Did you get a new haircut?

User avatar
TyDie
Posts: 7360
Joined: Sat Apr 27, 2013 8:00 pm
Location: Manassas VA

Did you get a new haircut?

Post by TyDie » Sun Aug 22, 2021 6:30 pm

It had been a few days since the revelation that Souta had dropped on Aiya. About her venom and what it did to people. About it's origins, and it's connection to a powerful spirit locked away in Suna... And about her soul's connection to the soul of the man's daughter. It had been a tumultuous few days as she tried her best to come to terms with everything, and when she got through all of the emotion, what was left was a simple fact; She was Aiya. There was no doubting that, she was the daughter of Kazuo and Rin Ibakuro, regardless of where her soul came from.

There was another fact to be taken into account to, and that was Souta. The man was just as shocked as she was, and had experienced incredible pain at the loss of his daughter. The initial shock now passed, she felt she had to at least reconnect with the Suna Bannin and let him now that things were okay now... that she could continue to be his friend and give him at least some kind of connection to his daughter's lost soul. But as she checked the teahouse and spoke to the owner, she found that he had not been down in a couple of days.

So, she wasted no time in going to see him in his apartment, heading around back of the building and up some stairs before knocking on the door. "Are you there Souta? Can I come in?"
Active Characters
Village of OriginCharacter Name & LinkRankColor
Sunagakure no SatoHenrin EmiGenin[color=darkgoldenrod][b][/b][/color]
Konohagakure no SatoIbakuro AiyaChuunin[color=#8CD600][/color]
Sunagakure no SatoKouseki TakumaGenin[color=#003893][b][/b][/color], [b][color=#AFBCDB][/color][/b]
Kirigakure no SatoKazuki RyuChuunin[color=#dc143c][/color], [b][color=#C71585][/color][/b]
Iwagakure No SatoHiraku KenjiBannin S-Rank Missing Ninja[b][color=slategray][/color][/b]
Iwagakure No SatoFukusha JinsaiJounin[color=#BF0000][/color], [b][glow=orangered][color=#000000][/color][/glow][/b]

User avatar
Willoria
Posts: 12128
Joined: Fri Jul 31, 2009 8:00 pm
Location: Dancing with his Demons
User flair: Heart of Gold, Encased in Stone.
Contact:

Did you get a new haircut?

Post by Willoria » Sun Aug 22, 2021 7:04 pm

It had been a very weird few days. Souta woke up with a face, and body for that matter, that he hadn't seen in years. He'd been to see the medics and was declared healthy but it still left him feeling weird. He was up in his apartment, still trying to make sense of things when he heard a knock at the door. The voice that came with the knock was unexpected. For a moment the man scrambled, partly because he wasn't entirely dressed. He'd been walking around in only his boxers. He had to scramble to pull on a pair of dark pants and a hoodie, pulling the hood up to try and cover his hair and his face.

He walked over to the door and sighed. "Yeah, I'm here Aiya." He said as he pulled the door open, and of course instantly he heard yipping. Just as the door opened, Hana tried to make her escape, only to be scooped up by Souta. "Sorry, she tries to escape every time the door opens." he muttered as he tucked the yipping fox under his arm. "Come on in."

He stepped aside to let Aiya in, but kept his head tucked down as he shut the door behind her and walked into his living room. "Make yourself comfortable." he told her awkwardly. His apartment was surprisingly clean as he set the little fennec fox down who started zooming around almost immediately.
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

User avatar
TyDie
Posts: 7360
Joined: Sat Apr 27, 2013 8:00 pm
Location: Manassas VA

Did you get a new haircut?

Post by TyDie » Mon Aug 23, 2021 1:15 pm

As Aiya waited for Souta to answer the door, the incessant yipping from inside clued her in to the fact that the man's fennec fox was as crazy as Souta said she was. Suddenly, she was dreading him opening the door... But eventually he did, and as he did so the fox tried to dart out the door, only for Souta's hand to lash out and scoop her up. "Heh... I had almost forgotten about Hana." Aiya chuckled nervously as she entered the apartment, but immediately something felt... off. Souta felt off. He kept his head down and walked away, setting down Hana, who immediately darted to see who this new visitor was.

Aiya couldn't help her initial reaction to Hana, which was to protect her ankles from bites. But when it became clear that Hana just wanted to sniff and lick her, she slowly moved away from the fox, who proceeded to zip away in a blur of movement. "Ahh... so much energy." She moved towards the living room with Souta, now finally getting a chance to see that he was wearing a... very obscuring outfit. "Souta... is everything okay? You seem... different."
Active Characters
Village of OriginCharacter Name & LinkRankColor
Sunagakure no SatoHenrin EmiGenin[color=darkgoldenrod][b][/b][/color]
Konohagakure no SatoIbakuro AiyaChuunin[color=#8CD600][/color]
Sunagakure no SatoKouseki TakumaGenin[color=#003893][b][/b][/color], [b][color=#AFBCDB][/color][/b]
Kirigakure no SatoKazuki RyuChuunin[color=#dc143c][/color], [b][color=#C71585][/color][/b]
Iwagakure No SatoHiraku KenjiBannin S-Rank Missing Ninja[b][color=slategray][/color][/b]
Iwagakure No SatoFukusha JinsaiJounin[color=#BF0000][/color], [b][glow=orangered][color=#000000][/color][/glow][/b]

User avatar
Willoria
Posts: 12128
Joined: Fri Jul 31, 2009 8:00 pm
Location: Dancing with his Demons
User flair: Heart of Gold, Encased in Stone.
Contact:

Did you get a new haircut?

Post by Willoria » Mon Aug 23, 2021 1:51 pm

Souta couldn't help a bit of a laugh as Aiya reacted to Hana's energy zoomies. He was so used to it that it was completely normal to him. Before long though the little fox zoomed out of site and into her room where she could be heard yipping as she no doubt found one of her favorite toys. "She takes some getting used to." he told her. He stepped around to the kitchen and poured a couple of glasses of iced tea and handed one to Aiya before moving to sit down, sighing as she asked him about his behavior and appearance. If she hadn't noticed yet, even his voice was slightly different. "Uh... technically I'm fine." he assured her.

"I told you about the Soul Genma a bit last time we talked... I've worked with a couple different hosts, including training with them. So I've been damaged by their abilities and jutsu a few times." Souta shrugged awkwardly in the hoodie he was wearing. "Medics can't figure out what happened but... my best guess is at some point it was one too many times, I won't know until I get back to Suna and run a few tests."

Souta reached up a hand and pulled back the hood, revealing what was so different about him. His entire appearance seemed to have turned back to clock on his age by over ten years. His hair was back to a vibrant red, his eyes were brighter, his skin, everything was younger and he looked almost completely different. Oddly enough he found himself almost holding his breath as he waited for the young girl's reaction.

"When I woke up like this the other day, Hana even bit me before she realized I smelled the same..."
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

User avatar
TyDie
Posts: 7360
Joined: Sat Apr 27, 2013 8:00 pm
Location: Manassas VA

Did you get a new haircut?

Post by TyDie » Mon Aug 23, 2021 2:29 pm

Aiya accepted the tea with a smile, but she was still concerned about what was going on here. The squeaking of a toy in the next room meant Hana was busy, so Aiya could sit on a couch, across from Souta. She'd take a drink before setting the cup down on the coffee table in front of her, but then she tilted her head in concern. "Souta, something's not right here... You sound funny. Do you have a cold or something?" He went on to explain more about how he had been exposed to the Soul Genma's chakra more than once, but she wasn't sure exactly what that had to do with anything. "I don't understand Souta... I mean sure, you felt my venom for the first time a couple days ago, and you say it has this 'soul damage' property, but..."

Aiya fell silent as Souta revealed himself to her... his appearance had changed completely. Red hair instead of white, and so young looking now! His skin, once rough and rugged, was softer. "Wow... Souta! You're..." She couldn't stop herself from blurting out the first thought that came to her mind. "You're hot! What the hell happened!?" After blurting it out, she realized what she said and turned bright red in response. "Uh... I mean... You look so young now..."
Active Characters
Village of OriginCharacter Name & LinkRankColor
Sunagakure no SatoHenrin EmiGenin[color=darkgoldenrod][b][/b][/color]
Konohagakure no SatoIbakuro AiyaChuunin[color=#8CD600][/color]
Sunagakure no SatoKouseki TakumaGenin[color=#003893][b][/b][/color], [b][color=#AFBCDB][/color][/b]
Kirigakure no SatoKazuki RyuChuunin[color=#dc143c][/color], [b][color=#C71585][/color][/b]
Iwagakure No SatoHiraku KenjiBannin S-Rank Missing Ninja[b][color=slategray][/color][/b]
Iwagakure No SatoFukusha JinsaiJounin[color=#BF0000][/color], [b][glow=orangered][color=#000000][/color][/glow][/b]

User avatar
Willoria
Posts: 12128
Joined: Fri Jul 31, 2009 8:00 pm
Location: Dancing with his Demons
User flair: Heart of Gold, Encased in Stone.
Contact:

Did you get a new haircut?

Post by Willoria » Mon Aug 23, 2021 5:32 pm

At Aiya's initial outburst, Souta couldn't help a laugh. He smiled, a bit embarrassed, and laughed, shaking his head as Aiya tried to recover herself and the man honestly understood her outburst. He had been in more than a bit of a state of shock himself. "Yeah... welcome to how I looked in my early to mid-twenties." Souta admitted with a bit of an awkward chuckle, reaching back to rub the back of his neck. He looked down at the floor a moment before shrugging and resting his elbows on his knees, hands clasped in front of him as he sighed. "I talked to the medics here and no one here has any explanation. All they can tell me is that I'm in perfect health. I probably won't get any real answers until I get back to Suna and speak to others who have experience with the Genma but.... well, technically I'm the named expert in the field there." he finally admitted.

"My best guess is exposure to the things chakra caused this over time, it just finally manifested. On the upside, doesn't look like any negative side effects and I won't have to rush home over it..." He picked up his own drink and took a sip before leaning back in his chair and looking at Aiya a moment with a chuckle. "But I'm guessing ogling me wasn't the original reason you stopped by?"
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

User avatar
TyDie
Posts: 7360
Joined: Sat Apr 27, 2013 8:00 pm
Location: Manassas VA

Did you get a new haircut?

Post by TyDie » Tue Aug 24, 2021 9:09 am

Aiya couldn't help but stare wide eyed at the red haired man as he proceeded to explain himself, or at least what he thought had happened. Something to do with constant exposure to the genma that had ties to Aiya's venom or something? She wasn't sure, she was too busy taking in every aspect of his appearance. That is, until he called her out for ogling, at which point she stumbled over herself verbally. "Oh! Uh, I, uh, y'see..." The girl's pale skin turned bright red around her face, her ears turning hot as blood flushed through her. After a few moments she snapped out of it, letting out a nervous chuckle as she drank down her embarrassment with tea.

"No, I came because I have some questions that's all." She had come with a purpose, and she intended to get back to that, assume Souta wasn't going to continue making her so embarrassed. "Well... Let me start at the beginning. And I understand, you probably can't tell me everything. Village secrets and all that. But... this spirit. The Soul Genma." She looked down at her hands, as if searching for something that wasn't there. For a moment, she felt this strange sensation around her wrists, but it was gone as quickly as it had come. "What exactly is it? What does it do, does it have a name, and how many times have you been affected by it?"
Active Characters
Village of OriginCharacter Name & LinkRankColor
Sunagakure no SatoHenrin EmiGenin[color=darkgoldenrod][b][/b][/color]
Konohagakure no SatoIbakuro AiyaChuunin[color=#8CD600][/color]
Sunagakure no SatoKouseki TakumaGenin[color=#003893][b][/b][/color], [b][color=#AFBCDB][/color][/b]
Kirigakure no SatoKazuki RyuChuunin[color=#dc143c][/color], [b][color=#C71585][/color][/b]
Iwagakure No SatoHiraku KenjiBannin S-Rank Missing Ninja[b][color=slategray][/color][/b]
Iwagakure No SatoFukusha JinsaiJounin[color=#BF0000][/color], [b][glow=orangered][color=#000000][/color][/glow][/b]

User avatar
Willoria
Posts: 12128
Joined: Fri Jul 31, 2009 8:00 pm
Location: Dancing with his Demons
User flair: Heart of Gold, Encased in Stone.
Contact:

Did you get a new haircut?

Post by Willoria » Fri Aug 27, 2021 9:53 pm

Souta set down his iced tea and leaned back in his chair, his elbow resting on the arm of it and his chin resting against his hand, fingers against his lips as he watched Aiya's reactions to his words. He couldn't help a bit of a chuckle as she stammered and tripped over her own words to find a response. Of course he knew she hadn't tried to, she'd had a real reason to come by. His appearance was quiet a shock, add onto that, that Souta wasn't ignorant of his own appearance, both back when he really was this age and now. He had always known the impact he'd had on women and especially on girls just learning what a crush was.

She seemed to finally start being able to form a coherent thought thankfully, though Souta was still smirking as he waited for her to explain herself. Naturally the questions she was asking were exactly things he couldn't really tell her and the man couldn't help a disappointed sigh. He sat up suddenly and leaned forward to look at her. "I actually can't answer almost any of that for you, Aiya." he told her flat out. "Trouble is... what we're talking about here is one of the greatest secrets of my village... and I am quite literally the leading authority on this secret in my village. I am the keeper of this secret, and frankly I've already told you more than I should. I'm already going to have to report my own conduct to my Kazekage when I go home and tell her that I've told you that jutsu exists that causes soul damage.... and honestly I've told you that much to help you solve your mystery. To learn beyond that you're going to have to discover and experiment on your own."

Souta sighed, almost sadly it seemed. "I wish I could tell you more, but my hands are tied. Our villages are allies, and very close ones at that, but there are still secrets that must be protected between them and this happens to be one of them."
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

User avatar
TyDie
Posts: 7360
Joined: Sat Apr 27, 2013 8:00 pm
Location: Manassas VA

Did you get a new haircut?

Post by TyDie » Sat Aug 28, 2021 3:08 pm

Aiya was glad that the man was willing to overlook her social blunder and continue with the conversation she had initially come to have. However, she was immediately saddened to hear how much of this information was secret, secrets that only Sunagakure shinobi of high standing could likely get into. "Well... That's frustrating to say the least." As she spoke, she'd punctuate with a drink from her cup, closing her eyes in brief thought as she considered what she could get from the man. And after a moment, the thought occurred to her... but that might be even worse.

"Tell me about Sakaki, then."

She sort of blurted it out, not really thinking too hard about how it might hurt for him to talk about his daughter, but the question was already asked. She couldn't take it back. "You can omit the details about the spirit obviously, but can you at least tell me some things about her? If I really do harbor her soul in some way... I think it would be nice for me to understand some of the history behind it's previous life, don't you?" She'd wait to hear what the man had to say, but she was clearly eager to hear something of substance finally.
Active Characters
Village of OriginCharacter Name & LinkRankColor
Sunagakure no SatoHenrin EmiGenin[color=darkgoldenrod][b][/b][/color]
Konohagakure no SatoIbakuro AiyaChuunin[color=#8CD600][/color]
Sunagakure no SatoKouseki TakumaGenin[color=#003893][b][/b][/color], [b][color=#AFBCDB][/color][/b]
Kirigakure no SatoKazuki RyuChuunin[color=#dc143c][/color], [b][color=#C71585][/color][/b]
Iwagakure No SatoHiraku KenjiBannin S-Rank Missing Ninja[b][color=slategray][/color][/b]
Iwagakure No SatoFukusha JinsaiJounin[color=#BF0000][/color], [b][glow=orangered][color=#000000][/color][/glow][/b]

User avatar
Willoria
Posts: 12128
Joined: Fri Jul 31, 2009 8:00 pm
Location: Dancing with his Demons
User flair: Heart of Gold, Encased in Stone.
Contact:

Did you get a new haircut?

Post by Willoria » Sat Aug 28, 2021 10:36 pm

Souta leaned back in his chair with his cup of iced tea in his hand to sip on. As Aiya expressed her frustration the man couldn't help shaking his head. "I'm sorry, every village has its secrets." he said simply. He genuinely wished he could share more information with her, there were a lot of mysteries revolving around this for her and he had the answers she needed. Sadly he simply couldn't share them all. But when she chose to change subjects, he wasn't expecting the shift that was made.

Souta looked into his glass for a moment as he thought about how to answer, swirling the liquid and the ice for a moment as he wasn't sure what to say. "I didn't meet her until she was ten years old." he admitted quietly. "She grew up in an orphanage, I didn't know she existed for years, didn't even know she was my daughter until she was fourteen. I had been her Sensei for four years at that point." Souta sighed heavily before leaning forward and setting his glass down.

"I taught her how to cook actually, how to make sushi, it was probably one of her favorite things to do." he started to tell her. "One of her favorite places in the house was a garden I made for her, it was specifically set up to bloom at night. The stones would absorb sunlight and some would glow at night, there was night-blooming jasmine too."
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

User avatar
TyDie
Posts: 7360
Joined: Sat Apr 27, 2013 8:00 pm
Location: Manassas VA

Did you get a new haircut?

Post by TyDie » Sun Aug 29, 2021 9:03 pm

The conversation got a lot more somber as Aiya asked about the former jinchuuriki, Souta's daughter. The story was even stranger than she could have imagined; A daughter he didn't even know existed, who grew up an orphan, ended up becoming host to some spirit and through that found her connection to her father. "Gosh... I couldn't have written a story better then that. Talk about ups and downs..." She let out a deep breath, hey eyes falling to her hands for a moment in thought. Eventually, she thought of something to say on the topic. "For what it's worth, you made more of your time together than a lot of parents do. It's good to know that she was able to find a family... Orphans must have it so rough."

Suddenly, it was as if the elephant in the room just sounded it's horn, and she came back to Souta's new appearance. "Okay, so hold on a second. What's the plan regarding your sudden, uh... shift in appearance? You look like 15 years younger, surely that's not something that normally happens. I mean, is there anything I can do... was it my fault?" Suddenly she found that she was blaming herself, letting out a dejected sigh as she reached for her cup again.
Active Characters
Village of OriginCharacter Name & LinkRankColor
Sunagakure no SatoHenrin EmiGenin[color=darkgoldenrod][b][/b][/color]
Konohagakure no SatoIbakuro AiyaChuunin[color=#8CD600][/color]
Sunagakure no SatoKouseki TakumaGenin[color=#003893][b][/b][/color], [b][color=#AFBCDB][/color][/b]
Kirigakure no SatoKazuki RyuChuunin[color=#dc143c][/color], [b][color=#C71585][/color][/b]
Iwagakure No SatoHiraku KenjiBannin S-Rank Missing Ninja[b][color=slategray][/color][/b]
Iwagakure No SatoFukusha JinsaiJounin[color=#BF0000][/color], [b][glow=orangered][color=#000000][/color][/glow][/b]

User avatar
Willoria
Posts: 12128
Joined: Fri Jul 31, 2009 8:00 pm
Location: Dancing with his Demons
User flair: Heart of Gold, Encased in Stone.
Contact:

Did you get a new haircut?

Post by Willoria » Sun Aug 29, 2021 9:12 pm

Souta had been staring down at his own feet when Aiya commented on the time he spent with his daughter. He couldn't help a small smile as he looked at Aiya. "Thank you, that means a lot." he admitted. "I sometimes worry that I didn't do enough while I had time with her. It wasn't enough... and I feel like her mother robbed us both of so much more by not telling me..." He shook his head and sighed, about to try and change the subject when Aiya did it herself.

The change made him chuckle a bit. "It's not your fault." he tried to assure her. "As I said, this happened because I've been exposed to this kind of jutsu multiple times. When I get home I can find out more, but fact is it probably just took time to take effect." he tried to explain, reaching across the table to rest a hand on one of Aiya's. "Look, its a shock, and its going to shock a lot of people, but there's no damage. I'm not injured and it isn't going to have any real effect on my life. Believe me, I have gone through a lot worse."

"It's not your fault, Aiya."
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

User avatar
TyDie
Posts: 7360
Joined: Sat Apr 27, 2013 8:00 pm
Location: Manassas VA

Did you get a new haircut?

Post by TyDie » Sun Aug 29, 2021 10:57 pm

Aiya gave the man a nod as it was clear he enjoyed having a bit of a positive conversation about his late daughter, but his deep seated sorrow wasn't lost on her. She was happy to see him perk up, even if the conversation made her feel a little guilty. But, he assured her this wasn't her fault... she wanted to believe that. As he took her hand, she looked up from her cup and smiled. "Thank you Souta. I just... I mean, I suppose this could be a good thing if there's no long term complications. But we won't know that until later. Still, I'm glad you don't blame me." She'd squeeze the man's hand back as relief washed over her, even though she still felt a little at fault for all of this.

The thought suddenly occurred to her though that he had mentioned sushi earlier. "You said you taught her to make sushi, right? Well, I know how to make it as well. Came pretty naturally to me, too... Heh, makes you wonder I guess." She scratched her head with nervousness, feeling like maybe she was dwelling too much on his daughter's interests. "But uh, yknow... we never got to train that day, heh. I was eager to show you the moves I had been working on."
Active Characters
Village of OriginCharacter Name & LinkRankColor
Sunagakure no SatoHenrin EmiGenin[color=darkgoldenrod][b][/b][/color]
Konohagakure no SatoIbakuro AiyaChuunin[color=#8CD600][/color]
Sunagakure no SatoKouseki TakumaGenin[color=#003893][b][/b][/color], [b][color=#AFBCDB][/color][/b]
Kirigakure no SatoKazuki RyuChuunin[color=#dc143c][/color], [b][color=#C71585][/color][/b]
Iwagakure No SatoHiraku KenjiBannin S-Rank Missing Ninja[b][color=slategray][/color][/b]
Iwagakure No SatoFukusha JinsaiJounin[color=#BF0000][/color], [b][glow=orangered][color=#000000][/color][/glow][/b]

User avatar
Willoria
Posts: 12128
Joined: Fri Jul 31, 2009 8:00 pm
Location: Dancing with his Demons
User flair: Heart of Gold, Encased in Stone.
Contact:

Did you get a new haircut?

Post by Willoria » Mon Aug 30, 2021 6:16 pm

Souta picked up his iced tea again to sip on, finishing it off before setting down his empty glass and getting up to go to his kitchen to get more as Aiya talked about making sushi and he couldn't help a chuckle. "Yeah I made it for her when I first met her and she was obsessed... I even taught the other kids at the orphanage. It became a weekly thing really, taking a day off to teach the kids how to cook something as a big project. It was ironic really, I did it because I lost my chance to be a parent like I wanted to be so I felt like I was filling a void and then I found out Sakaki was-." Souta was suddenly interrupted by a knock at the door and rolled his eyes. He was about to go answer the door as he poured the iced tea when he heard it open and froze in place as he heard a familiar voice.

"Souta? You around?" Rokuro's gravel-like tone drifted through as he came in the door, currently not in the line of sight of the kitchen. "Kaede and I heard you'd gotten settled in out here, figured I'd come deliver some news, she's holding down the fort in Suna while I play messenger." he continued. He took off his boots at the door, taking a solid minute to get it done and even hung up in cloak in the entryway fully revealing his scarred body and the partial mask rebreather on his his face. He was fully in the living room before he noticed Aiya sitting on the couch and paused. "Oh. Shit. Company. Sorry." he said roughly, holding up a hand awkwardly as if waving before turning his head to glance in the kitchen.

When he saw Souta standing there awkwardly staring at him he froze in place. "...what the fucking shit happened, Souta?"

Souta stood there awkwardly for a moment, sighing heavily as Rokuro swore multiple times, and pinched his nose in obvious annoyance. "Really, Rokuro? Sure, walk in and scare the hell out of a Konoha Genin, sure." he replied, shaking his head and she stepped out of the kitchen and crossed his arms before leaning back against the counter. He motioned to Aiya first. "This is Aiya, friend I've made down in the Sushi shop." he said before motioning to Rokuro. "This is Rokuro. Clearly he's not as house-trained as I thought." he said sarcastically.

Rokuro was still staring at Souta. "Souta you're.... what the fuck."
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

User avatar
TyDie
Posts: 7360
Joined: Sat Apr 27, 2013 8:00 pm
Location: Manassas VA

Did you get a new haircut?

Post by TyDie » Mon Aug 30, 2021 8:16 pm

Aiya's smile suddenly turned sour as someone made their way into Souta's house. She was enjoying the happy stories about his daughter and the time spent with her, and then this sudden interruption. As the man with the gravely voice came around the corner, his appearance alone had her on edge. His vulgarity only made things weirder, as he looked at her and she simply raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "You sound like you gargle with broken glass." She smirked at her own little quip, but the interaction between Rokuro and Souta had her interested. This was one of the other handlers he had mentioned... the tough one.

"Yeah... Souta's come down with a case of "Soul damage made me young again" itis. Pretty rare from what I hear, who knows if he'll ever be healthy again?" She was trying to make a joke out of it of course, hopefully Souta would see the humor in it.

She doubted Rokuro even knew what humor was.
Active Characters
Village of OriginCharacter Name & LinkRankColor
Sunagakure no SatoHenrin EmiGenin[color=darkgoldenrod][b][/b][/color]
Konohagakure no SatoIbakuro AiyaChuunin[color=#8CD600][/color]
Sunagakure no SatoKouseki TakumaGenin[color=#003893][b][/b][/color], [b][color=#AFBCDB][/color][/b]
Kirigakure no SatoKazuki RyuChuunin[color=#dc143c][/color], [b][color=#C71585][/color][/b]
Iwagakure No SatoHiraku KenjiBannin S-Rank Missing Ninja[b][color=slategray][/color][/b]
Iwagakure No SatoFukusha JinsaiJounin[color=#BF0000][/color], [b][glow=orangered][color=#000000][/color][/glow][/b]

User avatar
Willoria
Posts: 12128
Joined: Fri Jul 31, 2009 8:00 pm
Location: Dancing with his Demons
User flair: Heart of Gold, Encased in Stone.
Contact:

Did you get a new haircut?

Post by Willoria » Thu Sep 02, 2021 5:56 pm

Rokuro simply blinked at the girl's joke, but as she mentioned Soul Damage he almost looked like he'd been struck. "Soul damage?" He turned to look at Souta again almost immediately. "How the fuck does she know-!"

"Sit down. Shut up. Or I break your face." Souta finally snarled at the other man, suddenly glaring at Rokuro, his own jaw set in a hard line as he spoke. He poured himself another cup of the iced tea as he watched Rokuro finally clam up and follow his instructions, sitting sullenly in one of the single chairs across from Aiya almost as if pouting. But to his credit, he didn't say more. Souta meanwhile didn't bother pouring a third cup for Rokuro as he left the kitchen and returned to his seat with a heavy sigh.

"Sorry, Aiya. Manners are not Rokuro's strong suit." He told her briefly before looking at Rokuro and pointing a single finger at him. "You don't get to walk in uninvited, drop that many f-bombs around my guest, and then start to raise your hackles over things that are under MY authority you snot-nosed little whelp." he snarled at him, showing for probably the first time around Aiya a real flex concerning his rank as a Bannin. "Do you understand me clearly, Rokuro?"

Rokuro was glaring, but simply nodded as he remained sitting up straight.

Souta sighed and shook his head before looking to Aiya. "I swear he's not as bad as he seems, he's just.... reactive. I leave it to you if you want him to know why we've discussed it though."
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

User avatar
TyDie
Posts: 7360
Joined: Sat Apr 27, 2013 8:00 pm
Location: Manassas VA

Did you get a new haircut?

Post by TyDie » Thu Sep 02, 2021 10:55 pm

As Aiya listened to the back and forth between Rokuro and Souta, she didn't know who she was more afraid of. Rokuro was an asshole, sure. His unapologetic language and cold demeanor were both off putting to say the least, especially when he had just walked in the door. But as Souta made clear his authority, exercising his rank and power, he felt like a completely different person than the sushi chef she had met a few days ago. "Sheesh... glad you're on my side, Souta. I'd hate to be on the receiving end of that tongue lashing." She wasn't saying it to get at Rokuro, though of course she expected it might. In reality, the man really was a scary sight to behold when he was mad.

But as Souta made clear it was her choice to divulge or not, she shrugged and turned to Rokuro. "Sure, it's not like it's a big secret or anything. Here Rokuro." Aiya would remove a kunai from her pouch with a smirk, then slowly run the tip of the blade across her tongue, coating the weapon in her saliva. Then, she'd walk over to the man and hand him the weapon, holding the handle out to him. "Poke yourself with this." She'd then walk back to her chair and sit down, waiting to see if Rokuro would take the bait.
Active Characters
Village of OriginCharacter Name & LinkRankColor
Sunagakure no SatoHenrin EmiGenin[color=darkgoldenrod][b][/b][/color]
Konohagakure no SatoIbakuro AiyaChuunin[color=#8CD600][/color]
Sunagakure no SatoKouseki TakumaGenin[color=#003893][b][/b][/color], [b][color=#AFBCDB][/color][/b]
Kirigakure no SatoKazuki RyuChuunin[color=#dc143c][/color], [b][color=#C71585][/color][/b]
Iwagakure No SatoHiraku KenjiBannin S-Rank Missing Ninja[b][color=slategray][/color][/b]
Iwagakure No SatoFukusha JinsaiJounin[color=#BF0000][/color], [b][glow=orangered][color=#000000][/color][/glow][/b]

User avatar
Willoria
Posts: 12128
Joined: Fri Jul 31, 2009 8:00 pm
Location: Dancing with his Demons
User flair: Heart of Gold, Encased in Stone.
Contact:

Did you get a new haircut?

Post by Willoria » Sat Sep 04, 2021 11:51 am

Souta chuckled as Aiya made her comments about his shift in demeanor. The man knew he acted differently when he went into 'shinobi mode'. After all, when he was closer to Rokuro's age, he wasn't much different than him. It was one of many reasons why he was so harsh on his subordinate. He'd lived through the consequences of such an ego and he didn't want Rokuro to go through the same. He watched as Aiya laced a kunai with her venom and gave it to Rokuro however, and all he did was smirk. Of course she'd have no idea that Souta oversaw most of Sakaki's training, and Rokuro had never been exposed to the soul effects. He'd kept a distance between them in all things relating to combat.

But he wasn't going to stop this, if anything, he was just going to watch and have a good chuckle about it all.

Rokuro meanwhile gave Aiya a suspicious look as he took the offered kunai and looked at it a moment with a grimace. "Venom I'm guessing?" he remarked in an oddly bored tone, shaking his head as he pressed the kunai to his forearm. He cut a bit deeper than he'd meant to, a common occurence given his condition. But he was unphased by the pain. It was what came after that surprised him. He blinked for a few moments, staring at the wound before he looked at the girl and at Souta as well. "What the hell is that?"

Souta sighed, getting up to get a small medkit from the kitchen even as Rokuro cut himself with the kunai. He knew the man long enough to know the cut would be too deep. He got back in time for the question and was already wrapping the man's wound. "Soul damage." he told him bluntly. For a moment there was a sudden contrast between Souta's harshness before, and the tone that took over his voice now. "It seems Aiya here possesses powers similar to our Sakaki..." he told him, kneeling beside Rokuro's chair as he finished with the bandaging and tied it off. But he kept a hand over the bandage. "Her clan has some odd traits and traditions, part of them is their own aging. She was born the day Sakaki died, Rokuro."

Rokuro froze up for a moment, the kunai still in his hand as he tried to process what he was hearing. For several moments, it seemed all he could do was sit there in silence. Then suddenly he set the kunai down on the coffee table very quietly and yanked his hand out of Souta's grip before heading for the door.

Souta let him leave of course, standing and crossing his arms as he watched him go. "Rokuro was dating my daughter the day she died." he finally told Aiya to break the silence. "I'm afraid in my grief I haven't helped him process that as much as I should have. As much as a Sensei should."
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

User avatar
TyDie
Posts: 7360
Joined: Sat Apr 27, 2013 8:00 pm
Location: Manassas VA

Did you get a new haircut?

Post by TyDie » Sun Sep 05, 2021 12:03 pm

Aiya was actually a little stunned that it seemed like Rokuro had never experienced the effects of Soul Damage. Being one of the soul genma's guardians, it only made sense he'd have felt it at some point. But as Souta and Rokuro went back and forth, it became clear that he had never experienced it himself. And although he was silent most of the time, Rokuro's reaction to the revelations that Souta was dropping on him was powerful enough that she could tell he was torn up about it. Once Rokuro left and Souta explained more, Aiya just shook her head. "Well... Now I feel like it's my fault. Maybe I should talk to him later. I mean, if he's up for it. He doesn't seem much for words."

She got up from her spot at the couch to retrieve her kunai, wiping Rokuro's blood and her venom on the red part of her tunic before slipping the kunai back into her ninja pouch. "Man, what a whirlwind these past few days have been. Meeting you, discovering what my venom is, you getting young all of the sudden..." She didn't really have a point to make in conclusion, but just the sudden events alone were stunning to say the least. She went back to her chair and sunk in with a huff, picking up her glass of tea and finishing it with a few chugs. "You're not... regretting coming to Konoha. Are you Souta?"
Active Characters
Village of OriginCharacter Name & LinkRankColor
Sunagakure no SatoHenrin EmiGenin[color=darkgoldenrod][b][/b][/color]
Konohagakure no SatoIbakuro AiyaChuunin[color=#8CD600][/color]
Sunagakure no SatoKouseki TakumaGenin[color=#003893][b][/b][/color], [b][color=#AFBCDB][/color][/b]
Kirigakure no SatoKazuki RyuChuunin[color=#dc143c][/color], [b][color=#C71585][/color][/b]
Iwagakure No SatoHiraku KenjiBannin S-Rank Missing Ninja[b][color=slategray][/color][/b]
Iwagakure No SatoFukusha JinsaiJounin[color=#BF0000][/color], [b][glow=orangered][color=#000000][/color][/glow][/b]

User avatar
Willoria
Posts: 12128
Joined: Fri Jul 31, 2009 8:00 pm
Location: Dancing with his Demons
User flair: Heart of Gold, Encased in Stone.
Contact:

Did you get a new haircut?

Post by Willoria » Sun Sep 05, 2021 2:23 pm

Souta moved to the wall opposite the side the entrance of the apartment was on, and opened a sliding shoji screen door to reveal a small balcony and allow a small breeze of fresh air in. He took a deep breath and let it out slow before looking at Aiya. "It's not your fault." he told her, slowly realizing that guilt seemed to be a feeling that came to her easily. "If you want to talk to him, just know he tends to be quiet pretty often. But as intimidating as he can be, he won't actually hurt you. He can be a bitter sack, but that's it. The one people he's ever a threat to are enemy shinobi and rampaging spirits."

He walked over and sat down on the couch again, looking at Aiya as she summarized the last few days and couldn't help a small chuckle before shaking his head. "No, I don't regret it." he told her. "I needed time away from Suna, and even with all this Konoha has been exactly what I needed. I'm glad I've met you, all things included. Hell this change? I feel better than I have in years."

He motioned towards her empty glass. "You want a refill?"
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

User avatar
TyDie
Posts: 7360
Joined: Sat Apr 27, 2013 8:00 pm
Location: Manassas VA

Did you get a new haircut?

Post by TyDie » Sun Sep 05, 2021 4:19 pm

Aiya let out a small sigh as the man claimed it wasn't her fault that Rokuro left in a huff, but for some reason it didn't really help her to feel any better. She still felt like she played some role in this, even if she really hadn't. After all, she didn't control the fate of her soul or how it manifested. "Yeah... I think I'd like to talk to him at some point. If nothing else, maybe I can help him get some closure or something. As long as he won't hurt me, I'd like to help him if I can." She rose from her chair with a smile, walking over to Souta as he made clear Konoha had been good to him. Without even thinking, she'd try to hug the man.

"Good, I'm glad. Our villages are friends, there's no reason we shouldn't be too." She'd smile at the man and decline his offer to refill her cup. "No, that's alright. I should be going, truth be told. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay. And I mean, sure you're younger, but that's a good thing it seems sooooo I'll just see myself out on that positive note." With that, she'd move over to the door, stopping to turn to him again. "I hope you stick around a while longer though, Souta. We still haven't had that spar, after all. You're fun to be around, even if strange stuff seems to happen around you."
Active Characters
Village of OriginCharacter Name & LinkRankColor
Sunagakure no SatoHenrin EmiGenin[color=darkgoldenrod][b][/b][/color]
Konohagakure no SatoIbakuro AiyaChuunin[color=#8CD600][/color]
Sunagakure no SatoKouseki TakumaGenin[color=#003893][b][/b][/color], [b][color=#AFBCDB][/color][/b]
Kirigakure no SatoKazuki RyuChuunin[color=#dc143c][/color], [b][color=#C71585][/color][/b]
Iwagakure No SatoHiraku KenjiBannin S-Rank Missing Ninja[b][color=slategray][/color][/b]
Iwagakure No SatoFukusha JinsaiJounin[color=#BF0000][/color], [b][glow=orangered][color=#000000][/color][/glow][/b]

User avatar
Willoria
Posts: 12128
Joined: Fri Jul 31, 2009 8:00 pm
Location: Dancing with his Demons
User flair: Heart of Gold, Encased in Stone.
Contact:

Did you get a new haircut?

Post by Willoria » Sun Sep 05, 2021 4:35 pm

Souta blinked for a moment, looking down at Aiya as the girl hugged him. After a moment he returned the hug with one arm before releasing her, smiling as she mentioned them being friends. More and more the girl just really reminded him of Sakaki. Of course he still didn't tell her that directly, not wanting to make things feel awkward all over again about her ability, Soul, and everything else. He'd left her with so much extra information already, there was no need to put more on her or make it worse even.

The man grinned as she got ready to leave and said her goodbyes however. "Oh don't worry, you'll get that spar still." he told her. "I'm still up for teaching you what I can... and I'll be here for a few more months. I promised the lady downstairs I'd work for her for at least six months after all. I gotta pick and train a replacement too so I don't leave her hanging after drawing in all those extra customers."
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

REPLY

Return to “Konohagakure no Sato”

×