Plant the Seed

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Nafan~
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Plant the Seed

Post by Nafan~ » Sat Jan 16, 2021 11:16 pm

Kougyoku stepped out into the fresh night air in the courtyard, a nice glass of wine in hand. She was with a group of nobles who had come to parade their children around for other noble families to take stock of and consider for marriage. That was, after all, the purpose of the party she was throwing. She normally wasn't the type to engage in such pageantry of others, she considered the process a little too closs to parading livestock or, heavens forbid, slaves. But tonight she had a specific purpose in mind.

With her current desire to further herself politically and gather power within the city, she needed to gain the support of more noble houses. At the same time, she needed to start some rumours. So what better way to do that than to get all the nobles in town together for the express purpose of gossip and scandal? It really was one of her more brilliant ideas. The promise of food, drink, and entertainment had brought parents flocking with their young adult children in throngs. Even now there were easily two hundred guests in the Hizashi courtyard, and to think this was the third party she'd managed to throw this month!

The teacher had already managed to make a few acquaintances across the board, a few Kouseki, a Dasu, and surprisingly even a Henrin. They were all among her fellow adults, parents of the children she'd invited them to try and get noble matches for. Of course, Kougyoku herself was still available, but as with any heir landing her hand would be an extremely difficult and drawn out process. For now, she intended to go and mingle with some a bit younger than herself. She had plans for starting some rumours and gathering support for which she would need friends with fresh faces.

In her dark gown she seemed to glide about the dimly lit courtyard, the deep red at the bottom making her appear a kind of building light. She had excused herself from her company and moved toward a group of younger guests, standing politely on the fringe of their group until they made way. ”Good Evening, I trust we are all enjoying ourselves?” she said in greeting, smiling warmly to the group of three youths.

"Tululila, Talila Tulula."
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S-rankSunagakure no SatoHIzashi, Kougyoku

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Diatenshi
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Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2011 8:00 pm

Plant the Seed

Post by Diatenshi » Sun Jan 17, 2021 7:03 am

Everywhere he looked people were talking to one another, adults, young adults. Dressed in their finest, Waruhito was surrounded by the "upper echelon" of Suna society. He was surrounded by the many vibrant colours worn amongst the host' guest. Waru himself was dressed almost plainly in comparison. Though the material of his clothes was no less in quality it lacked the embellishments present on many of his peers clothes. He was presenting himself in a simple white shirt with a small vine motif around the edges. It complimented his thick golden mane of hair that hung gracefully around his shoulders. It was the result of a compromise between him and his parents who insisted he try to stand out which wasn't really in his nature.

Despite his low rank the young man appeared entirely at ease, a soft gentle smile on his face as he interacted with others. He almost blended in to the crowd his voice soft pleasant to the ears. Unlike a number of others that were drinking alcohol Waru had a glass of crystal clear water that he would occasionally sip from. He'd been quietly listening to a young man brag about his recent exploits and couldn't help but wonder what exactly drove the man to be so forward in his attempt to impress the young lass with them. As the young man, seemingly from the Hizashi clan, droned on Waru started to lose interest and his blue eyes scanned the room for something of interest. Almost as if divine intervention to give him something else to focus on, a lady that could only be described as regal approached them. She had a presense about her that captivated the eye and Waru couldn't help but feel a tinge of curiousity as to who she might be. Hearing her words however he assumed she was the host and person who put the party together.

"Indeed this is quite an impressive gathering. Thank you for hosting us."

He noticed that after she'd spoken the young mam full of bravado and stories grew incredibly quiet as if nervous being around the woman. The man's reaction only made Waru's curiosity grow. After all he was full of bold words earlier and yet in front of this red haired lady grew quiet and timid like a mouse.
Tools of WarShow


Will of Fire-
Senju Masaru

Genin
[color=orange]


Light of Hope-
Awai Akihiro

Genin
[color=red]


Viral Menace-
Toukai Chisaki

Chuunin
[color=#ff0080]


Yin Yang Divided
Naegi Waruhito

Genin
[color=#8b14f9]


King of Pirates-
Ryoshi Kaisui

B-Rank MN
[color=#7fffd4]

User avatar
Nafan~
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Joined: Sun Dec 19, 2010 7:00 pm
Location: Sydney, Australia

Plant the Seed

Post by Nafan~ » Fri Jan 22, 2021 8:13 pm

Kougyoku smiled as the blond young man complimented her on the gathering she had arranged. From the looks of him he was mid to late teens, and by the looks of him he had some training. A young Genin, perhaps? "You're most welcome." she replied warmly as she checked the remainder of the group.

Her warm smile remained as she saw her cousin, Ren, and the young girl, an Ouji by the look of her. It seemed the pair had been standing quite close to one another before Ren had taken an extremely obvious and awkward step back as Kougyoku had arrived. If she didn't know better, she'd think he was blushing. "Oh, Ren! Why don't you introduce your friends to me?" she suggested, somewhat playfully.

Ren took a deep breath and his gulping swallow was almost audible. "Uh, right. Cousin, this is Ouji, Tsukihime, and Naegi, Waruhito." he began shakily, before recovering with "Tsukihime, Waru, this is my cousin, Hizashi, Kougyoku." Tsukihime dipped a small curtsy on being introduced, as was only polite.

Meanwhile Kougyoku nodded her head in respsect to the group of youths, allowing the golden circlet of leaves to catch the firelight in their creases. "It is very nice to meet you. And, Naegi-san, it appears I owe you and your family a great deal of thanks as well." she countered, her warm and matronly smile becoming somewhat more jovial, "For the grapes." she finished with a conspiratorial wink and a lift of her glass.

In the meantime, Kougyoku's head was turning over the opportunities she had with these young people. Clearly Ren had been getting very close with the little Ouji flower indeed, and it was likely he'd be looking to get her away from his older cousin as soon as possible. Then there was the Naegi. He was young, and polite, but she'd never heard of him and she knew most of the major family's main branch members by name. He had to be quite far down the line to escape her extensive education. She couldn't decide whether that made him a perfect conspirator for her plans, or a less than ideal partner. Either way, she supposed it was worth taking the chance. He was still Naegi, after all, and if she wanted things to move on her timeframe she couldn't afford to be too picky.

"Ren, why don't you ask the young miss Ouji to dance?" Kougyoku suggested softly, still smiling playfully.
Some Ambience / Set dressing music if you'd like itShow

"Tululila, Talila Tulula."
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S-rankSunagakure no SatoHIzashi, Kougyoku

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Diatenshi
Posts: 1566
Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2011 8:00 pm

Plant the Seed

Post by Diatenshi » Tue Feb 02, 2021 11:15 am

Waru had never been shy, but neither had he ever been outgoing. To be honest he seemed to simply blend in to the crowd. So when their host had approached them he'd neither been shy or nervous like his friend Ren nor had he been overly outspoken so as to put himself out there. To be honest Waru had lived his whole life in this way, simply blending into the background. If it wasn't for his unique method of using iijutsu and the Uchinaru implanted within it was likely he'd have been completely forgotten and overlooked even by his own clan. In fact it was only at the insistence of his mother that he even bothered coming. She was afraid tgat with how passive Waru's personality was he'd never find himself a wife.

As he was introduced he'd clasp his hands and bow slightly a warm relaxed smile on his face. The lady before him was in his mind gorgeous and yet very opposite of himself. Where he blended in she clearly strove to stand out from the crowd. He contemplated a moment what might drive her to do sich a thing before remembering most others enjoyed to stand out and that he was the odd one. Waru decided to follow his mother's wishes and try to actively engage with the others. As such when Kougyoku made her small toast/joke about the grapes he smiled in turn and raised his glass of water causing his sleeve to fall a bit revealing a vine tattoo. "It is our honor to provide for the village and to noble ones such as yourself." Anyone with a discerning eye would notice the vines around his wrist would move slightly as if they possessed a life of their own. In reality the movement of the tattoo was an indication of Ignou's restlessness. Despite Waru's calm amd relaxed demeanor it was only because the plant within him was actively feeding on his negative emotions making it impossible for Waru to feel nervous.

When Kougyoku suggested that Ren go and take Tsukijime to dance a small glimt of curiosity flashed across his eyes. Since Ren and Tsuki leaving would put him alone with the regal queen before him he guessed she had something she wanted to speak with him about though what that could possibly be was beyond him. "Yes Ren, you clearly have been trying to be a good friend by letting me tag along, but I'll be fine on my own. I promise." He'd smile disarmingly and look back to their host the vine tattoos beneath the white shirt wriggling in agitation. Clearly more negative emotions were being devoured by the plant making it more lively.
Tools of WarShow


Will of Fire-
Senju Masaru

Genin
[color=orange]


Light of Hope-
Awai Akihiro

Genin
[color=red]


Viral Menace-
Toukai Chisaki

Chuunin
[color=#ff0080]


Yin Yang Divided
Naegi Waruhito

Genin
[color=#8b14f9]


King of Pirates-
Ryoshi Kaisui

B-Rank MN
[color=#7fffd4]

User avatar
Nafan~
Posts: 3937
Joined: Sun Dec 19, 2010 7:00 pm
Location: Sydney, Australia

Plant the Seed

Post by Nafan~ » Thu Feb 11, 2021 1:08 am

Ren took the opportunity to bow out of talking with his older cousin as gracefully as a teenager in a rush could manage. Which was, of course, not overly graceful. With mumbled apologies and polite niceties to his friend and his cousin, he took the hand that Tsukihime offered and they made a somewhat brisk walk to the dancefloor. Kougyoku couldn't help but let a wry smile go as she watched her cousin's youthful exuberance. It really was adorable when you got to see youth on full display.

"It appears our friends are rather eager to take a spin on the dancefloor." she mused, taking a sip from her glass. Of course, now she had the opportunity to talk to the young Naegi alone, although she doubted she had a surplus of time. Someone at some point would notice them talking and undoubtedly come to chaperone the young man. Whether that was because they suspected her of trying something or the boy, that would be simply up to luck.

With that Kougyoku gave a short chuckle before turning her attention squarely onto Waru. She analysed the sight thoroughly, and was surprised to find tattoos peeking from beneath his long sleeves. The body was sacred to most members of Sunagakure, which meant tattoos were largely frowned upon by polite society. Shinobi had to be careful to hide any tattooed fuuinjutsu when mixing among the upper crust, and it was rare for such formulae to include decorative design like vines or ivy. It was a small matter, nothing worth mentioning, but it marked the boy out as different again.

"Although now that they've departed, I suppose I could ask your opinion on something. I've been meaning to ask a person with a more fresh perspective on life what their opinion was on the current situation, considering most of the people muttering in corridors are stale relics of forgotten times." she began, light at first but her tone building gradually in intensity. She wanted to capture his attention, and hold it. "What do you think of the Kazekage's personal decree that Sunagakure will not be giving full combat assistance to Konohagakure in Soul Country?" she asked conspiratorially, taking cover from requests to elaborate by taking another sip from her wine glass.

"Tululila, Talila Tulula."
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S-rankSunagakure no SatoHIzashi, Kougyoku

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Diatenshi
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Plant the Seed

Post by Diatenshi » Wed Jun 09, 2021 1:54 am

Waru's thick golden brows furrowed and he pursed his lips giving it serious thoughts. To be honest Waru didn't involve himself in political matters and spent most of his time peacefully tending a garden. He spent more time in the gardens than he did training.

"... To be painfully honest I feel I'm woefully uninformed about such events. My family has basically decided for me that the purpose of me learning jutsu was to help tend the gardens of the village, not to be a soldier. Likely they'd planned I'd retire after my initial military contract expires."

It took him a while to answer, however his response was concise and spoken clearly, having spent a fair amount of time considering the topic before opening his mouth. A slight tinge of black would appear at the roots of his hair and a layer of light perspiration coule be seen on his skin.

"However... Speaking for myself, I detest meaningless loss of life which is why Ive dedicated myself to being a medic. As long as Suna is willing to provide medics and supplies if need be I have no personal issue with the decision."

He took a more resolute stance for the second part of his answer looking her square in the eyes as he spoke, the nervousness vanishing and the black in his hair vanishing jusr as quickly as it appeared as if it'd been no more than a trick of the light. He'd sip his water and tilt his head to look at her curious as to what the woman would think of his response to her question.
Tools of WarShow


Will of Fire-
Senju Masaru

Genin
[color=orange]


Light of Hope-
Awai Akihiro

Genin
[color=red]


Viral Menace-
Toukai Chisaki

Chuunin
[color=#ff0080]


Yin Yang Divided
Naegi Waruhito

Genin
[color=#8b14f9]


King of Pirates-
Ryoshi Kaisui

B-Rank MN
[color=#7fffd4]

User avatar
Nafan~
Posts: 3937
Joined: Sun Dec 19, 2010 7:00 pm
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Plant the Seed

Post by Nafan~ » Fri Jul 02, 2021 6:44 am

Kougyoku ruminated on the boy's responses for a time. After his initial comments about his family and their expectations, she simply waited in silence. Sometimes silence said much more than words, and often it would draw more out of people as they tried to fill the deafening quiet. As she expected, more was quick to follow. The answer was not one she had hoped for, but it was something she could perhaps work with. If she nudged in the right directions.

While she'd been somewhat distracted by her own thoughts and schemes, she'd not been so removed from the situation to notice the boy's discomfort. He'd broken a light sweat, and turned more squarely toward her. He has some fire in him then. she thought appraisingly. It was good that he had a little passion, she'd thought for a moment that he'd be one of the tragically submissive types. It pleased her that her initial instinct was wrong.

"I see. And just what would you define as a meaningless loss of life?" Kougyoku asked, her tone rather light and casual. She didn't want to press him too hard for now, as she wanted him to give his answer honestly. She'd be lying if she didn't admit she'd predicted how it would go. And she already knew how she'd respond. The question would be how he dealt with the complex moral issue she was preparing to present. That really would be telling.

"Tululila, Talila Tulula."
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S-rankSunagakure no SatoHIzashi, Kougyoku

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Diatenshi
Posts: 1566
Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2011 8:00 pm

Plant the Seed

Post by Diatenshi » Mon Jul 19, 2021 2:42 am

Waru was once again put on the spot as the woman asked him what qualifies as meaninless death. He quietly thought for a moment and sipped his water. The cool liquid was grounding as it made its way down his throat. Unbeknownst to any present Waru was subconsciously holding back his alter ego. The questions he faced made him uncomfortable though he himself was unaware, the negative emotions associated with social anxiety being devoured faster than he could form an opinion with them.

"I suppose meaning is derived from one's perspective. From a perspective of the village it'd be a loss of life that had no benfit to the village. Whether that benefit is village safety and security or a leg up against hostile forces a death with no strategic value would be meaningless.

Waru would pause and sip more water and look at his host. His eyes would seem to slowly be losing color the brigh blue slowly appearing to turn white. All the while he'd been speaking his voice was calm and steady perhaps strangely so for someone of his rank and position. And yet it continued on this way as he resumed answering the question posed before him.

"From a more humanitarian perspective it'd be an loss of innocent life. But then you start delving into moral ambiguity. What makes one innocent or worthy of death? The farmer providing for his family simply by selling his goods to an hostile force is guilty by supporting our enemy. I refrain from thinking in this perspective. It is depressing and pointless to worry about. I simply focus in terms of what is good for the village less I be unable to sleep at night."
Tools of WarShow


Will of Fire-
Senju Masaru

Genin
[color=orange]


Light of Hope-
Awai Akihiro

Genin
[color=red]


Viral Menace-
Toukai Chisaki

Chuunin
[color=#ff0080]


Yin Yang Divided
Naegi Waruhito

Genin
[color=#8b14f9]


King of Pirates-
Ryoshi Kaisui

B-Rank MN
[color=#7fffd4]

User avatar
Nafan~
Posts: 3937
Joined: Sun Dec 19, 2010 7:00 pm
Location: Sydney, Australia

Plant the Seed

Post by Nafan~ » Wed Sep 01, 2021 9:17 am

Kougyoku smiled as the boy finished his answer. His reasoning was sound, and the intentions he based his decisions off of were admirable. He didn't see the strategic value in participating in containment efforts, or in countering enemies' objectives, which suggested a narrow view of strategy in the Empress' opinion. But, perhaps with time and experience the boy's perspective would shift and he would see the bigger picture and true inter-connected nature of the world. For now, she thought she had distressed him enough, as he appeared quite uncomfortable.

In fact, there appeared to be a rather remarkable change in the colouration of his eyes. The shift had been gradual, and at first she'd been unsure if it was a trick of the light. While he was speaking she'd taken a few steps away from the nearby lantern, allowing its light to shine more brightly on the boy so she could get a proper look. Sure enough, the colour had appeared to leech right out of his irises.

With her most reassuring smile, Kougyoku shifted graciously toward her guest. She placed a hand on his shoulder, and leaned toward him out of matronly concern. "Are you feeling alright, young Naegi? I apologise, I did not mean to distress you." she asked compassionately, "Perhaps we should sit down for a moment?"

Kougyoku was not sure what these changes meant for the young man, but she was curious to find out. She hoped he wasn't having a medical episode, though she'd never heard of a condition which would drain the colour from a person spontaneously. It was likely something far more supernatural than that, she supposed.

"Tululila, Talila Tulula."
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S-rankSunagakure no SatoHIzashi, Kougyoku

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