Spectrum de núbibus [self modded team with Shima Haruka]

[Yukari]

Hikari had not been home for more than a moment when someone knocked on her door. She sighed. turned about on her heel, and prepared for yet another diplomatic incident. She really needed a good night's rest, but there was little hope for that with the way things were going. "Who is it?" She asked as she hefted her hammer. No sense in being careless.

"You've got a note, Ambassador." The elderly woman from across the hall. Hikari suspected strongly that this lady was actually a man with strong chakra control pretending to be other than he was. For what reason? Who knew? Maybe he just enjoyed wearing women's clothing. "Young man dropped it at your door a few hours ago. I took it inside so that none of the... less than reputable characters would steal it and-"

Hikari opened the door, and bowed. "I thank you Obaasan. I appreciate the kindness."

The elderly lady bowed and said, "It was a pleasure. I must go."

"Very well. Another time, we will have to have tea... or perhaps a meal."

"You needn't trouble yourself." She said, walking away carefully.

As she reached her door and went inside, Hikari did the same, opening the letter and preparing herself to be told that something awful was happening, due to an incident involving someone important... and lots of blood. Fortunately for her, this note had nothing to do with blood. It was a request by a wealthy somebody...Aya Kiho- "Never heard of him..." for contact and special- blah blah- Ah. He wanted to meet to discuss a potential business relationship. "I'm not a business woman, Aya-san..." She murmured. "Could be good for Cloud though." He went on to detail substantial business accounts and other such revenue he could bring to the table. All he requested was that he get to meet with the Ambassador and see a play. Hikari got to the end of the letter and had a bit of a shock. Apparently this man was acquainted with her parents, and it was they who had sent the letter to her door. "Well... I should at least see what he has to offer. Tickets to a play tonight at the Theatrum Nubium would be difficult to get, but if she was correct, she knew someone who might have a few handy.

Hikari sat down and penned a letter to Shima Haruka, a mednin she'd met once before in a meeting with the Raikage, asking if she could buy said tickets, and gave a brief explanation as to the lateness of the request. That done, she wrote another note, saying that she would like to take Aya Kiho up on the request for a meeting, and that although tickets would be difficult to come by, she thought she could get them, and that she looked forward to meeting with such a distinguished guest. She sent the two notes off with haste, and prepared herself as though she was certain she would be going.

 

[Sanageyama Masaoko]

She unfurled herself from her bed, yawning and stretching to the fullest extent. Her mattress was laced with medical books and old bones. Somewhere between reading up on calcium build up in bones and studying an old tibia, Shima Haruka had managed to finally get some rest. She didn’t really mind missing out on some research. It’s just that she hadn’t expected to wake up and instantly be bothered. Maybe she should of expected that though. No one would give her any damn peace.

The meek knock came as she dragged herself to her mirror. Her hair was a ragged mess, ornaments had fallen loose and twisted up bits of her black locks. She only slightly opened the sliding door to her chambers. A house maid had a letter in hand. She took it silently, dismissing the maid with a nod of her head. The letter, so small in her fragile fingers, weighed a heavy nuisance to Haruka. With much reluctance, she tore the envelope open and read its contents.

In all honesty, she had to stop and try to remember Hikari. She had a foggy trace of her figure, but not much else. They had been on a mission, maybe? No matter their connection, she asked a simple request of Haruka. A rather easy one too. Two tickets to the up and coming show at the theatre. Her family had been wealthy patrons to the arts for a long time standing. Seats were always reserved for the Shima clan. A little box on the balcony. It often sat empty. It would be no difficult task to acquire a few tickets for a good cause.

She deftly wrote a small note to be sent to the Ambassador:

“I would be delighted to aid you in your endeavor. The Shima have a reserved box, center balcony section that you may use for your guest. I’m sure they will be delighted to have some of the best seats in the house. Feel free to meet me there tonight before the performance and I shall escort you and your guest in.”

After the note was, Shima went back to the mirror. As she fixed the opal ornament, styled in the shape of a peacock, the young medic gave a little sigh. She really needed to break her concern with such idealized beauty. Every day was a long and tiring ritual to look presentable. She had her mother to thank for such a curse. Maybe one day she’d break the habit, but tonight was a special night. She was going to the spectacular Theatrum Nubium.

---

She starkly contrasted against the dark gold paint of the heavily engraved entrance hall. People chattered around her, clutching tickets so tightly in hand and fretting so much over who would sit next to who. A silent raven amongst a flock of stale hens. The theatre was extraordinary. The finest establishment Cloud’s art district had to offer. The building was older than most, built with deep catacombs and secret passageways. Haruka knew most of the backstage and passages from her wandering in childhood.

From a small age, she knew there was something magical about this place. Now, as she had gotten older and more disinterested in her surroundings, she found it rather drool. She was too old to climb the walkways above stage or to run amuck in the stage’s underbelly. Nothing adventurous awaited her here anymore…

 

[Yukari]

Aya Kiho​

Kiho was pleased that the young lady Ambassador had gotten back to him so quickly. It made him feel... important. Of course, he was important! He would challenge you to name something more influential than money if you argued otherwise. More noble than a man who could command most anyone with a snap of the fingers. He was most certainly a well dressed, well-read, genteel man, and anyone who disagreed could be bought and paid for. Of course, the Ambassador was obviously a woman of taste. She had heard of him- no doubt. He wrote back, "Thank you for your prompt reply, Tanaka-san. You do your family proud with your wisdom. I would be most pleased to meet you just before the doors are scheduled to open. Yours, Aya Kiho." He sealed the letter with red wax and a pressing of his signet ring. He then set about preparing himself for the little adventure. The Tanakas said their daughter was young, but any lady who was skilled enough to attain rank at an age where similarly aged peers were still in school, was worth the pomp.

~~

Ambassador Tanaka Hikari​

Her hair. It was snarkier than she was. Hikari had tried pulling it back. She'd tried putting it up. Any ornaments she might put into it were immediately swallowed up by the incredibly curly mass. "Agh!" She cried as she tried her best to extricate a decorative comb. "Why would mother give me this?" She asked aloud as she genuinely considered cutting it out. "Her hair is just the same!" A little voice in her head said For spitesies, and because you missed your aunt's birthday. "Gah!" She groaned pulling the evil thing free and casting it across the room. "Blasted thing!" She then flopped into a chair and sighed heavily. "I'm just not cut out for this prettying up stuff." After a moment, she got back up and decided to dunk her head in a bucket of water, then brush it out and allow it to dry while she walked around nude- no sense in getting her dress wet before the play- looking for makeup. "Times like this I wish I had a lady friend." She muttered, then guiltily thought of Kahako. It'd been quite a while since the two had spoken. "Hm... This probably goes on my lips... this on my eyelids...? What is this?" She asked aloud, looking at a small metallic clamp. "I don't even know what this is supposed to do." She tossed the clamp back into the box along with the rest of the things she only had a vague idea of what to do with. "Screw that. I'm an ambassador, not the entertainment." Hikari shook out the last droplets of water from her mane, then donned a soft black dress. Just as she did so, a knock sounded at the door.

"Aye? Who is it?"

"Courier. Two notes for you ma'am."

"Lovely." She said trotting to the door and taking the papers from the nondescript young man who bowed and took his leave as soon as she dropped a few yen into his waiting palm.

She read the first. Confirmation from Aya-san. Then the second, a reply from Haruka. “I would be delighted to aid you in your endeavor. The Shima have a reserved box, center balcony section that you may use for your guest. I’m sure they will be delighted to have some of the best seats in the house. Feel free to meet me there tonight before the performance and I shall escort you and your guest in.”

"Fantastic." She said, as she placed her hammer in a stylish belt about her waist. As Masao had declared fighting off limits within the village, she doubted she would have any cause to use it, but as a certain wise man once said; One should always 'walk softly, but carry a big stick.'

~~~

Theatrum Nubium

Hikari's red and black ensemble drew some stares. She wondered whether they recognized her, or if it was the hair. "Probably recognize me because of my hair."

She spotted the nobleman almost immediately. The green suit gave him away. "Ahh, You must be Aya Kiho." She bowed as approached. "I am Ambassador Tanaka Hikari, and very pleased to meet you."

The nobleman puffed up at the attention, reaching out to take her hand, he kissed it's back. "And I am pleased to meet you, Tanaka sama." He said. "I presume you have acquired the tickets?"

She smiled, "I've been promised a box in the center of the balcony. Best seats in the house, I'm told."

"Lovely..." He said.

Hikari noticed here and there, a man or woman clenching their tickets nervously chattering to one another. She wondered whether the nervous tremor on the air was her imagination, or an omen of things to come.

 

[Sanageyama Masaoko]

Her eyes rose past the clamour of chattering people. She searched out Hikari. Haruka only faintly remembered the young woman. One thing she couldn’t forget was that mess of hair. And when she saw the tangles of fire across her way, the young Shima clanswoman did not hesitate to approach. The closer she got, the more of her features she remembered. They hadn’t an extended time together, but Haruka wasn’t lost to details. She was surprised to find out that someone of her age was an ambassador. Hikari must have not only fire on her hair, but in her ambition as well.

She was dressed suitable for the occasion, but the hammer violently threw Hikari out from the rest. It wasn’t in poor choice though. A shinobi of her status needed to protect some like her client. Aya Kiho, she didn’t know him, but the doctor studied him with cool dark eyes. He certainly dressed the part of a pompous business man. He had an air of class and a distinct smell of money.

Haruka, dressed in a highly ornate dress spun with gold and indigo threads, approached the two with a bow. The ornament in her hair jingled softly as her dark locks shifted forward. She had no tickets to give them. The staff knew her well enough to allow her to pass into whatever portion of the theater she so pleased to see, as long as she didn’t get in their way. Introductions were in order as she finally spoke, “a pleasure to meet again, Tanaka-San.” She bowed to her guest as well.

“Shima Haruka, sir. I’m most certain you will be quite satisfied with my family’s private box. We’ve held that box for decades. My great grandfather was well acquainted with the theatre designer and production managers that have passed under the house’s roof. If you would be so interested, perhaps I could interest you in a tour backstage after the performance? A very rare opportunity.” She directed at the man. She knew their type, having grown up amongst that certain flock. They liked to feel important, given the royal treatment, and privy to privileges that common man did not have. The dark haired raven gave a subtle wink to Hikari as a small smile passed her lips.

“Now, shall we find our seats?”

 

[Yukari]

Just as she had dismissed the air of tension- it would either become a problem, at which point she would solve it, or it would not, and nothing would come of it- Hikari spotted Haruka in that lovely gold and blue dress. This was a woman who knew what the touches of beauty signified, and where to apply them for the best effect. Beside the raven beauty, Hikari felt like a plain, ginger girl. As Haruka approached, she bowed low. “A pleasure to meet again, Tanaka-San.” She said.

Hikari returned the bow, "Yes, it is, Shima-san. I trust you have been well, since last we met?"

Haruka then bowed to Aya. “Shima Haruka, sir. I’m most certain you will be quite satisfied with my family’s private box. We’ve held that box for decades. My great grandfather was well acquainted with the theatre designer and production managers that have passed under the house’s roof. If you would be so interested, perhaps I could interest you in a tour backstage after the performance? A very rare opportunity.”

Aya Kiho​

Ahh, the dark haired beauty bowed low- to the Ambassador, of course- and then to him, she directed her words. "I am certain I will, Shima-san, and may I say you both look... ravishing." They each gleamed with a radiance reserved for youth. He was reminded somewhat abruptly that he had traded true youth for his fortune... though he would never regret that which had earned him the wealth and prestige he now wielded.

"Thank you, Aya-san." Hikari said. The young Ambassador might find, in years to come, that she had similar regrets. He found that he immediately felt a sort of kinship with the buxom youth. "My apologies, where are my manners." She turned to him, "Introductions. Aya Kiho, collector of rare artifacts, and head of the Aya-co. trade's company of Raiden no me, and founder of the Aya clan." He puffed up a bit and bowed to the lady Shima. "Aya-san, this is Shima Haruka. She is a Mednin of Kumo, and a part of the esteemed clan Shima. I'll allow her to elaborate if she likes." At this point he inclined his head, offering to listen.

After Haruka's reply, those assembled would hear that the show would soon be starting. "Would you show us to our seats, Shima-san?" Hikari asked. "I would hate to miss anything."

Kiho affirmed the request, "I have heard that these players have traveled far to act here. One can only wonder what mysterious show they have planned. Certainly a rare opportunity." He rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

 

[Sanageyama Masaoko]

A charmer. Or at least he attempted to be. She politely smiled with a calm brilliance as he complimented them. Flattery didn't really work on her. She wasn't too thrilled with being recognized for beauty alone. In fact, the only time she ever recalled really smiling to kind words was when a former teacher of her's said she was above even other Shima children that had passed under his tutelage. Then, there was always the difficultly in believing such words. She never did. She had no confidence in the words of others. And, she barely had confidence in herself. Alas, she would never let her peers see her in such a way. She was a Shima woman after all.

Her dark eyes studied this wealthy man once more. Aya Kiho. From just introductions, she gathered this business meeting was very important for her village. She was more than happy to work with Hikari. Something about the spunky haired kunoichi breathed certainty and diligence. She was drawn to a youth who handled responsibility better than her peers. Especially one who had caught the eye of the Raikage. Someone this young as an ambassador, well it was almost unheard of. Haruka figured it was best to cooperate as closely with Hikari as possible. She obviously knew what she was doing. Just by contacting Haruka for the theatre tickets, it showed her that Hikari knew which strings to pull.

She was inclined to add a few more words to her introduction. "I'm nothing special. However, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am honored that Tanaka-San called upon me to aid her in providing entertainment for you tonight." She left it at that, grateful that Hikari wanted to move it along. Haruka hate such drab introductions and dull conversation. She listened to Kiho as she ushered them through the halls and up the flight of gilded stairs. "Yes, tonight's performance is sure to be exciting. You have come on a spectacular night, Aya-San. Tonight's show should be quite the experience!" Her bravado of interest only matched her internal disinterest. She'd rather be rushing about backstage with the crew than sitting up on the balcony watching it all unfold.

She drew back a thick red curtain to a small balcony of luxurious seats snug so tightly on the upper floor. It sat square in the middle of the stage, a nest for perfect viewing. "Our seats are right in here." With a wave of her hand, she guided them inwards. As they looked about, Haruka spoke up. "Can I offer you any drinks? Champagne, perhaps?"

MFT.

 

[Yukari]

Aya Kiho​

As the dark haired woman declined the praise Modesty., he tried to form an opinion on each kunoichi. The dark and glittering Haruka was intensely calm, her life was mainly played out away from the eyes of others. Introversion. Although Kiho was more outward oriented, he could appreciate the frame of mind from which it might stem. Perhaps she really was no one important- though he doubted that very much, in seventeen years of business, he had never met anyone who was 'unimportant', or even unremarkable-or perhaps she simply preferred to stay away from the spotlight, content to glimmer in the shadows. Either way, a response from him could better his potential business with the nin of Kumogakure. "I am certain there was a reason she called upon you of all the people she might have. That means you are likely more special than you give yourself credit for." He paused, "Both in terms of beauty and skill." He said. One might think he was flattering for the sake of flattery, but this Shima woman truly had caught his eye- a rare thing. Grace and beauty were a rare and much sought after combination. "You are correct, though, tonight is sure to be spectacular!"

As the trio trotted toward their seats, he rubbed his hands, "Do you know much about what is playing, Tanaka-dono? Or you, Shima-san? Tis a tale of a great leader who, upon returning from a mighty victory. There has been a great deal of fuss surrounding its performance here rather than in the city. We are lucky." He said grinning.

Hikari smiled and nodded, "I have heard only that it is promised to be a play unlike anything I've seen before. Supposedly there will be much singing."

"Yes, yes, there shall be." He chuckled, "Can either of you sing? I've heard tell that some noble houses have their daughters learn the deadly arts as well as visual and auditory arts."

Hikari snorted, "I can sing, but not so well that you'd want to listen. Therein lies the real reason I chose politics over acting." She said with a smirk. He thought she was, perhaps being ironic, so he chuckled. "Shima-san?

[their conversation continues while not so far away, a strange man listens to strange whispers]

~~~~~~~~~

The Phantom​

"They say, he lives beneath the stage. Some creature, half man, half beast."
"Rubbish! There is no Phantom!" A young man said, "And if there is, let him come to meet us! I fear no man, whether half beast or half lunatic!"
"Oh, Riu-san, so brave. I fear though, that last night's rehearsal was not so much an accident as... the work of the ghost of the Nubium." The white haired woman shivered. "I feel as though his eyes are on me now, boring through my clothes!" The man took her in his arms, and stroked her head.

"As if I would. The pig thinks she's special." A strange, dark haired male sat upon a beam, covered in black and equipped only with a half mask. "My tastes run more toward the feminine, and less toward bovine." He chuckled softly as he edged away. It was then, from across the theatre that he saw her once more. "Shima Haruka." He murmured. "The raven beauty has returned..." He remembered her as a child, full of a life that made him jealous, made him yearn for sunshine and heat. I wonder if she remembers my music..." He began to play for her, the faintest of songs, in the corner of her mind. "Sing once again with me, our strange duet..."

[mft 604]

 

[Sanageyama Masaoko]

Something sincere in his words drew a well hidden smile from the Shima woman's lips. A kind, small smile that would be only for her and no one else. She tip toed carefully to the edge of the balcony. Her hands drew into a tight clench around the railing, leaning over to see all the people pour into the auditorium. The quiet roar of chatter tickled her ears, but she focused on the conversation behind her. Cloud's ambassador and the mysterious business tycoon chatted about the play.

"It's an opera." She corrected Hikari softly. "The conquer returning home happens to involve himself with a woman from the land he just laid to waste. He is oblivious to her origins. She is sent to kill the man, but they fall in love. It's quite tragic, really." She turned to them again after resting her eyes on the stage for quite some time. "The opera is very old. A unique tale that has been sitting on the shelf of this theatre for a long time, collecting dust. Everyone is making such a large fuss about it because it has been many years since it's music has been preformed. I am quite fond of the aria in the second act."

Hikari was modest with her answer, although Haruka took her word for it. The red haired shinobi heightened her skills in combat, it was perfectly acceptable to be lacking in other categories. There wasn't much use for singing for the chief ambassador. "Isn't politics a bit like acting, Tanaka-San?" Her lilted laugh bubbled from her painted lips. "As for singing, yes, I am well practiced. In fact, I spent a few years on this very stage. Only as part of the ensemble though. My mother was a dancer herself, so she took quite pride in involving me with the performing arts. I am much better with a violin though!" She dashingly added with a bit of humor.

It was then that she heard the draw of a calling tune. Something ancient and familiar and chilling and numbing. It sent a snap of cold down her spine and a rumbling thud into her heart. The music was faint in the air, but she heard it as if it was a blare of thunder. No one else could of noticed it, perhaps because she had been searching for the song from the moment she step foot through the doors. An angel's song that only she could of known, as it was meant for her. She would not let her heart betray her mind as she set aside the urge to find the source of the music. Briskly, Haruka gazed up into the dark corners of the room, searching for something. Her attention brought back to the two, she informed, "it should be starting any time soon."

 

[Yukari]

Tanaka Hikari​

"An opera, you say?" Hikari asked, "I don't know that I've ever seen one." She looked at Kiho who seemed to already know this."

"No?" He asked, "You, my dear Ambassador, are in for a rare treat. Players capable of doing justice to this particular work are in high demand, yet they rarely take part in true works of art. It is a modern tragedy that more skilled actors are drawn to the padded salaries of representing products rather than skillfully portraying well defined characters." He said.

"Is this the custom in the city?" Hikari asked, "The last time I was there, it was more comparable to a war-zone than anything else."

"Ah yes, the riots... in the higher echelons of society, such things hardly touched us."

Hikari nodded, "Of course not." She remembered the jerk she had to punch as she went to meet with Natsu and Zaku. "Nor many of us here in Kumo, except when business drew us there."

"Indeed." He inclined his head.

Haruka then explained the plot. It was the most invested Hikari had ever seen the woman, who seemed to float above situations and gaze on them impassively. Fondness for an Aria made the woman seem a small bit more personable, and perhaps, less stoic. Hikari grinned, "I look forward to it then!"

"Isn't politics a bit like acting, Tanaka-San?" Her lilted laugh bubbled from her painted lips.

Hikari shrugged, "I suppose it is sometimes. Sometimes one must be all cordiality and kindness, seeking to fulfill a wish. Other times, intimidation. The difference, I suppose, lies in the script, or lack thereof. I must fill a role similar to an actor on center stage, and that of a puppeteer. And all that from the subtle cues given by the one I must deal with, and the inclinations of my superiors." Hikari chuckled, knowing her laugh was not lilting or beautiful, but more akin to a snort. She was quite aware that she did not show as well as Haruka, but besides the initial envy at her inability to... pretty herself up, she was genuinely happy with the woman she was. Even if she wasn't beautiful, or ornamented... she didn't glitter like a gem, she knew she was strong. Perhaps more akin to steel than emerald.

She listened to Haruka talk about her family with the same impassive voice she'd talked about refreshments. She remembered the proverb 'Still waters run deep', and wondered if it were true for the dark haired mednin.

She noted that after this, Haruka seemed slightly distracted. "Is all well, Shima-san?" Hikari asked in a whisper, going to the balcony, to stand beside the older woman. Then, louder, "It seems we were not the only ones excited. There are many guests. I don't think I've ever seen this place so packed."

The Phantom​

As Haruka came to the balcony, the Phantom knew. He knew she remembered, knew she heard. The bubble of triumph lasted only a moment, before some red haired interloper entered the moment. He stopped his song. "Ahh, the new Ambassador. There has been some talk of her. How did such a child earn such a place? How dare she pass over so many others? Did she use her body to 'earn' her place? I think not. Next to my Shima, she is not so pretty." A moment passed as Haruka looked around, trying to find him. He was not yet ready, however, for her to see. The ambassador looked around too, and for a moment, their eyes connected. For some reason, he could see the green of hers from across the Theatre, and with a brief moment of paralysis, he realized, she'd seen him. How? How had she? "Damnation!" He turned away, hiding the white of his face and mask. His box seemed suddenly close and claustrophobic. Covering his face, he looked back out, to see what the fire haired female was doing. He could no longer see her.

Tanaka Hikari​

Someone was hiding. Someone that should not be there. Hikari had always had a sort of 'sixth sense'. It'd served her well in her academy days as well as the short time she'd has as simply a Genin. There was no reason for her to doubt herself when she felt the need to search the dark, unoccupied box across the way. When she did, she was rewarded. Someone's there. She looked to Haruka, who immediately turned about and informed them that it should be starting soon.

"Ah..." Hikari paused, "A moment, I need to freshen up. Shima-san, would you keep Aya-san company? I'll only be a moment." She bowed to them both, then before they could say more, she quietly exited the room, and sprinted lightly down the hall. "Someone's there." She said quietly between breaths. Her mind said that whomever it was, was dangerous. She had a duty to protect her guest... and if she was honest, bald curiosity propelled her as well.

The Phantom​

He knew the theatre better than anyone. There was no trouble in getting out undetected, especially from his box. And the note he left... well, there would be more. He had found a voice, in this ambassador, and he would use it.

Aya Kiho​

As Tanaka san left, more quickly than was strictly proper, he leaned toward the beautiful mednin. "I hope you enjoy the show, Shima san." He said, the words coming slowly, haltingly. Damn it, now is not the time to stammer. "I have always enjoyed theatre. Ever since I was a child. You know... in my youth, I visited this place once. The managers allowed me to run amok backstage." His eyes edged to her, "I wonder if you did anything like that." The one thing Aya Kiho cannot do, is flirt without stumbling over his feet. He thought in irritation. Ineptitude was not a thing he was used to.

Tanaka Hikari​

When Hikari burst through the doors, she found a single thronelike chair, a set of binoculars, and a note.

Welcome, Ambassador Tanaka Dono, to My Theatre. Give my fondest regards to your companions, especially Shima Haruka. In the weeks to come, you will most certainly be hearing from me.
-The Phantom

~~~~

Upon her return, Hikari found Kiho standing beside Haruka. He turned to Hikari abruptly, eyes wide, and a light blush covering his face. It was one of those moments when a kind person pretends she saw nothing, and noticed not a thing regarding the people in the room, beside their presence. "So." She said, "What have I missed?"

 

[Sanageyama Masaoko]

She wouldn’t take her faraway gaze away as Hikari’s voice faintly hit her ear. She felt a chill that was not necessary. Haruka knew that the theatre was alive with something more mysterious now. A faint memory of a figure that watched over a bouncy, dark haired child as she ran through the secret passageways of the Nubius. Could it be the same music from her youth? Everything danced in a blurry tango in her mind.

When she did finally turn to inform them that the show was starting, Hikari behaved rather precariously. Whisking away with a quick bow, the trails of her red curls disappeared behind the curtain and out to the halls. The raven haired woman didn’t let the awkwardness sink into her skin. She held herself with grace, briskly thinking of light conversation to entertain the business man with.

However, Aya Kiho was much more bold and quicker to start conversating. Her almond eyes peered up at him. A kind smile painted on her face, as he slowly delivered her words. She wasn’t fazed by his delivery, despite his internal cursing. “I’m quite sure I will.” She answered coolly. Her head tilted softly forward, causing a pin in her hair to jingle.

Although it was quite refreshing to see such a suave man reduced so humbly, Haruka thought it endearing to see him trying quite hard to engage her. She shifted her gaze to him more fully when he ad finally managed to catch her attention. She thought about it for a moment. About the roar of the crew, the ropes hanging from the catwalks, the lights shining so brightly, and the smell of the perfume wafting through the dressing rooms. Then, she remembered a lone glimpse of a boy. A boy slightly older than her. She giggled with him and climbed with him. A first friend.

And, in that instance, Haruka remembered Aya Kiho as a young boy. A mere child with no fame to claim or stature to lean on. They were just two mischievous children running wild in their kingdom. Haruka faced toward the stage once again, standing at his side closely. “Indeed. My fondest childhood memories are here. I spent most of my time backstage. My mother, being a dancer, often brought me here to teach me the arts. Although it is hard to remember,” she pondered softly, “I’m quite sure I know the belly of this establishment far better than the current manager and his staff.”

Before she had the time to decide if she would reveal herself to him, Hikari came bursting forth. Her suddenness startled the man, but Haruka was silently grateful. Poised and smooth, she turned around to face the ambassador once more. The young woman obviously had more sense than someone of her age usually had, opting to help the business tycoon recover from his embarrassment by moving to another agenda. “I was just recounting my former days within this theatre to Aya-San. It seems we have something in common. He too explored the building in his childhood.”

The light around the stage flashed twice, signaling for the start of the performance. “Oh! Looks like it’s about to begin. Have a seat, Aya-San. I suggest the far left. Best view.” She assured with a smile, directing him to it. “Mind if I take this seat, Aya-San?” She asked, ushering to the one next to him.

When they settled in to their proper places, the lights fell low. The stirring of instruments filled the air as the chatter of the crowd died down. She would wait for the music to start in its hushed roar before leaning towards Hikari subtly. Her right knuckle brushed her left cheek, resting her elbow on the arm to hide her mouth. She whispered, “exactly what was that little outburst about earlier?” There was something startling in the quality of her voice. No longer a soft and beautiful tone, but rather a flat and direct note. It did not exude brutality or hostility. The manner of which she spoke was less business like, slipping into the tone she often showed no one except under the lights of her operating room in the heat of an emergency.

 

[Yukari]

Aya Kiho​

If he wasn't mistaken, Shima-san was enjoying his discomfort. “Indeed. My fondest childhood memories are here. I spent most of my time backstage. My mother, being a dancer, often brought me here to teach me the arts. Although it is hard to remember,” She said, after enjoying the squirming of his awkward attempts to engage her.

"You- really? Shima san, I wonder if you might-" Just then, Hikari seemed to burst into the room. In his heightened state of anxiety, he may have been a bit startled. In his defense, however, both her entry and exit had been most unorthadox. However, one must make allowances for kunoichi. Very few of them were as lovely and calm-ladylike, one might say- as Shima Haruka. His eyes traveled back to her, and he wondered if she might be the Haruka he met so long ago. He smiled slightly, remembering tromping over catwalks and through the legs of various cast members. He remembered listening to the songs, and singing them with a girl slightly younger than himself. He'd been enchanted by her then too.

“I was just recounting my former days within this theatre to Aya-San. It seems we have something in common. He too explored the building in his childhood.” She said, saving them from the silence that'd stretched too long while he wondered.

"Yes. It is a wonder, isn't it." He didn't dare press the moment further.

The light around the stage flashed twice, signaling for the start of the performance. “Oh! Looks like it’s about to begin. Have a seat, Aya-San. I suggest the far left. Best view.” She assured with a smile, directing him to it. “Mind if I take this seat, Aya-San?”

Tanaka Hikari​

Hikari followed in contemplative silence. Only dimly noting that Shima and Aya seemed to have had a moment. She had tucked the note into a pocket within the bust of her dress, and was thinking on it still, as they sat and music began playing, pulling her mystically, from her reverie. Then it was that Haruka asked in a voice most unlike that to which Hikari would expect from the woman, “exactly what was that little outburst about earlier?”

Hikari looked at Haruka sharply, then deftly untucked the note, handing it to the mednin, "Someone is spying on us."

Welcome, Ambassador Tanaka Dono, to My Theatre. Give my fondest regards to your companions, especially Shima Haruka. In the weeks to come, you will most certainly be hearing from me.
-The Phantom

"Do you know this Phantom?" She asked, in a hiss. "I should like to have a word with him." Her hand came to rest on her hammer, even as her skin began to prickle with energy. That startled her. She hadn't had an... electrical incident, since her academy days.

The play had begun. Dancers gracefully flying across the stage, and a woman- a shrill woman- seemed to be at the center of it. Maybe it was just her, but Hikari wasn't entirely sure that singing and acting should have been the lady's first career choice.

 

[Sanageyama Masaoko]

Haruka lifted the note into her fine fingers. Her nails ran over the parchment slowly, savoring the excitement of what was contained inside for a moment. Unfolding it quietly, she swiftly read over the small message under the dim lights of the auditorium. Her sandy eyes widened with wonder and horror, caught at the signature. Her heart beat a little faster, while her mind sifted through the endless pages of her memories.

“I’d be happy to obliged you with an audience, but I’m afraid no one could help you. The Phantom is merely what he calls himself. I have never seen his face. I’ve only heard rumors and witnessed strange things that the stage hands blamed the Opera Ghost for. He lurks the pits and veins of this opera house.” As a young girl, she was frightened of this ghost upon her first arrival. So many people were so superstitious when it came to the Phantom. Leave box eight open… Lay a single red rose down on the center stage after a performance... Payment was given by the first of the month.

In all her days on the stage, she always feared the Phantom would snatch her up to hang her pretty little neck by a rope, push her off a catwalk and then…

Snap!

She wanted to hold her neck defensively just at the thought. While the thought occurred to her, she whispered to Hikari, “if he has addressed us, then we may be in trouble. No good comes from the Phantom. There isn’t a single rotten act that has happened here that wasn’t tied to the Phantom in some way.” Her face was dark.

Just then, the gratting noise of a woman’s voice boomed through the auditorium. She averted her eyes from Hikari to the stage. Gritting her teeth, Haruka bore down the pain her ears would have to endure. Most people wouldn’t know how horrible the singer was. It was opera, after all. Everyone was supposed to sound like that. But, Haruka was trained to pick up the sharpness of her notes. She remembered the voice well, and all the tirades that were associated with it.</COLOR>

Utahime Karurotta​

<COLOR color="#5A5C60">

As first lady of the house, she was used to the applause of her adoring fans. Still, she beamed with pride and beauty as the curtain pulled open to reveal her in her extravagant outfit of gold and a soft pink material. The layers of the dress ruffled softly as she trotted across the stage to take the center. The cast danced around her, careful not to draw attention away from the prima donna, but to further embellish her beauty.

Her hands floated gracefully in the air as she drew back her breath to belt out the opening song when the instrument’s cued her. The orchestra all played to her lead, as they should. A leading lady did not need to follow them. Singing came so naturally to her. She was gifted with beauty and grace, that helped her to gain her fame. But, when she sung for the troupe manager, naturally her voice had enchanted him as well.

She just hoped that that awful “Phantom” wouldn’t ruin another play of hers. Phantom, she scoffed. He didn’t exist. It was just the carelessness and laziness of the crew hands. Of course those types of lowly people would never admit to their mistakes. It was sheer mockery of the establishment. What was worse, the managers believed them all. They feared this ghost. It was all ridiculous, but she would never let it ruin her spotlight.

[MFT]

 

[Yukari]

Tanaka Hikari​

As she read, anxiety rolled off of Haruka. She almost twitched as she finished, and spoke. “I’d be happy to obliged you with an audience, but I’m afraid no one could help you. The Phantom is merely what he calls himself. I have never seen his face. I’ve only heard rumors and witnessed strange things that the stage hands blamed the Opera Ghost for. He lurks the pits and veins of this opera house... If he has addressed us, then we may be in trouble. No good comes from the Phantom. There isn’t a single rotten act that has happened here that wasn’t tied to the Phantom in some way.” Her face was dark, serious, and somewhat grave. Hikari did not think she was far off in her assumption that a bi of the darkness she now saw in the Shima woman, was fear. Hikari frowned at the realization. Fear was not something to be underestimated. It could paralyze or weaken even the strongest among them.

She didn't, even for a moment, wonder about the truth of his existence. He'd left the note. She'd seen him from afar. Hikari turned her attention downward, looking on as the shrill woman 'sang' her opera, she thought back to the box. Empty, even when it was a full house. Why? "Box eight." She whispered back to the woman. "It is empty. Why?" Perhaps that was the place Hikari would meet this mysterious person.

Aya Kiho​

Kiho was not a fool. He knew something was going on, what with the firey red haired female's sudden to and fro performance, and the hushed whispering between the women... but he also knew prudence. This was an affair best left apart from himself. He was not, after all, skilled in the deadly arts. Thus he absorbed himself in the play- which could have been much better, had the troop a... better... leading lady. However, aside from the Shima woman beside him, he doubted very much that there were any who could fill the role adequately. He had been quite flattered when Haruka asked to sit beside him, so much that he'd not been able to stutter a single word, instead smiling and gesturing to the seat as genteelly as possible. He felt it quite inappropriate that he might swoon at her feet. "Shima-san, I wonder if you might remember... a red ribbon?" He said, during a lull, once the ladies had ceased their whispering. It'd been a silly thing. A gift he'd given as a token of affection, he'd tied it about a little girl's wrist. The same little girl he suspected had grown into Shima Haruka. He blushed, but stood stoically, facing the stage, but seeing little of what transpired.

The Phantom​

The Phantom sat and listened from his place above the stage, careful to stay away from the lights, and wincing every time that cow began to bleat. "Her voice grates upon my ear like... nails on glass!" He snarled, "I shall demand of my managers, that they get a New prima donna, because this one, can not sing or act to save her life!" He shook his head, tisking softly, "And that! What to say about the male lead? He has no presence. Gah, these actors are awful!" They could not sing, could not act, and don't even start him on the dancing- it looked more like they were convulsing on the stage. Part of that may have been his angle, but it did not excuse the lady ignoring her cues! With a growl, he raced across the catwalk, and cut loose a sand bag, which fell with a loud Thunk, just beside the flamingo which posed as an actress. He listened hoping to hear a scream, as he fled to a darker area to watch what might unfold.

 

[Sanageyama Masaoko]

Haruka blinked away her far off gaze as she joined Hikari in observing the balcony box. Empty and as silent as the ghost of the opera house. “The managers of the establishment leave it open for him to observe the show. So, I’ve been told.” She tried to peer through the darkness to see even the slight shiver of a shadow, but saw nothing sitting in box eight. It was only when she looked back to the man next to her that she thought she saw a figure cut through the darkness. Mostly her imagination running wild with anxious energy and paranoia. Haruka wouldn’t mind seeing the face of this phantom just once in her life.

When Kiho addressed her with his stammering question, she was taken aback. Her mind was far from the past at the moment, but feeling obligated to try and remember, Haruka stopped. Her dark eyes narrowed in the dim lighting, searching through her memory for one moment. A moment of a red ribbon and a confession. The memory was faint, but the red ribbon burned brightly in her mind. She recalled the fray red cloth hanging on her vanity along with her other hair ornament. His memory was real, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to assure him it was. She was a different woman from the little girl he fell for.

Back then she was just a dancer and a pretty little ornament among the noble daughters of Kumogakure’s largest clans. Now, she was a dark soldier with blood stained hands. Her life as a medic pushed away all the frivolous dreams. She didn’t want to go back to this world. Her place was as a mednin of Kumo. “A red ribbon?” She mused over the words slowly. “It does ring a bell, however-“

The curdling, shrill scream from the stage alarmed her. Turning fast towards the stage, the ornaments of her hair jingled with frantic warning. She stood when she saw the bag of sand that had nearly hit the Prima Donna. “Tanaka-San.” Her voice was a stern call. “I believe our Phantom is calling for more action from us.”</COLOR>

Utahime Karurotta​

<COLOR color="#5A5C60">

In the middle of her magnificent play!? The indignity of those stage hands! And what was worst, they would attempt to harm her in front of her many adoring fans. It was outright mockery of her abilities. She wouldn’t stand for such treatment in such a lowly opera houses. There were many others who requested of her performance. Those ungrateful managers didn’t know who they were dealing with. Why, she had been so gracious as to grace their establishment with her presence. The least those ants could do was assure her of a smooth performance. She had let out a shrill scream and nearly fallen over with fright.

The ensemble was just as stunned, stumbling around to keep the performance going. Their routine became sloppy and chaotic. The prima donna would have none of this! She was a star and would only sing under the best of conditions. It was what she deserved. She signaled to the maestro to cut the music and drop the curtains. The dim witted fool refused, trying to coax her into continuing. How foolish did he think her to be? She was the first lady and had a right to stop this circus. Storming off the stage, she came screaming into the back.

“I will not have it! This has happened for the last time!” She was tearing off the costume jewelry and tearing at her clothes. “I will not sing here!” She was from a foreign land, her manner of talk was unlike the others. Syllables broken up into an exotic way of talking. Her accent made her much more frightening to deal with, as hardly anyone understood her in these rants. “Tell your managers that there will be no show! I refuse. Bye bye! Avoir! Terminé!” She was being tailed by her entourage as she ran out of the back like a screaming banshee.

[MFT]

 

[Yukari]

The Phantom​

A scream! A scream! He laughed to himself, as the flamingo squawked and squealed her way off stage! It was time the cow exited anyway! The show began to stop, coming to a screeching halt along with her exit. Not so far away, the Phantom saw his Shima woman, and the firey haired ambassador stand, alarmed. Whereas most were staring wide eyed at the stage, the pair of them were searching the rafters. He stayed perfectly still, perched as he was, hiding amidst the dark and the ceiling boards, he hoped the kunoichi's eyes would not find him. Still, the Ambassador came unnervingly close to identifying him, before he realized that perhaps that was what he wished. Only her, and the Shima woman, he decided, would catch a glimpse. He flitted from his place among the beams to his balcony, where he wrote another note. This time, to the pair of them.

Aya Kiho​

The primadonna was nearly struck by something, a sandbag, it seemed, and then she went screeching from the stage as the production went on like a train wreck after her, before finally grinding to a horrible halt. This was not what he had hoped for when he had requested tickets. Still it had been an eventful evening, and the company had been good. Perhaps there was an understudy who could salvage the role, and the remaining acts of the play. He wondered what Haruka might have said, had she had time to finish saying it. The coolness of her voice upon the recollection notwithstanding, he was hopeful that her heart might have been stirred.

Tanaka Hikari​

Hikari should not have been surprised, when the sandbag dropped, but the leading lady's cry of alarm- and then fury- had indeed caught her unawares. Rather than to the stage, Hikari looked to the area just above the stage, searching out the figure she knew must stand amid the darkness.

“Tanaka-San.” Haruka's voice was a stern call. “I believe our Phantom is calling for more action from us.”

She did not see him, until he moved, flitting from beam to beam almost as though he were a creature which flitted amongst the branches of a forest. When he entered his box, for the briefest of moments, she caught sight of a white mask. Her eyes narrowed, and she stood. "Indeed, Shima-san. I will answer his call, with force if necessary. Can I call on you to protect Aya-san?" She would wait only a moment for the answer, before moving. The Phantom had said she would hear more from him, so she would go to hear more. If his reasoning for causing such an uproar- and the possibly injury- was not good enough, she would use force to apprehend him.

The Phantom​

I know what you're thinking, and believe me, I have my reasons, my dear, Ambassador.

The Flamingo could not act. In MY Opera house, I will have no less than the finest Primadonna. Let the gangly bird, the cow, squawk and bellow her way to unemployment. I believe tonight's performance... is finished. Perhaps on another night, a flower might blossom in the limelight, or... perhaps tonight. There was no understudy, but there is one who knew this opera in days gone by.

The Phantom

 

[Sanageyama Masaoko]

The slight waves of ebony silk fluttered across the beams and into the empty box of the opera ghost. She saw a faint trace of white, his ghoulish mask. If she had not been so pale, then the shock would of shown on her skin. All her life in this opera house, never once did she see even a fraction of what she had witnessed. He was real and he was there, as solid as any living human. He was gone in a brilliant instant and Hikari was moving in a counter strike of hurriedness. The Shima woman nodded to the fiery haired ambassador as an instruction was tossed to carefully guard their esteemed guest.

Her dusty eyes swept the chaos below briefly before turning back to Aya. “I hope the excitement isn’t too much for you. My apologies. It seems the performance tonight will go unfinished with the leading lady’s exit.” She tried to make small conversation, but her mind kept floating back to a red ribbon she had once worn around her wrist. Studying his face without seeming obvious, Haruka wondered what would even happen if she confirmed his memories? Nothing at all. He was a nobleman and a free civilian. She was a kunoichi and served Kumogakure. They would go their separate ways and never again speak. Their two worlds only would collide in matters of business and not in passion.

She hadn’t the time for these silly love games. It wasn’t quite time for her to settle down. She had never even left the village. She had places to go, strange men to clash with, and missions to write her name on for glory to the Shima Clan. “Aya-San, about that ribbon…I never got to finish what I was about to say. The red ribbon you spoke of I remember seeing when I was a little girl. I was so fond of the color. Quite envious of the girl who wore it to dance practice, I often cried to my mother about the ribbon. One day, after I had done well at a performance, she bought me one that was identical. It’s quite special to me because I received it from her.” She smiled softly. “The young girl who owned the original ribbon was a cousin of mine actually. We had quite the rivalry. You see we were so evenly matched…in looks, in talents, and even in name. After all, I was named after my great grandmother. You could say it was a family name.” The Crow was still on watch for a signal. “What she had, I had to have and vice versa. It was quite silly really. I am amazed you remember such little things though.”

[MFT]

 

[Yukari]

Tanaka Hikari​

Hikari snatched the note from the table. It's mocking contents only served to anger the firey haired ambassador. "I will not be toyed with Phantom." She sparked lightning and searched the room for another exit. She knew there must be some secret to his escape, but she could not find it. He was lucky she did not catch him, for though this place was his domain, and in it he could make many things happen, Hikari was not impressed. "Hear this now. If your antics cause any more harm, I will find you, and when I do, I will make certain you feel the weight of the pain and fear you cause. Consider yourself warned." She spat. Then, turning around, she stopped. On the balcony, where the note had been pinned, there was now a rose. He was most certainly not in the room with her... but something told her, he was still close. "I know you hear this." She snarled. "You can likely see me now. I will not ask you to face me, you coward. But watch." She stretched out her hand, and at he touch of her fingers, and transference of electric energy, the rose withered, and then caught fire, only to burn out as it fell to ash. "You had your reasons? So do I. Your cryptic messages do nothing but try my patience. And that is at it's end. You have been warned." She stepped onto the balcony ledge, and leaped into the rafters, as gracefully as she could. Hikari was not stealthy, but did posses a fluid grace. In moments, she was again with Haruka and Kiho. This time she did not bother with doors or hallways, entering instead, through the balcony.

Aya Kiho​

As Tanaka dono left, he smiled nervously. Of course, he was not nervous about any harm coming to his person, but rather the uncertainty and edge of anticipation he could not repress. If Shima san remembered... But he steeled himself upon seeing the glint of determination in her eyes. telling him that his memories were of another. That jealousy had made her acquire a ribbon from elsewhere just so that she would also have one. But Kiho was not a businessman for nothing. He saw the lie in her eyes, and around them. In the ever so slight tightening of her lips. There were tells that one might look for, should they desire to know if someone told them an untruth. Kiho was dismayed. It was a clear sign that she was not interested. And thus his hopes were dashed.

He smiled at her, accepting her words as fact though he believed strongly that they were not. It was not the first time he had been rejected, nor did he expect it to be the last. He bowed his head, "Of course, Shima san. I would be gratified if you passed my best wishes to her." His memories of little Haruka notwithstanding, Greet this fabled cousin for me. Tell her I believed you. Tell her, she may have this victory, and make her believe that I am that silly boy, hanging on to her every word. Shortly thereafter, he saw the box in which the 'Phantom' was said to lurk, light up. Flickering shadow played across the coppery curls of the Ambassador. "I do hope I didn't make you uncomfortable, Shima-san." He said by way of apology as he watched the other kunoichi- responsible as she was for his safety- work. Her eyes flashed- flashed from across the theatre!- a bright green amid the dimness. They flickered and she touched the railing- no... something which sat upon it.

The theatre was noisy. He could not hear her words though he suspected some curse, by the fury on her face. The harshness of her words- her voice- carried when the meaning they were burdened with faltered somewhere along the way. It was then that she stepped up, and climbed across the ramparts. Her hair and the brightness of her clothing stood out. There were several people pointing a her as she mad a spectacle of herself. This woman who after an attack emerges from the phantoms box. No doubt there would be speculation. For his part, he held out his hand. "Thank you for your protection, Tanaka-dono." He said.

"My pleasure." She replied, handing a note to Shima-san. "Apparently he had reasons." She growled.

The Phantom​

Her threats notwithstanding. He thought he could influence her. Not to be toyed with? Join the club, the team. You and your entire organization profess the same thing, yet I with no powers. I with no training, have held the reigns and controlled the 'owners' of this theatre for ages. For decades. He placed the rose for her as a testament to that fact. He could move among the shadows and remain invisible, while she searched for him. It did not matter that she crackled with electricity. It did not matter that her hands glowed and she could stop his heart with such an attack. It did matter when she took her electricity and turned it against the rose, for that was his feint. In the words of every youth to pass through the doors in the midst of a bloody play... Shit just got real.

But he let her leave.
He let her think that she won. That she had cowed him, or he had escaped her. Believe as you will Tanaka.

 

[Sanageyama Masaoko]

Neither of them were fools. She knew he would not buy her story, but it was acceptable to her though. As long as he was content in never bringing up the past again, Haruka could remain faintly warm to the man. She bowed her head to Aya. “I would be pleased to pass the message on, sir.” Her cold icy stare reached out towards the stage. “Think nothing of it, Aya-Sama. I did enjoy this night. You are a man of refined taste. It is so rare to meet a person such as yourself in my line of work.”

The red haired ambassador had done what she could, unable to apprehend the Phantom. His capture was no easy task though. She had gotten closer to him than any other human being. As Haruka swept her eyes towards the woman, she noticed the strength in Hikari’s eyes. The anger of warning she issued against the Phantom still burned in her glare. Her harsh prickled bush of hair seemed to dance with electric danger. Ice and lightning was quite the combination, Haruka thought. Rarely seen, but she knew they’d be a good match in missions. Hopefully there would be more opportunities to work with her.

“Perhaps you and I could further confront this phantom on another occasion? He certainly is a menace that must be dealt with.” Haruka said in a low voice to Hikari as she sauntered past her. Swinging around at the curtain, Haruka bowed to both. “If my services are no longer needed, you must excuse me. I have other pressing matters to attend to. Until then, Tanaka-dono.” She bowed to her and then to Aya. “Until we meet again, Aya-Sama.” The graceful Haku disappeared behind the thick red curtain and down the hall.

[Topic Left]
[MFT. 297]

 

[Yukari]

Tanaka Hikari​

As the icy Haruka took her leave, Hikari bowed. "My thoughts exactly. This 'phantom' will not trouble this theater much longer, I think. Ah, but my thanks once more to you, Shima-san, for your assistance. Safe travels." She said smiling after the other woman. She could not help noticing the disappointment in Kiho. He would not be the first lover scorned, nor would he be the last. She put a hand on his shoulder. "How about dinner? We can discuss business while we eat, and arrange for another night at the opera... perhaps after this villain is dealt with." She smiled.

Kiho was obviously distracted. He looked after Haruka with a wry expression. "Aya san?"

Aya Kiho​

"Apologies." He said shaking his head, "I would like that, but if you'd not mind, I'd prefer to arrange the details at a later date. It has been an eventful evening. More so than I had expected."

"Of course, Aya san. I'll send a note tomorrow." She gestured toward the exit. "I'll escort you to your escort."

He smiled, "Thank you."

[mission ended/topic left (finally)]