7045/A Turtle and a Tanuki Talk by the Train Tracks

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A Turtle and a Tanuki Talk by the Train Tracks
Date of Scene: 22 July 2021
Location: An abandoned subway stop on an active line
Synopsis: Leonardo comes upon Owari while the kunoichi is slaying a small whisper of ninjas. Approaching her after she's wrapped up the fight the two of them have a talk about tradition and possible connections that could be made.
Cast of Characters: Chizue Nakamura, Leonardo




Chizue Nakamura has posed:
    "Utility stop 17B" wasn't the sort of subway station people ever got off on, even when it was new it was never much but a quiet place to store spare utilities. These days it's caged off with a expanse of chain link that's long since been cut through. It's an excellent place to hack into the telephone network at least, as the racks of old copper lines strung from the ceiling haven't been checked in years. It's also an excellent place to break into other utility service tunnels if that's your fancy. Tonight though, it's proved an exemplary place for the Hand to find their end.

    There are no less than seven of the dark clad figures left laying in heaps, many of which carry the trademarks of that -other- Ninja Interest in NYC. Tiny glass shuriken thrown with considerable force into hands and faces, no real signs of a proper two way fight. One poor soul lies in two heaps against the wall. Bisected cleanly from hip to shoulder into halves, his half drawn ninja-to sliced just as cleanly lay nearby.

    Owari hadn't set off just yet, as the poor fools had disrupted actual cyber-ninja stuff. Namely the tapping of phone lines, so she sits just as casual as can be atop a utilities box. Hands busy above her head, sliding the wire-tap through dense packs of cable until it slips into just the right place with a barely audible little -beep- to let her know it's made contact.

Leonardo has posed:
Leonardo was about to start a nightly rooftop run when, during his approach to Utility Stop 178, he heard the sounds of combat. During the heat of the battle's end he quietly left the tracks and their risk of train derailment (and death!) and observes the rest of the fight from the shadows.

Following the fight Leo remains in the shadows, watching the kunoichi as she begins to do her cyber attack. Deciding to approch this woman, recognized from a once shared encounter by one of his brothers, the turtle sneaks to an entry panel which he taps to cause it to resonate like an industrial gong though the area creating the illusion of his having just arrived though it. Standing ready but not threatingly and empty handed he then waits to see Owari's reaction.

Chizue Nakamura has posed:
    "Another turtle."Comes the immediate response, delivered in a digitized growl. Slowly she drops from the cable packs to the ground below, silently but of course. What look like black high tops, neat matte black leggings with a single reinforced knee pad. That waist length Poncho makes the rest somewhat difficult to make out, but the trademarks are on full display at least. A pair of swords sheathed at her hip, made from what for all the world looks like it might glass of all things. Then of course is that mask, a neat polygonal tanuki affair that flares to life in a rush of color. An entirely digitized length of a bright yellow scarf flapping in the non-existant breeze at a steady 24 frames per minute.

    "I was wondering when I might run into another one of you."Slowly she straightens up, before offering a slow bow. "I am the Kunoichi known as Owari, of the Haga Clan. Enemy of all outlaw calling themselves Ninja, a pleasure to meet you of course."And slowly rising, as the rest of that suit comes to life. Rendering her figure in sweet pixelated twenty four frames, albeit a far more colorful Tanuki themed Ninja. Nevermind the derpy tongue, or the strobing Xs where her "eyes" should be.

Leonardo has posed:
Leonardo nods and steps away from the wall. His own swords are clearly visible on his back in their scabbards and there are kunai visible on the straps of his kit. His eyes appear white against the blue of his mask and he smiles.

"We're around," Leo says confirming that he is aware of the meeting his brother had with Owari. "Greetings, Owari. I'm Leonardo. Donnie's my brother." He pauses a moment before asking, "And your opinion of non-outlaw ninjas, Owari of the Haga Clan?"

Chizue Nakamura has posed:
    "You have not pledged fealty to the Emperor, but you are not of Japan. You practice sacred arts, but do so in good will."She offers a little shrug. "Starting a Ninja clan without permission is an issue, but you've never to my knowledge used your sacred arts for ill gain. So I do not consider you outlaw, nor do I presume any back home would consider you outlaw. Unregulated is perhaps a better word, if that makes some sort of sense?"

    Cocking her head off to one side, though that gaze never quite departs Leonardo. "I am here to slay every last outlaw who draws breath, you are not an outlaw. So I do not consider you my enemy. It's fairly straight forward, and your brother spoke well on your behalf. As far as my clan is concerned, you are a matter to be discussed diplomatically when this current unpleasant business is decided."

Leonardo has posed:
"Well, as I understand you and we share an enemy, so at least in that case we are friends to a degree," Leo responds as he processes the details of her statements. "Our connection to any traditional ninja groups are tenuous and decidely indirect," he explains, "But the story is best told by our..." a momentary pause as he decides on the best word to use, "... Sensei. Not that I couldn't but, it is more his story than mine to tell."

Chizue Nakamura has posed:
    "Colleages is more like it maybe, friends is a little chummy."She offers another little shrug, before letting her gaze wander to the heaped bodies for a moment. "We're all just genetic freaks killing rogue Ninja at the end of the day, right?"and with that, she proceeds to plop down onto the ground exactly where she stands. Crossing her legs before hunching forward to tug her backpack free, and with it that ultra light weight bento box of hers.

    "Your story is your own, I'm hardly here to interrogate you. The details of your situation are important sure, but that's a discussion to have with somebody far above my station."She cracks that little box open, before tossing a neat prepacked red bean cake towards Leonardo. "At the end of the day, I'm just here for the violence, the hacking and the theft."

Leonardo has posed:
Leo avoids tisking at the apparent lack of education illustrated by the shrug and statement it accompanied. He also grimaces at the term freak.

"I'll admit to being an unusual being but 'freak' is a bit harsh, especially embracing it about yourself," Leo says as he steps closer, stopping a bit less than two yards from where Owari is sitting and lowers himself to the ground as well, adjusting his blades as he crosses his legs similarly as well. "We are the enemy of the Foot. They and we effectively have a blood feud dating back to before I could stand on two legs. At the same time, however, our training can be directly traced back to them." He has given this information freely and waits for her reaction.

Chizue Nakamura has posed:
    "Once upon a time all was well with all the Ninja clans, but well before my time as well there was a disagreement of sorts. The first was actually my clan, not the Hand or the Foot clan."She lifts a hand to pluck that polygonal mask free with an audible little click, before setting the thing delicately aside. Beneath lies the armored helmet, it's faceplate decorated with the haga clan's crest but the rest seems to have been attacked with sharpie'd graffiti. "We decided the gods were too controlling, and true Shinobi was about self determination. So we abandoned the gods, and they abandoned us. For awhile we were a sort of Rogue, nobody quite knew what to do about us."

    And with a hiss of pressure she parts that faceplate with a curtain of fog and a vague hint of ozone and adrenaline, that faceplate lifting just enough to clear her mouth without making her face visible. Bathed in multicolored lights never the less."In time things were resolved and we joined with our other clans to serve the emperor. Outlaw isn't a repudiation of what the hand or the foot once were, manly were pure of heart and died bravely to protect their lords. I honored their secret graves back home as frequently as I did any others."

Leonardo has posed:
"I figured that the Hand and the Foot couldn't have begun the way they are now," Leo observes in response. He watches as the mask opens up and then says, "People have thought we were masks..." he laughs for a moment and continues, "... and of course we do, but its just these simple bandanas. The first fight we had on the surface was some punks who thought we were people wearing masks and costumes." He then asks, "So, you're saying that the Haga is a purer clan than either of the extremities?"

Chizue Nakamura has posed:
    "We're the wierd ones who kept it in bounds."She offers, cracking open that Bento box and retrieving a thermos from her pack. "We have no mystical connection what so ever, all our techniques are trickery."She pours, oh hey green tea into a little mug which she offers over casually. "We couldn't rely on mystical enhancements, so we turned to science. I may not look it, but I don't think I could ever be called "Human" genetically speaking. So yeah, freaks. You think the Tanuki mask is just for play?"

    "As for the Hand and foot, yeah they were noble clans once upon a time. I'm not sure what madness ate them up, but they killed the head of the Haga clan a few generations back before fleeing Japan. So you could say we have a beef."And a pause as she takes a sip of her own mug. "But I'm trying to make it clear, you would not be shunned by the clans."

Leonardo has posed:
"Maybe we're shunning the clans we know," Leonardo says calmly while watching her preparing her food. "Science... yeah, that's a thing," he says and then says, "We're mostly tricks and physique. And a little mysticism but nothing major." He's sincere in his statements but it is clear he's withholding information. Numbers specifically. Nothing sinister, just secretive.

Chizue Nakamura has posed:
    "You're not shunning, you're simply not contacting. It's not as if they've gone out of their way to contact you either, I'm hardly here for diplomatic purposes of course."Theres a little shrug there. "What I'm saying is, perhaps you should consider making yourselves known to the clans back home."Sipping after that tea. "You would I expect be welcomed back home in Japan, and you likewise might benefit from reconnecting with where your traditions originate."

Leonardo has posed:
"That's an interesting suggestion," Leo says as he stands back up and bows respectfully to Owari without lowering his line of sight away from her. After the bow, and adjusting his swords he steps closer to the tracks just as the sound of an approaching train can be heard. "I think that's my ride," he says right before the noise becomes overwhelmingly loud and the train flickers and rumbles by.

As the last car enters the opening he turns away from the other ninja and he jumps just in time to catch a bar built into the back of it. The last sight of him that Owari would see is a polite salute with his free hand before he begins to climb up to the top of the trailing car which then disappears into the tunnel and the turtle ninja is gone.