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((Addressing: Eiji))
[sub]((Listen While Reading - Critical Immersion!: "It's name...you'd have to have given it a name..."))[/sub]
".....Imperious.....
...Heh..."
=The puppet's mouth twisted even further into a smile, one that was most ominous and upsetting - nearly threatening that something sinister was about to happen right in this moment, for it could be seen very obviously that something had occurred in this very moment that had filled this thing with joy and populated the Cheshire grin upon its countenance at this very moment. It had said the word that Eiji had called it twice, among the cornucopia of words that he had called it - but there was one that had stood out the most to the entity. "Imperious..." the entity tasted the word upon its artificial lips once more - and for a moment it could be seen that its arm moved and placed its hand to where its figmentive lips would be...gently tapping them as if to feel the words drip from its mouth as it said it...maybe hoping to taste this exquisite feeling that it had created inside of it as well; but its attempt was barren of this promise...no matter - the smile did not wipe from its countenance at all as it spoke back to the man, starting with another repeat of the word - apparent, that this thing had taken up quite a fondness with the word:
"Imperious...heh, yes. I like that. Imperious it is - that shall be my name. That is...what you want after all, isn't it? Power - to assume it by any means. The right to command. Heh. Metallic, thats an insult compared to what I'm made of - Gargonite...its a mineral these "monsters" you refer to so much use in most of their weapon creation, also a mineral available in abundance here in Naraka. Keep that gem of knowledge if you want to survive. You'll be needing it...so aptly defeated by tales, stories, examples of strength - you tell yourself "This is powerful, this is legendary, they beat this - defeated that. It could counter me with ease, its infallible. Hehehe...The fragility of your will is a thing more Imperious to you then I will ever be my friend. What you should be saying is: "It's legendary, powerful, infallible....only because it hasn't come to blow with me yet." Anything that is infallible, undefeated - or otherwise. Is only that way because it has not met its match yet...but everything has its day - everything. Training...refining yourself...it can make all the difference for you. There's so much opportunity there for you...yeah..... opportunity heh - thats it. Thats your biggest strength right now. You just need to keep it together. Stay close to your buddies - until the opportunity presents itself to you. There is always opportunity to get stronger... you just have to be patient...be sharp enough to catch it - don't worry genius, I know. Hehehe you'll need help with that. But thats what your buddy ole pal Imperious is here for...I'll chaperone you all the way back from the hell you're confidence has been plunged into - to the promise land my friend. All you have to do. Is play. Your. Part. Don't make it obvious. Keep your advantage. And most of all..." **It took pause...slowly from the moment that it did, puppet strings would start to extend from Eiji's hands, slowly creeping to the puppet which in actuality did have its arm up as it were before - in reality...but the strings connected the two of them. It continued** "Blend in. Your team doesnt understand, maybe they wont - but people in Naraka? They'd want your power if they knew about what you had. So try and blend in. At least in most cases, I don't see a problem if you dont plan on letting any witnesses live anyway. But I digress....heh. I. Am you. Or at least, I have access to you - most of you. I know your potential and will bring it to the fore-front. You just let me...educate you, dear buddy."
=As he said this - now he moved his hands in the form of a pyramid, like most would when they were in deep contemplation or presiding over a scheme to be utilized in the future. It may have been much to the dismay of Eiji - but now it was apparent that the puppet was moving of its own mind right before him and in the open - this was real, not a fabrication of the affixed mind; but with the strings there - no one would be the wiser that this was the case, simply that Eiji was puppeting the automaton, his puppet - "Imperious." Soon knowledge started to flood in from Eiji's subconscious. Doubts, Possibilities, Discarded ideas, theories, they were all being perfected, initialized, and re-ordered back to the front of his mind. Its like a floodgate had been breached and information was pouring into his mind, it may be overwhelming at first - a lot to take in and could cause troubled breathing and his tear ducts to fire off free of any sad emotion at all. He'd have to manage...he may be a bit stunned and immobile...it was a sizable download after all...=
((Addressing: Kasami))
[sub]((Immersion - Listen while reading: The Shopkeep))[/sub]
"Heh, no of course - its no problem. I know that most in Naraka aren't exactly talkers. Ya just need to pitter patter every now and then ya know? *He laughed robustly as he reassured her that she did not talk his ear off, though admittedly it was probably the most talking he had done in quite some time. He nodded and bowed his head at her when she thanked him for the lessons and he stood patiently and quietly as she continued on - his expression never wavering from the pleasant, and oddly still smile upon his lips. He didnt even bother interjecting at all - just let her ask her questions and speak as she were; never breaking his expression at all. Then he responded:* "I'm the best merchant in Naraka, information - like everything else, has a value and as the best merchant in Naraka it is my duty to stock everything in the land that has a value. Thats all. Hmhm.
=As he said this and chuckled to himself he would turn around and start placing things back in their right position and place as she started to apologize for prying and mention that she had one more question. He was actively listening while he was working waiting for the question when she finally asked him and he stopped - back turned towards her as he hummed to himself in contemplation of that question as she asked. Soon, it could be seen that his hand settled on a shelf behind the counter and the position his hand was in - he was settling it over the top of an odd circular seal. The moment he did the sound of bells could be heard in the shop - soft and musical like church bells when a similar heavenly aura to what she had experienced with The Tengu had come up - and suddenly she was experiencing a similar effect. Minus the presence of a heavenly body it was like the room was extended back extremely far and she was being slid across a fluid space till suddenly she was sent to the door - which opened seemingly of its own volition and spat her out, back into the market. The moment it did such, there was a red kanji seeming to be painted in blood there on the front of the door as it closed - and once it had, the kanji would burn away. Meanwhile inside the shopkeep chuckled with a stern expression on his face, still thinking about the question he had not answered for her in silence...only to snap a smile upon his face and laugh to himself.=
((Addressing: Kirinji))
=The shopkeep stood there listening to Kirinji, the same smile upon his lips and content expression that was upon his face while he was speaking with Kasami. He watched the man break down his observations about the fact that he kept up with them and what he got from that tid bit of information and then smirked as he presided over the idea of asking him about what waited for them in the next village. After he was done, the shopkeep observed the man for a brief moment taking note of the worried tone in his voice - and that was okay. He appreciated it actually. Many people found that there was some kind of strength in feigning confidence or bravery, some even conditioned themselves to have a genuine sense of that same bravery or confidence, to eliminate the idea of fear as a whole. The shopkeep cared not for such things - and found that it was foolish in actuality. The only soldier that survives is the soldier that feels something. That spends every waking moment of their life on the battlefield fearful, worried, alive. These feelings made up the generalization of what it was to be alive - and these feelings spurned forward not only survival - but the very particular nuance feelings and thought process that results in the preservation and promotion of that very concept. He respected someone wise in their fear then a fool in their bravery. It was just...realistic. The shopkeep scoffed and looked aside as if joking with good friends as he repeated his words: "Hypothesize. Funny." And the moment that he said that he lifted his hat off his head and placed it down upon the counter. From that point he would open his right hand wide to reveal that there was a sealing kanji upon his palm which he would adjust the posture of his hand like he was holding a stick. Chakra focused, there started to materialize something there out of black smoke. The room filled with the aroma of sulfur and the smoke was thick - almost a smog. From it he pulled a scythe....a rather gnarly looking one at that...the entire body of it looked exactly like a skeleton...in fact the only thing that would have thrown off the idea that it was indeed a real skeleton would be the fact that it shimmed and had a rather pristine near platinum finish upon it. The head of the skull was adorned with a crown of thorns around its head and the sockets were dark and recessed. The skull was troubled. Bladed thoughts in the back of its head cursed it...or perhaps it was just the literal blade - jutting from the back of the skull. It was long and seemed to sing just sitting in the light of the shop as the keep pointed the top - the bladed end just off the side of Kirinji's neck: "Payment in advance of course." And with this he would strike the side of Kirinji's neck with just the very tip of the scythe's blade. A delicate kiss of steel as what followed - would dwarf that feeling as a whole. It would feel as if the man was being sucked into the scythe...like it was drinking him through a telescoped straw as black, voidfilled black started to cascade over the blade and around it and the skull opened its mouth to receive this substance. It was Vantablack - being drunk straight from his body like a fine wine....or like a gorging beer. You could see it flowing throughout and over the scythe like rushing waters and the quicker the current got - the more it felt like it was straining and pulling at literally every fiber and blood vessel in Kirinji's body. It wasnt so much as a painful sensation . . . though pain was quite acutely there - as much as it was a disheartening and panic-inducing one. He would be able to hear his very blood and fluids rushing and being syphoned upon like a stream passing his ears. It would be only a moment - but feel like it went on for quite some time when finally once Vantablack was fully extracted the connection would snap shut, letting Kirinji go and removing the tip of the blade from his neck. The shopkeep would stand the scythe up and catch a bit of the blood from its tip on his finger, tasting it with a satisfied snicker as he commented:
"Ha - an Uchiha that tastes sweet. Im so used to bitter. Anyway - there, all done. Paid in full. Now - allow me to hold up my end of the bargain."
[sub]((Listen While Reading: Divination Of The Journey[/sub]
**As he said this he would set the scythe before his body and close his eyes. When he did such the sockets of the skull on the scythe would start to trail behind a crimson red glowing light from its recessed holes. As such happened the shopkeep would let his eyes snap open once more to reveal glazed hues - open wide to the world inside and outside the shop as his mouth dropped open slightly...apparent that this did indeed put some amount of strain or effort upon the man as he did it and started to speak:**
"The path you take is one straight forward and not far along. But there will come choice in a trinity - life blood travels a stream but the vein splits along a course of three. To continue straight would be the shortest - both to destination and a quick demise. Murder monks halt the path to a village in which they only see blasphemy. Though they too are none the wiser - a shadow looms over them. Vengeful and angry - bearing a face familiar to all, it intends to catch their stones - and send them raining down over the monk's glass house. The path right diverges the farthest - and only barely fails to match the peril. It will lead along the side end of the village, the least populated section...and the coldest. A heart of Ice survives well in this place. But one of diamond tends to turn heads in droves. Then there is the path left, not too long - nor too short. Heh - already cleared by a ravenous fighter of silver hair. Much pain in that one...and much cunning as well. It'll take him the most crowded way but he doesnt mind...hiding in plain sight is a specialty for him. He may have cleared the path - but he left many traps in his wake...even I can't begin to see all of them. Hm...quite a craft. Regardless what path you take, there in the village money, power, and politics rule all. Deep in the central most part of the village - a phantasm of an even bigger ghost calls the shots. They share the same face but adhere to a separate plot. He'll tell you he's killed none to your face, but the blood on his hands tells a lot. Heh...gambling, blackmail, its all here and more. But his biggest vice is the pitts - where man kills man and bet money changes hands. But the house always wins. His reigning champ takes no prisoners. Hm...but theres more to it then that. Not everyone here is living off the fast life, and the pitt fighters are grateful - theres a man, some say a doctor of some repute living in isolation tending to the wounded and ill. Whispers of miracle healer riddle the streets; a foreigner *he chuckled* Just like you, no? Such vivid attractions and all of it sits between you and the northern most part of the village - where the checkpoint gate is that leads you to your destination. But everything there has a price. And those gates only yield to two people. The man you seek, and the Pitt Master himself. But maybe, just maybe along the path mentioned to the right, you could find good fortune. *he inhaled deep, and seemed refreshed* Yes, I can smell the cherry blossoms just looking. A head of soft pink hair fragrant and defiant. The cherry blossoms may be your best bet...and lead to your biggest threat. You and yours...seem to have quite a stacked deck to sort."
=After saying this the haze in his eyes left, and returned to their normal green hue. He chuckled as he looked upon Kirinji, not even at him or the fact that he had this choice to sort from. But the things he saw and the way that he saw them...it was ever so interesting. Perhaps...he too would set out for this place as well. Open another shop - business seems to be oh so booming there. The thought burst a wide grin on his lips as he gested with an open hand towards the door and raised a brow to Kirinji: "You've much to deliberate and you've secured much information for your...team. Don't dally now. The longer you wait. The more the deck shuffles."
