Parallel Errands

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Willoria
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Parallel Errands

Post by Willoria » Mon Sep 06, 2021 10:29 pm

Asami had spent her morning getting in her exercises in her living room, momentarily forgetting she had a house guest of course which had ended in its own kind of interruption. She had almost ended up too spent to get to the Arena at the Headquarters of the Seven Swordsmen for her own training as a result, which of course had been another whole other headache. Trying to convince Shinjiro to rest at her place while she went and did the very thing he wanted to do was difficult. By time the morning had started to tend towards lunch the young Karugata would already felt nearly spent as a result.

She made her way through the Military District alone, suddenly distracted as she caught site of a little place offering an array of lunch options. It looked like a temporary cafe, something that was probably set up just for people like her coming out from their breaks or their training for a bite. It honestly sounded like heaven after the day she'd had. There weren't many tables, most of them were more like benches for people to share but Asami put in an order and took a seat to wait quietly.

As she waited she took out from one of her pouches the newest letter from her sponsor that had been delivered, still puzzling over it. The words were annoying. 'Haven't you ever wondered who I really am? Or why your parents really died?' she read the letter to herself rather than aloud and shook her head at it. She closed the letter and sniffed it just as Shinji had, wrinkling up her nose at it. "I just don't get it." she muttered. She knew she probably smelled the same things Shinjiro did, she just didn't understand it. It was like traces of strawberries, cinnamon, and a couple of other spices she couldn't put her fingers on, all part of an expensive perfume. But she was hardly familiar with expensive perfumes.
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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Parallel Errands

Post by Flankingfox » Sat Sep 11, 2021 2:09 am

With eyes seemingly glazed over, Shiv was being escorted toward the Mizukage tower at the center of the village. Who exactly was his escort? Well, none other than Karagata, Midori; the would-be personal secretary of the division commander. One could easily call Midori an overly annoying yet essential gnat at the end of the day, however, no matter how incessant she was her actions kept Shiv from sinking in the bureaucracy of being in charge. Swinging her long jet black hair back and forth in what seemed like an almost agitated yet playful demeanor she barked information at the Bannin in a vain attempt to prep the man for an upcoming meeting of sorts. That was when Shiv caught a glimpse of a person he hadn't seen for quite a bit as that glaze seemed to roll away like the wind in a meadow. Clearly annoyed, Midori glanced over toward whatever caught Shiv's attention. Obviously, it was a woman! Midori kept the majority of her frustration inside while yelling, "Are you even listening to me, Baka!!! This is essential if we are going to maintain our funding for this next quarter! You haven't even read any of the reports I put on your desk, are you seriously considering 'winging it' again?! That only worked the last few times because people still respect your rank. ARRGHHH, you are sincerely stressing me out... I don't even know what to do anymore with you!"

"Shhhh...", was the only response that came from Karagata, Shiv for the moment, but it was enough to stop the whining spewing forth from little Midori. Her heart was in the right place, for the most part, thus Shiv wasn't even a bit aggravated by the woman who was treating him far from how anybody was allowed to. Without her, Shiv would have to actually 'work' in the office and without Shiv, Midori would actually have to 'work' in the field too. So in essence they were a necessary discomfort for each other.

"I'll get the funding, don't worry about a thing. I'm not 'winging it' today. I know the gist of the report you placed on my desk and I thank you for the effort you've put forth. How much time do I have before the meeting?" In a sincere yet stern tone, Shiv finally replied after allowing a bit of silence to envelop them while his mind remembered the last time he interacted with one; Karugata, Asami. They were on a dock and he offered her work, but everything seemed a bit fuzzy after that portion of the memory. Not that it mattered too much, but the young woman had changed quite drastically since that encounter. What was once just a bratty child was a fine weapon probably capable of keeping up with even an old mongrel like Shiv. From beneath the mask, Shiv slightly traced the jaggedness of his teeth with his tongue.

"Why?! So you can entangle yourself in yet another public relations nightmare?" Midori fumed back up as she knew that particular look like the palm of her hand. There was literally no time for chatting up some nobody! Glancing back at who Shiv was looking at, Midori suddenly pushed her glasses upward as she also recognized the person. That person in question wasn't exactly a nobody. That was a member of their unofficial rival organization; The Seven Swordspeople. These people were in direct competition for funding from the village too! Surely Shiv wasn't going to talk shop with this tart?! That information could be used against the division and lead to yet another grueling period where some things are 'cut back' due to 'REDACTED INFORMATION'.

"Nope, just catching up with a family member I haven't spoken to for a while before the meeting. You alright with that love?" Came that icy yet stoic tone that Midori couldn't exactly resist. The kicker at the end seemed to instantly melt the cold-hearted bitch vibe she had been giving off the whole way here. Almost becoming beet red, Midori suddenly pulled her focus away from the renowned Karagata and bit her lip slightly. The secretary had a certain weakness for the old-timer. Shiv knew that too and like this current situation often used that knowledge to his advantage. Dropping a couple of the flashcards, Midori was clearly sedated now as Shiv instantly flashed into action grabbing the cards before they hit the ground. Overlooking her now, Shiv glanced down into Midori's eyes while placing the cards back into her hands.

With one hand on her shoulder, Shiv spoke now in a somewhat gentle tone, "Wait for me at the tower, I'll catch up with you in a little bit."

"Uhm, uhh, yeah... sure. No problem Shivvy-Sama... I'll just... meet you there." Came the gibbering of Midori in a low tone as she was now turned away into the direction of the Mizukage tower. Shiv would definitely have hell to pay for this low blow later, but that was a problem for a later time. Shambling away now, Midori was gone, leaving Shiv to his own devices. Scanning the scene, Shiv did notice the small ramshackle cafe of sorts while in the back of his mind he questioned the legality of the business and if they went through the proper channels to even be serving here at this time. Wasn't for him to enforce, especially on a time restraint. The champion bought a bit of time, but not enough to really fool around with labels or the like. Lifting a single hand upward, Shiv made a gesture before completely vanishing.

"Don't get what? Quite the curious thing you pine over, could it be a letter from somebody special?" Shiv's frigid voice came rushing forward like something unnatural. Appearing now, Shiv placed himself near enough to be in talking distance while maintaining what could only assume to be a 'personal bubble. In other words, the old mongrel was quite close but not creepy close or anything. There wasn't a shadow of a doubt in his mind, that Asami wouldn't recognize who now stood beside her.
Characters
Name: Karagata, Shiv
Rank: Bannin
Village: Kirigakure no Sato
Missions: S:0 A:0 B:1 C:1 D:0
Name: Sarutobi, Shin
Rank: Genin
Village: Konohagakure
Missions: S:0 A:0 B:0 C:0 D:0
Name: Karagata, Okami
Rank: A-Ranked Criminal
Village: Kirigakure no Sato
Missions: S:0 A:0 B:0 C:0 D:0
Name: Tsukino, Jhin
Rank: Special Jounin
Village: Kirigakure no Sato
Missions: S:0 A:0 B:0 C:0 D:0
Shiv PersonalityShow
"Having been trained to follow orders and accomplish any task given to him, Shiv has become a desensitized killer with an elitist attitude, being utterly rude to those that he deems lesser than himself. This can be seen through his interaction with people as he is quite the remorseless and sarcastic individual. His disregard for those around him can be seen through his logic of comparing people to weapons. He is professional, calculating, and ambitious by nature, with his professional side only being shown when dealing with those that he deems worthy of his respect."

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Willoria
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Parallel Errands

Post by Willoria » Sat Sep 11, 2021 3:38 pm

At the sudden voice and appearance of Shiv, Asami's hand instinctively dropped to one of her swords, specifically to Kowareta-Ha on her right hip. She bristled visibly and red chakra seeped off of her briefly. But a moment later and her arms were folded on the table again with her letter in hand and the chakra was gone. 'I can't keep using that ability by accident, especially out here and around so many people... how it affect Shinjiro was surprising enough, I don't want to know what it would do to civilians...' she thought to herself as she managed to keep her 'Call of the Void' under control successfully as she looked at Shiv.

"I wouldn't call it from someone special when I don't know who its from." She finally said, looking down at the letter again. She looked back at Shiv for a moment before she realized who he was. She hadn't seen him since she still lived down in the slums and had barely been accepted as Shinjiro's dagger. "Shiv-Sama?" She couldn't help a slight blush as she recognized him. She practically had a death wish the way she spoke to others back then, and there really hadn't been any exceptions. At least now she knew to treat a handful of people semi-respectful, and others she could defend herself against.

She looked down at the letter again and back at Shiv, realizing she probably didn't have to be quite so vague with him and shrugged. "It's a letter from whoever first paid for my training back in the academy. I've never known their name, just that they're from the main Karagata family... or claim to be. Got a new one yesterday, and as usual it's just confusing. Hence... why I don't get it. I don't get the point of whatever game they're playing, or why they're still playing it." She set the letter down and turned her attention completely to Shiv. "You must be hiding from paperwork to be bored enough to talk to me again..." she said, attempting to tease the old man a bit.
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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Parallel Errands

Post by Flankingfox » Sat Sep 18, 2021 9:16 pm

Lifting a brow, Shiv noticed Asami become startled from the sudden appearance. Quite a peculiar chakra indeed poured forth from the young woman as the vile ability was almost brought to light. Asami would glance up toward Shiv now. What a pity thought the champion as he gazed down intently at Asami thinking what a delight it would have been to see this hush-hush ability in the flesh. The control to keep this dreadful occurrence within was impressive. Shiv slithered a bit closer now and casually brought a single leg up upon the bench before leaning his hands on it to get into a more comfortable position. However, he also made sure to give enough room so they may talk in a hushed tone if needed while respecting each other's personal bubble. The reply from Asami came right after the pseudo greeting; like she hadn't registered who he was right away. Oddly enough betraying her focus on the letter and conveying its importance more so than words ever could. Asami seemed to refocus now probably realizing who exactly was before her. A slight smile crept across the champion as he could take in all that was the young veteran ninja now. Definitely a change from when they met so long ago now. Shiv flinched ever so slightly as he couldn't shake the feeling that Asami looked far too familiar than expected. For some reason, it was almost like looking into a mirror and seeing a reflection. Yet the reflection was both him and something else.

In that same frigid annoying tone Shiv greeted the young Asami, "Longtime Asami, I've occasionally kept up with your progress over the years. You've become a fine piece of weaponry. I'm actually kind of disappointed I wasn't greeted by a rude remark or at least a cutting reply. Then again, things seem to change so fast these days. Seems like only yesterday I met you down by the docks." Shiv spoke in a hushed tone so that those around couldn't hear the two. Wasn't necessary to have all these randoms know their business anyway. There were honestly tons of informants littered across the span of the village working for the families on the regular. Keeping things closer to the chest isn't outright frowned upon, especially when that information was considered private. The focus of the champion snapped toward the letter now as he attempted to discern the importance placed on something that obviously wasn't sent by the village or any organization within.

What came next was the answer that Shiv had just started pondering on. A letter from a sponsor? The sponsor is supposedly a member of the main Karagata family too. Now that was more exciting than what waited for the champion blocks away in the chambers of Mizukage tower with a company of elderly scum too proud to admit their days have long since passed and their usefulness as weaponry was vanishing right before them. Pushing that away from mind again, surely little Midori could make up an excuse and by some more time, Shiv's mind started to spring into full gear as each face of the main family came rushing forth. There were only so many people in the main family as most had been forcibly sworn into the family and given a lesser surname. Who of the family was this cryptic?! Before his mind could sprint full stride he was pulled away by young Asami as she jested at the old mongrel. In an amused yet snarky tone he replied, "No actually, I love doing paperwork. In fact, I love it soo much that I'm done everything on my chopping block per se and instead must prey on the people of the village to give me that thrill needed to go about my day... well that and the fact that I should probably be at Mizukage tower doing a presentation on why we are better than the 'other' dogs of Kirigakure. You wouldn't have any steamy news to help the division get an edge over you sharpies, ehh? I could throw in lunch for such priceless information. That and the fact; there's nothing stronger than family, am I right?" Shiv joked more genuinely now as he felt unusually comfortable around Asami which was kind of weird because this wasn't the usual comfortable that came from the confidence of his nightly encounters this was 'actually' like being around somebody close. Not that many people like that existed anymore for the champion of the village who had lost the majority over the years being left to his own devices and or becoming a manifestation of Kirigakure might.
Characters
Name: Karagata, Shiv
Rank: Bannin
Village: Kirigakure no Sato
Missions: S:0 A:0 B:1 C:1 D:0
Name: Sarutobi, Shin
Rank: Genin
Village: Konohagakure
Missions: S:0 A:0 B:0 C:0 D:0
Name: Karagata, Okami
Rank: A-Ranked Criminal
Village: Kirigakure no Sato
Missions: S:0 A:0 B:0 C:0 D:0
Name: Tsukino, Jhin
Rank: Special Jounin
Village: Kirigakure no Sato
Missions: S:0 A:0 B:0 C:0 D:0
Shiv PersonalityShow
"Having been trained to follow orders and accomplish any task given to him, Shiv has become a desensitized killer with an elitist attitude, being utterly rude to those that he deems lesser than himself. This can be seen through his interaction with people as he is quite the remorseless and sarcastic individual. His disregard for those around him can be seen through his logic of comparing people to weapons. He is professional, calculating, and ambitious by nature, with his professional side only being shown when dealing with those that he deems worthy of his respect."

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Willoria
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Parallel Errands

Post by Willoria » Sat Sep 18, 2021 9:41 pm

As Shiv remarked on Asami's status as a weapon for the village, the woman couldn't help a grin, showing off her own sharpened teeth at what she knew was a compliment coming from the man. Of course, his comments about disappointed at her lack of an uncouth response made her laugh outright. "Well if you'd rather I could call you Asshole-Sama." she replied with that grin still plastered on her face. "It's just not as much of a habit... I'm afraid my Overseer and Sensei got pretty good at beating that out of me." she added, shaking her head. She had gone home barely functional more than once after a spar with Shinjiro left her feeling like she was near death for her own smartass responses. It had probably been a couple of years since she had called anyone names and she had learned to watch her tongue better. Of course she was still a smartass, just less-so around those who were actually capable of fighting her.

She had noticed of course the way the man had gotten closer to her, but it didn't bother her. If anything she was oddly comfortable with it. She hadn't interacted with him much but knew his reputation, and yet felt relatively at ease with him. Perhaps it was his family ties, specifically to Shinjiro, or her time spent around Shinjiro that left her relatively comfortable around other dangerous types around the village. She didn't dwell on the thought much. Though as he suddenly seemed to expound on his supposed love of paperwork the woman grinned again and held up the letter for him. "Well if you love it so much, please, have a look." she seemed to tease, rolling her eyes and smirking at him. "I have no idea who it is, no name signed. Only clue I have is it smells like perfume, the paper seems expensive and even Shinjiro doesn't recognize the handwriting." she admitted, sighing. For all her jokes it didn't take long for her tone to make clear she felt defeated in this particular mystery. "I've practically given up on this, but this letter came recently, first one since before the war started. Honestly I just assumed they were bored of teasing me, or had died even."

Though she still at least had one point of amusement as she rolled her eyes again. "Don't try and get anything out of me about the Seven now. That's just going to put me between a rock and a hard place, between you and Shinjiro.... and in the end I'm going to pick the one I'm sleeping with so don't even start." she added, laughing outright and shaking her head before suddenly wagging a finger at him. "And don't even think about going after my Dagger! I know Head Hunters have their eyes on him too. I've already given my blessing if he wants to join with your lot too, but don't go stretching his loyalties too far. His parentage does enough of that, and you're practically an Uncle to him from what he tells me. I'd hate to lose him to that. I already took a beating from Shinjiro just for recruiting the kid against his wishes." Of course that only made her laugh again. She'd naturally enjoyed her moment of insubordination in recruiting Kazuki Ryu after Shinjiro had rejected him.

She still had her own rebellious streak after all.
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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Parallel Errands

Post by Flankingfox » Sun Sep 26, 2021 11:27 pm

Catching that flash of razor-sharp teeth, Shiv felt confident he could be a bit more relaxed with Asami than other people in general. Sure there were many that had those particular teeth but in combination with her demeanor, everything just felt right in comparison to the gawking crowds or those wishing to gain something out of an exchange. Thinking about it, there was still a 'gain' from this meeting but it felt more natural than signing something, killing somebody, or coercing some person into seeing things properly. With a slight hint of enjoyment, Shiv teased, "Eh, I actually wouldn't mind. It's what many call me behind my back anyway... hehe."

It was then that the letter was handed to the champion who instinctively sniffed it without even a second thought if it contained any sort of mind-altering technique or otherwise. That smell made an eyebrow raise as Shiv remembered the scent, but couldn't exactly put a dot on where from. The mind of the man started to cycle through an extensive list of people throughout the village as he had come into 'contact' with quite a few of the inhabitants of the village now to at least seperate different scents. As a key figure of the hunting organization in the village, this was the least of what he could offer to a fellow family member. While attempting to remember such information came more startling news from the young Asami.

"Sleeping with? Sounds quite scandalous for the organization... an overseer sleeping with his sword, but there have been worse things turned blind eye to.", remarked Shiv in an almost sarcastic yet teasing tone conveying he didn't care about such things. Realistically the commander of the division shouldn't be doing a third of what Shiv had made routine. Such days when that stuff actually mattered were far gone, this wasn't the bloody mist anymore nor was so strict to discipline people with power over pettiness. Both of the two mentioned were family and using the information revealed was more than look frowned upon by the Karagata family. Never betray the family was one of the big whoopsies that one just didn't commit unless you were looking to have your neck slit.

When the dagger was mentioned, Shiv was a bit confused. Sure the person of interest was a possible candidate for the division but hadn't been actively approached yet due to the complications that might create between both mongrel organizations of the village. An operative had to have loyalty to their station or their word would always be in question. Potential recruit? Shiv compartmentalized that for the future. If the boy was having doubts about where he was then maybe his allegiance was flippable. Just thought with the history and father that something like recruitment to the division was out of the question. In the usual cold tone Shiv said, "Your dagger?! The young Kazuki, Ryu I presume, or am I mistaken? The youngling is quite promising, to say the least. Curious. What exactly is the story on that whole situation, why wasn't he accepted in the first place... quite odd a candidate of his latent ability was rejected at first..."

Waiting for the reply, Shiv suddenly remembered something about the fragrance and cut himself off a moment after he had just asked for details on Ryu. "That fragrance, I want to say I recognize it, but I've also had my fill of sampling numerous over my years of service to the village and the people within... however to be fair this one, in particular, brings back a memory or two from way back, that distinct mixture of spices with cinnamon and strawberry thrown in kind of reminds me of somebody I used to know. Why she of all people would be sending letters around is an ample enough cause of worry... Oh, not worry in terms of danger or anything more along the lines of things not ending well between us."
Characters
Name: Karagata, Shiv
Rank: Bannin
Village: Kirigakure no Sato
Missions: S:0 A:0 B:1 C:1 D:0
Name: Sarutobi, Shin
Rank: Genin
Village: Konohagakure
Missions: S:0 A:0 B:0 C:0 D:0
Name: Karagata, Okami
Rank: A-Ranked Criminal
Village: Kirigakure no Sato
Missions: S:0 A:0 B:0 C:0 D:0
Name: Tsukino, Jhin
Rank: Special Jounin
Village: Kirigakure no Sato
Missions: S:0 A:0 B:0 C:0 D:0
Shiv PersonalityShow
"Having been trained to follow orders and accomplish any task given to him, Shiv has become a desensitized killer with an elitist attitude, being utterly rude to those that he deems lesser than himself. This can be seen through his interaction with people as he is quite the remorseless and sarcastic individual. His disregard for those around him can be seen through his logic of comparing people to weapons. He is professional, calculating, and ambitious by nature, with his professional side only being shown when dealing with those that he deems worthy of his respect."

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Willoria
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Parallel Errands

Post by Willoria » Mon Sep 27, 2021 3:07 pm

Asami couldn't stop herself if she had tried. As Shiv referred to her sleeping with Shinjiro as 'scandalous', the woman outright snorted and started laughing rather loudly. It even took her a moment to calm down, shaking her head and waving a hand as she tried to stop before finally managing to reply. "You? Calling that scandalous? I'd say don't make me laugh but... you just did." she managed to retort, having to resist the urge to stick her tongue out at him. "I've heard the rumors... and the facts. I don't think you'd see it as a scandal." she added with a grin, shaking her head again. She heard an order get called out and looked up, frowning as she realized it still wasn't hers.

As the subject changed to Ryu, Asami chuckled quietly as Shiv asked why he was rejected initially. "Shinjiro rejected him initially. The man thinks in a single mindset of brutality and nothing more." She sighed, frowning slightly. "I think differently." she added. "Kazuki Ryu wasn't rejected from the organization. He was rejected as Shinjiro's Dagger. He felt that Ryu didn't have the right instincts to train under him. My methods are quite different for training. I don't just look at killing instinct, I like to think I look a bit deeper... but that's a personal secret." she smirked as she looked at Shiv a moment. "Considering all the ways Shinjiro has tortured me for training, I don't think even you could get that secret out of me." she added. For a moment she had almost found herself spilling her personal opinions on Shinji's methods, and her opinions against them, something that would have been seen by Shinji as a betrayal even if it was Shiv. 'Even I would have seen that as crossing a line... I've barely interacted with Shiv, for main family Karagata I trust him too damn much.'

She glanced at him again as he started talking about the fragrances on the letter. 'Why does trusting him feel okay though? It should feel weird, like it does trusting anyone else.' As he started talking about the woman though that it reminded him of, Asami couldn't help it as she started chuckling. "Of course its a woman." she muttered, smirking at him. "And of course it didn't end well." she added. "So the rumors of Karagata Shiv and women really aren't all rumors huh? Please, tell me of this paramour and all about her." she said, embellishing her words a bit to sound partially sarcastic as she brought up both hands to rest her chin on them and emphatically batted her eyelashes at him before laughing outright again.
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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Parallel Errands

Post by Flankingfox » Fri Oct 01, 2021 2:27 am

The way Asami laughed was curious as it definitely reminded the champion of the woman that smelled of this particular scent in question. Piecing that together with the fact that this was Asami's potential sponsor could imply that the woman behind this letter was more than just a generous benefactor. Surely there was always an explanation to these sorts of things, especially in this village where everything was convoluted with hidden intent laced within each action. As Shiv partook in sharing a laugh over what Asami jested back with, he was also more curious now to his own reputation and how it had slowly dwindled down to what it was today. Fear had kept his affairs behind closed doors before, but as his scandal grew becoming common so too did truth slip from the cracks to the point that the gossip could not be adequately contained. Not that it mattered much due to the fact it had never truly got in the way of duty. This dabbling was more so a personal venture outside of work and was what genuinely kept the champion feeling alive. With age, Shiv was becoming more and more cynical and distant from what had previously been so precious. Some food order was called out now, Shiv glanced first toward the voice and then back to Asami, fortunately, it wasn't the young woman so they could continue with their conversation a bit more.

The question of Ryu was now being answered and the response should have been expected. Shinji was the epitome of what the Karagata prided itself to be. There was no question that only a select few were capable of the standards of that weapon of mass destruction. A product of Kirigakure might that had blossomed into quite the formidable weapon that was in upon itself far superior to what the previous host became. To be fair, Shiv should have honestly made more of an effort to socialize with the young man. However, as predictable as ever the champion sought sin instead of kinship. "Ah, rightfully so then. Little Shinji does make a good point and I can understand the concern, but frankly, that isn't exactly an issue in the division. We do honest work for relatively honest pay without thinking too deeply of the grandiose magnum opus going on behind the scenes. For simplicity's sake, we are weapons called upon when needed. I'll take anybody I can for when the time comes that particular weapon will come in handy. However, out of curiosity what do you look for? I know you said personal secret, but what could an old mongrel like me gain from such. You can trust me with that at least, right? There is that saying that you can't teach an old-timer something new... or at least I think it goes something like that. I'm kidding, of course, keep your secrets. As I said, I'm too stubborn to be learning anything new these days..." Shiv half-heartedly jested now while scanning over the people in line almost out of involuntary habit. Standard run-of-the-mill citizens and or active-duty soldiers. Nobody here possed any latent concern nor had any been trying to overhear the conversation going on for fear of disciplinary action by a 'hunter'.

Focusing on the topic at hand now, Asami burst out with the dirty truth which honestly wasn't even worth being apologetic for, especially in the case of the woman this scent belonged to. Shiv slightly chuckled as a metallic wheezing came forth from within his helmet. Next came that icy cold voice that seemed to gnaw at any that listened for it was something beyond the norm. A voice that was both tantalizing yet lethal in the way it resonated. "With skin as pale as snow and with almost lavender jewels for eyes... this woman was something else entirely. An upper-caste woman that could literally take your breath away with a single glance, leaving you gasping for air... she had a sort of flair about her with a style unique among even the most outlandish. Oh, yes and she wore the brightest of red lipstick which was like that of freshly spilled blood. How I swindled her to blindly follow me into the depths of insanity might even be perplexing to this day. She was definitely a main family member, but I had lost contact with her many years ago. Honestly, how I remembered even just that is baffling. I wish I could give you something more to go on, but I'm fuzzy on what her actual name was... she was quite entertaining for the meager amount of time I used her for. If you do find he give her my regards."
Characters
Name: Karagata, Shiv
Rank: Bannin
Village: Kirigakure no Sato
Missions: S:0 A:0 B:1 C:1 D:0
Name: Sarutobi, Shin
Rank: Genin
Village: Konohagakure
Missions: S:0 A:0 B:0 C:0 D:0
Name: Karagata, Okami
Rank: A-Ranked Criminal
Village: Kirigakure no Sato
Missions: S:0 A:0 B:0 C:0 D:0
Name: Tsukino, Jhin
Rank: Special Jounin
Village: Kirigakure no Sato
Missions: S:0 A:0 B:0 C:0 D:0
Shiv PersonalityShow
"Having been trained to follow orders and accomplish any task given to him, Shiv has become a desensitized killer with an elitist attitude, being utterly rude to those that he deems lesser than himself. This can be seen through his interaction with people as he is quite the remorseless and sarcastic individual. His disregard for those around him can be seen through his logic of comparing people to weapons. He is professional, calculating, and ambitious by nature, with his professional side only being shown when dealing with those that he deems worthy of his respect."

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Willoria
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Parallel Errands

Post by Willoria » Mon Oct 04, 2021 11:14 pm

Asami sighed heavily and seemed to make a face as Shiv asked her what it was she required of her Dagger. "You'll probably think I'm an idiot too." she admitted, frowning slightly and shaking her head. "I require a certain level of Empathy." she told him, not bothering to hesitate or mince words as she finally told him, looking at him a moment to gauge his response before she continued. "Empathy has move value than most Kiri shinobi give it credit. Understanding the emotions of others can allow us to better evaluate and understand our targets, to allow us to take on our targets or get into their heads. It can also help us to better understand ourselves and our recruits." She shrugged briefly. "Shinjiro for example, one of his fatal flaws in my opinion is his love to hunt in the slums for sport from time to time. He has no problem taking lives he thinks have no use and will never have use. Personally, I don't think he can truly know that of most of the ones he hunts. He once saw me as that person, would rather have killed me than trained me. The only reason he originally set out to train me was because of orders. I was raised by the slums after my parents were murdered. I was the definition of talentless waste for most of my life. Yet here I am."

Asami sighed quietly. "I am proof that Empathy has value, and so will be my dagger, and so will be another boy I'm training now. I rescued him from an orphanage in the slums, much like the ones that tried to raise me. I'll train him up to be as strong as I am, maybe stronger even."

She couldn't help a wry chuckle however. "But to you that all probably sounds foolish as hell. Just as it does to Shinjiro."

She returned her own mind to the subject of the letter as Shiv went on to describe her, and suddenly raised an eyebrow in obvious shock. "The great Karagata Shiv waxes poetic. Okay... that I didn't expect." she said with a chuckle. "Next you'll tell me love is something even you believe in and once knew, a cold and experienced assassin like yourself." she teased, shaking her head. "Still, thank you for the clues, it gives me a lot more to go on than I had before... maybe I can find her and figure out why she sponsored me..."
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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Flankingfox
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Parallel Errands

Post by Flankingfox » Tue Oct 12, 2021 6:05 pm

Internally Shiv raised an eyebrow as Asami gave some insight into the weapon Shinjiro. The information presented was almost startling as it was nearly an exact description of what Shiv had been and or done so many years ago. How was it then that Shinji wasn't a child of Shiv?! They were almost identical in ability and the way they looked at the world. However, instead of a near-perfect replica, Shiv was given Yuuto... A cruel mocking sort of joke that came out of the insanity that was his mother; Kijo, Nehan. Shiv fought back a wince as his thoughts recalled his so-called son. Surely this reality was still just a nightmare, but Shiv wouldn't count on that as he knew deep down that without a fatherly figure this was obviously the product of his own creation. Focusing back on what was being said, Shiv heard empathy mentioned and that it was the guiding factor for young Asami. Quite insightful for a young woman to focus on the thing needed to become the perfect weapon. Without empathy, the worth and usefulness of those around would be in constant discord per se.

When Asami started to chuckle saying Shiv might find that foolish he piped up and replied, "Not foolish at all, empathy is needed to understand the worth of a target, individual, comrade, and or yourself in some cases. We take on a variety of roles and being able to see things from a holistic perspective and how different weapons or tools work together is what helps one make decisions effectively... Also helps when hunting down a target, knowing the emotions and the like they are going through can aid in tracking what they may do..."

Ignoring the comment about love, Shiv replied, "Well it's the least I could do to help a fellow member of the family. If you catch up to her, you wouldn't mind telling me her name again, would ya? I'm not exactly a poet by nature but I've read enough now to throw around words in a ruse. She probably sponsored you because she had that empathy you spoke about. Maybe she felt something pull on her heart strings and wanted a better life for you... anything is possible. Best of luck to you, I guess I should get to this meeting of mine. I doubt I'll enjoy this much, but it is what it is..."
Characters
Name: Karagata, Shiv
Rank: Bannin
Village: Kirigakure no Sato
Missions: S:0 A:0 B:1 C:1 D:0
Name: Sarutobi, Shin
Rank: Genin
Village: Konohagakure
Missions: S:0 A:0 B:0 C:0 D:0
Name: Karagata, Okami
Rank: A-Ranked Criminal
Village: Kirigakure no Sato
Missions: S:0 A:0 B:0 C:0 D:0
Name: Tsukino, Jhin
Rank: Special Jounin
Village: Kirigakure no Sato
Missions: S:0 A:0 B:0 C:0 D:0
Shiv PersonalityShow
"Having been trained to follow orders and accomplish any task given to him, Shiv has become a desensitized killer with an elitist attitude, being utterly rude to those that he deems lesser than himself. This can be seen through his interaction with people as he is quite the remorseless and sarcastic individual. His disregard for those around him can be seen through his logic of comparing people to weapons. He is professional, calculating, and ambitious by nature, with his professional side only being shown when dealing with those that he deems worthy of his respect."

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Willoria
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Parallel Errands

Post by Willoria » Mon Oct 18, 2021 11:12 pm

Asami was more than a little surprised to hear Shiv agreed with her about the uses of Empathy. Of course, much of that revolved around its uses against targets and its combat useage, but it definitely left her wondering if there was far more to the champion than met the eye. Or at least more to him than his public image. Even a man who used Empathy as a weapon had to have used it in its natural uses once too, right? Asami found herself looking at the man differently for a brief moment, not just as if studying him behind his mask for a moment, forcing herself to look away and to the table before her, but within her own mind. A new image almost seemed to rise in her mind and she thought maybe she could see why on some subconscious level she found herself comfortable around this man that she knew, by reputation at least, she shouldn't trust as she only knew him to be deadly. She set the information aside for later thought and grinned as he mentioned getting her mentor's name.

"I'll make sure to learn as much as I can about her and get that information to you too." she told him, chuckling. "You sound almost as curious about this as I am now... maybe its a Karagata trait, innate curiosity of some kind." she remarked as she shook her head and grinned at him. "I am curious to know what caught her attention about me, and at this point I don't think I'm scared of getting a beating in the process. After the hell, poisonings, and everything else I've gone through training with Shinjiro, there's almost nothing anyone could do to me that would actually bother me anymore."

She nodded as the man mentioned his meeting and she caught herself frowning, even as she heard her name called for her food. "Seems I need to be going too." she admitted. "Don't tell him I said this, but Shinji is a real pain when he doesn't get his food." she added with a grin before pushing off the table she'd been leaning on. She put a hand to her shoulder before giving Shiv at least and inclination of her head, without actually taking her eyes off of him of course, in a slight bow. "Hopefully your meeting doesn't bore you too much, Shiv-sama." she said simply before turning to get her food.
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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Flankingfox
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Parallel Errands

Post by Flankingfox » Wed Dec 01, 2021 12:29 am

"Curious? Potentially... this story is intriguing at least. What interest that woman has in you does sort of catch my attention. I doubt you'll get beaten for your prying, that doesn't seem to be her way, especially with this cryptic letter..." The champion seemed like he was in thought for the moment almost as if trying to place that name but to no avail. However, even so, he still noted that Asami had been glancing over his mask probably wondering what this weapon was pondering.

Shiv chuckled slightly as Asami mentioned Shinji's apparent demeanor without fuel. Finding out little things like this about the family weapon was interesting as the champion hadn't been in contact with Shinji much even though they were essentially family. At the end of the day these little traits didn't matter but knowing them gave the individual personality which as the two just established was a crucial part in knowing how a target thinks. "Well, we all get a bit cranky when our basic needs are not met... In any case, take care of yourself kid, it was a pleasure conversing with you again Asami. Maybe another time when we are not so busy we can get a longer visit in..."

The words trailed off a bit while Shiv glanced toward the direction of his meeting, lifting a hand while looking back at the young woman, Shiv met eyes with her before finishing a single hand seal. Vanishing suddenly in a puff of smoke, Shiv had seemingly left as quickly as he had appeared.
Characters
Name: Karagata, Shiv
Rank: Bannin
Village: Kirigakure no Sato
Missions: S:0 A:0 B:1 C:1 D:0
Name: Sarutobi, Shin
Rank: Genin
Village: Konohagakure
Missions: S:0 A:0 B:0 C:0 D:0
Name: Karagata, Okami
Rank: A-Ranked Criminal
Village: Kirigakure no Sato
Missions: S:0 A:0 B:0 C:0 D:0
Name: Tsukino, Jhin
Rank: Special Jounin
Village: Kirigakure no Sato
Missions: S:0 A:0 B:0 C:0 D:0
Shiv PersonalityShow
"Having been trained to follow orders and accomplish any task given to him, Shiv has become a desensitized killer with an elitist attitude, being utterly rude to those that he deems lesser than himself. This can be seen through his interaction with people as he is quite the remorseless and sarcastic individual. His disregard for those around him can be seen through his logic of comparing people to weapons. He is professional, calculating, and ambitious by nature, with his professional side only being shown when dealing with those that he deems worthy of his respect."

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