward. “I didn’t mean to pry, young man. I apologize for my inquisition. You are correct; we should get moving.” Joro rubbed his nose and shot Arata a smile.

Joro and his horse quickly covered the few meters that led to a separation between the mightly cliffs that protected Sunagakure. It would be a tight fit for some of the larger carriages, but leaving from this side of the city was faster. The rest of the caravan slowly began to move as well, following Joro as they set off towards the desert.
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Akiro Jouchaku; Jounin; Kirigakure No Sato #007AA5

Ryuu Genkouyoushi; Jounin; Iwagakure No Sato

Mako Notaramu; Jounin; Sunagakure No Sato

Inozu Yamanaka A-Rank; Missing Nin #AF2626

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Willoria
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[Graded][Plotboard] Greetings

Post by Willoria » Sun Jul 17, 2016 2:14 pm

Arata couldn't help a small smile in spite of himself and the dark thoughts that circled his mind. "Don't worry about it." he replied, as he watched Tsuki begin to walk. Arata walked alongside them, one hand on the hilt of his wakizashi, and another tucked into his jacket as they moved. He could feel the bulge in his pocket there, the pipe and plant that he had come to rely on so much. But as much as he wanted it, he'd already had enough, much more and he wouldn't keep much of his wits about him. And his wits were desperately needed, especially for this task.

Arata kept his head on a swivel, keeping an eye all around them and even up ahead. He kept ihs glances back at a minimum, knowing his attention was most needed at the front. Meanwhile his mind worked over just how to start telling his story to Joro.
The Tales of the Aes Sedai Fukusha Reina - Iwagakure No Sato - Jounin - #EF2B2D Atsushi Cho - Tea Country - D Rank Samurai - #A34402 Hanzo - Sunagakure No Sato - Genin - #35C4AF

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Trucro
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[Graded][Plotboard] Greetings

Post by Trucro » Sun Jul 17, 2016 6:25 pm

Mako yawned as he waited. He was actually quite impatient, but he rarely let it show. Acting irritated often made one feel irritated; acting calm was the first step to being calm. There was no need to show anything but his normal, blank face. He stood in the sand, screaming in his head about being late, and Joro taking his time. It would probably cause a tumor sometime in his late age, but he wasn’t positive he’d live that long anyway; his mother hadn’t.

As he realized that it might take some time, he began scanning the caravan. He started by counting all the people he could see, but figured he could actually do something more useful with his time. He began studying each person’s face as he counted, coming up with identifiable features as he did. “Mole-faced old lady, droopy jaw mcdrool, Unibrow dogman…” There sure were a lot of ugly people in this bunch. But who was he to judge; he always wondered how ugly people, not normal ugly, but really ugly people, like Unibrow dogman, got along in life. But then he calculated that there was a 50% chance there was an even number of them, so there was a chance they could always find someone they’d fit in with.

There he went again; assuming people needed others to be happy. He didn’t even take that own belief to heart, avoiding people at all costs. But it seemed to be a truth that hid in his subconscious. It was something he couldn’t escape.

Mako sighed as he continued his memorization. He was nearly halfway through the caravan when he saw the carriages begin to move. Relieved, Mako almost let off a smile, but caught himself. No one would have seen it anyway under his mask, but it was a reflex. As the back of the caravan started moving, he followed close behind. He pulled his hood up, covering his face from the burning sun. This was going to be a long trip.
End Thread
CharactersShow

Akiro Jouchaku; Jounin; Kirigakure No Sato #007AA5

Ryuu Genkouyoushi; Jounin; Iwagakure No Sato

Mako Notaramu; Jounin; Sunagakure No Sato

Inozu Yamanaka A-Rank; Missing Nin #AF2626

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