"You know," Tatsuya remarked lightly as he stepped off the boat, "I used to be rather well-connected. Rich. Considered attractive. Able to have my choice of dates, essentially. The whole 'been out of touch with society for a while' thing is probably not going to work against me too much."
Louise flicked her tongue at the air experimentally. She had already expressed a liking of the salty sea air once they hit warm waters, and seemed equally intrigued by the scents of Lightning's harbor town. "I do not know who you are attempting to convince. I know very little of human society. Would your lack of relevant knowledge not hinder you in attempting conversation?"
"Maybe a little," he acknowledged. "Not dangerously so. My point is, I have a certain, ah, reputation. For flirting with people. It would be suspicious if I changed, and consummate flirts--that is, my supposed personality type--wouldn't keep a snake, even a charming and intelligence void snake such as yourself."
She appeared to be considering this as she coiled loosely around his shoulder. "You wish me to hide when you are dealing with other humans? Does your species not experience serious personality changes after life-altering events?"
"My act was that of a brainless idiot. Those people don't tend to learn."
Navigating the crowded streets was a little more difficult than he remembered, although he had never been to this specific city so it might just be a little more tangled than other places. There were subtle markers here and there, too, for people used to looking for such things that hinted at a city that wasn't exactly as squeaky clean as the port authorities no doubt wished people to believe.
Then again, this was a country with a shinobi village. They could have rooted it out if they wanted; they might well just have been crooked themselves.
"My number one priority is locating the twins--my siblings--and Hoshikata." The rest of their merry band he didn't care about. "After that, we'll see, but I'll likely take off for Moon with the rest of my family, unless something else comes up."
"I see." Louise lifted her head so some of the scant morning sunlight bounced off it. "Is this where they were last?"
"Not too far from here." He ignored that it hadn't been an especially amicable parting with regards to the latter of the people he referred to. "I could leave some old clan signals to attract the twins. But that might not be a good idea, since there's some...other...people of similar disposition to our family already doing such things. Don't want to look like competition. Best just to wander around and look for them, in or out of the city."
"Can they sense you?"
He paused to lean against a wall and think. "...I don't know. Possibly. Probably, even. I know Hoshikata can, though not at what range. The twins...probably, although I never did quite register right to them due to some of my powers, and my complete lack of fear. Of course, they might notice that more specifically and easily. I don't know how their powers work."
"Your Void powers...they'll make people afraid of you."
He blinked. "I think I can muffle it." He focused his chakra a bit. "Does that help?"
"I do not know. It does not affect me, but I would wager not."
"Terrific." He glanced toward the mountains, where he knew Cloud lay. "Well. We have one last-ditch option, but I hope we don't need it. Maybe hide for now please, I think I scare people enough on my own if they can sense me..."
He started appearing to aimlessly wander, in reality working on a search pattern. If anyone he was looking for was here, however, they could probably sense him far easier than he could them.
[Country Entered]
Louise flicked her tongue at the air experimentally. She had already expressed a liking of the salty sea air once they hit warm waters, and seemed equally intrigued by the scents of Lightning's harbor town. "I do not know who you are attempting to convince. I know very little of human society. Would your lack of relevant knowledge not hinder you in attempting conversation?"
"Maybe a little," he acknowledged. "Not dangerously so. My point is, I have a certain, ah, reputation. For flirting with people. It would be suspicious if I changed, and consummate flirts--that is, my supposed personality type--wouldn't keep a snake, even a charming and intelligence void snake such as yourself."
She appeared to be considering this as she coiled loosely around his shoulder. "You wish me to hide when you are dealing with other humans? Does your species not experience serious personality changes after life-altering events?"
"My act was that of a brainless idiot. Those people don't tend to learn."
Navigating the crowded streets was a little more difficult than he remembered, although he had never been to this specific city so it might just be a little more tangled than other places. There were subtle markers here and there, too, for people used to looking for such things that hinted at a city that wasn't exactly as squeaky clean as the port authorities no doubt wished people to believe.
Then again, this was a country with a shinobi village. They could have rooted it out if they wanted; they might well just have been crooked themselves.
"My number one priority is locating the twins--my siblings--and Hoshikata." The rest of their merry band he didn't care about. "After that, we'll see, but I'll likely take off for Moon with the rest of my family, unless something else comes up."
"I see." Louise lifted her head so some of the scant morning sunlight bounced off it. "Is this where they were last?"
"Not too far from here." He ignored that it hadn't been an especially amicable parting with regards to the latter of the people he referred to. "I could leave some old clan signals to attract the twins. But that might not be a good idea, since there's some...other...people of similar disposition to our family already doing such things. Don't want to look like competition. Best just to wander around and look for them, in or out of the city."
"Can they sense you?"
He paused to lean against a wall and think. "...I don't know. Possibly. Probably, even. I know Hoshikata can, though not at what range. The twins...probably, although I never did quite register right to them due to some of my powers, and my complete lack of fear. Of course, they might notice that more specifically and easily. I don't know how their powers work."
"Your Void powers...they'll make people afraid of you."
He blinked. "I think I can muffle it." He focused his chakra a bit. "Does that help?"
"I do not know. It does not affect me, but I would wager not."
"Terrific." He glanced toward the mountains, where he knew Cloud lay. "Well. We have one last-ditch option, but I hope we don't need it. Maybe hide for now please, I think I scare people enough on my own if they can sense me..."
He started appearing to aimlessly wander, in reality working on a search pattern. If anyone he was looking for was here, however, they could probably sense him far easier than he could them.
[Country Entered]
