[nashida]

Sepa impatiently clicks his mandibles together as it enters and sees that there's not really any combat going on, but he stops this when Daigo introduces himself with quite a degree of respect, and this seems to placate the giant centipede. Nashida, however, does not bow or introduce herself; after all, he's never appeared for her, and she assumes that he would not take kindly to her even deigning herself worthy to speak directly to him. However, with no clear prey for him to attack, he mostly seems bored more than anything else. The clicking of his mandibles and teeth seem to work for a moment, before he finally seems to be able to make use of them for more clear speech that humans can understand.

"You are the Nakajima, then. Hm. Not the Nakajima, but a strong Nakajima nonetheless. Very well. Yes, we have some things in common."

It seems like Sepa is pausing for a moment, but Nashida isn't sure what he might be stopping his speech for, until he tilts his upper body skywards so that the circular mouth of his is pointed directly at the sky, and a gout of burning flame erupts into the air, instantly meeting with the freezing air and actually causing the snow around them to melt from the intensity of the ball of flame that isn't even pointed directly at them as it rises into the atmosphere. She's certain that this one technique is going to cause a rainstorm by tomorrow, an annoyance for sure, but also a clear show of Sepa's superiority with flame. Sepa then turns its body back down to look at the two shinobi in front of him.

"I take it this is only a meeting, then, and not a hunt? How droll... But if I must. Yes, I am the one they call Sepa."

Nashida has to restrain herself from tugging on Daigo's sleeve as she watches the two converse, wondering if Sepa is going to be annoyed enough to try and eat the Nakajima, which wouldn't likely end well for either party, but he seems in control enough that perhaps this meeting will be fine.

[Daigo]

    Now Daigo was feeling that minimal slight, likely not any more intentional than what Nashida had just felt, but all the same it felt like sand in his shoes. He could only assume the one he was referring to was Seika, and a part of him was fighting to not tell him to speak with more respect for the clan and for her, while another part of him wanted to say some cryptic line such as "In due time", or an equally pointless comment. All in all, with Nashida standing there, it was certainly better the way it had been said and what hadn't been said more importantly. 

"Good. Fire feeds fire after all, at least that's what my parents used to say. Not sure it's near as profound as they thought it was, but it works well enough."

    His usual demeanor was calm, bordering on overly relaxed, ands behind his back, but this was different, as more of the real Daigo was slipping out. His arms crossed across his chest as he looked amused, entertained even by this fiery display. He wasn't immediately sure what the point of said display was however, either showing off his fire, trying to intimidate them, perhaps it was simply showing he could in fact truly use fire, but Daigo appreciated it all the same. If Daigo hadn't just used as much chakra as he had summoning this creature he likely would have done so in kind, spewing his own fire into the sky to match, but he also wasn't one to show off for the sake of it.

"Strong name."

    Looking to the ground in thought, he looked back up.

"Just a meeting, for now. You'll have plenty of chance to hunt if that's what you are looking for. Though I'm curious just what it is you hunt. I'd certainly like to see that in action, I have no doubts it would be an impressive sight."

    This creature was certainly significantly larger than he had expected, and it was equal parts fascinating as frustrating. He had certainly hoped for something imposing to appear, but this wasn't a beast he could summoning just for the sake of doing so, and was by no means able to be used in any fashion for stealth. Perhaps it would come in handy for other future plans, but if nothing else it would be a unique being to study.

[nashida]

Nashida herself is feeling a bit more concern when Daigo indirectly asks the centipede what it is that he hunts, and he mentions the desire to see him in action. Sepa's mandibles click twice in rapid succession, multiple times and always in groups of two, and it sounds a little like laughter, perhaps because it is. With no actual way to change their faces, it could be that their mandibles are not only their only method of verbal, but also other methods of communication, which makes some sense. Sepa is no longer looking at Daigo, but is now looking pointedly at Nashida, as though daring her to make some kind of a move.

"Why, I hunt what runs."

Nashida is at least well-trained enough not to take the opportunity to turn tail and get away, and she instead keeps her eyes trained at Sepa's own. When it seems that his fun will not be had, the mandibles click once more again, and his attention returns to Daigo, clearly wondering what more needs done for this meeting. The Tantetsu shinobi is still wondering what exactly Sepa had meant when it talked about "the Nakajima". Daigo was the highest ranking Nakajima she knew, and it sounded like he was the official Nakajima clan head, so it went entirely over her head who Sepa could have been referring to. This was likely the point, though the younger Yukigakure shinobi was unaware of it. Sepa's legs seem to stretch and move in undulating motions all along his body, and she realizes it's really a sign of his impatience gradually growing, and it begins to seemingly slither his body this way and that, unfurling to his full 50 feet along the snow as he gazes at Daigo while scissoring his mandibles just a bit. With another noise, he seems to have made up his mind.

"Mm. If that is all, I will take my leave, then?"

Even with his immense size, Nashida is still a bit surprised that such a high-ranking member of the centipede summoning contract would ask Daigo if he was free to leave, but she supposes that it makes sense. It sounded like it was Daigo's first time summoning such a creature, so Nashida let him make his own decisions while she mostly stayed back, allowing the much higher ranking shinobi go about his own process of learning about the summoning contract.

[Daigo]

    His gaze falls back to Nashida as he notices where the large creature is looking, assuming given the comment made she would suddenly dash or even make any sudden movements. She didn't seem the type to do much running away from what he had seen anyways, but he certainly wishes he knew what she was thinking regardless. 

    It was a simple retort, but there were likely some layers to it past that. Was what ran things that were afraid of him, could it mean he hunted those that escaped from something and he was tracking them down? In truth he wasn't so curious as to bother asking for now, but he'd file that away as it no doubt would come in handy to remember.

"You are free to leave of course, at any time. I hope to meet you under more fun and interesting circumstances in the future."

    Giving a much lighter bow, almost in a friendly manner this time, towards Sepa, then raised a hand and gave a wave. He looked to the side before the creature had left and said plainly, almost in an amused tone towards Nashida.

"I like this one."

    Stretching out his arms, staying faced forward until Sepa was gone, before finally turning fully towards Nashida, as his hands slipped behind his back and his calm and relaxed demeanor fully returned.

"That was fun."

[nashida]

Nashida sighs with relief as Sepa gives a quick two-click mashing of his mandibles before he disappears in another puff of smoke, returning now back to wherever it was that the centipedes came from. Although she was quite stoic in response to Sepa's predation-fueled jabs, it still made her uncomfortable. She'd have to remember that she would probably need to summon him someday, but the feeling of discomfort did not improve. At the very least, she thought he might remember her if she ever manages to become strong enough to summon him. She's not entirely surprised when Daigo states that he likes Sepa, and when he states that it was fun, she shrugs rather nonchalantly.

"Also not what I expected for our training today. It probably was fun for you, Daigo-san."

He was not, after all, the one that Sepa had referred to as prey. Not that she minded, it was probably the centipede's idea of a joke, like jumping at someone to make them flinch as a kind of joke. At the very least, it meant that she could consider Daigo another signer of the ice centipede contract, and she'd have to notate his name among the annals of the Yukigakure contract listings. She also felt that she could probably guide someone else through the summoning process a little more clearly now, although it didn't seem that the contract was actually all that popular outside of herself, her father, and Daigo. And for her father, the signing of the contract was really more of a sign that she was connected to Yukigakure, over his fear that she might run away to Iwagakure in order to be with her mother's family of Tantetsu, though Nashida had never expressed such a desire, and had really not felt it after she'd met Kazeo to be her tutor.

"I think that should be sufficient to consider you an official signer of the ice centipede contract for Yukigakure. It's probably back in the Yuki Lady's office building by now. Shall we call it a day, Daigo-san?"

[Daigo]

"I do appreciate the help. I imagine this would have gone much less interestingly had this been Shuka instead of you."

    He was still imagining that fiery display, and his mind was swimming with ideas of just where to aim it. This fit so well in his wheel house that it was hard for him to contain his feelings on it, but contain them he did. Daigo simply wasn't someone who liked to step into the ring, didn't like getting his hands dirty, all those phrases that simply said he didn't like doing the fighting himself and having others do it for him. This was quite literally summoning a creature to do the fighting for him in the most literal sense of it all, and in truth he only thought to himself how he should have done this much sooner. 

"It's probably best we call it a day, I agree. There's a real chance I try summoning more of those things the longer I stand here thinking about it."
 
    He didn't move immediately, as he turned to suddenly stare at Nashida, but it was clear from that look on his face he was thinking about something and likely about to say something.

"Just make sure if you need to train you let me know. You're interesting. You, Jun, Yui, I'm finding an interest in training and work with the three of you. Perhaps I'm growing soft."

    There was a bit of an exhale at his comment, but it was hard to tell how much he was joking about that last comment, or if it was truly how he felt. 

"Let's head back"

    Motioning with his head he started to walk away back towards the village, looking over his shoulder to see if she was coming.

SPOILER: Click to show

Thread exit