Private Stone and Water (Kasen)

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke considered his meeting with Lord Kaen to be effective. Now he had to introduce himself to the other sibling. Sousuke took a very direct approach to meeting with the Hybrid Flame Court member. He had perhaps stunned Kaen with how much he understood him, but such was to be expected when Kaen was in fact a member of the ANBU. He took a certain bluntness to the man, but it was all done with a high degree of respect. Sousuke endured Kaen’s elemental release of burning chakra. It left Sousuke tinged but, still operational, very much operational. It surprised Kaen to know what he was dealing with when it came to the Lord Steward.



Sousuke decided to take a different approach to meeting his sister. Instead of meeting inside his office, it would be outside in the open. Although if it were requested he could indeed take the meeting inside. Lady Kasen was perhaps caught unaware of her new position in Sungakure. Sousuke had mentioned that it was perhaps best that she have a helmet. Head trauma was perhaps one of the more miserable things to deal with. Sousuke sat on a bench working away on parts of the helmet. He needed to figure out measurements and the likes, but that would come when they met face to face instead of his voice feeding into communications like it did during the battle at the Wall.



Sousuke wore a flesh suit for the occasion. He had used the flesh suit a few times to appear more personable. He had added grey hair amongst his purple hair to show that there had been signs of him aging. There was a grey streak along the temples. The Steward wore a singular gold earring on his left ear. He wore other jewelry as well being that he wore a ring on his right hand to showcase his position in the Journeymen. He wore a golden band on his left hand that had the letter Y etched into it. Sousuke had kept quiet about his rekindling of his romance with Sagasu Yume. He wore a pin stripped three piece suit. While he was indeed wearing a flesh suit, he did not conceal his metallic right arm. It was perhaps the most natural thing about him. As he worked on the lenses part of the visor, little needles had popped out of out the tips of his fingertips as he worked about on the lenses. Heat vision and night vision were both useful things to have. The lenses were foldable but they needed to be inserted into the helmet.



He worked seamlessly and was ready for interruptions. Some sparks flew from his side as he worked, but he was unphased and without work. This was a Journeyman at work, and very much the prime Journeyman doing what he did best.

 

[Mienai]

Looking down at the crinkled piece of paper that had been half hazardously scrawled down in a rush, Kasen hurried down some side streets, making her way towards the Kazekage Tower. She wasn't used to heading towards this part of the village. Most of the time she circulated between Sora, the hospital, and the residential districts, but never really towards buildings of importance or government holdings. She had received a message that the Lord Steward wanted to speak with her. She knew that he had apparently spoken to her brother, which was indicative of their family names new status within Suna, but she had yet to properly speak with him. There was just the one time during the battle. The blue haired doctor was not upset in the least about the new title that had been bestowed upon them, but the changes that came with it were all happening so fast and the laid back ocean dweller wasn't sure she was adapting all that quickly. Kaen was taking it incredibly well, but perhaps it just took longer for others to adjust to. Her mind kept circling back to the message, wondering how to greet him, and if she needed to act any particular way. The woman wasn't usually one to hold anxieties, yet in this matter she felt some hesitance. Kasen shook her head. She had been through far worse than a simple conversation. Anyhow, as she drew closer to the location of the tower, she was able hear the distinct sounds of clattering. It drew her attention towards that direction.

There seemed to be a man, one with glorious purple hair with dignified gray patches. It was interesting to see someone else that had unnatural hair color. Her blue hair tended to stick out like a sore thumb in a country full of blondes, brunettes, and redheads. She had initially fit that group until something awoke in her and made her...how she was now. That in itself was another can of worms she needed to look into. Ever since finding those files in the abandoned lab in the frozen wastelands of Water Country, she had not had the time to properly investigate her lineage or potential origins of Kaen's and her source of elemental power.

As she drew closer to the man, she noticed the lavish jewelry he was wearing, accompanied by the expensive looking suit. It was obvious he was a man of wealth, but seeing that he was also crafting something meant he must be incredibly confident in his ability to wear such expensive things while working. Only Journeymen could accomplish such a task. She didn't know much about their ways, having taken the path of being an Oracle, but she knew that there were none that could compete with their handiwork. In his hands, he appeared to be working on a helmet. Kasen tilted her head in curiosity. "That looks like...it would match my armor." She had only worn it the one time in battle, something that Kaen had simply insisted upon, despite her aquatic form, but she understood the desire for precaution.

After analyzing the man, Kasen looked down at herself. She didn't want to overdress for the occasion, but she also felt the need to be slightly formal. Her hair was done to look like messy beach waves, and swayed like the ocean tide when a slight breeze passed through. She wore a pale blue sundress that cut off at her knees, and the skirt had delicate white lacing around the bottom. The dress paired nicely with her sandals. She wore a seashell bracelet on one of her wrists and a shark tooth necklace hung delicately around her neck. Yes, perhaps it all was a bit cliche, but she felt comfortable and it was a nice day for an outing. Shaking her head, Kasen put on her best smile and headed towards him.

"That's a nice helmet you've got there. You know, that reminds me of a funny joke I heard once. What did the Summoner say to their Tsukumogami Helmet when out on a scouting mission?" Kasen paused for a moment, giving the man time to realize that she was now there. "I'll stay here, you go on a head!" Laughing to herself, Kasen awkwardly played with the shells on her bracelet. "Get it? Because...it's a helmet?" Maybe he would find it funny too. Either way, Kasen continue to smile, her good natured self shining through. "Sorry if I'm disturbing you, my name is Kasen. I came to have a visit with the Lord Steward. Do you know where I might find him? I'm afraid I've only seen him a few times from a distance."

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke would roll the helmet for a moment when he heard a voice. He would look up. He would blink for a moment gather the details and head size he needed of Kasen. His working and tinkering hastened. Sousuke’s fingers and digits moved faster than a human ever could. Being the Lord Steward, Sousuke had an idea of what Kasen looked like, but he didn’t have exact proportions for her gear. She spoke to him and even went so far as to tell him a joke. Joke. Alright. That was unexpected. He would in fact snicker at the joke made, but he grew cautious. Laughing was something that could easily tear the skin suit. Snickering was the best thing he could afford at the moment. “Yes. I will have to remember that one to tell my co-workers at the Hall of Hammers.” He remarked. He would finish his work quickly enough. “Oh I get your joke. I do like it.” He would add further.



He would set the helmet down. He would take in Kasen’s details. She wore things that were … symbolic to her powerset? He had observed her using a number of watery techniques. The shark tooth necklace and the seashell bracelet with a blue dress no less. Very oceanic. “Greetings Lady Kasen, the first of her name of the house Shinku.” He spoke. This meeting was already going to very different places from when he met her brother. For one Kasen was not … panicked or having a breakdown that he could observe. The other thing too was that Kasen had arrived casually and not in uniform. Again this was going to be a casual meeting. He would shake his head. “You’re not disturbing me at all … in fact … this is for you.” He would hand her the helmet. It was almost complete. “Give that a try. I don’t think it will fit too snugly.” He was fully expectant of her to put it on. He merely needed to know a few other items to finish the design, but he needed to see that it sat well enough upon her head. “You’re here to see the Lord Steward are you?” He would look about for a moment. “I suppose… I suppose I’ve done a terrible job of being me if I’m not recognizable. Pity that.” His facial expression adopted a slight grimace. “But yes … you are correct you’ve only seen me from a distance, but that was years ago during the Barnyx encounter. I was a younger man back then. I think you are your brother were ... in your teenage years at that point? Feels like a life time ago.”