estoria | but your numbers are dwindling now; (SEMI-OPEN)

Entry tags:

but your numbers are dwindling now; (SEMI-OPEN)

Who:

Sakura & others.
When: December 9 - 10, pretty much everything the day of and after her arrival.
Where: Residential District, Entertainment District, Shopping District, & The Research & Technology District aka pretty much everywhere.
What: Getting used to everything so she's not completely out of her element, Sakura spends the next couple days avoiding sleepovers and spam messages in favor of catching up with those from home.
Rating/Warning: PG13

Feel free to tag any of the open top-levels if you want to develop CR or message me for a closed prompt of your own.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ With most of her supplies diminished due to the war, in her mind first and foremost was the goal of restocking her weaponry. With the housing bill covered for the next few months and both of her companions from home working at a ramen shop, she didn't necessarily need to concern herself with food. This meant she had a fair bit of change to spend on the essentials and having the right tools did everything for a shinobi.

The district was large, but ninja were trained in a variety of skills that made the search easy. Analytic in nature, the process of elimination was simple in Sakura's mind and with the ease of speed instilled in her, the hunt didn't take much time at all. What did take up her time was the amount of weaponry presented. There were things she thought were outdated or prohibited by law, and then there were items she's never seen before in all of her training.

Right now she was occupied with a package of throwing stars, inspecting one thoughtfully before turning to throw it into the wall. Instead of it sticking, it shatters completely due to the amount of strength used behind it and creates a lovely mess of broken metal on the floor. ]

Just as I thought. [ What a piece of junk. ]

[Wow, what a mess. Shirou sighs to himself and cleans up all of the broken pieces like it's no big deal.]

What are you doing? [He doesn't need to ask such an obvious question but he's asking it anyways...]

I was testing the merchandise, but it's all shoddy. Cheaply made. [ She adds that last bit just in case he didn't know what the word meant.

It's habit. Speak to Naruto enough times................. ]

It can't be used in combat or self defense period.

You're putting way too much force into this. [Heavy sigh.]

Are you sure you aren't over doing it?

A little, but I've always used this much force behind the weapons I've used.

[ Sakura explains calmly. ] It might be the process to create and temper them is different in my world than it is here. Are you the one responsible for the merchandise or are you just a sales associate?

I'm just a sales associate. Well, I have other responsibilities but you get the idea.

I'll see what I can do and try to improve this shop's weapon quality. A weapon's no good if it can't be used.

You have that much power despite being a sales associate?

[ It's questionable, but she won't argue it if he says he does. ] Who manufactures it?

I said try. I might not be able to do anything in the end.

They're poorly made so the manufacturer doesn't matter to me. Why are you interested?

[ Sleep doesn't come easy, but then again there's no rest for the weary. Her first night was one of restlessness and in the end, she chose to leave the apartment assigned to her to travel throughout the district, leaping from roof to roof. No matter how much time she devoted to it, how much energy she expended in her exercise, it did nothing to wear her down. The war is over, but the adrenaline still pumps through her veins into a heart that yearns for one who isn't here.

(Of course it does. That will never change.)

Sakura's next night is full of the same. Instead of soaring through the sky, she shuffles along a path on the ground. Mentally she's thousand and thousand of miles away, wondering what had happened to all the lives she touched (saved) and if everything she's heard here is true. Both Naruto and Lee didn't seem all that concerned, yet it was possible they were trying to be strong for her.

Her feet stop once the noise she's filtered out all this time finally reaches her ears. Strange beeps and pitched music surrounds her as she lifts her gaze, taking in the sights. What... was all of this? Technology still is a bit out of her understanding, but she's enclosed completely in it. Panicked (only a bit), she turns to get away as quickly as she can, but instead collides right into a familiar warmth. With the way his arms fall around her, he shields her from her confusion and in turn causes her to regain her senses. ]

You should be asleep, Naruto.

I could say the same thing to ya, you know?

[ There's a bit of a mirth in his voice. Generally Naruto would be ecstatic he's even touching Sakura like this, but that was back when he was an immature brat of a Genin (he still is, but at least he knows now when to not raise his voice now). Still, it's normal, isn't it? Sakura's not the type to go with the flow like he is, and he knows that she must still be torn up from the fate of their world and everything else.

As much as he wants to he knows yelling about it never solves anything, so he just blends in, taking in all the weird events with gusto as he tries to piece together a puzzle. He tries but it's just not enough, and having someone he knows he can rely on for logical puzzles like this helps.

But now's not the time for those kind of conversation, so he does the only thing he knows that could probably cheer her up. ]

I didn't know you're the type to frequent an arcade too, Sakura.

Edited 2015-04-06 01:55 (UTC)

[ She's not, but it isn't as if she can say she was wandering aimlessly. That sort of thing will only alarm him and raise more questions, so she puts on a soft (fake) smile to encourage him that yes, this was the sort of thing she enjoyed in her free time. ]

Wouldn't it be good practice for ViViD? [ The kunoichi asks as she remains still in his arms, her heart racing in fear he'll discover that she's lying. ]

[ Fortunately for Sakura, he can't tell whether her smile is fake or real at this moment, still being a bit caught up by the fact that he's holding her like this. And being a boy, his heart races a tiny bit. ]

I never knew you could dance, Sakura.

[ And while she moves like a graceful dancer in the field, this and that are different things entirely. ]

[ It's something she can feel from his chest to her own when they're like this and though it does little to affect her, she finds a small bit of comfort in it. He's alive and his heart still beats; that's something she made possible. ]

Dance? [ Confusion fills her voice as she lifts her head to look at him, the same dazed look in her eyes. ]

What are you going on about, Naruto?

Didn't ya know?

[ Breaking off the hug, though his right hand now grabs her left hand as he gently tugs her closer to the machine she was staring at. ]

This is a dancing game, you press the arrows to the beat of the music. Easy, right?

Is that really how the people of this colony dance? [ Good thing she's too caught up in studying the machine to point out that they're holding hands. ]

By stepping in place with the arrows on the mat? It explains why the clubs here are so noisy.

Well, kind of! I mean I tend to see guys our age trying a go at completing the 'couple' mode, and they tend to look stylish doing so.

[ ...as for the clubs... ]

And it's sort of a different story for the clubs, to be honest. A long one.

Guys do couple mode together?

[ Isn't that a bit odd? ] There's so much to learn about this world. I won't trouble you to explain what you mean when I can research it on my own.

Guys and girls, actually.

[ Fixing his error, he was about to explain the concept to her even with those words when he realized something even better (not really). ]

Explain? Why do that when we can try it together?

You want to play against me?

[ Not with, but against. It isn't as if Sakura can think of them doing something together as a duo. ]

Let's do it!

[ ...He'll take it to be honest, as he just grins and took his place on the machine. ]

You're on!

[ With the possibilities of useful herbs in the garden, it didn't take Sakura long to set aside time for a visit. While there were many couples strolling through and enjoying the sights, she was clearly traveling alone. Looking beyond the paths at the unfamiliar, but healthy enough foliage at the stuff growing in deeper, her focus isn't to relax. She's here to gather.

When she's not stepping out of the way of others on the path, Sakura can be found doing a number of peculiar things that force her to stand out:

(A) Crossing a large pool of water by walking on top of it. How is she doing it and why aren't there any ripples? She's that good.
(B) Walking up alongside a tree trunk vertically as if it's no big deal. She might even stop mid-climb and wave at someone who calls up to her. What's up? Oh, it's her.
(C) Carefully trimming a plant into a container before she tucks it away in the bag she's brought with her. Might want to stop her before security catches her.

Not that she's too busy to stop and speak with people. There's nothing about her that suggests she's hostile or dangerous, just curious much like a child in a new playground might be. ]

Edited 2015-03-28 09:24 (UTC)

[ ...Well that isn't he's used to seeing. He looks between her and the water, then bends down to touch it. It gives obvious ripples. Huh. ]

How're you doing that?

[ By now it's second nature so she doesn't understand his question until he dips a hand into the water. Then it clicks in her mind, causing her to laugh nervously at the display. Oops. ]

By concentrating chakra to the bottom of my feet to repel the water to keep myself afloat. The skill itself isn't all that difficult to master provided you already have good chakra control. [ It's cool, everyone has chakra and this isn't strange at all. ]

[ He understood like half of that. Or something. ]

Chakra?

[ No, this is totally strange, lady. ]

[ It really is... ] Chakra, you know?

Or maybe you don't. That explains so much about this place.

I have no idea what that is.

So how do you do it?

Do you want me to teach you? [ She's still under the impression that people here can be taught to be shinobi, having not see much to prove otherwise. ]

It'll be difficult since you're old, but with enough hard work you can do anything.

[ O-old? Okay, so he knows he's still alive when he was supposed to die, but he's only 20 years old.

Slightly grumpy now. ]

I'm not sure anymore.

[ Whether unconscious or not, his eyes are trained on Sakura as leisurely strolls up at a ninety-degree angle, her ramrod-straight spine perpendicular with the trunk with an instinctive finesse — something felt rather than seen, something bizarre he can't pinpoint that draws his attention better than the amusement park ever did (although it might've just been the fear talking, as he'd been plenty mesmerized shrieking his head off in the ferris wheel and funhouse, respectively). Coming to a standstill mid-step, Makoto remains stationary, rooted at the spot until she pauses mid-climb to wave, and he takes the opportunity to cup his hands around his mouth and call out to her. ]

... Wow, that's really neat! How did you do that?

[ It's not exactly a helpless shrug, but he affects the nuances of one, head bobbing and eyes blown wide. ]

Are you practicing for a magic show of some sort?

A magic show? [ It's only proper to turn around and address who you speak with so Sakura does that with ease, facing both him and the ground without fear of falling. Nothing here seems to have messed with her abilities too badly, but she'll continue to monitor them in the meantime.

Sakura's quick to raise a hand and wave as a greeting before stepping down. ]

A magic show? Isn't that sort of thing make-believe?

[ He's incredulous as it is, watching her defy the laws of physics with the sweeping ease of a tightrope walker fixed in the art of balance, but he's even more stumped by her complete insouciance. Momentarily fizzling out of nothing but plain bewilderment before his eyes widen considerably as he stares at her feet before refocusing his gaze, like he half-expects her to sprout wings and glide into the air. ]

Wait, you mean you're actually doing that? There aren't any tricks?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

but your numbers are dwindling now; (SEMI-OPEN)

❀ WEAPONS SHOP; closed to shirou emiya

walks in 5 years late with starbucks

you beat eq that's all that matters

i did it....

now it's my turn to be late with starbucks lmao what has this month been

too much hiatus not enough tags

pretty much tbh

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✿ CERES GAME CENTER; closed to naruto uzumaki

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❀ CERES GARDENS; open to anyone

a!

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b!

sorry for the delay I went on hiatus shortly after this post :(

nbd!! pick-up/drop as necessary, i hope your hiatus went well