Starring:
Totoro, Soren, Inpa, Haruna, Rain
Date: November 11, 2015
Summary:
The group meets up by chance at the Drunken Alphas and have a bit of a conversation about things to do with killing people and recruitment.
Poster's note: foul language filtered in obvious places.
"Drunk Men and Loss"
Drunken Alphas [Land of Rivers]
The Drunken Alpha is a very roughshod building, made out of nearby materials. It looks almost like a temporary structure that has slowly been added too, and made more stable and secured. Even so, the roof and walls are only held together by shanks of rope, twine, and other such fastenings. All in all, the building just has the feel of manliness. Completely disorganized, very hap-hazard, and extremely functional. Its purpose is to serve alcohol in vast quantities, not to look pretty, and that is exactly what it does.
The furniture is a motley of chairs and tables, none of which match, or at least if they do, its only by coincidence. The place is almost always filled with men, and boys, yet very rarely any woman. Young genin are almost never permitted inside for long, and even though it is a mans place, the children are not permitted to drink.
Contents:
Exits:
Out - (O) [Shitsukekata Way]
The Drunken Alpha
It's the poorest alcohol-serving establishment in the city. That's not to say it doesn't have one thing that it is the best at. It is the manliest drinking place in the entire city. All you need is a glance inside to realize why such a popular place is struggling. The tables. The chairs. They're all patched together in roughshood manner. The bars, the walls, and even the floors are splintered in places, with spare wood nailed in to keep people from falling through. Everyone here looks like they could split someone's skill with their pinky finger. Ain't a woman for miles.
Well, there are a few, but they aren't common amongst the forest of testosterone within. Totoro has decidedly worked her way within this mass of people, and has a bit of a reputation for throwing more punches and taking more chairs to the face per square inch than any other woman inside of the bar. So intimidating is she, that she is one of the few people in the bar to cause empty spaces to appear wherever she sits. Dressed in a mixture of furs and modern traditional clothing, the recovering forest-dweller sits alone at a table far in the back sporting an empty jug of Sake, and one that's about to be opened. Recent undertakings for the Suisei government have given her enough gold to put the food on the table. The drinking kind. She currently sits against a chair, legs propped up on the table as she rests the unopened bottle of saki against her stomach. The chair, leaning on two legs, looks almost ready to break under the weight of the muscular woman. Few locals dare approach the feral woman…
Soren was already inside the bar. He was actually taking the short way back to Konoha, and after an incident (that some may have heard of) involving a bandit being split in twain… he needed a drink. He didn't notice Totoro come in. He wasn't depressed… or sad… or angry… just needed something to take the edge off after a fight. Right now, even his partner, the enthusiastic red fox, Ayame, was being ignored. But when the empty space opened up around Totoro, Soren just happened to be sitting in the worst possible spot, as the crowd converged on him. The shoving, and the pushing started, and after being yelled at twice to shove off, Soren decided it would probably be a good idea to move out of the way.
This move, landed him just a seat or two down from Totoro. Ayame, currently about 6 inches tall, hopped up onto the bar just as Soren sat down, before padding over to stare at Totoro. And after a moment, she turned the cute upto 11, trying to get pets, and attention from the perfect stranger.
There's a commotion of noise outside, voices mumbling and chattering, and then quite suddenly breaking into laughter as the door to the Drunken Alpha opens. A feminine hand lined with a jade bracelet is pressed flat against the door as Haruna holds it open. Men pour into the opening, dressed for business from the looks of it. Some glance around as they walk in and then become relaxed. This place is exactly what she had promised them and she didn't oversell it. The woman comes in after them, all fluttering lashes and strategically placed blushes. Eventually, she gestures with an elegant hand to the rest of the establishment and leaves the men to do as they will, ordering drinking apparently on her tab.
Haruna casts a glance to the bar keep who nods in her direction in some strange unspoken agreement of something. Everything attended to, the woman searches for a place to sit, spotting the more empty area occupied by Soren and Totoro. Smiling pleasantly, she walks over, motioning to a chair with her hand. "Might I join the…" Her eyes spot the fox and she adjusts her inquiry, "… three of you?"
Inpa would be the last to show up at the bar. Although he was there for completely other reasons. Walking outside of it, he'd pause at spotting the comotion within. The latest bar fight was wrestling awake.. but wasn't there yet. Musing to himself, Inpa headed into the building, while there was a stir from the crowd with Haruna, Inpa was dismissed rather quickly. He'd make his way to the keeper, stopping next to him and offering a few words as well as a small pouch, before walking onward towards the space that Totoro has cleared. A polite nod is given to Haruna as he'd pull a chair over to sit near Totoro, not bothering to ask first. "So.. I take it that the pay is good. You've shown hints of respect for my Sensei. So, are you interested in more of both?"
Totoro looked down at the prey animal who decided to come up to say hello. Yep. Someone spiked her booze with hallucinogens. She would uncork the bottle as she stared at the six inch fox with a twelve inch hunger, and quickly tipped the bottle to her lips and drank it rudely straight from the bottle… When she put the bottle down, the fox had disappeared. Drinking solves all problems, except the hunger in her stomach now. "Less sensei." She grunts. "More gold." A reasonable demand. "I'm not his mate, and I'm not going to be…" Her eyes dart to the small pouch. "Mmmh, What's in there? A little gift?" She asks. "Or is that the most informal 'help wanted' paper you could think of." She looks over towards the rest of the bar, whom might have seen Inpa and realized there was work afloat perhaps? Maybe not. Arguments break out all the time. She just didn't want to have to drag someone all the way to the latrine pits to give them a swimming lesson.
Her drunken expression over the other bar patrons comes to a stop when she notices Haruna, who had likely been sitting there this entire time. Inpa had sat right down on her left right as she was asking if she might join Totoro… When Inpa sits down, she notices Haruna say 'Three of you'. Seems like the fox had left right as she had said it. "You don't need my permission to sit." She told the brown-haired woman. "Unless you're asking to sit in my lap. Then you'll need to ask my permission." She would grin a fanged grin before laughing rather loudly, a laugh that is soon drowned out be involuntary alcohol consumption via her hand.
Haruna moves to sit, adjusting her clothing so that it drapes nicely. She chuckles melodiously at the idea that she might wish to sit in Totoro's lap, "I wouldn't dare! You look like too fierce a creature and I'm afraid I am just far too delicate to be handled so roughly." Her eyes move to Inpa and she bows her head slightly, acknowledging him. Then, Haruna falls silent as a few delicate tea things are placed in front of her. The setting isn't made to be elaborate or fancy. Pretty practical actually. They didn't even bring her sugar or cream. She sets about pouring herself a cup and focusing on letting it cool, allowing Inpa and Totoro to conduct their business without her interference. The nature of the conversation does spark her interest though so one could argue that she isn't entirely removed. Though barely knowing either party, she can only guess at what is being discussed.
Inpa could not help but chuckle at Totoro's response. Made sense. A bit after Haruna got her tea, would a simple meal be delivered in front of Totoro, along with a fresh jug of sake. Inpa would smile to the waiter who was harried enough as is, then looked to Haruna. "Madam. A pleasure to make your aquantance." Looking to Totoro, he'd shake his head slightly. "Considering the.. temperment of the locale, I would not speak of business here. Rather not have it boil over. I do try to avoid fighting, as you know." Shrugging slightly, he'd shift in his own chair, which wasn't having the same issue of weight as Totoro's. "Rather, for now, I'm just gathering information, if I may be so bold."
Totoro can feel that Inpa was oiling her gears, by serving up another jug of sake and food no doubt. Yet, he doesn't realize… She's someone who eats raw foods. The pleasures of cooked foods and bread do not appeal to her. Why, Inpa might not realize it, but Totoro finds human flesh a very sweet meal. All part of doing what it takes to maintain life. "Wise choice. I just woke up anyways." She says, still looking at Inpa suspiciously. She has yet to feel the full force of his punch. That applies to Haruna too. Her subtle and refined manner of speaking. Very suspicious in a place like this. "I'm losing my touch, with so many people taking a seat around me… Hmh." She chuckles once as she works on the second bottle.
It was time to check in on the cage that the wolf frequented even thoguh it was open for her to come and go as she pleased. Why a cage then? Simply because she decided to stay more than leave. The ease of things that made her feel as if she could continue going, things that satiated her more complex human needs more than her wild side, kept her tethered to the place. A sad truth but truth none the less. Rain would enter the Druken Alphas to a mixture of greetings, ignorance, and some even displaying envy or anger on some level for as of yet unexplained reasons. It was a bar after all, reason had little sway here. One of the men was just drunk enough to act upon his anger, balling his fist and throwign his chair back as he stood abruptly… and barely to get in to Rain's path as he'd spot the party he was most interested in. Before any words could be spoken with retched liqoured breath, the man was on the floor, almost as if kneeling down as a flash of crimson would almost be fired in to his eyes form Rain's own. "We can discuss your grievance later." Rain would almost promise as he stepped over the man without a second thought. Even after the illusion wore off, the man simply had trouble standing back up and decided to remain, leaning against the table until his head would stop spinning from the sudden descent.
Having arrived at the corner he desired to be at, Rain would greet all there. "It seems that this location is gaining even more business than usual…" Rain stated as he'd side glance the business dressed entourage a moment before smiling with his eyes alone at Haruna. "I am sure the proprieter is quite pleased with that." He would cross his arms a moment and ask, "Though I am uncertain why all of your are here simultaneously." Looking towards Totoro, he knew her reasons… and he may need to break her of the habit. Inpa however was a bit more… of an oddity in this situation. Haruna was obviously working on something with the business men, at least that's how Rain would figure it… but Inpa wouldn't normally linger in an establishment such as this.
Tea served, cooled, and gently sipped, Haruna focuses back on the conversation. She looks between them, curious as to what information is being gathered. She assumes it has something to do with Hanpa, but Haruna would not be so bold as to just start talking about all that in the open, especially while she has potential clients wandering around, mingling, and just getting generally drunk off of sake, her company's as well as competing brands.
When Rain arrives though, Haruna seems to perk up, grinning and scooting over to allow the Uchiha a bit of room beside her. "Rain, I didn't think to see you in a place like this." She glances over her shoulder to the man on the floor, an eyebrow lifted. The eyebrow is pointed to Rain as if to scold him for resorting to violence, even if it's only genjutsu. Sipping her tea ends the mental scolding though and she dismisses the whole affair from her mind. She knew what she signed up for when she agreed to join Hanpa.
Inpa would shift in his chair with a soft chuckle. "I thought you might. Although I wasn't sure what you liked for food. As it's not liquid, I have less information." Inpa would nod to her, then glance to Haruna at her semi-attention, while the business men made the people in the bar all the more riled up. Hmm.. As Rain would enter in, Inpa noted the increase volume, only able to see after the fact who it was as Rain approached the table. Standing to his feet, a small half-bow is given. "Sensei." Shifting on his feet, he would of course, offer his chair to Rain. "I do hope the day has found you well? Is there anything I might get for you?" Inpa knew that his whole reason for being there was something he was keeping to himself. But well, when the Boss is around..
So it was that Rain himself walked amongst the peasants of peasants. Amongst scum and thief. One such scum nearly paid the price of interrupting the footsteps, spared only by the good graces of Rain. "Rain." She grunts. Now there is someone who could strike her with a fist great enough to make her think twice. Someone whose fist almost made her turn like a beat dog. She looks to Haruna, whose name she doesn't yet know but at the same time she doesn't have the wits to ask, and instead waits for someone to repeat it enough times that she will remember. Inpa, whose fists are rather weak. Rain, who she knows as the leader of this city anyways. He should be reknown to those in this bar as the Daimyo of the Twilight. The only person who had an excuse to not recognize Rain before was Totoro, and now she lacks that excuse. "I'm just here by myself. Enjoying the pleasures of money. Booze." She raises the jug. Her eyes flick towards Inpa, whom she promptly wraps an arm around, hand reaching to grip the front of the youth's coat. "Company." Her lips tugged at a quick smirk as she tried her best to make the younger male uncomfortable as she tugged him back down to the seat beside of her. "Not enough fresh meat." The jug slips to her lips as she looks at Rain, as if testing the leader of this village in some way. "Kon-ban-wa."
A few moments pass as she looks back over at the crowd. "I hope the boys didn't cause you any trouble…" Her voice was getting strangely louder. "because HE'S THE INTOXICATING DAIMYO YOU INEBRIATED MORONS!" Her eyes sharpen as she raises the half-drunk jug of sake and throws it against the floor near the individual whom decided to be an idiot.
Rain shook his head towards Inpa, "Please take your seat. I can find one on my own. Though it is surprising to see you here. Things are… progressing even is slowly." Rain would comment as the eager student was ever dutiful. With that said, Rain would slip in besides Haruna as he'd thank her, "I appreciate it Haruna." He however would note her looks at him and raise a brow himself before lowering it in understanding. "Places like this… is where it all started. Seeing and understanding people… understanding suffering and the unfair portions of reality shapes ones views just as much as ignoring it entirely does. I am where I am now because I have been where they are before and decided to move beyond it." Rain would look to Totoro after stating this, though he'd move on to another topic maknig it hard to discern if he said such things for her to hear or just in general… or both. "Fresh meat is something you earn, not something given." Rain would state as if he knew all about it. "As far as them knowing of my… title… they are aware. However… there were people who were broken or died in the process of that occuring, and people tend to linger on past losses, especially when imbibing. I cannot scorn them for having feelings about their reality. The only thing that I can do is share my own and allow for them to take part in it or find their own path. Loss… can be an eternal hell if you allow it to be." Rain said somberly.
As Rain philosophizes on the nature of mankind and its emotion, Haruna simply sips her tea. She seems half distracted by her business prospects starting fights with people, the sight of a bloody nose causing her to clench her hands into fists for a moment, her body poised as if she might float off her chair to intervene. Then, the bleeding man laughs boisterously and Haruna calms. He can tend his own broken nose. Men.
As Rain closes his statements though, Haruna turns back to him. She looks to his face with knowing and reaches forward to gently squeeze his hand. She knows how that kind of hell can work, first hand. She's experienced it herself. And she's seen it settling into the bones of her patients, knowing that they'll never be the same.
Then, her eyes turn to Totoro and Haruna just simply states, "Ah, she is a prospect." There is a knowing nod and she sips her tea, suffering from no such perversity as shyness. She looks to Inpa then, as if expecting some explanation or something.
Totoro would find that there is a bit more to Inpa than what his appearance gives. Sure, he's not the musclebound men that abound in the bar, but he's also not weak or thin. He seems to take her groping and pulling him down completely in stride, settling onto the chair smoothly as if it was all intended with Rain's words. A smile is given to Rain with a small shift of his shoulders. "I was between higher prioratized tasks and had a little bit of time. I decided to do some resource gathering. When I noted Totoro-san's presence, I came in to talk to her briefly. Research is always important for proper allocation of resources." Inpa would give a small nod, looking to Haruna as Rain and her shared a close moment. There was a connection there. Musing contemplatively, Inpa would smile to Haruna at the look. "I am.. Inpa. A pleasure, Haruna-san. I'm the secretary. If you're curious."
It was not as if she was trying to alpha Inpa. It was that she was going to lose her mojo. Her dominance within the bar was threatened by so many people surrounding her! "They'll have to suffer. You rule the city, and if they don't want to comply, they'll just have to suffer harder." She says, though her smile is all but gone. She doesn't get what people are whining about. Rain got to where he was because he was strong. That is all that matters. Everything else is either his mercy or his wrath. He is the alpha of this city. That's the best she could logic it out. It's beyond her, that deeper meaning. She glares at Haruna. Prospect? What is that supposed to mean? "Haruna, Huh?" She wonders what her relation to the Daimyo is. Probably a bit too close for comfort. She finally just sits back and closes her eyes as she ceases asserting dominance over Inpa, and draws her arm away from him and behind her head. "Do you need me to kill someone today, Rain?"
Placing his other hand atop Haruna's for a moment, Rain allowed himself to close his eyes. Sometimes it was good to be reminded that after all the losses, he had also gained many things. Suisei around him and all of the people here in close company being amongst the most cherished. The darkness could not exist without the light. It was a lesson that individuals traveling both sides of existence often forgot. Opening his eyes once more, he would look to each of their faces in turn.
Inpa made his point about preparation and research. Rain couldn't agree more. Going at anything without truly understanding what to expect had too many possible risks. However… he also knew the value of being bold, and he was sure that Inpa had this instilled in him as well. If things didn't go as planned, adapt. Success was the goal, not methodology.
Totoro would speak of how she saw things. The strong ruling the weak, those who did not have the power to take being the victims. "Do not misunderstand me Totoro. I do not mind applying suffering, or observing suffering without lending a hand. I think that everyone should suffer in order to grow. Paradise is a fantasy that, if ever realized, would destroy everything. There is no purpose in paradise. It is lazy…. it is disgusting. Perfection is the end of all things that follow. However, I do also understand that not only will not everyone agree with me… but that I would be hypocritical to deny them the right to protest or to fight for what they believe. That being said… they can do so without my administration or the resources alloted to me by my position. That is something that they tend not to be willing to give up, even as they want to defy. They have to choose whether to lead or to follow, and if they choose to lead, they choose to lead else where." Rain finally got around to her question then, "Today, no. However… perhaps soon. This city is only a small part of the whole country, and while it develops, there are many parts that remain largely untouched. It will take time for such growth to spread… but there are those who are impatient, and worse yet, those who are opportunistic. If it is not dealt with… there may be a civil war in our future. Power is not always about strength. Often time, it is about action and circumstance. Preventing such a thing as a civil war has two outcomes. You are either able to do so without others noticing it was ever occuring which safe guards the land, but leaves no glory to be remembered or spoken of. Or, you allow for things to mature and become issues that are untenable beyond a bold action that is then given merit based primarily upon succeess. Winning that gamble gives you more power and influence by far. It is called being a "Hero of Chaos" and it is often a tool more than true concern."
Haruna smiles pleasantly to Inpa as he introduces himself. "Nice to meet you." She doesn't state her role, since she honestly isn't entirely sure what it is. She is a medic and she handles some financial things, but her involvement has been minimal at best. At the comment from Totoro about killing people, Haruna grimaces. She had hoped that Hanpa wouldn't become all about violence.
She listens to Rain's words, not really having any comment on anything spoken within them. Haruna finishes her cup of tea and looks to the rest. "I'm out of time. I should likely get going." She rises and bows to the group, "Rain, Inpa, Totoro.. Have a good evening." With that, the silk clad woman moves across the floor of the bar to collect her wayward potential clients so she can tend to them. They all seem in good spirits despite having gotten into a few brief fights. Even refined men need a little havoc every now and then.
Inpa would listen easily enough to Rain, a momentary loss from Totoro pulling away. He'd have to think about that as well. With Haruna leaving, Inpa would study his own time piece and nod slightly. "I have my own duties to attend to as well." Getting to hsi feet, he'd bow to Rain, then nod to Totoro. "Until next time. Sensei." With that, Inpa made his way out of the bar much as he did, easily dismissed by the men there.
