Just a Fairy Tale, or Mad Science? [Private RP]

[Tokugawa Hanzo]

Prologue: Here

Fujimoto Shiro had been wandering the city for quite some time it appeared. Street lamps now illuminated the city with a greater luminosity than the sky was providing. A slight chill was starting to coalesce as Shiro threw on a tanned and roughly patched animal hide jacket. It was thin and looked ratty, but it broke the wind and provided him with a little bit of extra comfort.

Shiro came upon a vast and architecturally complex building, the Bibliotheca Conscientiae. He had a feeling this place was a repository for a vast amount of knowledge. Here he would begin his path to become a scholar-warrior. His prior embarrassment would be but a grain of sand in the desert of his lifespan; a single misstep down the pathway of years. He stepped inside and began to wander once more.

After what felt like hours of meandering, he came upon a text that spoke to him. It seemed to be quite an old book, and one that had been read quite infrequently. It was the tale of a man who lived in a far distant village who created a humanoid creature out of wood and clay. He transferred life energy into this creature, and its purpose was to protect the city's inhabitants from an evil occupying force. Every night, the creator granted his golem some of his life force and sent it off to roam the streets. It would protect the locals and brutally punish the oppressors night after night, and in the early morning it would return to the man's house. The man would take his life force back and go about his business, repeating the cycle.

Eventually, the occupying force tracked the beast back to its den. They saw the man sap the energy out of the creature. They put the pieces of the puzzle together, and moved in for the kill. The story goes that the old man, in his final moments, transferred his remaining life energy into his creation and told it to escape. It is said that the golem can still be seen wandering the streets of a long forgotten village, protecting long dead inhabitants from a nonexistent occupier.

Fujimoto Shiro was taken by the story. *Was this magic?* he thought. *Where can this power come from?* This text was written in a very historical manner, surely there must be some truth to it. He set the book down and strode out onto the front steps of the library.

 

[Akuro Kunashi]

Lightning Country's days were cold, but the evenings still found a way to cool down. One would think that it could only get so cold. The chill mountain air bombarded the young boy's frame, forcing him further into the depths of his jacket. Kunashi, though a native Water Countryman, was used to the climate in Kumogakure. He had just finished training for the day, giving up a little earlier than normal due to his mother being in the area. She would come down every so-often and he knew she liked it when he could spend time with her. Meandering down the street to the sound of the village in the background, Kunashi looked around and smiled at his new home. Today was tiring, but also rewarding for the shinobi-to-be. Not only had he practiced, but he met a few more people his age. Chigetsu, Yuu, as well as the odd boy Shiro. He thought back on that interaction, and his stomach turned with the thought of the boy. Kunashi felt bad that he was rude to Shiro, but he stood up for himself as he was taught. Growing up in the city had been a challenge, but Kunashi cleared that obstacle easily. He had the attitude that prevented too many people from bothering him. But something was off about that Shiro. He hadn't met anyone like him before, and even the weirdest people he had seen in Raiden's Eye couldn't match up to this fisherboy.

Kicking a rock over the cobblestone path, he had reached the Bibliotheca Conscientiae, which marked the halfway point to his destination. Kunashi had always loved the grandeur of the big buildings. He spent many nights in Raiden's Eye staring at the Grand Palace of the Shogun, with its plentiful gardens and grasses. He was equally impressed with the architecture found in Kumogakure. However, none could surpass the beauty of the Bibliotheca Conscientiae. Peerless in its architecture, Kunashi could not help himself. Every time he strode past this magnificent building, he would stop and stare, watching people come and go, no doubt learning mounds of knowledge within its stalwart walls. Today was no different, and as usual, he stopped and examined the building. As he was just a child still, he knew nothing of the amount of work that went into the making of such a beautiful building, but he appreciated it because it made him feel small, just like the towering buildings of Raiden's Eye back home.

'No way.. Is that..?' Kunashi was aside himself. Who else would walk out of the Bibliotheca Conscientiae right in front of Kunashi's eyes other than Fujimoto Shiro. 'Had he left the Academy and come here to read instead? He must be serious about his studies, as he said earlier.' Kunashi swallowed nervously. He wasn't sure if Shiro had seen him yet, so he decided to make the first move. He sheepishly walked up to the boy, with one arm raised, holding the back of his head. He grinned with false confidence, unsure of how the boy felt about him. "Hey Shiro, did you just come from the library? What were you doing in there, reading?" Kunashi chuckled dumbly. 'Smooth Kunashi. You're a real dumb.'

 

[Tokugawa Hanzo]

He could not believe it. No way in Hell could he be seeing Akuro Kunashi right now. His ancestor, the true scholar-warrior, no doubt had a hand in his fate. Coincidence could not have properly timed such an encounter. Perhaps Fujimoto Shiro had indeed found his family, his home away from home. He decided now would be the perfect opportunity to wow this impressionable boy. He strode up to Kunashi with confidence unfitting of his past face plant which still stung at his pride. Nonetheless, he opened the dialogue with, "Wanna see something cool?"

He awaited the boy's response, hoping he would finally rope him into believing that Shiro was cool.

 

[Akuro Kunashi]

Kunashi's face dropped. What had just happened? It was like Shiro did not remember what had happened before at all. Had he let it go? Kunashi's mind was swirling with questions. It took him a second to digest what had just happened, but he regained his sense and responded. "Uh.. yeah, sure.. What is it?" Kunashi was glad Shiro seemed happier than when he last saw him, though he was still.. odd.

 

[Tokugawa Hanzo]

He watched as the young boy's eyes filled with rabid curiosity. "I'm gonna construct a golem!" Fujimoto Shiro almost hesitated saying the words...almost. However, he was sure Kunashi had no idea what he meant by that and elaborated by filling him in on the long forgotten tale. Shiro's plan was to build a humanoid out of wood, craft his sinews out of string, and finish by placing his life energy within the contraption. He was not sure how this could be done, but he was determined to find out. Maybe this boy could help him, or maybe he was wasting his time. The ball was in Kunashi's court, and Shiro was waiting to see what kind of play this boy would cook up on the spot.

 

[Akuro Kunashi]

'A golem..?' Kunashi listened inquisitively as Shiro recounted the story. This man had put his essence into an inanimate being, and allowed it to run around and stop bad people. "Wait a minute, so would you control this thing? Or would it be you, but in another body? How is this possible...?" Kunashi had not heard of such abilities. To him it sounded like magic, which he wasn't sure he believed in, even though he himself could coat his hand in lightning. Not understanding the connection between this 'life force' and chakra, Kunashi looked at his aquaintance. "I'll help you make it, maybe we could read up some more? This big library has to have something about golems and golem-making in it.." Kunashi had wanted another chance with Shiro, and here it was, presented to him on a metaphorical silver platter. Kunashi donned his happy-go-lucky grin and walked up the steps toward Shiro.

 

[Tokugawa Hachidoku]

Chigetsu's curiousity was swarming at a fever pitch ever since his encounter with Shiro, Kunashi, and Yuu. He felt he had entered an entirely new world. If he were to open his eyes to find that it was all just a dream, he might not even be surprised. His dreams were often very detailed and surreal. Dream or not, he was going to take advantage of his time and find out all he could to familiarize himself with what obstacles and adventures might lie before him. 'But what to do and where to go?' He soon remembered the strange color disparity of Shiro's eyes again and the stories of visual powers he had often over heard his father telling his brother. 'That would be a good starting place...' Chigetsu had heard of a large library in the area and decided to head off in search for it. Soon he would engross his mind in the legends of the ninja world and the powers lying therein. He had very much the desire to become powerful. He looked down at his hand. There he saw it again, the strange sensation of warm, crimson stains. The red faded away, back to his flesh. He looked forward, skewed his brow, and pushed forth. He was ready.

After nearly an hour of walking around, Chigetsu still hadn't found the library. To make matters worse, he was now lost. It was time he asked for some help. He walked aimlessly until he saw a frail old man wearing a long white robe. The man was slow, seemingly anchored by a white fuzzy mass that nearly stretched from his chin to the ground. His cane was long, mangled, and knobbed, reminiscent of his limbs. The wire rim glasses resting on his crooked nose made him look wise, while the heaviness of his eyelids suggested that the weariness of age had long since erased any potential for danger he may have once posed to others. 'This guy might be the best option I'm gonna get...'

'Excuse me sir, could you point your cane to the nearest library? I'm trying to get a head start on my training and they say knowledge is pow-owww!' The blur of the man's cane was swift, and it's crack upon meeting the crown of Chigetsu's head was powerful. 'I know what they say, boy! And they are wrong, dead wrong.' His eyes seemed to suddenly garner a fierce youth. 'Knowledge is nothing without the patience and understanding of wisdom.' Before Chigetsu could gather his battered brain, the old man nodded down the direction of the cane which still rested in the slight impression made in Chigetsu's hair. 'Next time use your noggin, instead of your mouth.' Chigetsu turned around to see the library standing directly behind him. With that the old man lifted his cane, returned to his ancient form, and walked away to the tune of a muffled rant about 'kids these days...'

[MFT WC=491]

 

[Tokugawa Hanzo]

Kunashi was in! Maybe Fujimoto Shiro's luck was changing. He had to leverage the boy's perceived interest as soon as possible. If he waited, Shiro may lose the chance to impress this guy once and for all. "Sure. I think I saw some texts on carpentry and anatomy we could use to draft a blueprint of the golem," Shiro posited. He hoped to hear an affirmative response.

Before giving Kunashi a chance to speak, however, Shiro noticed the elusive white-haired boy meandering his way toward the Bibliotheca Conscientiae. He appeared a bit lost, and his hair was oddly ruffled. It looked different from the last time Shiro saw him. Maybe he was sparring and got his hair messed up, regardless Shiro knew he could not let this new opportunity slip through his fingers. *This just keeps getting better and better* he thought to himself. "Hey, you there. Chigetsu, was it? Wanna go on an adventure?" Fujimoto Shiro again attempted to feign a sense of mystery and maturity which far exceeded his own capacity for being cool. He had to try, though.

 

[Akuro Kunashi]

Carpentry and anatomy texts. It sounded like Kunashi's day just got filled with some homework. But luckily, Kunashi looked at it differently. He saw an opportunity to help someone, and he took it. If Shiro wanted to make a golem, why not help him? Kunashi walked up the steps to the library and put his hand on the doorhandle. He looked back at Shiro. "I think you should look into how you're gonna control this thing, too. Like, do you know how to control your life essence? Let alone put it into this golem thing? I'll definitely help you build it though, it sounds fun." Kunashi noticed that Shiro wasn't following him up the stairs. Following Shiro's gaze, he noticed Chigetsu standing at the bottom of the staircase. Kunashi smiled and waved, and heard Shiro invite him to join them. It seems like this 'golem making crew' was getting bigger, which is good because Kunashi had no idea how to build anything.

 

[Tokugawa Hachidoku]

A slight smile crept across Chigetsu's face. The odds of once again running into Shiro and Kunashi was slim, yet here he was again. It was the kind of rare, ironic fate that occurred in fantasy stories; characters predestined for greatness by some unnamed author who wrote their chance encounters under the feigning light of his free evenings. The similarities made Chigetsu chuckle. He chuckled a second time when he realized he had finally memorized their names. He was always bad at that for some reason. He gave them a cool head nod and started up the stairs. He was starting to feel comfortable around them, especially Kunashi and figured he'd keep the trend going. Plus, reading is boring. Perhaps they had already done some of the reading for him, and he could get a head start by asking what they had learned. Shiro seemed older and Kunashi already had more experience training in the academy. It was almost certain they could help.

'Hey guys. What's up? We all decided to come here. I guess great minds really do think alike huh?'

 

[Tokugawa Hanzo]

Fujimoto Shiro gave a short laugh and a smirk donned his face. "Kunashi and I were about to do some research. We were thinking about making a golem." For the second time, he recounted the story. He left out no details, and proceeded to let Chigetsu know that they needed to find information on anatomy, carpentry, and life force transferring techniques. "The way I see it, I think we should divide up the task three ways. I will take life essence transferring seeing as I will be the one doing that. Chigetsu, you look like the kind of guy who would not get squeamish looking at a person's insides and how they work. I want to have strong strings help move the joints of this creature. Do you wanna take a gander at them anatomy books?"

No matter how hard Shiro practiced and consciously chose his words, his late start in formal language education showed every now and then. He was hoping he had not just shamed himself once again. *They think I must be stupid. I will prove them wrong with my golem* he thought, boosting his confidence. "Kunashi, could you find out how to shape this contraption out of wood? After we each do some digging for a couple hours, I think we should meet back up and teach each other what we learned. Then we can go make this thing." Shiro's eyes lit up with excitement. He was going to show them how much he could do. This was a fresh beginning. Hopefully he would not screw this one up.

 

[Akuro Kunashi]

He now had his assignment. Kunashi was told to research carpentry, and how to physically make the golem. He opened the doors to the great library and trounced in. Immediately, he stopped. Kunashi's eyes were filled with the ancient architecture, meticulously transformed over the years. He was taken aback by the intricate design of the inside of the Bibliotheca Conscientiae. Though Kunashi had walked past this architecturally profound building numerous times, he had never breached its doors. He slowly walked forward, and his eyes got even bigger. As he traversed the entryway, his peripheral vision was given back and with it came a view of thousands upon thousands of books and long-forgotten scrolls, all strewn about across multiple levels and seemingly endless sections. 'The knowledge held in this place must be infinite.. there is no way a single person could learn everything in here! How am I supposed to locate one specific topic in a place this massive?' Kunashi observed the foyer, looking at the multiple desks and reading nooks alongside the librarians and a sign that could be of great help to him.


Directory

• General Works -------------------------------------------- A
• Philosophy, psychology, and religion ---------------- B
• History, General ------------------------------------------ C
• History, Old World --------------------------------------- D
• History, Lightning Country ----------------------------- E
• History, Kumogakure ------------------------------------ F
• Geography, anthropology, folklore, etc. ----------- G
• Social sciences, economics, business, sociology -- H
• Political Sciences ----------------------------------------- J
• Law --------------------------------------------------------- K
• Education -------------------------------------------------- L
• Music ------------------------------------------------------- M
• Fine arts --------------------------------------------------- N
• Philology, linguistics, language, and literature --- P
• Science ---------------------------------------------------- Q
• Medicine --------------------------------------------------- R
• Agriculture ------------------------------------------------ S
• Technology ------------------------------------------------ T
• Military Science ------------------------------------------ U
• Naval science --------------------------------------------- V
• Archives --------------------------------------------------- Z

'Paydirt..' Kunashi was unsure where that term came from, but he had heard his father use it so often back home, that it had become part of Kunashi's vernacular. 'My best bet would probably be Technology.. maybe Agriculture or Military Science. Folklore could help me too, since this is a golem..' Kunashi decided to start with Military Science. He figured that since this golem was to be used as a weapon, this would be a logical place to start. Now, he had to find the section of this immense library that corresponds with the letter 'U.' Following the directional sign hanging above the Directory, Kunashi headed into the direction that said L-V After what seemed like an hour, Kunashi still had not found his destination. This library was too big for the boy to comprehend alone. Flustered, he turned back around and walked toward the entrance. He remembered a young lady sitting behind a reference desk at the front. Walking up to the desk with his head hung in shame, he spoke under his breath. "Excuse me miss.. could you help me?" Kunashi looked up to see a vibrant, brown-haired lady smiling back at him.

[spoilername="Amaya, the Librarian"]

[/spoilername]

"Well of course, sweetie! What can I help a big man like you with today?" Looking down through her glasses, the woman seemed warm and inviting, which put Kunashi's nerves at ease. As a typical man, he did not like asking for help, so this was nice. "Yeah! Uhh.. my friends and I are trying to make a golem, so he can put his life essence into it and control. Where would I go for that?" Kunashi looked up at the woman expectantly. Her smile went to a flat grin, and she bit her lip, as if she was trying to hold something in. She opened her mouth to speak and a chuckle escaped. "I'm sorry, a golem? Is that some sort of contraption he wants to control? I don't think this life force stuff exists either, unless you are talking about the Chakra, which you should know about more than I. I do think, however, I can help you find something that may help." With that she stood up and began walking, grabbing the young Kunashi by the hand to guide him. On the way to her destination, they exchanged pleasantries. He found that her name was Amaya, and she was not a kunoichi, but just a girl who grew up in the village who loved to read. The conversation was swiftly interrupted. "Here we are, Kunashi! Let me find this book for you.." Kunashi stood in between the two shelves as the twenty-something librarian thumbed through countless books. He had just begun to daydream when he heard Amaya exclaim. "Aha! There you are!" Kunashi was then handed a book, the title of which was The Shinobi Contraption: The Art of Puppeteering and You. Kunashi looked at Amaya confused. "What is a puppet?" Amaya smiled and gently pat Kunashi on the head as she began to walk away. "Just go over there, sit down, and read! How else are you supposed to become a ninja if you don't use your resources?" Amaya jested as she walked out of sight. Kunashi looked at the desk where Amaya gestured. He sighed, as he was hoping to not have to do any heavy reading himself. He put the book on the desk and climbed into the chair, opened it and began to read.

After almost two hours of reading, Kunashi had barely an idea of what a puppet was. It was a bit complicated for him still. He got a basic understanding that a shinobi can control this contraption with his Chakra and use it as a weapon. He also found a few pages that state the method of construction on a few different puppets. He took this book and walked toward the entrance of the Bibliotheca Conscientiae, waiting for his friends in the foyer by talking to Amaya, excitedly explaining what he had just learned to the young woman. The young woman, having a congenial disposition, listened to Kunashi intently, knowing that her time just listening would mean a lot to the young boy.

Time passed, about 2.5 hours

MFT - WC 950

Edit - fix grammar/wordage​

 

[Tokugawa Hanzo]

Fujimoto Shiro took off back into the library behind Kunashi. He was determined to find the information he was looking for. As he raced in, just out of Kunashi's earshot, he was scolded by a young librarian. "No running," she said in a hushed tone so as not to disturb others. "Sorry," he replied at an equally matching volume.

Shiro looked at the directory sign in front of him and thought to himself *Life energy transferal, where can I find that? Philosophy...metaphysics...the soul. That was a possibility. Or maybe a more scientific explanation? Medicine!* He always had an interest in healing the broken world around him, at least the parts he had encountered along his path thus far. First, he would check the philosophy section. Off he went to section B.

He scoured the shelves looking for books, scrolls, any text that would indicate how to transfer life energy to another creature or construct. He found not but three works; Sowing the Soul: Gardening and Spiritual Energy, Blood to the Father: Sacrificing Your Life Force to the Depths of Hell, and The Flow of Harmony. The first text seemed somewhat hopeful but proved to be a letdown. It was simply a book concerning philosophy and gardening. Boring for now, though Shiro did find a few herbs that were both easy to grow and reportedly helped cure common ailments. The second text, an old scroll, seemed to be a cultist call to action. It described the way in which one could let their soul be harvested by their lord which Shiro believed to be a demon like the ones his grandmother told him about. The reader was called to sacrifice their blood by slitting their own throat while performing some sort of dark magic incantation. Surely this would lead to death's chill embrace. This third text, more promising than the rest, was an older book with many notes in the margins. Although it did not show him how to transfer his soul to another being, it did contain many facets of the scholar-warrior. In this book, The Flow of Harmony, there were moral tales of traveling warrior-monks who would entertain passersby, heal the sick, and revel in their good life at the local inns they would stop by along their journeys. Of course there were tales of glorious fights, and in the margins Shiro saw notes on how to perform basic combat maneuvers that aimed not to kill the enemy but to incapacitate them; to use their own force against them purely in defense. This reading changed something inside Shiro. He had a new awakening of purpose. He and his golem would travel the world after he graduated from the academy. He would provide merriment and good cheer to all he passed on his personal path. Regardless, too much time had passed and he needed to get back to the others with what he learned which was close to nothing. He would look into the medical section later.

MFT WC=497

 

[Tokugawa Hachidoku]

Chigetsu met Shiro's suggestion with a nod of affirmation. Being coach-able and accepting tasks for the betterment of the team was the Ryuuza way. More so than that, it felt like Chigetsu was taking on his first mission as a ninja of sorts, which was rather exciting. Determination dawned Chigetsu's face like a mask as it's ethereal existence began to blanket his mind like a shadow. It erased all distractions from both the physical and metaphysical world, leaving only the object of Chigetsu's focus in light. In essence, Chigetsu had reached a state of tunnel vision. He headed to the Directory.

'Hmm...nope, nope, nope...Fine Arts? I suppose there may be some sort of figure analysis that might give understanding of dimension and planes of movement...but...Ahhh yes. Here we go! Science, Section Q and Medicine in Section R. Some source of anatomical study must reside somewhere in there." Chigetsu remembered seeing a shelf marked with an "R" earlier in his peripherals when making his way to the guys. 'There it is, just what I was looking for.' Chigetsu began to scavenge the loaded shelves. 'Jeez, this is gonna take forever.'

'Ugh, I guess it's a good thing Anatomy is at the beginning of the alphabet...' Chigetsu rummaged through the first few rows of books before finally finding the appropriate topic. 'Nice...' Chigetsu pulled out a number of books before finally finding one with an interesting enough cover to merit studying. Flipping through the pages, Chigetsu discovered a section giving general information and anatomical images of the body's joints. Satisfied, Chigetsu put the remaining books back on the shelves and prepared to head back to the group. As he finished straightening the last book, he caught an object of interest at the corner of his eye. It was a black book, covered in glossy scarlet letters of a strange, and rather eerie, text style. It seemed to be mistakenly put on the wrong shelf. 'The Sanctity of Blood: Worship, Desire, Destruction....woah. That's wicked.' He peered into the pages. To his surprise, there were a plethora of gruesome images. The text itself seemed a strange dark red. 'I'm gonna save this for later.' Chigetsu grabbed a few other interesting looking books and started off with heavy arms.

[MFT WC=379]

 

[Tokugawa Hanzo]

"Guys, this is big. Here is what I found," Shiro said as he gave an in-depth recapitulation of the three texts he read. He poked fun at the cultist scroll and expressed his interest in the horticulture book in spite of its impertinent scope. He expressed a great interest in The Flow of Harmony, but unfortunately he had to concede that the story of the golem seemed more fairy tale than fact. Maybe his potential friends had gathered some information that would prove otherwise, but to Fujimoto Shiro this library adventure turned out to be a bust. He had gained a great insight into life on this planet, but his fantasy of summoning a great protector golem seemed to be simply that; a fantasy.

 

[Akuro Kunashi]

"Goodbye Amaya! Thanks for your help!" Kunashi turned away from the pretty young librarian and met up with his friends. He listened to Shiro's summation of his three books and conclusion before chiming in. "Well.. Hold on Shiro. Look at this stuff." With that, Kunashi whipped out The Shinobi Contraption: The Art of Puppeteering and You and flipped it open to the page describing how to make puppets. "See, what I found is this book on puppeteering. Apparently, you can like.. control this wooden thing with your Chakra and use it as a weapon. It's not like the golem from the story, but it's pretty similar. Heck, you probably don't have to follow these details specifically as long as you make it one thing, you know?" He pushed the book over to Shiro and showed him his findings. Hopefully he would find it satisfactory.

 

[Tokugawa Hanzo]

Fujimoto Shiro slouched a bit when he heard Kunashi mention controlling a puppet with chakra. That certainly put the nail in the coffin on his original idea. After a brief moment, he perked up. Even though they could not find any information about placing soul energy into an inanimate creation, the use of chakra would accomplish almost the same thing. "That sounds like a good place to start, Kunashi," Shiro began. "It sure does seem like Chigetsu has been at it a long time. Hopefully he did not get lost along the way. Maybe he got intimidated by all these books and scrolls." With that, he picked up the book and began to thumb through the pages. It was quite a girthy book, but maybe there was still enough time in the day to get a good start on the task before him.

"What do you think, Kunashi; should we try to find him? I am comfortable starting on this reading, but he may have found some great information as well." Fujimoto Shiro awaited Kunashi's response.

 

[Akuro Kunashi]

Kunashi watched as Shiro picked up his book and began thumbing through it. Though he was also curious as to where Chigetsu was, he was more interested in the book he had found and what Shiro was going to do with it. "I think we should look into this book. Let's make a list of what we need to make this thing." With that, Kunashi walked over to a table and pulled out a chair and sat down, waiting for Shiro to walk over to him.

 

[Akuro Kunashi]

[Topic Left due to Inactivity]