[Deleted]

"That is familiar talk amongst villages. I heard Iwagakure had the same. But, it wouldn't surprise me that they would try to hide their barbarism behind propaganda." He still had to play the part of a Kusagakure leader. It was truth, to him, to Azarea would be able to tell nothing from it. Anecdotally, it had only been the one Genin team. Even when he had led: the chunin team seemed to rotate around a few... they never seemed to last.

Sozin would continue to let himself be led by her in the rink, since he had an interest in not falling once again. +

So, when asked about his own favorite mission, Sozin shook his head. "I've been on too many missions. I couldn't tell you." It was true: hundreds of them. Akira as a Jinchuuriki had all the chakra in the world - he could not seem to be rid of it. His energy limitless, his mind unable to give him pause. So, he worked. A workaholic: he did not work as much anymore.

What had there been? He'd... stolen a clan from his own (now) village. That was a laugh, which he stifled. Memories... there had been less nice missions as well, which turned the stifled laugh into a frown - and Azarea would likely know the motions he was going through. But indeed, he was focusing on his surroundings a bit more now - only glancing down every now and again. He was no dancer, but he wasn't the blind pup he had been but ... had it been an hour, already?

Gosh.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}Add any jutsu, relevant information here

[Aburame Azarea]

The Devil That You Forgot

Choices

"Keep your secrets then~" Azarea teases, but her voice is warm. The woman taking his answer to be that whatever the mission he had found most enjoyable had likely not been one he could share. "As for barbarism... well real life I'm afraid is never pretty. Most of Kumo until recently had incomplete teams," From the plague remained unspoken. "But the recovery efforts are going well." She adds with a quirk of a smile. The side-effects of which were that few shinobi were coddled and even the greenest genin tended to be more capable then most. One sank or swim when ones home and family depended on ones own efforts.

"Why did you choose your religion?" The woman questions scarlet eyes glancing up at him from beneath dusky lashes, "Or did you ever have a choice?" She asks thoughts lingering on her own past.

SA's

SPOILER: Click to show

Joō no Taikanshiki no Regaria [Queen's Coronation Regalia]
A mutated variant of the Aburame clans Yūdai no Omorejō ["Bewildering Grandeur of the Alpha"] resulting from the subsequent poisoning of Azarea's former Yūdai no Omorejō hive to prevent potential hijutsu theft. While the Joō no Taikanshiki no Regaria lacks the Yūdai no Omorejō size instead Azarea's hive has maintained the ability to produce alpha pheromones and commanding vibrations. Evolving instead to hyperspecialize in these two aspects allowing them to produce pheramones and vibrations strong enough to be detected by human hearing and sense of smell.

Reigning Chakra Control
Fine tuning her chakra control to a razor's edge Azarea is capable of performing delicate techniques with minimal to no wastage of chakra. Allowing her to conserve her reserves in prolonged combat and managed more finickity techniques and jutsu.

Kagura Mind's Eye
Born with a natural affinity towards sensing chakra like her Father before her Azarea has trained herself to become a capable sensory shinobi. Unlocking the Kagura's Mind's Eye, and with it, the ability to passively sense chakra signatures in the distance (when using the technique), thus allowing her to not only track, but also memorize a person's chakra signature, even if barely any chakra is being used. Due to her proficiency with this technique, Azarea can currently passively sense chakra up to 500 meters and actively at 2.5 kilometers.

Techniques

SPOILER: Click to show

JUTSU GOES HERE

流人

                           Made by Keen of FBNRP | Word Count: | @akira

[Deleted]

"It's not that I don't want to share, but since I've done hundreds, and killed thousands - I really couldn't say. Granted, death doesn't always make for a fun mission." Sozin did briefly want to assert that he wasn't just a cold blooded murderer. Death was complicated. Necessary: a step for everybody. Some enjoyed it enough to do it twice. He nodded - the same for Kumo, hey? "I see. That's good."

When asked the question about religion, Sozin did respond quickly.

"We all have a choice," Sozin truly believed it. She would have never known it - but that was not a decision that he had come to on his own volition. In truth - Akui was a God, and he was a mortal. To bend someone's emotions and truth in such a way was a minor feat. But he'd had no choice when it came to being revived a second time - just what he did with it. Sozin believed it in all of his righteous fury. How he came to it? Well. He was born into it, one could say.

"Religion found me." Was a way that he could have told the truth while also not being explicitly correct. Sozin could have chosen to expand more on some of the things he had told her in their previous mission, but he did not - he did not want one person to have all of the keys that made him up.

"I... suppose it was something that I needed for peace. It gave me an iron will - a determination that would see death as an obstacle, and not an end.." Though they hadn't stopped skating - the talking about something else was keeping him from focusing on his movements, and in all was making it easier for him to move.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}Add any jutsu, relevant information here

[Aburame Azarea]

The Devil That You Forgot

Focus

"Death does not make for an enjoyable mission make on it's own, but such missions are the best paying," And when your village and country desperately needs funds to support itself then who was she to deny doing the dirty work of other nations that their own shinobi scorned. Especially when it kept food in the mouths of her own people.

"I suppose I've never much thought about religion. They say shinobi traded the favor of the gods for the ability to use chakra so there's no use praying to ears that will never listen." Azarea murmurs the slow steady strides and the cut of their skates across the ice like blades on a wet stone soothing. There's a freedom to such an effortless glide and if she closes her eyes for a moment Azarea could almost pretend she was flying.

"But I am glad your religion has brought you peace and purpose. It's something we all need in life. A focus." She muses her gaze shifting to the groups of people around them browsing the stalls or playing on the ice. The faces, happy, impassive, or sad. The thrum of life and chakra like a pulse beneath her fingertips. Home. The word beat like a drum. Home. Something to protect.

"Do you want to try a spin?" She asks glancing up at Sozin with a grin. "I'll catch you properly if you fall, but I think you can manage it now."

SA's

SPOILER: Click to show

Joō no Taikanshiki no Regaria [Queen's Coronation Regalia]
A mutated variant of the Aburame clans Yūdai no Omorejō ["Bewildering Grandeur of the Alpha"] resulting from the subsequent poisoning of Azarea's former Yūdai no Omorejō hive to prevent potential hijutsu theft. While the Joō no Taikanshiki no Regaria lacks the Yūdai no Omorejō size instead Azarea's hive has maintained the ability to produce alpha pheromones and commanding vibrations. Evolving instead to hyperspecialize in these two aspects allowing them to produce pheramones and vibrations strong enough to be detected by human hearing and sense of smell.

Reigning Chakra Control
Fine tuning her chakra control to a razor's edge Azarea is capable of performing delicate techniques with minimal to no wastage of chakra. Allowing her to conserve her reserves in prolonged combat and managed more finickity techniques and jutsu.

Kagura Mind's Eye
Born with a natural affinity towards sensing chakra like her Father before her Azarea has trained herself to become a capable sensory shinobi. Unlocking the Kagura's Mind's Eye, and with it, the ability to passively sense chakra signatures in the distance (when using the technique), thus allowing her to not only track, but also memorize a person's chakra signature, even if barely any chakra is being used. Due to her proficiency with this technique, Azarea can currently passively sense chakra up to 500 meters and actively at 2.5 kilometers.

Techniques

SPOILER: Click to show

JUTSU GOES HERE

流人

                           Made by Keen of FBNRP | Word Count: | @akira

[Deleted]

"You have that right," Sozin would agree. Danger sometimes correlated with payment. But sometimes cushioning yourself up with the royalty: that paid well too. People had all too many different ladders to climb wherein it pertained to their own goals.

Still - talking about Religion was a great thing. He agreed with her sentiment. "Yes." It was as raw as could be. "But you'd be surprised. There will always be some who are too devoted to their own energy that they disregard the spiritual power." Of course, it was somewhat contentious as to whether or not it actually constituted 'power'. She could accept him for his own beliefs: and she made that clear enough. Sozin would nod: holding out his arm to steady his balance again.

Still not perfect: but better than when he had stepped out onto the ice. "I am absolutely A-OK. Thank you." Sozin would rebuff the offer, having enough fun to not slip out on the ice but she was more than happy to do so if she desired. If he ever picked it up as a hobby (though the chance was unlikely in the land of grass and fields!) But then, friends would be there to encourage one another and if she so pushed it - he would give it a go. Tentatively.

But, his stomach would also growl - indicating a newer need for food at some point.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}Add any jutsu, relevant information here

[Aburame Azarea]

The Devil That You Forgot

Curry

"Here it's safer with two people." She murmurs as she takes both his hands in her own and pulls them into a gentle slow spin. With the other acting as a counterbalance there was little chance of falling. Though the Councilman's stomach signals the end of their escapade as Azarea chuckles and leads them towards the edge of the ice.

"Come on. I know an amazing curry place near here." She explains offering him her arm to step off the ice so the two could return their skates and retrieve their boots. "Kaminari no Kuni curry is much more savory then hot like Hi no Kuni curry. We use coconut as the base for much of it as they grow heavily on the islands and are easy to store and transport." Azarea elaborates giving him a bit of a glimpse into Kumo cuisine. "And not to mention we have some of the best alcohol in the world. Double or triple distilled and then there's dragons beard candy if you enjoy sweets." The Kunouchi adds with a grin as she leads Sozin past the stalls.

SA's

SPOILER: Click to show

Joō no Taikanshiki no Regaria [Queen's Coronation Regalia]
A mutated variant of the Aburame clans Yūdai no Omorejō ["Bewildering Grandeur of the Alpha"] resulting from the subsequent poisoning of Azarea's former Yūdai no Omorejō hive to prevent potential hijutsu theft. While the Joō no Taikanshiki no Regaria lacks the Yūdai no Omorejō size instead Azarea's hive has maintained the ability to produce alpha pheromones and commanding vibrations. Evolving instead to hyperspecialize in these two aspects allowing them to produce pheramones and vibrations strong enough to be detected by human hearing and sense of smell.

Reigning Chakra Control
Fine tuning her chakra control to a razor's edge Azarea is capable of performing delicate techniques with minimal to no wastage of chakra. Allowing her to conserve her reserves in prolonged combat and managed more finickity techniques and jutsu.

Kagura Mind's Eye
Born with a natural affinity towards sensing chakra like her Father before her Azarea has trained herself to become a capable sensory shinobi. Unlocking the Kagura's Mind's Eye, and with it, the ability to passively sense chakra signatures in the distance (when using the technique), thus allowing her to not only track, but also memorize a person's chakra signature, even if barely any chakra is being used. Due to her proficiency with this technique, Azarea can currently passively sense chakra up to 500 meters and actively at 2.5 kilometers.

Techniques

SPOILER: Click to show

JUTSU GOES HERE

流人

                           Made by Keen of FBNRP | Word Count: | @akira

[Deleted]

Sozin would lightly grit his teeth as he allowed her: and for him to spin. Was it the most gracious thing? No. But it was completed and Sozin was somehow still alive at the end of it. To him: this was the opposite of graceful. There could be performances of this kind of... dance with ice. They would however be moving on to the next action of the day: food. His own stomach would thank her.

Though he did not run out of energy, he was not functionally immortal in the same way: his body could still degrade. It still needed oil to keep the wheels moving. "Coconut?" Sozin had not heard of it. "What's a coconut?" He would enquire. It was a good reminder that not everything was easily available around the world, and climates were different: he had heard of many different kinds of foods... but this was the first.

Even chocolate, that was... imported. It was expensive. But it was worth it: even when they were as small as they were. "I think we'd be in the wrong career if we liked those things..." Sozin would comment languidly. It wasn't harmful to like them... but he saw how civilians got. How they overindulged... and it could not be him. Heavy, bulking: when he had muscle it had all been in favour of his craft. But to just eat without being balanced? That was a strange fact of wealth he couldn't understand. He'd had lots of protein and rice.

But it would give him an opportunity to get the shoes off, still apparently not-poisoned, and enough for him to get back into his regular clothing. He would wipe himself down one more time, arranged his clothes. Back into one arm of Azarea's as they could direct him to their restaurant. "We have a lot of... earthy foods. Starchy. Potatoes: root vegetables. So many varieties of rice." Kusagakure was definitely different to Iwagakure's.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}Add any jutsu, relevant information here

[Aburame Azarea]

The Devil That You Forgot

Food

"Overindulgence I hear is a sin is most religions," She jokes with a lopsided grin. "But you are right. Best take things in moderation, but to fail to enjoy life in it's fleetingness would also be a waste."

How does one describe a coconut to someone who'd never seen one before? Azarea muses her brow furrowing a little only to pause as they pass one of the stalls pointing out the small brown furry fruit. "That's a coconut. It's typically surrounded by a large green fruit, but you can't eat the flesh. The coconut itself is actually the 'seed.' When you crack it open it has a sort of milky sweet juice you can drink that also doubles as blood for transfusion and inside is a white fruity flesh you can eat. We use it to make curry." She explains leading them towards the market district were many of the better restaurants were.

"They're very common in Whirlpool country and Water Country, but Kumo's southern beaches and island play host to them as well. Our valleys while they can't grow food year round also are great for farming spices and grains though we're best known for our hardier variety of berries like blackberries, blueberries, huckleberries, and strawberries in summer. Fruit is less common, but we do have persimmons and some more varieties of common fruit further south." She gives him a little culinary tour as they turn just barely into an alley where the red door of a restaurant with brightly colored orange and yellow overhang welcomes them. The scent of curry and spice wafting from inside as the Kunoichi opens the door for them. The interior made up of low tables surrounded by plush pillows and warm hanging lanterns giving the entire place a cozy feel. Each table was set in it's own little cubby walled off from the others allowing for limited privacy and more importantly the comfort of jumpy shinobi patrons.

SA's

SPOILER: Click to show

Joō no Taikanshiki no Regaria [Queen's Coronation Regalia]
A mutated variant of the Aburame clans Yūdai no Omorejō ["Bewildering Grandeur of the Alpha"] resulting from the subsequent poisoning of Azarea's former Yūdai no Omorejō hive to prevent potential hijutsu theft. While the Joō no Taikanshiki no Regaria lacks the Yūdai no Omorejō size instead Azarea's hive has maintained the ability to produce alpha pheromones and commanding vibrations. Evolving instead to hyperspecialize in these two aspects allowing them to produce pheramones and vibrations strong enough to be detected by human hearing and sense of smell.

Reigning Chakra Control
Fine tuning her chakra control to a razor's edge Azarea is capable of performing delicate techniques with minimal to no wastage of chakra. Allowing her to conserve her reserves in prolonged combat and managed more finickity techniques and jutsu.

Kagura Mind's Eye
Born with a natural affinity towards sensing chakra like her Father before her Azarea has trained herself to become a capable sensory shinobi. Unlocking the Kagura's Mind's Eye, and with it, the ability to passively sense chakra signatures in the distance (when using the technique), thus allowing her to not only track, but also memorize a person's chakra signature, even if barely any chakra is being used. Due to her proficiency with this technique, Azarea can currently passively sense chakra up to 500 meters and actively at 2.5 kilometers.

Techniques

SPOILER: Click to show

JUTSU GOES HERE

流人

                           Made by Keen of FBNRP | Word Count: | @akira

[Deleted]

"Useful fruit." Sozin would comment. Medicinal purposes, edible purposes, what was bad about it? Some tended to make one's skin better, and apparently others could be used to save a life. Very strange. Not all plants were built the same apparently. Sozin would look at it - brown. It didn't look particularly appetising, but neither did a durian fruit. Neither did its smell.

Sozin didn't want to go down the rabbit hole of some of the fruits that Azarea mentioned even if he didn't know all of them: even for some herbology he'd had in the past - some of that knowledge not useful in his day to day life had been lost. The scent of entering the restaurant was pleasant and Azarea would be welcomed by the sound of his own belly grumbling loudly once again: he even placed a hand over it, trying to quell the noise.

He would follow her, going to a quieter part: he appreciated that. It was more his style, not wanting to be in the centre or the life of any party. If he didn't know any better, this was definitely for Shinobi clients, based off the way the walls were enclosed and noises tended to be quieter, as well as dimmer: like a little sanctuary. "The spices smell amazing." He could definitely indulge with this - perhaps not overindulge, though.

"So, Azarea." Sozin would start, sat with his back against the booth and having taken a comfy seat. "Dating a man from the village you might despise is interesting? Assuming, Konoha was the gardener in your analogy? earlier?"

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}Add any jutsu, relevant information here

[Aburame Azarea]

The Devil That You Forgot

The Garden

A quiet waitress comes by and sets their menu's on the table along with a pitcher of water and two cups. Leaving the pair to peruse their food options in peace, "When we're ready to order we just tug this little chord here to call someone." Azarea points out the rope that runs along one wall with a small loop on it to tug.

"This restaurant started out as a way to allow people to still eat out during the later days of the plague with minimal risk of contraction, but so many shinobi loved the layout the owner decided to keep it as is. The only change is they use printed menu's now instead of signs on the wall. There's actually a dumb waiter they used to use to deliver food where you'd open it and send down your written order and they'd send the food up." The Kumo nin explains pointing to the little door in the wall.

"These days though they mostly use it strictly for very private meetings or when someone rents out sections of the restaurant." She adds giving him a little background on the place as they peruse the food opens. The Kunoichi's lips twitching with a smile as Sozin cuts to the chase.

"I don't like Konoha no..." Azarea admits, "But I'm old enough and wise enough to not blame an entire village for the actions of a few." She murmurs with a sigh her gaze turning a little softer at the thought of Shigure.

"But yes. He's an old childhood friend of mine I only recently reconnected with. It's funny how much he's changed and how much he's stayed the same."

SA's

SPOILER: Click to show

Joō no Taikanshiki no Regaria [Queen's Coronation Regalia]
A mutated variant of the Aburame clans Yūdai no Omorejō ["Bewildering Grandeur of the Alpha"] resulting from the subsequent poisoning of Azarea's former Yūdai no Omorejō hive to prevent potential hijutsu theft. While the Joō no Taikanshiki no Regaria lacks the Yūdai no Omorejō size instead Azarea's hive has maintained the ability to produce alpha pheromones and commanding vibrations. Evolving instead to hyperspecialize in these two aspects allowing them to produce pheramones and vibrations strong enough to be detected by human hearing and sense of smell.

Reigning Chakra Control
Fine tuning her chakra control to a razor's edge Azarea is capable of performing delicate techniques with minimal to no wastage of chakra. Allowing her to conserve her reserves in prolonged combat and managed more finickity techniques and jutsu.

Kagura Mind's Eye
Born with a natural affinity towards sensing chakra like her Father before her Azarea has trained herself to become a capable sensory shinobi. Unlocking the Kagura's Mind's Eye, and with it, the ability to passively sense chakra signatures in the distance (when using the technique), thus allowing her to not only track, but also memorize a person's chakra signature, even if barely any chakra is being used. Due to her proficiency with this technique, Azarea can currently passively sense chakra up to 500 meters and actively at 2.5 kilometers.

Techniques

SPOILER: Click to show

JUTSU GOES HERE

流人

                           Made by Keen of FBNRP | Word Count: | @akira

[Deleted]

That made sense for the booths: minimal contamination. "Smart." Minimal invasiveness, while protecting people. It became a calculated risk to go outside - but that was for other people to manage and it had been some time since the plagues. But he nodded - this history didn't interest him as much. How it was used... how it wasn't used. It wasn't interesting. He had the opportunity to peruse through food items: their names, as well as descriptions in a smaller text beneath the names. As he scanned them, he would opportunistically steal a glance to look up at her as she spoke, still paying attention.

His throat would hum with yesses and no's - of understanding and comprehension as she gave her thoughts. There had to have been other reasons beyond being a childhood friend - but people resided within their comfort. For a woman who may felt as though she had nothing in Kumogakure, to find solace inside a faint memory was not surprising.

But, to his surprise, he would find himself talking about it. "This woman I knew, she was harsh. Sweet, caring for others. Always stuck her nose where she didn't belong, but held unwavering confidence in her own village in spite of her difficult afflictions of life. I remember the day being declined her affection all too well. Those pains and memories stay with you, albeit fades over time." Sozin cleared his throat. "I'm going to have a curry with this ... coconut, you speak of." He tapped at the menu's plasticky-film, it would provide a nice sound and feedback as he did so. So when the time came, that's what he would order. A potato-coconut curry.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}Add any jutsu, relevant information here

[Aburame Azarea]

The Devil That You Forgot

Past Pains

The slight tactile click and warble as Sozin tapped the menu was pleasant. The warmth of the place soaking into Azarea's bones as she reached over to tug the chord placing their orders in a quiet voice and getting a bottle of brandy for the table for them to share should the councilor find it of interest. Outside it had begun to snow. The pale flakes drifting down like powdered sugar upon the hustle and bustle of the crowds beyond the walls. The mix of chakra swirling together in a way Azarea had slowly learned to ignore as she considers her partners words.

"She sounds like she was an amazing woman if a bit of an idealist," She murmurs with a sympathetic incline of her head, her gaze searching Sozin's own. Senses dancing over the ever present buzz of static for that spark of emotion beneath. "I'm sorry things didn't work out between the two of you." The Kumo nin's words genuine even if from an outsiders perspective the reason for the frisson even at a glance was somewhat obvious. Idealists and practical people rarely mixed well together in the long run. Though she had no way to know what sort of man Sozin had been in his younger years the bright cutting calculating intelligence to his gaze was clue enough to allow her to postulate at least

"Doesn't make it hurt like a bitch any less." She adds pouring a glass of brandy as she offers it out to the man in solace.

SA's

SPOILER: Click to show

Joō no Taikanshiki no Regaria [Queen's Coronation Regalia]
A mutated variant of the Aburame clans Yūdai no Omorejō ["Bewildering Grandeur of the Alpha"] resulting from the subsequent poisoning of Azarea's former Yūdai no Omorejō hive to prevent potential hijutsu theft. While the Joō no Taikanshiki no Regaria lacks the Yūdai no Omorejō size instead Azarea's hive has maintained the ability to produce alpha pheromones and commanding vibrations. Evolving instead to hyperspecialize in these two aspects allowing them to produce pheramones and vibrations strong enough to be detected by human hearing and sense of smell.

Reigning Chakra Control
Fine tuning her chakra control to a razor's edge Azarea is capable of performing delicate techniques with minimal to no wastage of chakra. Allowing her to conserve her reserves in prolonged combat and managed more finickity techniques and jutsu.

Kagura Mind's Eye
Born with a natural affinity towards sensing chakra like her Father before her Azarea has trained herself to become a capable sensory shinobi. Unlocking the Kagura's Mind's Eye, and with it, the ability to passively sense chakra signatures in the distance (when using the technique), thus allowing her to not only track, but also memorize a person's chakra signature, even if barely any chakra is being used. Due to her proficiency with this technique, Azarea can currently passively sense chakra up to 500 meters and actively at 2.5 kilometers.

Techniques

SPOILER: Click to show

JUTSU GOES HERE

流人

                           Made by Keen of FBNRP | Word Count: | @akira

[Deleted]

Yes, she had been. Sozin nodded. "Idealist. Realist. Complex." He spoke each word slowly, emphasising them. She was all of those things and more. But - he wanted to move on as he grew uncomfortable at the memories. "It still passes, in time." Rough to the extent of what he had just mentioned. He did not want to bring down the tone that much.

Though she ordered alcohol: he had zero intention of partaking, opting for water himself in a jug. "No, thank you." He would wave her off. "Where do you want to go as a Shinobi?" Sozin wanted to ask, it was one of those questions that it was fair to ask of any. Did she want a career here in Kumogakure?

For many - it was to be their Kage. For others, they wanted a specialty that they enjoyed... some did it for money. Some fame. Some for the enjoyment. Motivations varied, and he wanted to understand hers. How better to sway her for Akui in the years to come. It was also a good conversation booster between now and when they received food since he didn't know how long it was going to take.

In the mean time, the man would side himself up against the back of the booth and pull the clothing up against him, warm and in good company for the hours to come.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}Add any jutsu, relevant information here