[attr="class","monbody2"]The very first thing that Kizua notices upon stepping onto the island is a smell. No — an unruly stench, of what, fish? Salt? Both? And he's thinking
how unfitting.
To think he comes baring treasure to an island filled with large, strapping persons. Ugly men and women, so undeserving of the luxury that buries behind wooden planks.
Fortunately, the crates they carry are not for them. They are for —
"Kaguya."
More specifically; Vajrakīlaya.
He's clad in his best, which is to say; a coal-painted robe belted by a lighter garment — and for the sake of his furtive role — a mask reaching the bottom of his lashes.
"eh? what...?" his response would be nonchalant, and a little curt. the usual people who'd handle this shit has gone off to deal with some crap in another nation - didn't really brush up (or pay attention) to anything that wasn't directly in front of him, so asking him questions about those sort of things was just... not going to get a feasibly good response. as some of the sailors unload the packages from the ship into a storehouse, nichiren's brows lower as his attention fixes on the other male. "is being mute and edgy your thing?" he insults, though decreases distance to give the other a slight once over. [break][break]
"... oh shit, you actually smell good. did you think boss was here or something?" chuckles under his breath, hands placing on his own hips as his eyes soften, disposition growing a bit more pitying of the expectation.
Kizua eyes past him, scouring for a similar description. He'd not gotten intense or emotional on paper so he isn't certain, not til —
boss is mentioned.
So it is him.
"Hm."
"I'm surprised they hire the likes of you."
And it doesn't end at that. He's, once more, surprised to hear that Kizua smells good — in comparison to this Kaguya maybe? Or had he simply mistaken the brand of this company?
(One surprise after the other — it's either a mistake on Kizua's part or this simply shadows a bad start.)
"I'm surprised they hire the likes of you." [break][break]
. . . [break][break]
poof! [break][break]
unbeknownst to kizua, or rather simply for the writer's own humor; a small "imp horned devil on your shoulder" appears on nichiren's left shoulder (of course, a minor unseen cliche to signify the internal battle now caused by kizua's words). [break][break]
'cut him. a little poke, poke. eh? he's a missing, just say he arrived that way. poke poke.' [break][break]
a second poof! an angel halo with a single oni horn beneath it on his right shoulder, [break][break]
'yukio-chan will scold you for making her work extra again. remember her advice! take a deep breath, through your nostrils for four seconds, hold it for four, then breath slowly through your mouth for six... [break][break]
'but at this distance you could totally do some liver damage-' [break][break]
'b r e a t h e.' [break][break]
despite the slight vein on his temple, nichiren straightens his posture and exhales a soft breath. "yeah, yukio would yell at me." he mutters. though the playfulness in his eyes had dulled, his disposition towards kizua remains significantly... 'polite'..., in terms of delinquency, anyways. "anyways, since you're... you know, an illegal- we'll be moving to the floating pachinko for business junk. 'm supposed to escort you." he bet escort missions for shinobi were probably ten times more pleasant... but considering he wasn't a shinobi, it wouldn't count as mission failed if he just- no, stop that. be good. [break][break]
"it's about twenty minutes walk. you might break a sweat in the humidity, fancy-nin. or would you like one of the carriers to offer you a piggyback ride?" grins, a slight fang showing over his bottom lip as he waves for the other to follow along with the rest of them.
[attr="class","monbody2"]Though he could pretend to be surprised that the escort knows his role in this job, he doesn't. Offers silence for an OK instead, and begins stepping along.
(Limited options, unfortunately.)
But he soon learns of the headache that the twenty minutes will bring, and he all but contemplates it. And who's to blame him? Said limited options will toss needless chatter at him that Kizua knows better than to openly ignore. Something about business etiquette, even if the party involved lacks it. But he puts up with it for the sake of... well.
There's some hope in the outcome. Will it put me fifty meters from you? — he wants to ask.
Says this instead;
"I'll be fine. Venturing on sea is a worse position to be in."
unfortunately, it'd be a lot of banter from the same "smelly" sailors carting along some of the boxes. nichiren's hands were already in his pocket, and about two sailors distance from the uppity mud boy client... patron? whatever. all he had to do was get him there. though... [break][break]
"so what do you get out of it?" ... why exactly was a missing from a far away country trying to cosy up in a place so much different from his own home? did he just want a new place to settle? nichiren stares with a curious, yet serious expression as they continue to walk down a well beaten path. "money? protection?" eyebrow quirks, a little suspicious of the fellow. [break][break]
asking questions wasn't apart of his job, but he'd come to... greatly appreciate the 'family' he made within the vajrakilaya.
golden hues scan over the other - ah... is that why he was dressed so? there didn't seem to be any malicious intent behind his words. eyes soften. [break][break]
"must be pretty good then." ― his eyes linger towards the other's hands, "as a shinobi." turns his attention forward again, and the tension he felt towards kizua melts in unspoken forgiveness. "and as a designer. aristocrats don't usually order so much unless their interest is piqued." he didn't know much about tengfei, but he was wealthy enough to own several buildings that shaped the district many of the vajrakilaya lived within. plus, boss seemed to trust him to act in his stead. his own reasons... [break][break]
"gonna open a tailor shop then? was wondering why a new building near the docks got fixed up."
[attr="class","monbody2"]Kizua isn't sure what the other says so he ignores it.
Easy as that.
But then he's looking in Kaguya's direction again, and — perhaps, perhaps — levering an unusual stretch to his eye that seems to ask;
really? You think I'd deserve it?
because as much as his body wills him to swallow down what is essentially childish, and a dream (which is just as ridiculous), Kizua listens not — plays by his own rules whether he admits it or not.
Alas
it dies down when he remembers the escort has never seen his designs before.
"tch, what a pain in the ass..." he grumbles, getting a little irked with the lack of respect he's being offered. once they get closer to the location, a mist begins to gather... well, not begin. it was already there. just now they were entering the thick of one artificially established. while kizua begins to seem uncertain, the rest continue walking into the mist. "huh?" he grunts, looking over his shoulder at the other who'd seemingly paused. [break][break]
oh, right... newbie. "yeah, we're here." he presses forward, and within the mist a platform raises onto a ship, several tables and chairs of young men playing card games or dice under the faint glow of lanterns. the sailors with the packages go up first onto the large ship, and a familiar face stands at the top looking down on nichi and kizua's ascent. "yo." hopping onto the deck, he glances at kizua behind him and then to junji. "who's here? yukio?" he'd watched fei leave the day before, so he figures this is what yukio will be handling before she disappears as well.
of course it was him, who else would it be? always getting stuck with 'stand here and wait' stuff, eurgh. but, at least that meant he got to bother- [break][break]
"nichiiiiii!" all sing-song and drawn out in a way junji knew he just hated, having already been making 'hurry up' gestures with both arms the moment he could see him properly. "boss is out, so- yeah! she's around." 'boss is out' might as well have translated to 'i'm here to do my job and be a fucking nuisance', and they both knew it. newface wouldn't know that, though, so maybe he should behave a little... [break][break]
"easy time getting here?" was a bright greeting, with junji moving himself out of nichi's way while still peering past him to give kizua a once over. no visible issues, check. no fun? probably also check, but junji would live.
it was easy to tell when the other two arrived, junji's sing-song version of nichiren's name an obvious sign, even from inside one of the boat cabins. thank god because this was the last thing stopping her from joining tengfei in the hidden sound village for that ridiculous hold hands and play nice event their hokage was holding. didn't understand what that had to do with the kirigakure, not like they helped them out with anything. but she didn't like the idea of being stuck here to babysit while he got to have all the fun. she's hurrying towards them as soon as she finishes signing something, joining the trio of boys on the deck of the ship. [break][break] "junji-kun, you know the mist only works if you actually try to be quiet?" her voice soft, teasing, but also a hint of seriousness in it as well. it was meant to help conceal them from prying eyes, but if they kept breaking the cover, what was the point of the wasted chakra to create it. dumb brats.[break][break] "i'm yukio! and you?" nearly rivals junji's previous volume, completely contradicting her previous words. she knows who he is by name thanks to tengfei, but gives him the chance for proper introductions. "you smell good, what is it?" curiosity gets the best of her before she can stop herself.
[attr="class","monbody2"]They step through a wall of fog, and twenty minutes suddenly make sense again.
What arrives next is the plethora of faces; rough, edged, sharp — experienced. The whole package. One that vouches for the reported sightings of pirates, and guarantees the fact that you are now traversing their domain.
Ironically enough; this promises a more secure death than protection.
If the question is aimed for him, Kizua gives a nod, yes.
Sure.
(Does he appear that unfit for the road?)
And to the third (and even louder party), Kizua's lips purse in a gentle, static manner and he says;
"Kizua Chi — " nods to her in greeting before adding; "just yuzu. I'd be happy to send a bottle if it's of any interest."
ah, "there you are yukio." flatlines the beanpole standing off to the side, donowalling him into oblivion. "he's here in one piece. do you need me for anything else? i'm hungry." there's no point in staying when yukio would be well guarded with a lost of the members chilling on the decks, besides he figures as a lady it'd be easier to get her opinion on the product before it's presented to the madame. doesn't exactly wait for a response from yukio, ducking himself down the stairs leading to a lower deck where numerous slot machines and a bar called his name. he'd be around, just no longer working on this specific task. [break][break]
ooc: (npc mode for nichiren, so the thread flows better. continue to post without expectation of my posts.)
was he being ignored? he... he was totally being ignored! rude little shit, junji would absolutely get him back for that some other time. [break][break] glancing back and forth between their guest and down towards the lower decks, junji's face screwed up like he'd been force fed a lemon peel. throwing his lady a stiff two-fingered salute, he decided to behave and do his job, keeping her in his range of sight even as he wandered over to bother some other group hanging around on deck. he wasn't much use in the actual 'business' part of this kind of business, anyways. might as well stay out of the way of whatever his lady and stranger- right, no, kizua- had to hash out amongst themselves. [break][break] ooc: (currently in standby/bodyguard mode! feel free 2 post around me if you get to it b4 me! <3)
