The Tavern [Open]

[Katsumaru]

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Dim candle light flickered with breezes creeping through the thin cracks of the tavern’s wooden walls. Aged walls, seemingly but a single moment from crumbling, stood sturdy, unwavering as they waited for but a moment of relief from the raging storm dancing through the night. Thunder blared through the heavens, roaring with a fantastic fury, a truly glamorous force of nature unmatched in intensity. The flames cast a bitter gleam over the tavern, helping little with the creation of light, worsened by the smoke of tobacco obscuring vision. Men and women, worn from work, sat with heads held low, tightly holding drinks in hand. Stenches of sweat and alcohol intermingled, carrying a wretched odor into the air, permeating into every crevice of the gloomy bar. Rain plummeted onto the roof, the sound mighty, and the only heard aside from the movement of glass.

Sitting alone at a table was a man quite curious in appearance. Red-tainted skin and eyes shining with a crimson glow; he was not quite human, for he carried the blood of the Airontoku. The honor and discipline of the iron hide people mattered little to Touketsu as he stared into the distance with a vision blurred. Five empty glasses rested on the table, the smell of alcohol a reminder of the pleasure that the man had indulged himself in. A cigar found itself in his lips, the orange tip releasing a steady stream of smoke. Black hairs hung forward as he sat hunched, with yet another glass in his hand. An elbow-length tunic, deep brown in color, covered his upper body, matching in shade to the ankle-length trousers. The clothing was worn and torn, and truly, on this day, Touketsu served as a blatant insult to the fine discipline of the Airontoku. Leaning back he released a thick cloud of smoke into the air.

Rain streaming onto the grounds. Thunder. Seemed like the heavens just didn’t give a damn. Seemed as if I didn’t give a damn either as I was sitting, drowning in the bile of my own self pity. Again I find myself living like a rapscallion, ragged and worn like a whore scrounging for food. Mind tainted by alcohol, breath by the orange flavor of the cigar. I do not know why I have found myself living like this again, aimless. I have to do something.

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An angry glance, a scowl, a head held low, those features had truly made this man seem like an insult to his people.
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[Apple]

Boom!

What may have been a mysterious, atmospheric place now held quit some mystery as to why there was a sudden boom, and why, against the dull, faded colours of the wood and walls, there was a young girl, no more than the age of 15 surely, standing in the doorway, the door itself almost pulled off its hinges beneath her very strength. It was a truth to say that she had been here before, as the barman, once committed to his duties by cleaning some now-empty glasses, sighed, before returning to his work. It was a haunt for the girl (Not that everywhere wasn’t a haunt- Ask her name within each tavern, pub and place of alcohol purchase, and you will receive a story or two) and today, its visitors had the blessing, or curse, of having her as a fellow drinker. Walking in with a cheery grin upon her face, the harsh red against her pale skin surely showed that she was already drunk.

But of course, ramming in to the door to get it open when it was already open; That clearly showed the state of mind that she was already in. Unfortunately destructive when drunk, it wasn’t too easy for her to keep her temper, or her fists in line. But she was here today to drink- And that is what she shall do! Should anyone get in her way, she’d be pretty annoyed. ”Barman.. Bar…MAN! I.. SUMMON THEE, GET ME A PINT OF YOUR FINEST ALE.. BarMAN..!” she would shout in tones that sounded as cheery as the grin upon her face- She was in a good mood, yes. As she’d continue to stumble across the place, her balance uneasy as she almost flung herself in to a person or two, she would soon make her way towards the barstools, only to find that there were none there- Sighing to herself she would then make her way across the room once more.

”Why.. Why did you make this place.. so DAMN annoying.. to find a place to sit down? Geez- I’m.. a customer! CUSTOMER! I.. spend.. my .. my hard earned money here you’d better find me a seat to sit in you mild-mannered who-” again, stumbling around she was caught on her words as she soon found a place to sit, her words cut off. She would land in the seat with a slight thud, her arms descending upon the table itself, causing glasses of visitors long gone to shudder somewhat- They needed to be cleaned from the table, and Ishi wasn’t too ready to get up and do it herself. ”BARMAN! A pint of your finest ale!” the strangely short girl would say as she leaned back in her chair casually, the content look still upon her face.

Looking around the place, she would catch the eyes of some of the tavern’s less sociable people who simply shot her a look that could kill even the devil himself, she would dismiss this by poking her tongue out childishly, and continuing to look around- Soon setting her eyes on what would appear to be a man.. smoking (Not much could be told, her eyesight wasn’t at its best, although she could make out quite that he was quite plain-looking) she would shake her head. ”Smoking stunts your growth.” oh, what was this? An actually clever statement from a girl who seemed to be almost out of it? Thus was the strange world of Ishi Kishiko! Leaf Chuunin, Wood user and Drunken layabout- When she wanted to be. Which was most of the time.

It hadn’t been long until her ale would come over and be set upon the table. As it just made contact with the table she would smack her fist against the wood of it, a happy grin on her face as a little bit of her drink poured over. ”HUZZAH.. Huzzah.. FOR THE BARKEEP! HUZZAH!”

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[Katsumaru]

[/color] he uttered with words slightly spurred, and a calm, steady tone. Quite strangely, Touketsu’s manner of speaking starkly contrasted his appearance on this day, aside from the alcohol induced slur. It seemed as if he had not entirely lost himself and the discipline in which Touketsu so prided himself in. How longer would that last, should he continue to live as he does in the tavern. He spoke yet again, his eyes attempting to lock gaze with Ishi’s. ”And perhaps you could be a bit quieter, hm? It is not an order, but a simple request. These men, they toil each and every day only to come home, caring for children who do not give the slightest bit of thanks. Here is one place where they can find relief. Even for only an hour, it lightened the weight on their shoulders.”

Touketsu’s scar covered features and muscled physique revealed that he was somewhat different from the men. The olden wounds had been inflicted by the edge of a blade. He was a warrior, a man of battle, a man that had seen so much needless violence. Perhaps that was what had caused that growing ruin for him. He simply did not know what to do with his life when there was no war.
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[Apple]

With her feet now resting upon the table as she leaned back against the wall, some may have placed down this action to her simply being rude- But she hadn’t felt that way about it. If she wanted o put her feet up against a table, then lord be damned, she would do so. But, her feet would shift position after but a moment as she’d then lean over, pick up her drink, then return to the same pose that she had adopted earlier, being very much at ease and feeling quite comfortable as she was now. Her hand raising and allowing her to take a hearty swig of the drink- Whatever it was, it went down nicely, with a bit of a burn to her throat, but still, nicely. Resting it between her knees she would then remove her hands from the glass as she’d then rub the sides of her head with both of her hands, before returning her right hand to pick up the glass- So the process was done, and she was now truly relaxed.

”You rather…spirited entrance made me drop the glass. Could you purchase me another?”
”Oh.. OH..! Was my entrance that dramatic?! I’m sorry sire, let me get another- BARKEEP, BARKEEP! ANOTHER..”

A pause would then occur as Ishi would move her gaze towards whatever drink that he had been drinking, to see none on the table. Shrugging, she’d simply continue to grin; ”Whatever.. Whatever this man is drinking, GET HIM IT. NOW, I … command thee! High commissioner Kishiko, Ishi, at your service sir!” she would tell the man that she had past somewhat insulted with her small, pale hand pointed towards him in the form of a greeting. Should he not accept this, she wouldn’t care. She had just arrived back from one of her missions, and she had just received quite a good sum of payment, so paying for this one drink wouldn’t be that much of a problem for her. However- As far as her own drink was concerned, her eagerness to get absolutely smashed by alcohol seemed too much, and the liquid in the glass was soon gone- But not just yet!

Oh, and what was this? She was being told off by the same person that she had just bought a drink for? How very rude of him! Sure enough there were people here to drown their sorrows in alcohol but she wasn’t here for that- Or, she was at one time but it had simply grown to become an obsession. ”Sir.. You tell me; What is life without a bit of fun? I assure you that a life without isn’t a life worth living. I.. COME HERE NOT.. to.. to WEEP IN A BARREL OF ALE.. No.. No…” slurred words, she was being her usual self just.. the way she was making it dramatic was almost.. fabulous. ”I come here.. to enjoy life! As should you and each and every one of you. Anyone who disagrees, can SUCK. MY. DICK” she would say- Surely one would wonder if the girl was vulgar or not, or even worse when not polluted by the demon drink- She was truly a good person, but the worst aspects of her came out during her drinking sessions- Aspects which this man was soon being victim to! Oh dear!

Another sip would be taken, soon to find her glass empty. A sigh emitted from her pale lips, her eyes would look back towards the man to find her gaze entwining with his own- It was strange really, he looked like something out of a novel, or what she’d figure looked like something out of a novel- Like a Viking, or some kind of medieval warrior. Does he.. know what a razor is? Ishi would ponder as she’d look at him. Of course this thought wasn’t meant in offense, no. She was purely wondering. But, her glass being placed between her knees once more, her right hand brushing away some hair from her face, the gaze between the two would keep as firm as ever, a never-ending staring contest- Of sorts. However- Soon to cut the tension was the glass of drink that had been ordered for him- It would be placed down on his table, and Ishi would simply give him a sly grin.

"What brings you to these parts?"
The ability to act sober when one truly, obviously isn't..
..Such was the gift blessed to Ishi.

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[Katsumaru]

[/i] he was in a better position than these other men, yet he continued to drown in his own self pity.

Touketsu witnesses enthusiasm and passion in her, those characteristics, strangely and unexpectantly, triggered the buried thoughts of the war, extensive contemplation, and a slight fascination – life and death decided in the span of a second when the world was at war , yet, this girl seemed so…unaffected. So spellbound he was, with this unfettered passion. Had he only receded to such a state, then perhaps life would have taken a term for the better, taken on a more joyous twist, but it was almost as if Touktesu enjoyed this idleness, disturbingly so, when his every thought yearned to overcome it. Ah, the mind is such a wicked thing.

Upon her order for another drink, Touketsu rose his right hand, the palm and fingertips calloused heavily. The serving wench trotted over, drink in hand. Quite apparently, he had been here before quite often as no order, no specification was required. Upon receiving the drink he nodded to Ishi in thanks and, with a rather large gulp, let the alcohol drift down his throat. The cold liquid send a shiver down his spine. Upon finishing he leaned forward, slamming the glass rather loudly onto the table. ”Kishiko Ishi it is.”[/b] he muttered under his breath, lifting the glass yet again. ”Touketsu.”[/b] the Airontoku replied before taking a second, hefty gulp, this time finishing the glass entirely.

She has taken some offense to his earlier comment, Touketsu worried, and sighed heavily upon hearing her rather shocking reply. He was strange in that manner, almost overly critical of others persona while worrying little of his own – how unbecoming of him, Touketsu knew better. ”I believe you a referring to the wrong genital.”[/b] he replied, quite calmly so. It was not an attempt at being witty, Touketsu lacked the ability to spout anything of even the slightest wit, but rather, quite amusingly so, he misunderstood Ishi’s retort.

Again the Airontoku rose his right hand, and spoke rather loudly while pointing at the girl,”Get this one another drink.”. It was quite uncommon for Touketsu to behave generously, but he found her eagerness relieving, a stark contrast to his own bitterness. She threw a question, one which he was not quite prepared to answer. Learning back into the chair, Touketsu remained silent for several seconds before replying, words released slowly and sharply. ”After I fought in the war, I had little to do. Wandered around aimlessly. Ended up in this village. “ Touketsu leaned back even further with a loud chuckle, nearly tipping over the chair backwards. ”And then I found this tavern. Came back here every day. Not much else to do with my life now, eh?’[/b]

On that day, I wondered if catharsis was within reach. My crushing self-righteousness had often taken away the release clenched tightly in my cursed hands. As I sat, pouring down drink after drink, my mind drifted further and further away, and that freedom of emotion, of sensation that I so longed for became intermingled with a growing desire to forget exactly that. I feared that it was out of reach, not meant to be had by me. It wasn’t catharsis that I wanted. But a target for my contempt. The death, the murder that I had seen tainted me, and to drift closer to that mindset, it seemed to be th easiest path to forgiveness.

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[Apple]

As she leaned back further, it would allow her to have a better look at the man without giving the impression that she was staring too much at him- It was strange really, as he seemed to have all of the characteristics of a man much, much older in the hoarse way that he spoke, the way that he carried himself and somewhat in the face, yet it seemed deceiving somehow- Although she was off her face and probably couldn’t tell water from vodka at the moment, there was something awfully strange about this man that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Continuing to lean she would stay in this position as she’d both listen to him speak, and look over his body language as he did so- Unlike Ishi, who was usually a beacon of light, joy and all things good, he was.. odd- Hunched, as if he wasn’t at ease for some reasons- These deductions were the same with almost every man she found in a bar, but this one- Was odd.

”Touketsu.”

His name was spoken- Or she figured it was his name, it might as well be some kind of drink, but Ishi didn’t care, she’d call him by whatever he had told her. Right now, despite being quite intelligent and well-spoken for her age, she was as hyped as perhaps someone two years her junior, and thought that way too usually when drunk, however, she too lost the voice of reason, which was a bad thing, really. ”Alright Touketsu! I shall call you Touketsu!”” this was said with a sense of elation in her voice, and she would keep sipping at whatever little was left of her drink, quite saddnened that there was soon none to little next- However, it would seem as if this man would enjoy whatever show she had put on, and she would find herself with another.

”THIS GUY.” a pause, as she’d look at Touketsu, a nod of her head as in her hands she carefully, although a bit shakily, removed the empty glass she was holding, and instead picked up the fresh one that was full to the brim with drink. ”IS A LEDGEND. JUST WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT. after it had been said she would then give him a great grin, childlike and innocent whilst also a little bit goofy. Of course, it was unique, and wasn’t ugly by far no, it was quite a grand smile worthy of those who it was faced towards- It’s just, with Chuunin and shinobi becoming steadily younger and being faced to things such as death and war, it was a surprise that anyone smiled. Ishi, despite having gone through a lot, continued to grin- Had it been madness? By now most people were unsure.

But- With a drink in her hand, she might as well be mad because she acted so. She had dismissed his comment about her own slightly vulgar insult towards everyone, and instead spoke; ”This is a lovely village- I’ve, I’ve lived here all of my life! The majority of people here are friendly, y’know? Some are total dicks and only get in your way but most of them are great! And you’ve met me!” in regards to the interesting parts about his life that he had said afterwards. Of course she met his own slightly sad-sounding story with her own words of joy, which, could probably at least make him smile a little bit, even on the inside. ”And then I found this tavern. Came back here every day. Not much else to do with my life now, eh?’

”Don’t- Don’t say that! There is always something that you can do even if you can’t think about it right now! I mean my life was almost at the brink at a few times but I’m as happy as ever now! You gotta think positive and then good things will come! If you stay a pessimistic Pete for the most of your life….”
She didn’t finish her words- God forbid what living life as a pessimistic Pete must feel like!

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[Katsumaru]

[/color] Touketsu mumbled, his words becoming increasingly slurred. While the man was rather fond of alcohol, he was not notably talented at managing the effects of intoxication, a trait –and quite a flaw in a place at this- that became more noticeable as his gaze grew hazy and distant. Slumping back in the chair, he released a heavy sigh, the stench of alcohol and meat intermingling. When vision began to blur, Touketsu understood that perhaps he had a bit too much to drink, but in foolishness, surely noticed with an aching head in the morning, he ordered a further drink without hesitation. Mayhap water would be a wise choice, to deter the dehydration, but with a slight shrug at the thought the Airontoku leaned forward again, listening to Ishi’s words.

Comprehension grew progressively more difficult, and in the process of leaning forward, Touketsu nearly stumbled face-first into the table, scarcely preventing that humiliating incident by halting the fall with the right hand. Quite unfortunately, and hilariously so, the hand landed near the edge with the pinky finger slightly bend. The bone cracked loudly as a sharp pain shot upwards, the wince narrowly avoided. He continued to learn forward as nausea overwhelmed him, eyes closed, and mind barely recognizing Ishi’s voice. ”A hero, hrm?”[/b] he uttered with a chuckle as the crimson eyes moved upwards to meet her gaze, but nausea struck him again. Leaning backwards quickly, the man attempted to regain his composure before moving on to another drink. Sheer pride overwhelmed him, he could not allow a woman to drink more than he, despite the rather wretched effects that would follow later in the night. How he hated the taste of his own vomit, hopefully it must not come to that. ”A man does what he has to do. Never considered anyone a hero. I’ve met men greater than me, far greater, but they are not heroes. Simply men who fought because they had something to protect.”[/b]

It disturbed Touketsu somewhat that, contrary to what he stated, he did not fight out of a desire to protect, but simply because it was required of him. For a man to go into war without a reason to raise his blade, with no desire to find a reason, mayhap that was simply a personal justification to overcome the terrors of war. Still, he could not understand your enthusiasm, and rather than continuing to ponder over her blissful joy, the Airontoku posed a question, his speech now not only slurred, but spoken quite slowly, pausing several seconds in-between each word. Terrible things have happened in the world, yet you find joy, dabble in bliss. Does it solely from the village. Why do you feel so?”

Instinctively he reached down to the left him for comfort, normally where the blade would be attached, but there was no need to bring it to the tavern. A feeling of discomfort and fear washed over him without weaponry – even if none was needed. The tavern was peaceful, serene, yet, distressingly, Touketsu remained ill at ease. The world had changed, and there was no more need for men eager to battle, yet, the creeping desire continued to slither into his senses day after day. Without a pause after his previous question, he spoke yet again, words slightly less slurred as the Airontoku put more effort into speech. ”You misunderstand, and I exaggerated. I do not mean that my life is entirely without worth, nor my position in it. But I have been raised with strict discipline, drilled with the mind of a soldier. And in times of peace, without anyone to give me orders I feel a slight discomfort. When someone has been telling you what to do every day, and then suddenly that halts, everything seem so…out of order.”[/b] he spoke quietly with a heavy sight.

My own intensions became clearer to me as I sat in the tavern talking to this girl so much younger than me. My life had not grown without purpose; my actions still carried their former worth. Simply, I required orders. I recognize that weakness, my inability to function when I must make my own choices, but perhaps soon that will be overcomeIshi…is it naiveté that inspires her so, or has she gained an understanding of the world that I have not? What does she find value and truth in? I had found value not in the deed itself, but in the act, the effort of the deed. My own motivations were…did I have any motivations?

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[Kii!]

Katsumaru: +40
Apple: +30