[Social] The Bar Singer

[7eleven]

Satori sat alone at the bar in the dimly lit sake cafe. The stool, a simple piece of wood on stilts with no cushion, was very uncomfortable. And perhaps it was just the chuunin's taller-than-average height, but he found that the stools were too far from the bar for it to make a comfortable reading table. He'd lately acquired a book full of legends - well, more like fables - on the Genma and Jinchuuriki in relation to Kumogakure. These sorts of stories fascinated the boy even before he had been chosen to harbor one of the village's most powerful assets. He blamed it on the way his grandfather would often tell him stories to teach him lessons.

This particular legend spoke of a Jinchuuriki who had gone rogue, declaring war on Kumo before fleeing into the mountains. It had taken an entire army and a forty day siege to capture the Nukenin and extract the Genma to be placed into a more viable host. Satori found it especially difficult to believe this tale. Having had the burden of the Enchougenma for nearly two years at this point, he couldn't imagine the beast allowing him that kind of power. But, then again... he hardly knew what the Genma was fully capable of.

Satori preferred this bar to the others in the area because, well, it was a bit rundown. And rundown meant quiet, a quiet that was interrupted by the entrance of a man who did not appear to be from the village. A boisterous man, based on his sweaty demeanor and expensive looking clothes, a man that Satori presumed to be part of a trade caravan. He seemed thrilled, likely having secured a profitable trade deal. The man was quickly followed by more, some of them just as loud, others who seemed to be waiting for something. He sighed and closed his book, tucking it into his robe as the bartender brought him a small cup of sake. The staff here knew Satori quite well, as he often ventured there to read and unwind after long days.

"Something going on tonight? This isn't quite the usual crowd."

The man laughed at Satori's remark. "Yeah, we've got some Jinrai girl coming in to put on a show. They say they're excellent singers, figured it would help bring in some cash, ya know?" He paused as he began to walk away, turning back to Satori. "Hey man, you got any more that tea you let me try? I was telling the wife about it and she said she'd love to try some, told her I'd ask."

Without a word, Satori pulled a small paper sack tied with rough twine tossed it to the barkeep. The man stumbled a bit with his catch but managed not to drop it. "Appreciate it, bud." Satori nodded, pulling his mask down to take a quiet sip from his sake. A singer, huh? Perhaps these rude interruptions would turn out to be a good thing. It wasn't long before another bar employee took the stage and urged everyone to quiet down.

"Everyone, quiet! Please! Jinrai Setsuko will be taking the stage shortly."

[Tsedas]

Back stage there was a young girl that was no older than sixteen. Her short burgundy hair fell about her head yet thanks to a pair of clips it wasn't getting her eyes as she adjusted the strings on her Guqin. She quietly plucked and tuned the instrument in her lap as she waited to be told it was time for her to go on stage. Tonight, she wore a combination of her mission attire and off duty attire, getting a bit of a look that wasn't fully elegant yet not completely strict. It gave her a look of someone ready to perform or just go out jog for a while. In the end, it left her arms and mid drift bare so she could do her usual when she was finished tuning her Guqin, Ten no Koe.

The was an increase in sound outside and the Jinrai's blue eyes shifted to the curtain as a member of the bar's staff peeked out into the place. "Looks like they're starting to pile any. Alright, You've got 5 minutes, finish getting ready." With that he stepped out onto the stage and let everyone know that she would be stepping on stage soon. With one last pluck, she was certain her instrument was tuned and set it aside. Reaching into the bag that rested on the floor next to her foot, Setsuko pulled out a little kit of needle and string.

After about three minutes, she held her arms out and examined her handiwork. "I'm getting faster at this." She muttered to herself with a small smile before replacing the string and needle into the kit and back into her bag. A pair of designs were now stitched into her arms, her left arm having a snake of some kind that wrapped around her forearm and ended on the back of her hand while her right arm had a hummingbird flying through what looked to be patterns of wind.

The reasoning behind the two pieces of art were stuck in her head, but she wasn't likely to share it tonight, most people just didn't want to look at her arms when they saw her art. Of course, most people just listen to her music anyway, so it wasn't much of a loss. The staff member came and collected her before introducing her, the curtain moving aside as Setsuko stepped out on stage. Walking over to the center stage, she channeled Raiton into her hands, making them glow with chakra before she took a sleep, steady breath. Sitting down in a chair, she barely needed to adjust her position before her fingers started moving across the strings and her palms and fingers plucking, pressing, or tapping the frame of the instrument to create a very vibrant and electric sound. The tapping of her fingers and palms sounded like drum work. It wasn't long before her voice rang out, joining the musical notes she played.

[7eleven]

When the artist took the stage, Satori had the vague feeling he had seen her somewhere before. He didn't know her, per se, but he was certain that she was more than just a bar performer: the girl was a kunoichi. She was a pretty woman about Satori's age, perhaps a little younger, with piercings and short-chopped vivid red hair. It was hard to make out because of the distance, but she appeared to have very elaborate line-work tattoos covering both of her arms.

The crowd began to grow quiet as she prepared to play, starting off slow and then quickly progressing into a steady rhythm of plucking and tapping that Satori found more than enjoyable, which she accompanied with her light, pretty voice. Her playing also confirmed Satori's hunch that she was a kunoichi, as she appeared to perform a jutsu right before starting to play. Satori was quite impressed by this, using the art of jutsu to supplement the art of music.

Satori got up from his seat and progressed closer to the stage to get a better look at the performance. Once he was a few feet away he sat down on his knees with his ankles crossed behind him, his bottom resting against the bottoms of his calves. It wasn't the most comfortable way to enjoy a concert, but he wanted to be close to the state and didn't want to ruin the experience with his grand height. He then pulled his pipe from his robe, filled it with a rooibos and hibiscus blend and lit it up, letting his lungs fill with the sweet flavors before blowing absentmindedly blowing smoke rings.

[OOC: Your youtube link is broken btw]

[Tsedas]

As her fingers worked and her voice carried, she went through the lyrics and notes with ease from a lifetime of practice before in short notice, the song came to an end. The silence didn't last long as she started to move onto her next song, keeping the flow of music going as her audience shifted form their conversations to listening and back again. The stitching on her arms seeming to feet with what each of her hands did. Her right hand it's fingers rapidly and deftly across the strings while her left seemed to slither and shift across her Guqin as it drummed against the body of the instrument when it wasn't putting pressure on the strings.

Her song was of a woman buying a stairway to heaven and the way she sang the song started slow and solemn but as it went on, the lyrics and musical notes seemed to grow in intensity and speed before she was moving just as fast toward the latter part of the song as she sang. Sweat started to bead on her forehead as she continued on and as the song wound down, Setsuko seemed to visibly relax as she called for a short break. The people in the bar applauded before the young Jinrai gave a brief bow and stepped off the stage and toward the bar. Ordering some water, she waited as she lightly patted the sweat from her brow.

"Ugh, hate sweating." She said to herself as she saw a glass placed in front of her. Taking it, she looked around the room before raising the glass to her lips. She saw someone sitting on the floor in front of the stage and tilted her head in curiosity after lowering the glass, swallowing a mouthful of water. Walking over to them, she rested herself against the stage while gesturing to said person. "You look young to be smoking, what made you get into that habit?"

[7eleven]

What a beautiful song the girl played, and so well. Every note and every drum of her fingers in the proper place, sonic perfection. Satori could tell that the feat was not easy for her, sweat pouring down her face. Good art was not easy work. The crowd erupted with applause at the end of the first song, which bothered the Chuunin. Luckily he was sitting close enough to the stage that he was still able to hear the intro to the second song in spite of all the noise.

As she wrapped up the next song to take a water break, she not so subtly approached Satori. Guess it couldn't be helped, though, that's what he got for making sure he was as close to the stage as possible for the performance. She leaned against the raised portion of the stage as she spoke, inquiring about Satori's smoking habit. Did he really seem too young to be smoking? Satori found the word "young" to be entirely relative; how is it that he could be too young to smoke, but old enough to be entrusted with a power like the Genma, or old enough to put his life on line for the village? Inconsistencies like this were part of the reason Satori found it difficult to associate socially.

"Too young to smoke, old enough to die in the name of Kumogakure no Sato." Satori smiled at the girl, letting out a slight laugh to show that he was only kidding. "I picked it up from my grandfather, I suppose. It helps to calm the nerves."

[Tsedas]

"Never said you couldn't smoke, just saying you look young to be indulging in what I've always viewed as an older gentleman's habit. Most people I have encounter that smoke are often older, even in my clan." Setsuko explained part of her assumption on him being 'too young' before sipped at a glass of water. "Although, you'll never catch me doing it, can't afford to lose my vocal prowess." She smiled back at him.

"I'm Jinrai Setsuko, although I suppose you knew that already with the announcement they made before I came on stage. What's your name?" Setsuko asked, hand hand reaching behind her as she set the glass on the stage and used both of her arms to pull herself up so she was sitting on it, looking down at him as people continued to mingle. Looking over at the bar for a moment, she saw the bartender and the guy running her performances for the night talking so she turned her attention back to the young man on the floor in front of her.

[7eleven]

Satori mulled that thought over in his mind- he supposed he was a bit young for the habit, not knowing any other people his age, really, that indulged in it. While singing was never really Satori's forte, he noted that it never really stopped his grandfather from singing. Sumi was typically the kind of person that would sing to himself, usually quietly, when he thought that no one else was listening. But now that he thought about it, Satori's grandfather always had a very nice singing voice. "Oh, I don't think you need to worry about that. Your voice is quite beautiful."

Satori took one last hit from his pipe as it dried up before returning it to the folds of his robe, standing so that he could meet the girl at eye level. Even though she was on stage, and sitting on a stool, she just barely passed Satori's height. "Name's Sunakimi Satori," he said, taking a slight bow of greeting. "It's nice to meet you, Setsukou."