╥ Tea Shoppe Citadel

[Ephemeral Ozymandias]

__ He continued to take bites of his strawberry short cake and delicious sugary tea. It was great that Tetsuhiko's oral hygiene was fantastic, otherwise he would lose all of his teeth from cavities. He listened to Bast's response and eventual inquiries into his puppeteering mechanisms. "Well, when I was eight years old I started working on my puppet designs. It took me a long time to draw them out, understand the dimensions, and eventually get a hold of the materials needed to create them." He paused to take a sip of his tea, refill the cup, and then deposit more sugar. "Once I started practicing some crafting and learned how launchers and hidden blades worked my designs got more complex. I was able to do all of this work from my studio,but when I needed space to experiment with launchers I would take my prototypes to the academy's training grounds." He continued enjoying his delicious cake as he thought more. "It took me five years to finish designing them all and then I had to get them created at the Superdome. That was when I ran into you, actually." Tetsuhiko smiled and pointed his fork in Bast's direction as he reminisced. The fork then stabbed back into the shortcake. "I think I've come a long way as an artist since then, wouldn't you say?" The Iron Prince asked with a smile as he inquired about his progress.

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〖[x]〗【TITLE: Genin】♫【RANK: B】♪【PRIMARY CLASS: Puppeteer】♫【SECONDARY CLASS: Performer】♪【BLOODLINE: Satetsu】♫【ELEMENTS: Raiton | Doton】♪【CHAKRA: 217 || 740】♫【STAMINA: 250 || 250】
Technique Used:
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Technique Active:
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Puppets in Inventory:
• [x]
___○ [ Caesar ] [ Penthesilia ] [ Hermes ] [ Thanatos ] [ Artemisia ] [ Io ] [ Isis ] [ Orpheus ] [ Castor ]
Puppets Active:
• [x]
___○ [ Puppet Name ]

Ergo War

 

[Ergo War]

"Tough to say, since I didn't know you before," Bast commented between sips of tea. She silently wondered if the kid's sugar consumption was a prank on her, but determined that reacting in any way might constitute losing on some level, so she let it slide. "If the puppets are your instrument, it's even tougher to say. You wouldn't judge a painter by what he made before taking up the brush, would you? It doesn't sound like you were cultivated into a puppeteer performance artist, it's just how things worked out. It'll be more interesting to see where you're at a year from now, if you last that long."

Kumurai Kaicho

 

[Ephemeral Ozymandias]

__ Tetsuhiko listened as he continued to consume copious amounts of sugar in his tea and cake. All of this sugar made him feel nice. "Cake and tea with sugar is the most beautiful thing since the sonnet." He thought as he enjoyed the moment.He continued to listen to his teacher as she gave a not so exhilerating answer to his question. "If I last that long." He internally scoffed away her doubts and notions. "In speaking of which, getting to Chuunin was not as hard as I thought. What does getting to Jonin entail?" He asked inquisitively as he continued to enjoy his sugary tea and snack.

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〖[x]〗【TITLE: Genin】♫【RANK: B】♪【PRIMARY CLASS: Puppeteer】♫【SECONDARY CLASS: Performer】♪【BLOODLINE: Satetsu】♫【ELEMENTS: Raiton | Doton】♪【CHAKRA: 233 || 740】♫【STAMINA: 250 || 250】
Technique Used:
• [ Technique Name ]
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Technique Active:
• [ Technique Name ]
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Puppets in Inventory:
• [x]
___○ [ Caesar ] [ Penthesilia ] [ Hermes ] [ Thanatos ] [ Artemisia ] [ Io ] [ Isis ] [ Orpheus ] [ Castor ]
Puppets Active:
• [x]
___○ [ Puppet Name ]

Ergo War

 

[Ergo War]

"Oh, you know, your standard life-or-death situations or a need by the Village. If we ever get shipped out to Rouran, you'll probably come back a changed man. Maybe Zhi and your parents wouldn't recognize you. There's something about that place that really gnaws at your soul and turns Chuunin into Jounin." Bast sounded like she was telling a bad joke, but who could truly say? She did have a peculiar sense of humor about these things. "In all likelihood you'll have to complete some rigorous examinations to show you're Jounin-caliber, plus some extras if you want to enroll in any of the advanced programs. Who knows, maybe Ayame really wants a Jounin and no one else is cutting it for whatever reason. You're not planning on running laps around Sonyo and Sadayo, are you?"

Another response, another cup of tea gone. She was keeping hydrated, even if it wasn't particularly normal to imbibe tea in such enormous quantities. Still, it was better than the mountain of sugar Tetsu was taking in.

"After making Chuunin, your primary concern will be expanding your knowledge base and getting to know the other shinobi of the Village. Can't have you running around not knowing how to play well with others, can we? That's my niche."

Kumurai Kaicho

 

[Ephemeral Ozymandias]

__ Tetsuhiko arched an eyebrow when he heard of Rouran. The name sounded familiar, but he could not quite put his finger on it. In any case it certainly sounded like an adventure, or perhaps Bastet-sensei was just trying to scare him. He continued to enjoy his cake while he thought of what he should do first now that he was on the precipice of the Chuunin title advancement. He start stabbing at the remains of his cake with his work as he thought of his response. "I'll need to train soon, I think I can learn a lot more techniques than I was able to months ago. After that, I'm sure I'll be able to create an even more beautiful and deadly performance that'll get me to Jonin in no time." He spoke with confidence as he thought of new ways to innovate his puppetry.He also wanted to get to know some of the higher ranked people in the village, besides Bastet. "Since I'll be joining the middle ranks soon who are some of the higher ranked people in the village I'll need to get to know? Before I mostly just socialized with other genin and you."
He took another sip of tea and gave himself a refill as he tapped on the table rythmically.

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〖[x]〗【TITLE: Genin】♫【RANK: B】♪【PRIMARY CLASS: Puppeteer】♫【SECONDARY CLASS: Performer】♪【BLOODLINE: Satetsu】♫【ELEMENTS: Raiton | Doton】♪【CHAKRA: 248 || 740】♫【STAMINA: 250 || 250】
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• [ Technique Name ]
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Technique Active:
• [ Technique Name ]
___○ [ Rank ]

Puppets in Inventory:
• [x]
___○ [ Caesar ] [ Penthesilia ] [ Hermes ] [ Thanatos ] [ Artemisia ] [ Io ] [ Isis ] [ Orpheus ] [ Castor ]
Puppets Active:
• [x]
___○ [ Puppet Name ]

Ergo War

 

[Ergo War]

"I remember feeling that way when I was still training. Now it just comes in spurts a couple of times a year," Bast sighed nostalgically and took a sip of her tea. She enjoyed it in silence for a moment, then added another sprig of mint to the pot. "Sonyo and Nariomi are good to know. If you can find James at any point, he's someone I'd highly recommend working with. Can't say I know many people in the Oinin program since I was an ANBU back in the day. You'll also have to get used to reporting to Ayame directly and filling out paperwork. Get high enough in the ranks and you'll get glamor and paperwork in equal measure. Once you hit Jounin, it'll be more or less up to you to carve out your own niche. Chuunin is when you explore your role as part of the armed forces through various trainings and trying out different jobs."

Kumurai Kaicho

 

[Ephemeral Ozymandias]

__ He took mental notes of all of the individuals Bastet-sensei mentioned. He certainly recognized most of the names from the villagewide genin tournament. Tetsuhiko knew he had come a long way as a shinobi since then. He felt like his own power and skill had doubled since then. He could only imagine what was in store for him. It was also nice to hear what his role as a chuunin would be from Bastet. It did well to frame his perspective on the knew role he would fill as an intermediate ninja. Now that he fully understood the gravity of what he was preparing for he could start to make plans. Eventually, he spoke up between tea sips to respond. "My life goal is to turn Sunagakure into a land of beauty with a renaissance of art and a rich high culture. I'm going to start by teaching the art and theater electives at the academy, probably teach kugutsu and general education if they let me." The thought certainly appealed to him, teaching the next generation the ways of putting beauty in the world through the visual arts and performance. "The work of a ninja can be brutal, but it can also be beautiful and elegant. Wouldn't you agree, sensei?" Tetsuhiko felt that he was living proof of this sentiment and hoped to train more students in his own image.

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〖[x]〗【TITLE: Genin】♫【RANK: B】♪【PRIMARY CLASS: Puppeteer】♫【SECONDARY CLASS: Performer】♪【BLOODLINE: Satetsu】♫【ELEMENTS: Raiton | Doton】♪【CHAKRA: 263 || 740】♫【STAMINA: 250 || 250】
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Technique Active:
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Puppets in Inventory:
• [x]
___○ [ Caesar ] [ Penthesilia ] [ Hermes ] [ Thanatos ] [ Artemisia ] [ Io ] [ Isis ] [ Orpheus ] [ Castor ]
Puppets Active:
• [x]
___○ [ Puppet Name ]

Ergo War

 

[Ergo War]

Bast downed another cup of tea and felt a little ball of warmth spread out from her stomach as the collective heat from all the drinks started catching up to her. Usually she saved this volume of drinking for the early morning, when it was still cool out following the night.

The idea of a renaissance of art wasn't exceedingly interesting to Bast, even if she was, herself, an artist. She was used to treating the architecture and possessions of those in the village as more or less disposable when attempting to thwart invasions, and the idea of destroying things with broader cultural significance was a bit unnerving, or perhaps unsavory. Then again, she'd also completely destroyed the office once or twice during her tenure as the Kazekage, so maybe it was a bit late to be worrying about that sort of thing.

"I agree that it can be brutal," she responded after not more than a moment of thought, "but I've yet to see it be beautiful or elegant. Those are the first things to go when your life is on the line. My advice is to find a backup methodology you can live with that prioritizes damage over aesthetic appeal. I don't write anything I sing for that exact reason."

Kumurai Kaicho

 

[Ephemeral Ozymandias]

__ Tetsuhiko knew that all of his methods of combat were both effective and aesthetically sublime. Every instance of combat he has engaged in has been an excellent performance thus far even in instances when his life was in danger. The thought of fighting with his expertly crafted marionettes using beautiful pipe organ music was always exhilarating to him. He was also able to channel lightning and other breathtaking effects through the music his puppets would emit. His fighting style was truly unique and required very intricate and precise usage. This was why Masato was unable to grasp the complexities of his fighting style. All of this also included his magnet release kekkei genkai and use of iron sand which added further abilities. "I disagree, sensei. When I see artists like puppeteers and performers fight I can see the aesthetic precision of their craft used for combat with a true sense of beauty and elegance. All combat I enter into is a stage performance with marionettes, music, special effects, everything. That is the core of my intricate fighting style and I know it works." This was his counter-argument, although he also understood that Bastet was a pragmatist at heart and focused on effectiveness and results over beauty, Tetsuhiko was proof that he can use both since he is skilled enough. He took a moment to enjoy the aroma of the fresh teas around him as he finished his slice of strawberry shortcake. The Iron Prince was running out of things to talk and ask about so he was silently hoping that Bastet would bring up a new topic.

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〖[x]〗【TITLE: Genin】♫【RANK: B】♪【PRIMARY CLASS: Puppeteer】♫【SECONDARY CLASS: Performer】♪【BLOODLINE: Satetsu】♫【ELEMENTS: Raiton | Doton】♪【CHAKRA: 263 || 740】♫【STAMINA: 250 || 250】
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Technique Active:
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Puppets in Inventory:
• [x]
___○ [ Caesar ] [ Penthesilia ] [ Hermes ] [ Thanatos ] [ Artemisia ] [ Io ] [ Isis ] [ Orpheus ] [ Castor ]
Puppets Active:
• [x]
___○ [ Puppet Name ]

Ergo War

 

[Ergo War]

"Now that's a different way of viewing the same situation. I don't think our two world views are necessarily mutually exclusive." Bast shrugged and offered the lad a cup of her tea. "It's like how the mechanisms of a clock may appear beautiful to some while others simply admire their accuracy. This might be more indicative of the environments we've grown and lived in. Not sure what your home life is like, but I spent a lot of time in the shadows of my father and sister, the former of whom is quite possibly the most skilled person I've ever seen wield a blade and the latter of whom has almost unparalleled intelligence and investigative ability. What's your home life like? Any siblings? Nobles like to have lots of children, from what I've seen."

Kumurai Kaicho

 

[Ephemeral Ozymandias]

__ He accepted the tea offered to him and took a sip and slightly squirmed at the lack of sugar. He only put in two sugar cubes this time and then tasted it once more and enjoyed it quite a bit more. He felt like oversaturating her tea she offered him in sugar would be in poor taste so he abstained. He thought about her analogy of the clock and enjoyed that thought. Tetsuhiko always did admire intricate and beautiful luxury timepieces. When she inquired about his home life he took a few sips and casually responded. "The Miyamoto family is very famous in Sunagakure for good reason. I'm sure you have many fascinating stories. I live with my father, Hachiro Hanzo, the patriarch of the clan. My mother, Tetsuotome Hanzo, the matriarch consort. Then there is my maternal grandfather, Kazama Hanzo, the advisor and elder." He explained the technical side of the family line, but did not have the motivation to explain the long line of patriarchs leading up to his father. The whole idea of tradition and nobility was exhausting to him. Why lose your individuality like that when you could break stale traditions with beautiful innovative art? "My father had seven older half-siblings who did not inherit jiton but wanted to take over the clan. They all tried to kill him in a war for succession when he was a child so he only wanted to have one son with jiton to reduce complications like that. He has a lot of painful memories of that time I think." The succession crisis in the Hanzo clan was an interesting topic,but absolutely forbidden for discussion in his household. For this reason, he was not accustomed to side conversations about it and spoke about it rather clumsily..

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〖[x]〗【TITLE: Genin】♫【RANK: B】♪【PRIMARY CLASS: Puppeteer】♫【SECONDARY CLASS: Performer】♪【BLOODLINE: Satetsu】♫【ELEMENTS: Raiton | Doton】♪【CHAKRA: 278 || 740】♫【STAMINA: 250 || 250】
Technique Used:
• [ Technique Name ]
___○ [ Rank ]
Technique Active:
• [ Technique Name ]
___○ [ Rank ]

Puppets in Inventory:
• [x]
___○ [ Caesar ] [ Penthesilia ] [ Hermes ] [ Thanatos ] [ Artemisia ] [ Io ] [ Isis ] [ Orpheus ] [ Castor ]
Puppets Active:
• [x]
___○ [ Puppet Name ]

Ergo War

 

[Ergo War]

"Clan politics are an odd beast," Bast commented with what was probably a startling lack of concern in her voice. She took a moment to order a fresh pot of tea since hers was running low, then picked up the strain of conversation again: "I can see where he's coming from. My only point of confusion is the role of your grandfather; a war of succession would have to have involved him, yet he either failed to stop it or orchestrated it."

The woman segued into a brief conversation with the waiter who brought out a fresh pot of tea and a bundle of mint sprigs. The substance of the chat was almost nonexistent with how light it was, and afterward she offered Tetsu another cup. Evidently she hadn't been offended by his addition of only two sugar cubes, though she did cast the sugar repository a sidelong glance.

"Are you under a lot of pressure at home?" she asked without any warning. "Your father likely had the burden of expectations lessened somewhat because he had siblings, but you've got the undivided attention of two generations of your clan. I had a sister and a cousin to lessen the load on my back, at least, so I'm not rightly sure how you're faring as the only heir. Call it professional curiosity as your teacher."

Kumurai Kaicho

 

[Ephemeral Ozymandias]

__ His sensei's capacity for consuming tea was quite impressive to him. He accepted another cup of the mint tea and added three sugar cubes this time. Tetsuhiko began drinking the tea and enjoying the aroma of the mint. It helped to melt away the stress of the constant back to back missions he undertook with his squad. He made a mental note to address Bastet's confusion, although if he revealed too much it might allude to an embarrassing fact that his parents are cousins. When she inquired further he tapped on his chin and thought about it. This was a sensitive subject for the lad because he has always been under a lot of pressure from his family. He eventually finished his cuppa tea and spoke up."Jin Hanzo, my paternal grandfather, was not a good patriarch. He spent most of his time gambling away clan funds and sleeping with prostitutes who then had children. His older brother, Kazama, was a puppeteer and an oinin who did not possess the jiton kekkei genkai and was not legitimate for succession. Before the war for succession happened Kazama urged Jin to marry a noblewoman and have a son with her, leading to my father's birth." He plopped a couple of sugar cubes in his mouth before continuing. "When my father was eight years old Jin Hanzo died and all of the siblings started fighting. Kazama protected my father and insisted he succeed Jin as the patriarch. Eventually, Kazama managed to get them all banished from the village and my father became the eighth patriarch. My grandfather has been advising him ever since." That was a long story to explain, but it felt good for Tetsuhiko to get it off of his chest for once. He then took several moments to think of a response to his sensei's later concern. "My father puts a lot of pressure on me to be a copy of him. He spent his whole life trying to repair his father's mistakes and he holds our clan in high regard. My grandfather is too old and depressed these days to really care about what I do. My mother is the most understanding I think." This was one of Tetsuhiko's biggest struggles in his life that he was now spilling out to Bastet. "The truth is that I don't care about keeping the noble clan. I don't know what I'm going to do when my father dies. Do I give the job to somebody else? Do I dismantle the clan completely and turn my house into a museum?I've thought about the latter more than a few times, but it seems so disrespectful to my father's legacy. I don't know what to do." He put his face in his hands and then rubbed his temples from the stress of just thinking about that future.

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〖[x]〗【TITLE: Genin】♫【RANK: B】♪【PRIMARY CLASS: Puppeteer】♫【SECONDARY CLASS: Performer】♪【BLOODLINE: Satetsu】♫【ELEMENTS: Raiton | Doton】♪【CHAKRA: 278 || 740】♫【STAMINA: 250 || 250】
Technique Used:
• [ Technique Name ]
___○ [ Rank ]
Technique Active:
• [ Technique Name ]
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Puppets in Inventory:
• [x]
___○ [ Caesar ] [ Penthesilia ] [ Hermes ] [ Thanatos ] [ Artemisia ] [ Io ] [ Isis ] [ Orpheus ] [ Castor ]
Puppets Active:
• [x]
___○ [ Puppet Name ]

Ergo War

 

[Ergo War]

Talk about a can of worms. Bast quietly watched Tetsu's sugar intake as he spoke, her mind carefully snatching at and organizing the details he let slip. All in all, it sounded incredibly messed up, even as far as clan politics went. Then again, it was a war of succession.

"For what it's worth," she began, measuring her words carefully, "I think you'd be able to find refuge with any of your fellow shinobi if it came down to it. My advice is this: don't be your father and don't care about legacy. The dead exist only in our memories and on paper, sometimes not even those. There are those enrolled in the shinobi program now that have never seen the Village under my rule, making my only lasting legacy Ayame. Eventually I'll have passed out of the public consciousness entirely. The only thing I can hope for is that the Village and my successors act in good faith according to their beliefs. If you're worried about undermining your father's legacy by turning your home into a museum, then gain an art collection that would do him proud and create art that celebrates your family. Don't forget that, first and foremost, you are their finest and ultimate creation. You are the culmination of everything they've taught you, but you aren't some marionette dancing on strings."

Kumurai Kaicho

 

[Ephemeral Ozymandias]

__ It felt as if a weight had been lifted off of Tetsuhiko's soul. It was like if Atlas took the world off of his shoulders or if Sisyphus stopped pushing the boulder. The sense of relief he felt that someone he admired as his teacher and as the former Kazekage listened to him and understood his plight. It was difficult for him to complain about his life because he was born into so much privilege and wealth, but there was a cost to it. Bastet's words caused tears to well up in his eyes as he used his cravat to wipe them away. He never expected that his stern sensei who always pushed him to be able to touch his soul with her understanding words. As his emotions swelled up in his chest he lost his appetite for tea and sugar. He was then able to respond to her kind words. "Thank you, sensei, I know what I need to do now." That was all he managed to get out for now. These emotions were not overacted for performance, but genuine and subtle while no less potent. "The Hanzo clan will end with me, another story must begin." He thought to himself with powerful conviction. Tetsuhiko was going to inherit the clan and turn the Tetsushiro manor into a museum using the clan's treasury.

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〖[x]〗【TITLE: Genin】♫【RANK: B】♪【PRIMARY CLASS: Puppeteer】♫【SECONDARY CLASS: Performer】♪【BLOODLINE: Satetsu】♫【ELEMENTS: Raiton | Doton】♪【CHAKRA: 292 || 740】♫【STAMINA: 250 || 250】
Technique Used:
• [ Technique Name ]
___○ [ Rank ]
Technique Active:
• [ Technique Name ]
___○ [ Rank ]

Puppets in Inventory:
• [x]
___○ [ Caesar ] [ Penthesilia ] [ Hermes ] [ Thanatos ] [ Artemisia ] [ Io ] [ Isis ] [ Orpheus ] [ Castor ]
Puppets Active:
• [x]
___○ [ Puppet Name ]

Ergo War