Horse Whisperer [Open?]

[Okada Kaji]

The image of the idol riding the steed was everything the Director hoped for as he watched on from his view, above the action. He had a direct view of the action from a monitor with a clear picture, which transmitted what the camera operator was recording. He was safe from the action, unlike the cameraman, who was panicking as Yume and Kukki careened towards him. The thunder of her stomping hooves matched his racing heart, and he struggled to hold a steady shot as one-thousand pounds of sunan mare closed in with no sign of slowing. But with so much speed to her, Yume’s sword draw had a different interpretation and Kukki did not do expected. Kaji’s back was turned to the show as Kukki proceeded to vault over the camera operator in a spectacular flying leap. The camera operator was braced for impact with his hands up and eyes shut tight, but a breeze swept over him as the horse cleared him entirely in an olympic feat. The mare’s form swung fluidly like a hunting cat pouncing, and she exited the landing with an elegant trot to a stop.

The director was ecstatic and electric from where he stood, and the performance sent the rest of the onlooking crew into a wild applause as well. The scene was everything they hoped for, and he let out a merry shout as the take concluded. He offered a critique, as all good directors should, and made another suggestion for his star to try. Compared to what she had accomplished already, riding side saddle wouldn’t pose much more of a challenge. However, without a little help from her friends, the next challenge seemed more dangerous than ever.

However, Megumi and Kaji were distracted by their own small talk when Yume sought them out. The two of them were balancing banter, or so it seemed. It appeared that one of Kaji’s pupils was spreading a reputation about him. “An impressed student can make a mountain out of a molehill” he admitted in reply to Megumi’s assertion that Kaji did not resemble the veteran, or legendary shinobi Yama described. “But then again, what does a legendary shinobi, or even a good shinobi look like?” Kaji was observing his steed again, and waving to hail Kukki while bantering on with the nosey child. “What kind of shinobi goes from day to day, strapped to the tee with armor and excessive weaponry? You are taking the job of a good mannequin if you ask me.”

Kukki came forth, along with Yume who was along for the ride. Despite their conversation, Kaji did not fail to hear the Director’s request. Kaji was going to assist Yume and get the shoot back underway at once.​

WC: 458

 

[Yume]

Sometimes, she wondered if the crews she worked with were well prepared in advance for these shenanigans. Yume dismounted, with some help of course, and eyed the another saddle looking thing the assistants were bringing over to the horse. The stylists soon followed after, just to touch up on Yume and Kukki's appearance. Oblivous to the underlying conversation Megumi and Kaji had with each other, Yume stood in place with her arms crossed. How can she possibly ride side-saddle? She could barely keep her balance riding normally.

"Okay, okay, okay," she breathed. The director said she was too fierce. Her character was a warrior, but what else was she also? "Too fierce... Okay. Lady first, warrior second. Got it!"

This was a really awkward way to sit. Mind you, sitting on top of a horse in general feels awkward already, but this was exponentially more uncomfortable. Despite this little ridge thing of the saddle between her legs, she still felt like she was going to slip off any second. Her seated posture was slanted and odd-looking; nothing ladylike about it at all. She'd need some more assistance readjusting her posture before the filming could continue.

When her form was corrected and she wasn't looking like a fool, Yume and Kukki tried the take again, this time stopping just before the poor cameraman instead of vaulting over him. Perhaps two takes were required until the director was happy.

"Alright!" he said, excited. "That's a wrap on this scene. We'll have lunch before moving onto the next location for the lady and horse bonding scene."

Yume need even more help getting down this time. Out of courtesy, and mostly to ensure that Kukki didn't take a chomp out of her own hair, Yume smiled and patted the side of the mare's neck. "Good job out there."

The catering table was still filled to the brim, save for a few missing cakes here and there. After sanitising her hands, thanks to the very well prepared manager and his nagging, Yume hopped over to the table and picked up a sandwich. They were the quickest to eat after all, even though the team weren't exactly behind schedule.

Yume chomped on the bread as she reapproached Megumi and Kaji. "Phew! That was tough, hope I did it okay. Gumi, Kaji-san, have you had lunch? You're free to take whatever on that table there, just tell them I said so!"

She wondered what a young girl and an older guy would have to converse with each other all this time.

 

[Megumi Tanigawa]

The conversation between Kaji and herself, had turned to a more personal hostile conversation. While he did not confirm or deny Yama, and him having a student and teacher relation. The fact that he did not simply state that he is not involved with Yama and continuing to play his game. Was more then enough of a confirmation for Megumi. Before he would leave to assist, Yume Megumi would add a retort to his jab at her overly prepared outfit. “ The same could be said about a shinobi with a steed, as i don’t recall any legendary shinobi accompanied by a horse”.

Watching as Yume, and her co star or the other way around from the horse's perspective. Kaji would assist Yume, as she dismounted from the horse and lead them back to the stylist for a touch up for a less fierce second take. As she mounted for a second take. Megumi could see the discomfort from the idol as she shifted into a better posture to go for the new idea of lady before warrior. Megumi did not understand, as their are no genders on the field of battle. However since it is a shoot, form before function was the name of the game.

Holding back, the duo’s encore was much more graceful and provided less risk to the poor cameraman that had to hold his ground from the charging combo. With the confirmation by the director, Yume was one more step away from freeing herself from her own animal purgatory.

As the idol and her hair, were safely lowered from the horse. Megumi was standing near Kaji. As Megumi watched how much the idol had improved from the morning her inner thoughts spoke out towards the man, that she was mincing words with. “ It’s amazing how quickly she adapted towards her fear. Must be why her career and popularity has withstood throughout the years”. Even if she did not get a confederation on him being Yama’s sensei or not and even if she did not particularly enjoy the man’s company, she wanted to help her friend as he is and does help her. “ I don’t know what you and Yam are doing, but he has been acting odd and seems to be involving himself in something larger than he thinks”. Looking at the man, “ He’s still just a student, and has no experience in a real fight. I just don’t want to see my friend rush himself into an early grave”. As Megumi said her piece she would not continue the conversation about Yama and focus on helping Yume through her odd fear.

Seeing Yume, approach her and Kaji with a sandwich in tow. She would offer lunch to the both of them. Giving Yume a small smile, “ No thanks i’m alright, but you're doing amazing given your fear”. Giving Yume a sight look of concern, “ Though i think they saved the worst for last. It will be hard trying to bond with something you're afraid of”. Looking back at her with interest as she wondered how she would handle the next scene.

 

[Okada Kaji]

For all Kaji knew, Kukki’s vaulting leap met the thoroughbred standard, but it was a tad excessive for the idol’s music video. Yume’s elegance was a counter-balance to the horse’s gallant appearance and energy, but the duo was still too out of sync after the first try. But then, the duo tried again, and complied with the director’s request for Yume to ride the steed side-saddle. Like a true professional she accomplished the request, and the cameraman was filled with relief and delight as he filmed Yume’s horseback cruise without a second near-collision.

Amidst the moments of idling and patient waiting for the take to be finished, Kaji continued to entertain a chat with Megumi, who was now expressing some valid concerns about the Nara boy that was placed in his care for tutelage. Though she was young, it seemed as though Megumi had an idea about the harsh realities of life as a shinobi, and feared for the life of young Yama. Kaji safely presumed them to be academy classmates, and took comfort in knowing that Yama had a friend who might be a good influence on him. With his arms folded, the veteran shinobi looked to Gumi with softened, accepting and welcoming eyes. “The life of a shinobi is rarely one without some occasional danger, but I have never accepted an apprentice who cannot hold their own.”  The words were meant to be reassuring to Gumi, but only sounded cold and factual as Kaji spoke them. “Trust that your friend is in good hands… and though he may walk a dangerous path in my shadow, he will reach the end of it intact, and with the guts it’ll take for him to lead his famed clan someday. Perhaps even the village itself.”

As far as Kaji was concerned, his adventures with Yama paled in comparison to the dangers Kaji faced as student under his first sensei, Maiku, ages ago. The Scorpions weren’t in the same league as the Cult of Jashin following from his homeland. “But, if you do care about Yama’s well-being as much as you seem to, I suggest you tell him... I highly doubt you’ve done so already.” Kaji could read the girl, and knew he spoke true. “I think I would know. The ANBU’s path is the hardest one a shinobi can walk, and it is compassion more than anything else, that keeps us moving forward during our toughest trials. It makes a world of difference in how a shinobi operates when they know someone cares about their well being.” It was the lack of compassion that soiled Kaji’s youth, and turned a promising ANBU candidate into a cold-blooded assassin, and compassion that eventually brought him back to the light, years later.

The idle chat then came to a halt as a commanding voice brought an end to the galloping performance. Once the scene was called a wrap by the director, it took some finagling to unsnare Yume from Kukki’s stirrups, but she was freed without incident. It seemed as though the horse and idol were finally bonding, as Yume showed the courage to pet Kukki softly, and she nuzzled her face against Yume in return. Kaji was sure that it was surely a cold day in hell, as he didn’t think their friendship was feasible. He let out a sigh of relief as his horse was being obedient and successful now, and the ire of the young kunoichi had subsided, for the most part. The last thing Kaji wanted to do today was fend off an outraged crew, set on sending his closest friend to the glue factory for messing up their shoot.

Yume returned to the man and child, and she was holding another morsel from the craft service table. The young lady was as kind and cordial as ever, and Kaji considered grabbing another granite cake while the gettin’ was good. However, he had other, more immediate plans and could not eat before making sure his talented horse was satisfied. “I think I will” he answered evenly, “but Kukki will cause a scene again if she doesn’t have something as well.” Kaji then revealed a rather ordinary looking scroll, and unfurled it on the brick-paved ground. It was a summoning scroll, covered in traditional glyphs and swirling patterns. He put his hands together, performing five mudras that resembled various hand gestures, molding his chakra as if it were an invisible key to fit an invisible a lock, and he placed a single palm flat on the scroll in conclusion. The was a sudden poof of white steam, created from the process of quickly summoning matter through space and time: bales of long sweet grass appeared, tightly wound up and ready for consumption.

Once the horse was fed and content, Kaji turned back to the new friends he was making, and now had a snack he somehow obtained during his activities. He was eating casually now, with small bites so he could speak without his mouth stuffed, like a savage. “Actually, I’d say that last take went so well,” Kaji was adding on to Gumi’s mention of Yume bond with Kukki, “you should be just fine in the bonding scene, Yume.” There was an unmistakable quality to the footage they had captured so far, in fact sounds of excitement came from her cameraman, who could be seen reviewing the video shot a moment ago. Together, the idol and horse made elegant perfection; at least they would during the finished music video. “Kukki likes you” he added with a wide grin, which only widened as he registered the fear on her face. “You’ll probably be inseparable by the day’s end… That’s actually how I ended up as her owner.”

WC: 957​

 

[Yume]

Yume clapped her hands together in glee, being the ditz and barely realising she still had half a sandwich in her hand. A piece of shredded lettuce flew out from the impact of the clap and landed on the floor. Too giddy to realise, but that didn't matter. It was just a piece of lettuce.

"You think so, Gumi? I tell you, my hands are still shaking see!"

She smiled at Kaji, albeit initially weak, and looked over to the horse munching away happily on a bale of hay. It did appear that the horse was not at all against her, even since the beginning. The fear today was unfounded, and in the end it all felt a little silly.

An assistant with a handheld camcorder was flittering about in between production members, make up and eventually to the group of three by the horse. Yume glanced over to the lens and gave a victory sign. The assistant signalled for her to talk.

"Well, what are you doing, filming us while we're having lunch?" she exclaimed, with her hand covering her mouth full of food. "We just finished the horseriding scene. Kaji-san here is the handler and was really helpful! And my friend is here as my anxiety handler."

The camera panned to the male just when he had taken in a spoonful of cake, then to Megumi then back at Yume. The idol looked around, and up at the sky briefly before back at the camera lens. "So... The bonding scene is next, where Kukki the horse and I are supposed to be by a lake, refreshing ourselves and being all nuzzle nuzzle. Don't know if we're continuing today though, the sky is looking really dark now."

Almost as if on cue the faint sounds of thunder rumbled in the distance. A few drops of rain started to land on the girl's cheek. With one finger up to say 'wait a moment here,' Yume traipsed off towards the production crew, leaving the assistant alone with the other two with the camera still rolling.

"So um..." The assistant struggled to bring up conversation. "What does that mean, anxiety handler? Sometimes Yume says terms that no one understands."

In the distance, the director wasn't very happy about the turn of the weather, and so outdoor filming was to postponed for another day. It meant half of the people got to go home, while the other half still had work cut out for them.

Yume rushed back to the pair with her hands clasped together apologetically. "It looks like there's a change of schedule because of the incoming storm. Thanks so much for helping out and being here, you guys can go home and relax away from the rain."

"Oi, Yun! What are you doing, we'll take care of that!"

"Aish, let me say goodbye to my friends myself!" she called over her shoulder. "I gotta go, we're switching up our scene filming schedule so we're not too behind. Kaji-san, I think they'll contact you again on a sunny day! Thanks for helping me! Until then!"

With a quick bow, she ran off before her manager could yell at her.

Topic left unless stopped. Good run, good run!

Marked for training - WC 250+

 

[Megumi Tanigawa]

Looking at the ditz Idol, on the outside, you would never have known that she was a ninja. I guess it's true what they say about fools. Megumi could have never expected who just her simple words of encouragement had affected Yume in such a way, perhaps they were friends after all. Maybe she was just being too paranoid and defensive but in the shinobi world, one has to watch their back. Giving her friend a gleeful smile back, " Yes you have done something many people would be unable to accomplish".

As Yume would look to Kaji, Megumi's eye caught a women with a camcorder. As the camera turned it's gaze to Yume she held up a victory sign. As Yume asked as to why the assistant is filming them eating lunch, Megumi would look at Yume inquisitively while she keep her face out of the shot. " Yume why are we being filmed"? The tone was inquisitive, but held a hint of anger towards the assistant. If she was left alone with the camera girl, she would most assuredly wipe the date clean.

Hearing about how they might have to shoot the last bit the next day. As if the weather was waiting for it's cue, Megumi felt a few rain drops hit her head and the sky rumbled with the sound of an approaching storm. Yume would tell Kaji and herself to hold their position as she went to speak with the production crew. Being stuck with the assistance still filming them, the girl would become more bold and begin to question them. As she asked about what it meant to be an anxiety handler, Megumi gave a small smile to the girl. " It is one of the many titles you gain from being her friend". While her speech was calm and friendly a shinobi could sense chakra enveloping the girl's senses. While Megumi had the girl under her spell, she sent out a few strands of strings to delete the footage on the camera and turn it off. Finishing her talk with the girl, Megumi would give Kaji a small glance as if to say that what had just transpired was between the to of them.

With a rushed pace, Yume came back and told them that the shot would be postponed till the next day. " I'm not coming back tomorrow, you seemed to have a handle on your fears. I don't want to receive another call about how your life's in danger unless it truly is at risk". Yume would seemed to be to rushed by the manager to respond, but Megumi knew she got the message.

The staff seemed to be packing, up and she no longer had any reason to stick around. While it was only slightly past twelve, she could return to her job with an interesting story at least. Looking to Kaji, his words did give away that him and Yama were indeed fighting some unknown, threat from the shadows. However the man did not reveal any details. Thinking about his involvement with the Anbu, it would be best not to pry into the villages secrets as those were classified for her. Nodding to the man, " Thanks for the advice, i'll make sure to make use of it. However i am not just going to sit on the side lines and offer moral support. I'm not just some weakling or a homebody to nurse his wounds after a mission". Her eyes would narrow, "and if anything happens to Yama i will hold you responsible". Making her intentions clear, Megumi would leave the shoot and make her way back to work.

(( Is leaving unless stopped ))

 

[Okada Kaji]

Kaji remained lax in front of the assistant's camera but kept his face turned away from it, as if by coincidence. He had become a bit more accepting of the phenomena of wanting people's lives on film since he was caught in that scandal by the paparazzi in Kodachi no Tenchi. He resembled a sleepy bore while in front of the camera, which made the assistant focus on the Yume, and then Gumi. In that moment, Yume expertly evaded the invasive lens, and Gumi used her own methods to deal with the nosy assistant. But then the reason came to light, as the kunoichi drove the assistant away so she could return to their previous conversation. Sternly, Megumi ensured Kaji that she wouldn't be a silent witness to Yama's exploits as a future Anbu. "And that is good to hear" Kaji raid in reaction. "Moral support can become more like a weight for everyone involved if that support is powerless to actually help. I saw your trick a moment ago—pretty clever for an academy student. I am sure that you're destined for more than fanning the flames from the sideline."

And when Yume returned with news of the schedule change, Kaji gave a sigh of relief. The day was done, and he was fine with continuing the shoot later. They stylists went to Kukki and retrieved their costume clothing. The mare resembled her classic self once again; ready for Kaji to finish reattaching her normal saddle and bags. As he did so, their gathering was coming to a close, and the crew was wrapping up before a storm rolled in overhead. "Good times all around, ladies," Kaji said as he placed the saddle and directed the reigns around the horse. "But I don't think anyone had more fun that you, right Kukki?" He was patting the starlet horse's mane once more.

And with that, everyone said their goodbyes and gravitated back to their own lives and callings. The banter was finished, and the busy crew would have Hokage Rock vacated in no time. Kaji mounted Kukki one last time for the evening and got cozy on the saddle for the ride home. Today, they had made a couple more acquaintances from the large tapestry of lives that was the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Each passing day in this land brought Kaji a new adventure. His outlook was beginning to glow like the sun as it peeked through the storm on the horizon one last time. Off they went man and steed into the orange glow of sunset and the day's end.

- WC: 462 MFT
- Kaji has left the thread unless stopped.​

 

[Yume]

As she was waving goodbye, she noticed something strange. The camcorder was lax in her hands. The assistant's eyes were glassed. The glint of chakra strings.

"Hey!" Yume exclaimed intercepting the camera from Megumi. She frowned, while snapping her fingers right in front of the assistant's face. "Please don't do that. She was only filming behind the scenes stuff. I'm sorry that must have surprised you, but just ask next time, okay?"

When the assistant managed to snap out of it, confused and disoriented, Yume was reviewing the footage of the camcorder, fast-forwarding at times. It was long piece of raw footage, scenes chopped out in places whenever the assistant paused. The production crew was there, Yume on the horse was there, a very small percentage of Megumi and Kaji's face at the end.

Yume sighed. At the very least, she didn't want the assistant to get in trouble if anything happened to the BTS footage. She plopped the device back into the assistant's hands.

"When this goes to editing, please keep this girl out of it. She didn't sign a waiver, mmkay?"

Turning back to Megumi, she gave a small salute and grin. "Now I really gotta go! See ya!"

Topic left.