When the comforts of civilization begin to dull our senses, we must never forget that in the beginning, there was war. And war. And more war. Long before there were empires, there were humans consumed with greed and the hunger for power. Resources, territories, information—these were the forms of sustenance upon which we preyed. Today, we call such habits vices. Oh, how arrogant we have become! Are we not still impelled by those primordial emotions? Is the advent of war so far-fetched? But alas, for you to truly understand, we must dive deeper into this land’s half-forgotten past.
There was a time when might was the only law that humankind knew. Fearsome clans roamed throughout the land, seeking amenable grounds within which they could take root and opposing forces against whom they could test their mettle. Given the irregularity of nature’s bounty, certain regions appealed more than others, and dominion over such coveted territories became the spark that ignited the earliest inter-clan wars. These fierce, internecine affairs tended to conclude only when one side had decimated their competition into oblivion, and many clans of story were rendered extinct during this period.
The victors of war, having claimed their territories, often made truces with surrounding locals, offering protection in exchange for access to the yields of agriculture. Over time, certain communities emerged as more dominant than others, either due to numbers or sheer talent, and their rapid expansion would force smaller, neighboring communities to either collapse into their fold or be devastated. When the dust settled, humankind found itself divided into the five major territories that we are familiar with today. And was the bloodshed over? With our lands obtained and our bellies filled, were we finally content?
06/01/2023 June is for Juggin
We made it y’all, another month of OTA, and fresh off the press we have another promotion ready. Leaving behind the opening bonus sadly, we welcome the jugggggg! June is for juggin AKA working hard, so we are making it a double rewards month for every mission completed! Yes we said it's double rewards, now you all can really get into the thick of those builds if you work hard enough. And who knows what you might uncover in the process. AND all jobs are free to enroll no quest EXCEPT ANBU(Black Ops) roles.
After a whole day was spent previously cleaning up the various areas of Konoha, Honoka had decided that she would spend the next day doing something that she actually enjoyed. While that would normally be maintennance on her puppets, they hadn't seen much use lately and thus didn't need anything done just yet. She didn't want to spend too much time eating sweets, and depleting her funds, so she wanted to spend her time doing something more rewarding. As the cool breeze hit it began to rustle the leaves all around her, creating the most beautiful symphony. Closing her eyes and smiling, she knew that it had to be a sign! She loved spending the days outside and, more than that, it had been quite a long time since she had gone out hiking through the forest. Grabbing her backpack and filling it with various snacks, water, and a few weapons just in case the wildlife had decided to become emboldened by her presence. Making sure her hat was snug on her head, she began her light saunter into the treeline.
She waved to various people on her way through but once she was actually in the woods she noted that the light hum of the city almost entirely disappeared. Honoka didn't mind silence nor loud noises, but she did appreciate the differences in the absence of either. Humming contently to herself, she wasn't exactly quiet in her approach. She didn't feel the need to be, nobody except villagers should be in the vicinity.
"Ooh, now these are absolutely gorgeous!" she exclaimed loudly to herself, as she crouched down in order to admire some dazzling purple flowers. A ladybug crawled up the side of one, before fluttering onto Honoka's nose and forcing her to erupt into a fit of giggles.
She loved nature and, though she hated heat, she could easily spend all of her time out in the woods. Between the materials she needs for her puppets, all the glorious flora and fauna, the sights and the sounds! She couldn't get enough of it, and to enjoy it on a cool, breezy day like today was something that made it even more worthwhile. She was truly having such an enjoyable day!
As she finished laughing, she got up and lightly dusted herself off and walked further into the forest. As she rounded a tree, she noted that someone was already there and that surprised her.
"Hi there!" she called out, breaking through her previous surprise. She didn't want to surprise them so she figured announcing herself first would be best.
"Awesome day to be out in the forest, isn't it?" she attempted to engage in a conversation, unsure of what would happen next.
CURRENT HERB SEARCH | Post 1 Risch Rank: C Type: Herb Region: All except Snow Special: Takes up one (1) accessory slot. Description: This is an herb so common that it's likely everyone - except a denizen from snow-covered lands - would have seen it. However, they would not know it was special without proper training. Risch looks like every other blade of grass physically, but a skilled herbalist will know to feel it for the tiny spines that cover its stalk. It is said that potions made with this herb can affect one's health. Cost: 1,000
If the pink-haired kunoichi thought that she was being discreet as she glided through the forestry, she was wrong.
Yuurei had scouted these woods for years in search of herbs, and had long since grown accustom to the deafeaning silence that often blanketed the area. In fact, it was calming - at least, to compare with the hustle and bustle of the city. Living in and amongst aunties, cousins, grandparents and the like, he tried getting away from it all as often as he could, and these woods typically ended up the ideal location for just that. Not only could he get the peace and quiet that he deserved, but he could also combine it with his favourite hobby - herbalism. Konohagakure and its surrounding land was rich with plantlife and it was hard for him to walk anywhere without spotting something that could be used in an elixir. Having learned the way first-hand from his mother who had grown up in the village, she had passed on to him all of the best spots and the most secretive nooks and crannies that held these mysterious herbs.
The crunch of unknown feet against grass caused his ears to flinch ever so slightly, and he turned his head to look at the woman in the distance as she slowly approached, humming a tune unfamiliar to him. Sighing, he kept one cursory eye on her, though by the looks of things she wasn't a threat - more just a fellow citizen of the village enjoying nature. 'Tourist' he thinks as he continues at his work, turning back to look at the long grass before him, his right hand gently caressing the blades as he's kneeled down, in search of the herb 'Risch'. To those around him, he may have looked quite strange, his hand moving almost like liquid around the different blades, though one look at the open bag next to him along with some herbalist tools would make it quite clear that he was here for one purpose and one purpose only. He focuses, eyes narrowing as he attempts to locate the Risch amongst the rest of the foliage around him. He was, unfortunately, momentarily distracted by a small voice that appeared close to him -
"Awesome day to be out in the forest, isn't it?"
"......"
He sighs, pulling his hands back to land on his lap, as he mentally prepares himself for the encounter. Turning his head to look at the same woman from before, pink hair and all, he gives her a smile - the type that, though well-meaning, also screamed "I'm busy, leave me alone". "Yes. Yes it is" he agrees politely, taking in her appearance before turning back to the herbs before him. She was quite young - or at least he didn't recognize her from his younger years anyway. What did she think this was - a field trip? Moving his hands back to the grass before him, his bare fingers continued to trace the different blades of grass in search of the tiny spines that earmarked the herb. It was then apparent that the pink-haired lady was not moving, as he continued to feel her leering over his shoulder.
Rolling his eyes, he faces her again, this time asking "..What brings you to these woods?", though his tone was strained, though not physically, but mentally. Perhaps if he pandered to her and made some basic, polite, conversation, she'd move off quicker. That or he could start screaming at her as if he was a few marbles short - that tended to scare people away quite quickly, he found.
Raising an eyebrow at the man, whose hand had previously been swimming through the foliage, she noted that his movements seemed...forced. She began to wonder if her presence was a bother to him, or perhaps, that anyone around him was rather bothersome. The way he smiled at her was kind and yet, just like she had noted before, that also seemed rather forced. An ember of irritation had begun to grow in her bosom, and she attempted to quell it when his voice interrupted her thoughts.
"What brings you to these woods?"
That question again brought back the embers of irritation and, despite her best attempts, she was sure that her face was probably awfully similar to the one he was currently wearing. What was with this guy?! Honoka was just trying to be kind and friendly and he was acting like he was being forced to interact with a banshee. Her cheeks flushed with anger and she began to tell him just what she thought about that attitude when she realized that a notable silence had been laid out while she was consumed with her thoughts. In all of Honoka's internal strife, she had forgotten to even answer the question.
"Oh, I was just taking a stroll through and enjoying the different plants and wildlife. I love gardening, and there's only so much you can learn from books, so I wanted to come out and get some hands on experience!" she announced proudly, quickly forgetting the thoughts that had been racing before.
As she got a better look at his area, she had been distracted by the long, bound hair that adorned his head - rivaling her own incredible locks. She noted that he had an open bag in front of him and, remembering his swift hand movements earlier and assumed that he was searching for something. What? That was beyond her, she wasn't a genius!
"Are you searching for something?...unless that's too much of an answer, too" though Honoka had tried her best to be cordial, it just wasn't in her nature to end the conversation without giving anyone a bit of a...nudge. But most especially, she felt like it was her god given right at that moment to nudge him.
Though the barb had left her mouth, she still found herself curiously peering at the bag next to the man. What was he looking for? Why was he looking for them? Her curiosity was bubbling! She did have such an acute love for gardening that was true and, as an extension, she also loved the outdoors and the wildlife. The plants, the vegetation, the flowers they all interested her and made her curious about their components and capabilities. She would consume all the knowledge that she could in order to truly master her techniques, everything was in thought to making herself greater. Even something as minuscule as an encounter in the forest could prove fruitful for her future.
CURRENT HERB SEARCH | Post 2 Risch Rank: C Type: Herb Region: All except Snow Special: Takes up one (1) accessory slot. Description: This is an herb so common that it's likely everyone - except a denizen from snow-covered lands - would have seen it. However, they would not know it was special without proper training. Risch looks like every other blade of grass physically, but a skilled herbalist will know to feel it for the tiny spines that cover its stalk. It is said that potions made with this herb can affect one's health. Cost: 1,000
'..Why is she just.. standing there'
With the strained smile still on his face, sore from trying, he watched on after he had briefly exchanged words with her, waiting for a response. His brows narrows as he looked on at her face, raising his right arm to cover the bright sun above, as to let himself have a better look at her. If he wasn't wrong, he could practically see the acual cogs move within her mind. Was she going to say something? Lowering his hand and turning slowly back towards the grass in front of him, his ears perked up as she responded. Just as he thought - a tourist to these parts, though the shiny metal plate of her headband told him otherwise. But - despite his pessimism, he could appreciate a shared interest in the outdoors and plantlife, or at least enough to uphold a conversation with an absolute stranger.
"Are you searching for something?...unless that's too much of an answer, too"
The corner of his mouth fashions a smirk,
'How rude'
His eyes returning to meet the lush crop of long grass in front of him, his hands returned to their place amongst the blades, resuming the hunt for the Risch that he was looking for, as if to help illustrate the words that followed. "I'm a herbalist" he exclaims, though not particularly in her direction - he was too busy continuing his search. "Hi no Kuni is lucky to have an abundance of plantlife, and amongst these forests you can find a large range of herbs that can be used in the creation of exlixirs.." He wasn't sure just how much she was aware of this, so felt it his duty to enlighten her. Having been trained since he was a young child in how to identify herbs and create all manner of tinctures with them, he appreciated that it was a bit of a closed-off profession - it wasn't quite as glamorous as ANBU or being a medic, but he felt the potential that being able to harness all manner of herbs far outweighted the spoils a fancy mask or uniform could get you. "And those elixirs can be used to help.." he pauses, the thin line of his pursed lips smirking "..or harm" It was true. Herbalism wasn't all healing and stat boosts - it could be downright horrifying, and Yuurei's own passion for it fell perfectly within that category.
Still turned away from her, he sighs as he looks at the patch of grass before him, resigning that perhaps the crop that had previously been there just wasn't ready yet to be found. He'd long since fished there in days gone by, but he'd clearly caught it too early. Grabbing the bag by his side, he raises to his feet, and turns to look at the girl, towering over her at his grand height of 6'2". His yellow eyes gleaming in the sun that now cast itself on his face, he pushes a few stray strands of black hair behind his ear, and takes in her appearance. She looked far too clean to be a shinobi - the white outfit itself raised questions, and she came across as more of a princess rather than a battle-worn kunoichi, but she'd clearly earned that headband for a reason so he reminded himself that looks could be decieving. Or, she could have stolen it - also a possibility. Yuurei moves a few paces to the right, and kneels down once more amongst some more long grass. The process began again, his slim fingers trying to identify the Risch amongst the regular blades of grass. The day was still young, and he had plenty of time to find this - even with some distractions.
As silence fell upon the pair, the sound of Yuurei's nimble fingers rubbing against the blades of grass in search of Risch's famed texture rung quietly in the air. From her elevated position, if Honoka was to look carefully to the man before him, he would notice a strange lump on back as he kneeled to the floor. Upon further examination, she would notice that it was actually a stray longhorn beetle, making his way across the Nara's coat. Yuurei, unaware of this, continued to silently pick at the plants before him.
While she had spent just a moment too long in her thoughts, he had gotten tired of waiting and turned his back to her. She didn't necessarily blame him, especially with her back being to the sun, and as such didn't take it as another personal issue. She couldn't see it as well this time but, with the relative quiet of the area, she could hear him begin to rustle the grass once more in his personal endeavor. Without turning to meet her gaze, intent upon his task, he explained his purpose for being out in the woods.
He explained that he was an herbalist and was out searching for, lo and behold, herbs that he would then turn into either a poison or a potion depending. This information, despite the delivery being rather dry, was something that Honoka had soaked up happily. She didn't mind learning from the man, especially since she had little to no herbal knowledge other than tea and rosemary. While she had heard of poisons, she didn't really understand their manufacture or obtainment. With this information, she learned of the versatility that wildlife offered that their country was abundant in. It peaked her interest, though she wondered if it was something she'd enjoy, because it sounded incredibly helpful and a good hobby at the same time.
Finishing his explanation, he sighed and she wondered if it truly was so bothersome to him to even have to answer her. If she wasn't so thrilled at her newfound knowledge then she would've thrown another quip at him. Turning to face her, she took in his appearance now that she had the chance to see him. Instantly noting the height difference, she slightly tilted her head up and squinted as the sun beat overhead through the treeline. He was notably thinly built, so much so that he looked more like a mannequin to her than anything else. His eyes were a piercing yellow that were just a bit more radiant in the sun, she couldn't help but appreciate the black locks atop his head. She knew how much work it was to grow and maintain something of that caliber. From the flak jacket that he wore, it was clear that he was a rank above her at Chunin.
"Well, thank you for the information. I didn't know any of that, but I'll be sure to retain the knowledge. See was that so hard?" she said with a wide smile on her face, before he would turn and begin searching for another patch of grass. She watched, silently, unsure of how she could help him when she had no knowledge of what they were looking for or what to say next while he was so concentrated. Thankfully, the world made a decision for her in the form of a malicious beast that she spotted on his back.
"Do you need any..." she began to speak, but her trailed off quietly as her eyes began to work in on an area.
At first, she was unsure of what was in front of her eyes and doubted, slowly moving closer as her legs began to shake more and more. When she was close enough, she was able to make out the disgusting carapace of a beetle. Because she didn't know much about them, she couldn't differentiate the type and instead, she immediately stumbled backward and fell onto the grass screeching as if someone had stealthily intrude upon the pair and stabbed her.
"WHAT IS THAT DISGUSTING THING?! GET IT! SMASH IT! KILL IT! BURN IT! FLAY IT! FILLET IT!" she shouted, not taking a breath until she finished the last word before hyperventilating. Her eyes were nearly bulged, despite being seated in the grass she would be found kicking away as if the beetle was trying to make its way toward her. It was truly a pitiful sight for a shinobi.
CURRENT HERB SEARCH | Post 3 Risch Rank: C Type: Herb Region: All except Snow Special: Takes up one (1) accessory slot. Description: This is an herb so common that it's likely everyone - except a denizen from snow-covered lands - would have seen it. However, they would not know it was special without proper training. Risch looks like every other blade of grass physically, but a skilled herbalist will know to feel it for the tiny spines that cover its stalk. It is said that potions made with this herb can affect one's health. Cost: 1,000
Presuming that the woman was not a herbalist (which, let's be honest was likely the truth), Yuurei wasn't really all that sure what kind of support she could offer him in his quest for the Risch that he was hoping lay before him. Her manner was both bold and bothersome, perhaps in equal measures of both. Turning gently, Yuurei was just about to open his mouth to explain to her that he didn't require any support, when a piercing shriek rung through his ears, causing his yellow eyes to narrow at the sheer tone of her. How could a thing so.. pink, make a noise so painful?
"WHAT IS THAT DISGUSTING THING?! GET IT! SMASH IT! KILL IT! BURN IT! FLAY IT! FILLET IT!"
"- Wha?"
He watched as she helplessly fell back, as if horrified by some kind of otherwordly force. Looking around, he couldn't see anything around them (or at least - nothing that he could detect without having eyes in the back of his head) that would provoke this kind of reaction from her. "What are you talking about? ...There's nothing here?" Suddenly realising that the woman might just be a few tools short of a toolbox, his tone became somewhat softer than it had previously been. Not enough to suggest that he had any kind of concern for her, but moreso just to make sure that she wasn't going to go absolutely spare on him. He raised his arms towards her, as to try and comfort her, though she would likely only react stronger knowing that the rogue beetle had now made its way.. DOWN. HIS. ARM!!!! Regardless, he would continue his search, shaking off the ongoing scene.
Naturally, as it came in to his peripheral vision, it's at this point Yuurei realised what had caused such an uproar from such a small and delicate woman. He stifled a laugh, pursing his thin lips together as to not try making too much of a scene. "You're scared of this?"he asks, indicating to the spotted creature peacefully resting on his right arm. Yuurei gazed at it for a few moments - it wasn't doing him in any harm. If anything, it looked like he was just taking a small break. Perhaps he just hadn't realised his choice of perch. Moving his left hand to the beetle, he gently shuffled it in to the safety of his hand, and rose it closer to his face, moving just slowly enough as to not scare it in to flying away. If this was how she reacted to it being relatively still, fuck knows what she'd do the minute it took flight. "..He's just having a breather - he won't hurt you, you know that right? At least not this one, the-" he stopped himself from continuing. Realising that the woman clearly had some unhinged fear of insects, he likely wasn't going to calm her by letting her know that there were far more dangerous types roaming around these fields.
Having practically grown up outdoors, following his mother through all kinds of terrains in search of herbs, he was no stranger to any kind of insect, and as such he was unfazed by them, no matter what type. But as mentioned before, she looked clean, almost as if she had never spent a day outside in her life. A few moments passed, and the beetle, clearly having had enough of the woman's shrieking, flew from Yuurei's arm in to the great expanse of the verdant forests, and unfortunately, skimming Honoka's face by a meter or so.
"So your parents never let you outside of the house or what? How'd you get that shinobi headband?"
It had taken her a moment to overcome the abject horror that was needlessly flitting around the man's gangling limbs, to even comprehend that he was speaking in general let alone to her. For more than a good moment, she was stuck in a world of high-pitch ringing unable to even hear herself breath. The unrealistic fear she had of insects was crippling, and made even worse by the fact that there was a disgusting clan like the Aburame living among society as if they were...human. The moment they had accepted any creature like that into their lives, positively,then in her eyes they had given up their humanity. But, as a major digression, she returned to the matter at hand as he played with the horrible creature she attempted to regain some semblance of composure. Standing up, although rather slowly, she willed herself to at least make it back to her feet.
At this point, to her complete horror, he had brought the demon closer to his face almost making her gag with a mixture of disgust and anxiety. Though she had many strong points, of course it would be the day she meets someone that one of her crippling weaknesses is revealed. Looking away, she found that it was much easier to breathe and think when her eye didn't catch the beetle. She instead tried to focus on anything else while the man attempted, shockingly kindly, that the bug would do her no harm. She knew that on paper, but it didn't make her fear of them any less severe.
"I know that I do, but when I see them I just begin to..." she had begun to explain herself to the man, until the beetle had skimmed past her face causing her to shriek and wildly smack the air in some hopes of either hitting it or keeping it away. Now back now to the man, she thought about where she had left off until his words struck through her entire mind like a guitar connected to an amp.
"So your parents never let you outside of the house or what? How'd you get that shinobi headband?"
The words echoed for a moment as she felt herself physically bristle, barking before she could help even think of anything else.
"Take it back, SCUM!" Honoka spat through the tiniest opening of her gritted teeth. Her eyes flashed red for a moment, though internally she was desperately attempting to calm down the anger she felt was too hot. The insults he slung hit exactly where her triggered points were, almost as if he knew which button to push.
"Say what you want about me, but my family is incredible, and they raised me into a great Kunoichi. Take it back." this time she demanded as she resisted the flood of anger that he had created. Before that moment, Honoka truly enjoyed their interaction, despite the insect, but he had crossed a personal line to her.
CURRENT HERB SEARCH | Post 4 Risch Rank: C Type: Herb Region: All except Snow Special: Takes up one (1) accessory slot. Description: This is an herb so common that it's likely everyone - except a denizen from snow-covered lands - would have seen it. However, they would not know it was special without proper training. Risch looks like every other blade of grass physically, but a skilled herbalist will know to feel it for the tiny spines that cover its stalk. It is said that potions made with this herb can affect one's health. Cost: 1,000
"Take it back, SCUM!"
'OOH! you hit a n̶̢͉͗͜e̷͕̘̜͗r̶͎͔̿̈́̎v̴̲͊̉͂ẻ̴͕̲͉̃ right there, kiddo!'
....
He wasn't even sure where that internal dialogue had come from, but some twisted part of him couldn't help but feel somehow.. entertained at her defensive response, and he fought down hard the urge to stifle a laugh. Though his face now directly looked at the pink-haired kunoichi whilst he drank in the rage that he could feel emanating from her, his face was blank, as if having never recognized the reaction in the first place. His hands had long since moved away from the grass that he had previously been fumbling at, his arms now crossed over his chest as he looked on at the woman who was practically shaking with emotion. And she continued - asking him to 'take it back'. Take what back?
Composing himself and closing his eyes slowly for a moment and allowing her to have her moment of unbridled anger, he opened them to only stare intently in to her green eyes. "Firstly -" he pauses "For you to think the word 'scum' would offend me, that's cute. I've been called far worse, but I appreciate the attempt. Thank you." he'd been a child once - and whilst there wasn't any particular trauma that had come to him from being a Nara, or for any other familial quality that he had, it was clear that Yuurei wasn't a people-person. Never had, never will be. He kept his circle close, and had never particularly cared about what others had thought of him. Her pitiful attempt at insulting him had therefore been more embarassing for her, than anything else.
"Secondly," he releases his arms, the hand furthest away from her beginning to dance gently along the grass before him which began to gently sway with the breeze "If they'd raised you to be a great kunoichi then why are you getting so.. " he sighs "..-Angry? Do you not actually think you're a great kunoichi or something?" he pauses. "Do we have some self esteem issues here that we need to talk about? the corners of his mouth curved downwards, forming an elaborate pout as his left hand rose to his eye. His slightly discoloured forefinger slowly dragged down his cheek, as if mimicing a single, lonely tear. At this point, he was just being cruel for the sake of being cruel.
And then - the pout slowly became a wide grin.
"I'm just fuckin' with you - I'm sure you're okay, even with bit of an aversion to bugs"
Honoka was facing extreme amounts of emotional whiplash the longer she endured this interaction. She was in a good mood, then she was bantering, afterward she was petrified, and now she was furious. In just the span of less than an hour, she had gone through more emotions than she had in years. Her head was spinning, but currently the anger was the one thing overriding everything else. Her indignation at his response was more than unwarranted, it almost bordered psychotic but she couldn't help her sensitivity anymore than she could ignore her fears.
The thought that this man, this nobody, was insulting her family was more than she could handle. Sling any amount of mud at Honoka as you'd like, and she'd dance through the punches to deliver her own. But when the matter even references her family, she loses any semblance of a calm personality. His eyes looking into her eyes, he first attempted to deride her and further insult her in the same breath. Claiming that her act of calling him scum was nothing, meaningless, as he had been called far worse.
She could only laugh, humorlessly, at the man in front of her so driven by his personal entanglements that he had clearly inflated his own sense of self worth. "Offending you? Woah, you sure do have a big head for someone who looks like they belong in a crypt," she said, shaking her head at him, her eyes filled with equal amounts of rage and confusion. He couldn't truly be that self absorbed, could he?
"In case there was any confusion,that was me trying to offend you," she said, her voice turning a curious tone of innocence as if she was now talking to a child.
Arms that had been crossed when he first began speaking, were now being driven apart as he began his second note on their conversation. This time she listened as he prattled on about her supposed lack of confidence, questioning her need to state her greatness. He still didn't get it and, now that he had stopped insulting her family, it allowed her to calm down and stifle some of the building anger. He was trying to attack her character, and that was something that didn't phase her.
"I know I'm great, and I know they've taught me well. Your cheap taunts aren't even worth the price of a single, broken kunai," she quipped, icily, staring at him for a moment before she would make her exit from the infuriating man.
Before she could even move away, however, what was a matching serious face that turned into a mocking pout, a finger trailing an invisible tear, turned into a smile as he revealed that the entire time he wasn't serious. All of the previous emotions slammed into her all at once, changing her expression into stunned and confused, complete astonishment.
"What in the fuck is wrong with you?!" she demanded, though it was meant to be something she thought to herself, her body refused to allow the phrase to stay within her brain and forced her nerves to bark it out.
What was the point in riling Honoka up, only to reveal that he was messing with her. Was he truly out in the forest to collect some of those psychedelic mushrooms that she had heard were becoming all of the rage lately?
CURRENT HERB SEARCH | Post 5 Risch Rank: C Type: Herb Region: All except Snow Special: Takes up one (1) accessory slot. Description: This is an herb so common that it's likely everyone - except a denizen from snow-covered lands - would have seen it. However, they would not know it was special without proper training. Risch looks like every other blade of grass physically, but a skilled herbalist will know to feel it for the tiny spines that cover its stalk. It is said that potions made with this herb can affect one's health. Cost: 1,000
"Offending you? Woah, you sure do have a big head for someone who looks like they belong in a crypt,"
Yuurei grins at her attempt at insulting her. Whilst he was pretty certain it had been her trying to upset him, what she said next confirmed with, not that he needed a receipt. However, unfortunately for her - and whether this would antagonize her even further - all this would inspire from him would be the return of that same grin as before.
"That's good - I like that one. I should write that down"
Licking an imaginary page before him, turning the clear page and starting to write with an equally invisible pen, he scribbles something in to thin air and then seals it with a firm bullet point before returning the imginary object to his pocket. He was more than aware of just how vampiric he looked at times - especially given that it was the spring. Winter had just passed, and he was yet to experience the heat of the summer sun which would usually paint his skin a more healthy shade. But, it didn't bother him.
Looking back at the beet-red girl before him, it was quite funny really how a few quick words directed at her could change her demeanour so easily. Resilience was something that he'd always had, but he guessed the same wasn't for everyone. However with that saying, everyone had their weak points, even Yuurei, though he kept his far more concealed. Clearly, the pride she had in her family's reputation and success was something she valued, and just like a sculptor, Yuurei had successfully chipped away at her. The temptation to keep chiselling away until she finally broke - or ran crying - was tempting, but as he looked on he was reminded of how young she was. Whilst not a gentleman by any means, the least he could do was show the girl some sympathy. She clearly had a lot of insecurities and it's moments like this that made him remember that not everyone could take a joke.
'What in the fuck is wrong with you?!'
He sighs.
"I'm sorry if I offended you, Pinkie," he begins, taking a deep breath, his hands beginning to lazily reach around the patch of grass before him, digits reaching out for anything that felt like Risch. The nickname? It seemed right. She was very pink, after all. "But you do know that in the real world, getting so heated could get you killed? If you get distracted like that during combat, well-" the tips of his fingers suddenly come in to contact with that familiar spiny texture that he was looking for. As if to elaborate on his point, he tears the long blade from the earth and pulls it closer to him to take a better look. It sure was Risch - clipping the end delicately, he then placed it to one side, looking back at the kunoichi. "And besides, you shouldn't care what I think. Or anyone. The only person you should need to prove yourself to is yourself." he pauses, throwing the girl a metaphorical olive branch with her words - if she'd take it. For someone who had connivingly attempted to break her down, to now hear him speak so .. maturely, was different.
"You can live your whole life living in the shadow that others have created for you to fit in - or you can make your own path and live the way you want to -". Golden eyes returning to the patch of Risch before him, he pretends to snip away at the grass with his fingers to the tune of
