[Graded] [SoS] Meeting of the Marionettists

[TyDie]

While the sun beamed over the great village of Sunagakure, warming the lands with it's bright, warm light, Takuma took shelter under a palm tree to the edge of a well known training ground. "Y'know... I love the light and all... But I wish it wasn't so darn hot all the time." Beads of sweat fell off of his pale face, a small damp spot underneath him from the beads hitting the ground. To his right, a bottle of water sat, half drunk, and to his left was a series of simple tools laid out on a cloth wrapping. Screwdrivers, a hammer, even a small crowbar was laid out for his use, while his signature puppet Tokage sat in front of him. He was in the process of adding a new addition to the puppet, or rather, he was looking over his design for the puppet while fixing it up from his latest training session with it. "We've gotta come up with something to make you a little stronger, eh Tokage?"

There was no one else around as far as Takuma could tell, and so he wasn't really all that protective of his blueprints, which were laid out next to his tools. In fact, the boy was so at peace working on the large basilisk puppet. But after a few more minutes of prying off a wooden plate from the frame of Tokage, he sat back against the trunk of the tree and let out a small sigh. "I can't believe I'm drawing such a blank... I'm sorry, buddy. I know i'll think of something soon, something that'll make you truly great. If dad can do it, I can too." Wiping the sweat from his brow, Takuma would take a large drink of water, then pick up the plate he had pried off so that he might fix the issues it had staying connected to the frame in the first place. "Stupid latch is always sticking... gah!"

Suddenly, the boy winced in pain as his screwdriver slipped, prodding him in the palm hard enough to hurt, but not to break skin. The shock made him drop the plate into the sands with a soft 'thud', and also lead to Takuma dropping the screwdriver back on the cloth wrapping in a huff. Truly, what he needed right now wasn't to be messing with this puppetry stuff on his own; what he needed was someone to teach him. And unfortunately, the boy's father was just too damn busy.

But Sunagakure was full of well known puppeteers... Surely he could find someone to teach him more properly?

[Kabu]

Meanwhile Rika had somehow successfully escaped the confines of her stuffy office and fled the library, her secretary reminding her she had a meeting with a potential recruit later that day on her way out. Day in, day out there was a seemingly endless flood of busy work and there was no way she was going to forget that meeting. After all she needed all the help she could get.

Anyways, she pushed that to the back of her mind, for now simply enjoying the fresh air as she walked down the street. She had of course stopped by her workshop but had grabbed only one of her puppets, Genbu currently resting on her back as she headed towards the training field. She had no real intention of doing any work but she felt more comfortable having at least one of them on her whenever she went out.

Upon reaching her destination she tilted her head in confusion, having very faintly heard a cry of frustration and the clattering of tools. Was there another puppeteer in the area? Well it was a nice day if not a bit hotter than usual so it wasn't too surprising someone would choose to work outside, and here they were for the most part away from prying eyes so it was a prime location.

Feeling curious, she walked in the direction of the sounds, soon spotting a young boy and what appeared to be a giant mechanical lizard, a puppet no doubt.

And so not really being one for subtlety she decided to make her presence known, grinning cheekily all the while. "Hey there!"

[TyDie]

The training ground was silent save for the occasional breeze of wind blowing through, and the occasional sound of breath entering and exiting Takuma's lungs as he sat there, eyes closed, frustrated. But the sudden sound of a woman's voice pierced the silence, and with a start Takuma jolted forward, pushing off of the tree trunk and looking around startled. "Ah!" a shrill squeak was the only noise Takuma could make in response to his heart skipping a beat, and as his eyes caught sight of the voice's source, he leaned back against the tree trunk with a sigh, his hand on his chest in relief. "Goodness... Scared me half to death." The young Kouseki sat forward with a sigh again, slowly getting to his feet to take a look at the red haired woman in detail.

Her bright red hair flowed down fair past her shoulders, and her frame was lithe yet firm, indicating she took her physical health seriously. But then he noticed her arm, and the wooden thing on her back, and it didn't take long for him to realize that she was not only a shinobi, but a puppeteer. "Woah... I've never seen puppet prosthesis in person before, that's incredible. You... must be a great shinobi to keep going after losing an arm like that. N-no offense..." Takuma rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, not meaning to have delved into her personal issues. It was just hard not to, being so impressed by his first glimpse at what puppetry could do for people besides just being used for combat.

"I uh... I'm Takuma." The boy was a bit bashful speaking to someone who was so clearly ahead of him in the field of ninjutsu he had chosen for himself, not to mention the embarrassment of his earlier yelp still vivid in his mind. "What brings you out here today, miss...?"

[Kabu]

"No, it's okay. It was hard at first but nowadays it's like I had never lost my arm at all. This one just has a few extra features is all." Rika responded to the boy's remarks on her prosthetic, somewhat taken aback by his enthusiasm. Even given the circumstances behind it and despite the years that had passed, she still got dirty looks from time to time, though most just chose to ignore it. It was very rare that she would get positive comments on it and rarer still that she would be confronted by such enthusiasm. It did make her happy to see it though.

And then the boy introduced himself, Rika unable to help a giggle at his sudden apparent nervousness, that cheeky grin returning as she thought of how to introduce herself in return. "It's nice to meet you Takuma. I'm Hizashi Rika. Special Jounin, Puppeteer, and current Lead Archivist of the Scribes of the Sand."

"Oh, and this is Genbu." she added as an afterthought, strings flowing from her fingers and attaching to the turtle puppet, allowing for her to more easily bring him into full view, gently setting him down on all fours before deactivating her strings. "He's the first puppet I ever built by myself from scratch."

[TyDie]

The young Kouseki continued to gawk at the prosthetic puppet arm as the red haired woman explained herself, pointing out that it was just like a normal arm now with a few perks. But he imagined those perks made all the difference... who knew what kind of hidden gadgets and gizmos were lying within that arm? She finally gave her name, and title, and the boy's eyes went wide for a moment... The Scribes? "L... Lead Archivist? Wow, I never thought I'd meet someone of your standing!" The previously shy and confused boy was now beaming with delight at getting to meet the leader of the Scribes, as he was known to spend a lot of time perusing the public section of the Scribes Library. The pursuit of knowledge was a worthwhile endeavor, for everyone.

And that said nothing of her prowess as a puppeteer, as the woman quickly unfolded her puppet and brought it before Takuma, setting it down before letting her hand relax. "Oh wow... If you've had it that long, I can only imagine what magnificent weapons this guy is hiding within him. I'd love to see it sometime! If, uh, you're okay with that that is. I know I get pretty protective of my puppet's blueprints, so I get it. Oh, let me show you Tokage though!" The boy would pick the plate up off of the ground that he had dropped before, walking over to his large puppet's frame with a screwdriver and latching the plate into place before screwing in a couple screws to ensure a tight fit.

"Just like your Genbu, I built Tokage here from scraps in my father's storage room. He's a puppeteer too, so he had all sorts of pieces." As he spoke, his eyes were locked on the puppet, covered in his signature blue goldstone armor. It looked like a starry night sky covered the frame of the reptilian looking puppet, it's jaw left slack as it was uncontrolled. But the moment Takuma let his strings flow from his fingertips and they connected with Tokage's form, the puppet suddenly sprang to life, rearing up on it's hind legs and clanking it's mouth together as if it were biting something. "He's... not very special yet. I was working on adding something new to his frame, he has all kinds of room for weaponry but... I just can't think of anything."

[Kabu]

Rika couldn't help but giggle at the boy's excitement at seeing Genbu. "I would love to show you sometime. The drawings and plans in my sketchbook are for my eyes only but I'm more than happy to share details on the real thing. Nothing makes me happier than to share my knowledge, especially among budding creators." she spoke, her eyes lighting up and a squee escaping her as Takuma brought out his own puppet

"Honestly, he's beautiful, and so well crafted." Rika smiled as she walked closer, kneeling down to more closely inspect Tokage, taking in every last detail. It was clear to her that Takuma had talent, even if he maybe didn't see it himself. "For your very first puppet I think you did a wonderful job, and it's clear you've been taking very good care of him. There's no need to think too hard about weaponry. When the time is right inspiration will strike." she softly spoke, a thought crossing her mind as she stood and turned her gaze towards the boy.

He had seemed pretty excited to meet her as the head archivist so maybe...

"Say Takuma, how do you feel about the pursuit of knowledge? I want your most honest thoughts. Some part of her knew that she should maybe test the waters a bit first but she had never been good at formalities. They made her very uncomfortable. No, the bullheaded straightforward approach was where she shined.

[TyDie]

Takuma was pleased to hear that not only did Rika agree to show off her puppet to him at some point, but also that she was so happy to compliment him on his own puppet's design. He'd make Tokage stand still on all fours, mouth closed, and his strings would recede within his hands, leaving the puppet rigid and stuck in it's position. He'd scratch the back of his head with embarrassment as he responded, running his hand through his sweaty hair. "Heh... I hope you're not just trying to make me feel better. Thanks... I really hope to make Tokage into something incredible one day."

The woman hit him with some incredible bluntness next, asking him about the pursuit of knowledge. He smiled as he walked over to inspect Tokage a little more, picking up the plate that he had left on the ground earlier and working to snap it into place as he spoke. "Knowledge is power. It's an incredibly cliche thing to say, but it's fact. The most powerful weapon in the world is useless in the hands of someone who doesn't know how to use it. Likewise, everything we do as shinobi begins with knowledge. We read scrolls to understand jutsu, we train to better understand how to use our techniques. Whether you use Ninjutsu, Genjutsu or Taijutsu, or even some other form of obscure power, everything is useless until we understand how to use it. The Pursuit of Knowledge is probably the most important human endeavor in the world... If we can understand it, we can use it to make the world a better place."

As he finished, he snapped the plate back onto Tokage again, a satisfied grin on his face as the latch went into place without a fuss. "You're going to offer me a place in the Scribes, aren't you Rika?" He wasn't trying to be presumptuous, but it was hard for his analytical mind to overlook the connections. The Lead Archivist of the Scribes walks up to you, starts complimenting you on your puppets, then asks you about a topic that sits at the foundation of the organization's founding? He'd be dumb not to see where it was going. A smile crossed his face as he turned to face Rika now, awaiting the woman's response.

[Kabu]

Rika silently listened to Takuma answer her question, nodding along every so often. He was exactly the kind of person she wanted in the organization, and it seemed he had figured her out almost immediately, that fact bringing a grin to her face as she clapped her hands together in delight. She knew that she had definitely made a very good choice, if he agreed that is.

"Wonderful. It'll be nice having someone around who can get to the point. Yes, I am looking to recruit you for the Scribes. I am sorry though for the sudden blunt question. Honestly I find it tiresome to beat around the bush. I'm always told I can be a bit hotheaded and excitable and I can't really deny it. I've always been this way." she responded, it being her turn to be embarrassed as she sheepishly rubbed the back of her head.

Honestly on top of that bit of embarrassment she was feeling a little bit nervous...

"So, what do you say? Will you become a Scribe?"

[TyDie]

Takuma's smile grew as Rika confirmed his suspicions, crossing his arms with pride as the girl continued on about appreciating the bluntness and having some bluntness of her own. "Oh, no no, think nothing of it Rika! It's not that I try to be blunt, I'm just a very observant person. When you, the lead archivist of the scribes, asked me about knowledge, I just put two and two together, that's all." Satisfied with the answer he gave, he waited for Rika to finish her thought and officially make the offer. And when she did, he set a hand on Tokage's hide and gave a nod of affirmation.

"Me and Tokage here will do everything we can for the Scribes, Rika. I'd be happy to join an organization founded and supported by two of our Kazekages."

[Kabu]

"That's a wonderful answer, just what I would expect from a Scribe. You and I are going to work very well together I think." Rika responded, clapping her hands together in delight. She was beyond happy in this moment, having not only found a new recruit, but one that she had quite a good deal in common with, being puppeteers and sharing a passion for knowledge and learning.

And with that she looked up at the sky, the sun's positioning making something click in her mind. If she didn't get back soon she would be in for an earful from Marina. "Oh, I have to get back for my meeting. I almost lost track of time and forgot." she hurriedly spoke, putting her puppet away and preparing to head back, suddenly stopping as she had a thought. She had assumed it to be obvious but it was best said with the utmost clarity.

"Oh, in case it wasn't clear, you're in. Welcome to the Scribes."