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Post by Kissaki Sou on Jan 9, 2014 13:04:19 GMT -5
KUMOGAKURE NO SATO
Street Market "Oi, Kissaki-san!"
Sou had been quietly walking when his name was called. He turned to look, and saw a young girl - aged about 4 or 5 - standing on her parent's fruit cart and waving furiously. The tall shinobi gave her a slight smile and changed direction. It was no wonder she'd been able to spot him - his silver hair, long nôdachi, and peacoat made him stand out from the rest of Kumogakure's natives.
"Hello, Kana-chan." He said, putting a gloved hand on her hand and gently scratching her head, eliciting a smile from the girl. "I'm joining the academy next year, Kissaki-kun!" She said excitedly, practically dancing on the cart. "Oh? That's great, Kana-chan." Sou said, still smiling. He had watched this little girl grow up - the Kissaki family frequented this market, and both he and his sister had spent quite a bit of money at this fruit cart.
Kana hopped down off the cart and pulled out a basket of fresh apples, setting it atop the cart. She smiled up at Sou, who pulled out some money and set it down. "Here you go, Kana. Today I'll just take one, I'm sure Kochi will came by to get more." He picked up a single apple off the basket and tossed it up, catching it again when it came back down. He took a bite out of the apple, waved to Kana, and continued his walk - apple in hand.
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Post by Kumani Musho on Jan 10, 2014 10:09:25 GMT -5
"And... done."
The red haired shinobi beamed a smile at his latest masterpiece as he put the finishing touched onto it. He slid the brush into the holster on the scroll and let out a sigh of relief. In his hands was a small scroll that he had been painting on for quite some time. On the scroll there was an elderly man sitting on a bench with a small boy at his feet holding a ball. No more than ten feet away were the two that had been the subject of his muse as he had been quietly painting. At his remark of finishing the elderly man looked up and smiled.
"All done already Musho-Kun?" The young man slid down from his small boulder perch that he had been sitting on and nodded with delight. "Yes, Oji-san." He handed the man the scroll to have his work be observed and was pleased with the immediate reaction. "Your father would be proud, you certainly are a prodigy even among your own clansmen." Musho bowed at the comment and smiled happily but had a slight pain inside wishing that his father really could have seen his work.
The elderly man handed the scroll back to Musho and went back to playing with the young boy. He held up his ball to Musho and gave it a quick bounce, Musho returned the gesture and gave a light bounce back. "Grandpa is gonna teach me awesome Ninjutsu like you some day!" Musho knelt down and patted the boy's head in a friendly gesture. "Then we're going to count on you to protect the village someday." The thought alone was enough to make the boy smile in delight as he went back to playing with his ball. Musho gave a quick wave to the two and began strolling down the Kumogakure streets.
As he started his walk it was not long until a familiar face came into view, more so the crop of silver on his head rather than his face. It was unmistakable that it was Kissaki Sou, a peer Musho had known for some time now. He raised his arm adjusting the large scroll on his back to give a bit more freedom to wave and gave a short hello to Sou. "Oi, morning Sou."
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Post by Kissaki Sou on Jan 10, 2014 12:26:20 GMT -5
"Musho."
Sou was still eating his apple when the Kumani painter appeared. The apple was about halfway done, and he calmly took another bite as the Kumani approached. Sou didn't appear to reflect Musho's jovial nature, but the Kumani likely wasn't expecting him to; the two had known each other long enough to know the other's personalities, and Sou wasn't the type to be less than serous, with rare exceptions such as Kana.
"Kochi wanted to know if you finished her painting." He stated, referring to the commission his sister had asked for - a Kumogakure landscape, showing the entirety of the village from the perspective of the gates. She had asked this morning before he left the house that if Sou saw him first to ask, and apparently he had.
Sou continued to eat his apple as he listened to Musho's response.
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Post by Kumani Musho on Jan 10, 2014 21:24:33 GMT -5
The young artist had always been seen as a somewhat serious type but it was nothing compared to Sou. Always business but he had his own way of pleasure that wasn't known to Musho, despite knowing him for a while. There was still a good amount of respect Musho had for Sou, a powerful shinobi and a well respected one being a Captain of the ANBU.
Musho snapped his fingers and leisurely let his index point up and down while nodding to Sou's question. "Yes, that was actually my purpose in coming out today. I got distracted and found something that caught my attention." He pulled out the scroll and gave a quick showing to Sou at his latest painting, after a moment of viewing he would return it to his side pack. "But your sister's painting is finished, though I may have done a bit more than initially intended..."
He gestured towards where he initially had walked from, urging Sou to follow him. "I will actually need some help in delivering it to be honest, if you're free I'm sure Kochi would love to have it today." In truth he had intended it to be an impressive but compacted piece of art, when he had finished however it was necessary to find a much larger frame than when he started.
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Post by Kissaki Sou on Jan 11, 2014 5:53:40 GMT -5
Sou finished the apple, tossing it into a nearby waste basket and nodded his head. "That she would." He was never really one for paintings, but he understood how people could find pleasure in the craftsmanship. Sou wasn't all that interested in art to begin with, but he wouldn't let that keep him from understanding it - after all, information is always useful to a shinobi.
He adjusted his grip on the nôdachi he was carrying while walking, shifting so that the weapon was resting against his shoulder rather than hanging by his side. It was so large that he had to carry it with his hand rather than letting it hang off his body, but the weight didn't bother him.
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Post by Kumani Musho on Jan 13, 2014 7:29:09 GMT -5
Musho took the lead on this part, and why shouldn't he? There was no doubt that Sou would know where his home was but it would have been easier if it was the Kumani leading to the Kumani house. Not that he would really mind but it only seemed proper to Musho being the one to lead. But aside from nonsensical mental ramblings, it was an enjoyable stroll even though his comrade was more of the silent type. It was only something he had grown accustomed to as had anyone who had known Sou.
"It was a bit troubling..." He had started, referring back to the painting his sister had commissioned. "I only intended the painting to start out on a normal canvas but the muse had struck me. If it's too much I will gladly redo it and keep a better control on the proportion next time." It didn't take long for them to come to the block area in which the Kumani had taken residence since they joined Kumogakure.
The area was set up with the homes surrounding a large square area in which a few children were running about, his younger cousins. He gave them a smile as he made his past his cousins and up the small steps to his studio. In a normal day he'd at least spend time talking to them but he had to deliver this painting to Kochi.
"Alright..." He opened the door to the studio and the two were hit with the instant smell of oil, ink, and fresh parchment. There were dozens of paintings strewn about the room, some on the wall, others on canvases, and other commission work was resting in a neat pile in the corner. "Here it is." He stood in front of the left wall which nearly all of it was covered with the finished painting. A full canvas of the gates and front area of Kumogakure that Kochi had requested of him.
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Post by Kissaki Sou on Jan 13, 2014 16:52:33 GMT -5
Sou stared at the painting, stoic and silent, for a few moments before speaking. "That's... impressive." His eyes darted across the canvas - the level of detail was more than impressive, but that was the only word Sou could find to describe it. The amount of detail in even the smallest and tightest of places showed that his friend was truly talented at his art. Sou looked to his friend and motioned using the end of the scabbard he carried.
"You've no need to frame it, Kochi wants to pick out the frame herself. Just rolling it up should suffice." Sou would wait for Musho to roll it up - he didn't want to accidentally damage the painting or canvas trying to do it himself. "I'm sure my sister will enjoy this, thoroughly." He added, highly understating his sister's reaction when she beheld this piece. He would likely not stop hearing about it for weeks.
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Post by Kumani Musho on Jan 17, 2014 20:58:36 GMT -5
Hearing it from Sou it felt like high praise, the compliment of a job well done for a comrade and a friend. It was always expected that the Kumani excelled in any artistic form they decided to express in. Musho could scarcely go a day without hearing about a past piece of work or something he was currently working on. Though when Kochi has asked him to work on something it was more to him than another painting, it was for a friend.
"I'm glad to hear that, I can't say I'd have let myself get out of control like this for many people. You two have always been kind to my clan, doing this was very enjoyable." The smile had not once left his face since Sou had praised his work, the satisfaction of a job well done. "Alright, I have some spare cloth ties I can use for it."
He placed his hands at the very end of the tapestry sized painting he had done and very gently began to fold it. He even had started to use his chakra to concentrate on the paint in certain areas to keep it steady. It was his own unique blend he had used for the piece, paint that would last for years to come. It didn't take long for him to have it rolled into a long tube like shape and tied at the ends and middle with cloth like rope that wouldn't strain it.
"If she's home now I can help her frame it."
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Post by Kissaki Sou on Jan 18, 2014 13:44:53 GMT -5
"I'm sure she'd love that." Sou said, moving to help Musho pick up the long painting. Not that it was heavy, but the bulky load would be easier to carry between the two of them. With that in tow, he led the way out of the Kumani compound and to the Kissaki residence. It wouldn't be that long of a walk, the Kissaki residence was nearby. Still, while carefully carrying a painting it probably took longer than it should have.
A few minutes later, they were there.
"Oi, Imôtosan." Sou called to the closed door. The Kissaki residence was much smaller than the Kumani compound, a two story townhouse shared between brother and sister. She got the upstairs, he got the downstairs. Kochi poked her head out the window from above and looked down. "Oniisan!" She yelled, vanishing back in and reappearing shortly at the door.
Wearing her usual green apparel, Kochi smiled brightly at Musho and Sou. "Wow! That was fast, Musho-kun!" She said brightly.
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Post by Kumani Musho on Jan 21, 2014 6:24:06 GMT -5
Musho lifted up his end and follow Sou out and gave a courteous goodbye to his family that had been hanging about in front. It took almost no time at all for them to arrive at the two floor house that Sou had shared with his sister. He hadn't been inside too often, to help with a few things here or there and maybe come find Sou. Aside from that the inside was still fairly unknown to him but all the same, it was a familiar place.
His ears perked up and his eyes tilted upward seeing her pop her head out of the window. He nearly dropped his side in surprise of her shouting, it was a bit embarrassing actually. And only a few moments later the woman was at the front of the door with a bright smile as he had always seen on her. It was almost shocking to think that her and Sou were related, to him it was like day and night. He had never seen how the two acted when they were alone so he would keep his assumptions to himself out of respect.
"I'm sorry if I made it too big Kochi San." Steadying the painting with one arm on his side he used his other hand to rub the back of his neck and tilt his gaze from her. "I can help you set it up though so you can frame it."
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Post by Kissaki Sou on Jan 22, 2014 14:33:07 GMT -5
"Imôtosan, it's not light." Sou said, indicating that his sister was standing in the way. The girl grew obviously irritated at her brother's statement and yelled at him. "If you're going to be a little baby, I'll do it!" And before either of the men could react, she had raced down the steps and grabbed the heavy canvas - hoisting it over her shoulder as easily as if it had been air.
For you see, Sou's sister was a taijutsu specialist - opposite to her brother - and doing heavy lifting like this was just another training exercise to her. She rushed back up the stairs just as fast as she'd come down to deposit the painting in her room, before the boys could react. Sou sighed, shaking his head. "My sister..." He said softly, and began to walk up the stairs.
Kochi stuck her head back out the window upstairs. "Musho-kun~ Yes you can come up here and help me!" She said, still smiling. Sou looked back down at his friend, a severe look on his face. "Be careful. The last boy she took upstairs ended up flying out the window." He put his hands together in prayer for his friend's safety, with his face as serious as ever.
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Post by Kumani Musho on Jan 22, 2014 22:27:03 GMT -5
And just like that she was down in a flash, possibly only to prove her brother wrong. It was something that Musho wouldn't fully understand, having a sibling, he had cousins sure but even they had siblings. Due to the death of his father he ended up an only child and his mother chose to not remarry. He never bothered his mother about it but he had always wondered what life would be like to have a brother like Sou or a sister like Kochi, or maybe even the reverse.
"Wait let me- " Before he could even finish the canvas that the two fully grown men had carried all the way here was lifted off like a feather by Kochi. "Help?" She was gone, carrying the canvas up to her share of the town house and in a near instant her head poked out of the window again. I forget she's so strong... Far different from a long range Ninjutsu user like Musho was, he fought from afar and preferred to subdue his opponents before they knew he was there.
"W-what?" He looked to Sou and then back up to Kochi who had invited him up and now likely waiting. "You're joking right?" No, he never joked... damn't. Or at least in a sense that he knew, not that Musho was much of a comedian himself. His suspicions grew when he saw a small mock prayer being made for him but his fears also grew wondering the truth behind it. With that thought lingering he waited at the door to the Kissaki home. "After you?"
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Post by Kissaki Kochi on Jan 22, 2014 22:44:46 GMT -5
Sou nodded and entered the residence, moving to his portion of the house - the downstairs, which was neat and orderly to abide by his personality. Sou leaned his nôdachi against a wall and went to find something to eat - the apple had made him want something more filling. In the meantime, Musho would be expected upstairs.
In the Dragon's Lair.
A name made fitting by the martial art poster plastered across the door at the top of the stairs Musho would have to climb to reach Kochi's portion of the house. If Sou's portion of the building was order, Kochi's was chaos - clothes strewn all over the place, her bô staff being used to prop open a door, and martial art related paraphernalia ranging from movies to books, books to posters, posters to outfits, outfits to training equipment. In fact, the only part of the upstairs that seemed to be of any sort of orderly fashion was her training room.
The training room in which hung several different styles of punching bags and sparring dummies, and soon the painting Musho had done. She had it sitting on the floor still rolled up, and was standing with a hand on her chin, studying the wall hard to determine how best she wanted to position it. "Mmmmm... wrought iron frame, I think..." She mumbled softly to herself.
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Post by Kumani Musho on Jan 24, 2014 20:50:51 GMT -5
When's the last time he had ventured into the Kissaki home? A day, week, longer maybe? Though for as much as he had seen Sou's area of the home he had never dared to venture upstairs to where Kochi had made her residence. It was partly out of respect but also that there was more than one thing said for the Taijutsu master among their peers. Usually the stories never ended happily, usually something broken. Musho had never seen that out of this girl, for as long as he had known the siblings.
"I'm coming up Kochi San!" He gave a quick shout before looking to Sou again as if waiting for any brief advice and then ventured up the stairway. He didn't think he could say anything to offend the woman, he'd always gotten along well with the other Shinobi even in friendly battles. The first he saw was the dragon poster that was artistically well done but he felt it lacked a certain passion to it. Moving past the door he felt his head spin in the mess he had seen.
He had always favored keeping even his studio with some order, maybe some loose paint jars hanging around or even canvases piled up in a strange fashion but still some order. In here he saw nothing but a massive whirlwind of clothes thrown about and other like items on the floor. He weapons in various areas, in his mind they might be tactically placed but more likely it was just lack of cleaning.
Then there was her training room.
It showed her passion inside of it, her love of keeping well honed and fit. All the equipment was well placed and in order for how she might use it, or at least Musho assumed. He had walked in at the moment she had started musing over the frame to use. He spoke up as he entered with his own advice. "My father always favored a strong wood frame for a large painting. Usually had them hand made to assure quality."
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Post by Kissaki Kochi on Jan 26, 2014 10:34:11 GMT -5
"Hmmmm. But I don't really want something as fancy as that." She said, gesturing around the room. "After all, this is my dojo." She dropped to the ground, crossing her legs and leaning into her chin into her right hand while that elbow rested on her knee. "Though I can see the benefit of an oaken frame." She murmured, her eyes seeing the wall with frame and canvas. She knew she'd have to first get the painting set onto a backing before it could be framed anyways, but she wanted to have the framing done here since the painting was so large.
"I guess I could go find a good carpenter, have him come back here." She thought for a second before punching the floor hard enough to make it shake, twice. A moment later, the floor shook again with three strikes from below. She punched it one more time in response, and a few moments later Sou was upstairs, carrying a sandwich he'd been eating.
"Niisan, do you know any good carpenters?" She asked, not even looking because she knew he'd be there.
Sou shrugged. "I would think Musho-san would know that better than I."
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Post by Kumani Musho on Jan 29, 2014 21:54:58 GMT -5
Musho began to recall the man his father had always gone to for custom framing ever since he was old enough to meet the man himself. "The only man I know of is Genbu-San, he owns some a bit out of the way." Musho rubbed his chin a bit with his fist, plunging into thought. "I wouldn't want to see this painting in some normal frame, my father always had his frames made by Genbu. He always used to joke that the man was so skilled with trees that he might have had Senju blood in him."
He turned to the two siblings with his face looking a bit lost on the situation. "We could bring the measurements to Genbu or bring him here. Though like I said, his land is closer to the coast where there are more trees. It's why so few of my own paintings lack frames, I scarcely make the trip no more than once a year." Truth be told he was simply busy, he painted more than he framed and usually worked the same amount.
"I'll leave it up to you though Kochi, I'll gladly show you where he lives but if you'd rather not make the trip I understand too."
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Post by Kissaki Kochi on Feb 2, 2014 4:38:04 GMT -5
Kochi nodded at the information. "That sounds good, but I think I'll just find a local framer who can do a good job." She said, looking over to her brother who nodded and went back downstairs. In the meantime, the sister stood up and turned to Musho, a beaming smile on her face. "Thank you again for all your hard work!" She said, grinning. "I can't wait to have it hanging on my wall."
The girl stood back up, and walked over to the opposite corner of the dojo. Coming back, she handed Musho an envelope that had the remainder of his commission in it - she had provided partial payment up front, and this was the rest. "Here you go! When anyone asks where I got such a lovely painting I'll be sure to let them know!"
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