The Heirs of Winter [Becca/Itari]

Itari had some trouble reaching the Shogunate. Not just a bit of trouble, but a lot of it. He first needed to sneak away from his clansmen, making up a story about hunting his first shinobi. His family knew the importance and sanctity of one's first kill, they understood that it could take days, even weeks, to find the right mark and then to eliminate them in just the right way. That had bought him enough time to travel to the Shogunate to meet his cousin. He had a harder time finding transportation, especially without a scrap of Xel to his name. He had to hitch rides on several caravans to get to the nearest port, then he needed to stowaway aboard a ship. From there it took him to the Shogunate and he found his way to his cousin's home. It was in Sheol and whenever he even mentioned the names "Rebecca Toketsu" or "Jasmine Kukironite" he would get pointed in the right direction. Everyone knew them, it would seem. He supposed that was to be expected, seeing as his sister was probably the most successful merchant alive and her wife was the woman who singlehandedly armored the Shogunate.

When he reached the house that had been lead to, he had to say he wasn't surprised. He had been expecting a large house and they delivered. He looked down at himself and he felt like he was severely under-dressed. He wore a simple shirt, pants and sandals with a black hooded cloak in order to cover his face. It didn't really matter if people saw what he looked like, since they didn't know him, but he thought it looked cool and mysterious. He took a deep breath and walked to the door, his cloak whispering as it swept the ground. He reached the front door and knocked upon it firmly. He was here and there was no turning back now.

Rebecca had spent all day in their living room, or at least something which once resembled one. The couches and tables had all been pushed aside to the walls and the room was filled with rolled in whiteboards filled with equations, boxing her in the middle besides a single small one meter gap to the hallway. When the door knocked she signed, throwing the marker into a small case and heading to see who it was that disturbed her during a critical stage in her calculations. When the door opened, Bec would be standing there in her drop crouch sweatpants and a plain white wife-beater, accompanied by glasses and her bright pink hair tied back into a ponytail. Needless to say, he wasn't exactly underdressed, this was a home, not an office. She'd look over the boy trying to figure out who he was, definitely not a client, the young clients are all richie rich types or completely drugged up. And he sure as hell didn't look like her Toketsu cousin she was expecting, I mean pink hair was highly abnormal for the clan but that was only due to her mothers Red, but any type of dark colour...She's never heard of it before.

"Can I help you, kid?" She'd say, wondering what he was trying to sell. Probably some orphanage donation event. 'Children of War, there parents fought for you, now you can fight for them'. Geez she always hated donators, people just giving their stuff away for free. The people receiving will never learn to stand up on their own two feet otherwise, always needing to rely on freebies...

Itari pulled his hood back and fluffed out his hair, because it was starting to flatten to his scalp. He liked his hair with some volume. One of the many vanities he enjoyed. He also possessed a number of jewelry decorated with various kinds of snowflakes and white flowers. He thought that would be a bit too much for a meeting with someone he had never even seen before in his life. He looked up at his cousin though, his eyes the classic glacier blue of the Toketsu clan. He wondered if that alone would be able to denote his heritage, though he assumed that his cousin had met many people with similar colored eyes "Hello, cousin." He gave a small smile and a rather shaky chuckle "They told me your hair was pink but now that I see it in person, it's rather...vibrant. It fits your aesthetic though. Makes your eyes stand out in contrast."

He glanced behind her quickly into her home, not wanting to be rude by outright staring. Beyond her seemed to be a spacious...living room? Or at least something like one. He looked back to her "I'm Itari, as you must have guessed by now." He fingered the snowflake clasp of his cloak a bit, drawing his mind back to his vanity. Sometimes he wasn't really able to help himself, but that was mostly with the smaller luxuries. He shook himself from his musings to look at Rebecca "May I come in?"

When he pulled back the hood it all became very clear, he must be a bit unsure of his sexuality. But no matter, there is no judgement here, I mean who is Becca to comment on such a thing, well at least he looks like a Toketsu now. "Aye. I'm beautiful and whatnot. Come on in." She'd say before turning and walking back down the hallway and into the livingroom, which most certainly isn't the only room in the house. She would give a half arsed tour on the way. "Bathroom is that way if you need to go, don't go upstairs, only go in the workshop if someone is with you. This is the living room but right now its not very livable." She would immediately pick up her marker and resume her formulating which was titled "Chemical x74z8: Liquidated Substance". Even she doesn't quite know what that means yet, but she will, when she invents it. "Try to avoid touching any of the whiteboards, I've been working on this for about 73 hours." Aye, yes, she is very tired right now, but sleeping on solid land isn't easy once you've been at sea for so long.

"So, little cousin, welcome to my home. Jasmine is currently in her smith, probably asleep on the floor so I doubt you'll meet her today." As she spoke, she began to scribble down a heap of algebra, followed by Elemental abbreviations. "I've probably got your Xel lying around somewhere, but before we get to that, tell me a bit about yourself."

Itari followed her inside, closing the door behind them to be polite. He listened to her...less than helpful tour. He doubted he would know what or where the workshop was until he stumbled upon it. Not going upstairs was easy enough, though he might have trouble finding the bathroom, only because of that workshop warning. He decided that he would hold it if he did need to go. She looked at the large whiteboard and read through the beginning of the formula, but he couldn't understand a lick of it. He looked from Rebecca to what she was writing and came to the conclusion that she was extremely intelligent, if not a genius. A genius who apparently didn't need sleep "73? In a row? Are you sure you don't need a rest?" He would ask her, trying to keep his voice neutral. They weren't that close, so he didn't think concern for her well being was appropriate to show at the moment. After all, emotions are weakness within the eyes of his clan.

When asked about himself, Itari gave a pause. He wasn't really acting...like himself right now. He was being nicer, because he didn't want to offend his cousin. But that was seeming less and less likely, as she was a bit detached, if anything. So the truth here, would suffice "Well, I am not sure whether you mean my personality or battle capabilities but they're both relevant. For personality, I guess one would describe me on a normal day as cold. I was raised to think I was better than most so I act as such. I find nothing wrong with that, but people tend to be offended. " He shrugged a bit, a simple dismissive gesture, before continuing "As for combat, stealth is where I shine. I have a number of techniques to focus on that, centered in our clan's Ice Release as well as Water and Wind Release. I am an aspiring assassin, so stealth and espionage is paramount above all." He turned his eyes up to the ceiling a bit in order to think. He then looked back at Rebecca with a nod "That's me in a nutshell, unless you wanted to know about my childhood."

"Nope, I made something which allows me to stay healthy whilst awake for long periods of time, so long as I avoid too much physical activity." Finally she would turn around to face him, removing her glasses and placing it on the thin marker holder on the nearest whiteboard. "I already know your childhood. My brother told me briefly. You seem to fit the general clan attitude to the letter, which is both annoying an relieving." With a general 'follow' motion, she would lead Itari into the kitchen area, where there was a dining table. It was there that she would sit down, ready for a proper talk about how the world really works and what he'll be doing. "Sit, rest for a bit, I need to explain a few things to you, little cousin." Already on the table in front of her was an envelope and a small Xel bag. "The fact that I'm not proud nor fond of our clan is quite obvious, I assume you know that. I left when I was 12, and despite the fact that I look so young and beautiful, I am nearing my 30s. I have spent far longer in the real world, then I have associated with that clan and there is a lot that I have learnt. So understand that when I tell you this, I don't mean for it to insult you, I'm just want you to avoid the situations that mentality got me into." She would pause for a moment, but wouldn't break eye contact once. "You aren't better then shit. Toketsu is a second rate clan with no faction or clan alliances to speak of, the members are pretty much unknown and have little impact on anything. Even as mercenaries, your work is lining thin. The was once the soul of Dipugaruke and among some of the most influential shinobi, even now as a clan heir, your value is no greater then any child born with the name Kukinorite, or Bishamon, or Kurogane."

Rebecca would sit upright, her eyes never wavering and her posture never slumping. She was confident in her words, that much was obvious. "I suppose I am being rude, but I've had experiences you will hopefully never have. I thought i was better then the world because of who I was, where I came from and what i was doing. It landed me in prison getting raped. Its a harsh reality, but it was my reality and the sooner you realise that, the sooner you can change it. Right now you are nobody, trying to act like somebody, building yourself up when you have no foundations." She would slide across the cash he was after before continuing. "You have the  potential to be better then most, that is how you should have been bought up. I had the potential, now I am better then most. Work towards it with the right mindset, and you'll get there too." She would slide over the envelope next. "While working for me, you'll be meeting people who are very important, very wealthy and very much successful. My clients, my partners and my competitors, all accomplished in what they do. Learn from them, and listen to them. You'll realise that none of them started better then most. You're going to deliver that letter for me to someone in Haka. They'll have a job for you. This man is one of the best merchants in that land and will be a good contact to keep when your Clan Head. But for now eat, rest, leave tomorrow. If you need anything come and ask me." Honestly, Becca thought she was a little hard of the kid, but she was trying her best to be nice. It hasn't been easy, considering the past four years but...Well he needed it. When she was his age, she did.

Itari listened intently to what Becca said. While he carried himself with the air of someone more important than anyone he came across, he never ignored anyone with sage advice. And Rebecca looked like she had more than a little bit to share. He didn't even touch the bag of Xel, he just listened to his cousin. When she was done he looked away from her, not at anything in particular, just away. He took a deep breath before speaking, as if that would pull in all of his thoughts and organize them "There was a woman, near my home, that said something along the same lines. I was young at the time and my mother told me to pay her no mind, so I didn't." He looked at her and his eyes were glittering, whether it was because there were tears gathering in his glacier blue orbs or whether it was because he was feeling so strongly one couldn't really tell "She said that the clan used to be a pillar that held an unstoppable village up, and when that village fell we thought we were strong enough to stand on our own. But we aren't. We fell and now we are among the common!" He was speaking fast, showing a deep fanaticism that wasn't at all apparent before "Our name used to command respect and fear but now it gets nothing but silence! I want to return our clan to our former glory and to do that I need to be one of, if not the best!" By the time he said all of this he was breathing hard, requiring him to catch his breath so that he could start talking again.

Itari waited a moment to wipe his face as well, once he noticed that tears were trickling down his cheeks. He wasn't sad or upset, just extremely passionate about this "The ideal of myself being better than everyone else is partly based on me being raised on that and partly because I think that how you carry yourself is what you become." He fingered the pouch of Xel before taking it and placing it in his pocket. He then looked at Rebecca and gave her a smile "I guess that is why I came to you. You are one of the few of our clan to have reached great notoriety. I knew, or at least hoped, you could send me in the right direction. It would seem I was right. I took the correct first steps in returning our clan to glory, no?" He chuckled a bit and took the envelope, placing it in a pocket in his cloak. He nodded at her and stood stretching a bit. He was thinking of turning to leave when he remembered that he had no idea how to get around in this place "Where will I be staying? If you don't mind my asking. I don't wanna accidentally stumble into the workshop and get drenched in some experimental chemical that turns me into a hybrid spider or something..."

Rebecca smirked at his last comment, though she appeared relatively unfazed by its predecessor words. "You're more likely to turn into a drug addict than a spider. But I'll show you to our guest room. It's a bit small, but I doubt you'd know that." Standing, Rebecca would once again lead him down the hallway and through a left into a new room entirely. It was fitted with two walk in wardrobes, its own lounge and entertainment area, bedding, two beside tables, a work space and a private bathroom. "The workshop is just next door, so every now and then you might hear Jasmine smithing something. I'll be in the lounge room if you need me, i suspect I'll be there all night. The walking heater that you may see running around will likely make us dinner at around 7." And with that, I think mostly everything is done and dusted. "Oh, and I shouldn't need to remind you that the envelope you hold...Its not to be opened by anyone except its recipient. Including yourself. Anything else?" She would stand in the doorway, looking slightly tired but still awake enough to be fully aware and alert, it seems tomorrow morning will be her 24 hour crash out period.

Itari looked around the room with wide eyes before turning back to Rebecca "If this is small, I would absolutely love to see big." He said in awe before walking over to the bed and flopping down face first. All the exhaustion from the last few days seemed to hit him like a Zinogre. He gave his cousin a thumbs up when asked if he needed anything else, signaling his contentedness. He was soon washed away by the black tide of sleep. He woke up who knows how long later to a plate beside his bed. Dinner apparently. He ate it before nodding back off to sleep. Dreams of winter and all thing cold, serene and beautiful danced in his mind. It was the first time in a long time that he dreamed anything but darkness.

~~~~~~~

When he woke up the sun was shining into the guest room. He made his way from the room to the lounge area Rebecca had turned into a project space. He found he passed out on the floor with a pillow under her head and a red robe draped over her form. He shook his head, though with a smile. He could admire her passion and dedication. He walked to the door and opened it before slipping on his cloak and closing the door. He moved away from the house quickly, heading on his way to Haka.

[Exit]

OOC: Haha double posts FTW

[Entrance]

Itari was once more within the Shogunate, but this time he was allowed. Rebecca had pulled some strings and gotten him a sort of pseudo-citizenship. He could enter as long as he was going to visit her, and he could not "harass" the actual civilians of the Shogunate. He didn't have a problem with this though, as he had no business with them. Only his cousin. He walked up those steps leading to her house once more and knocked on the door like he had all those years ago. He had changed a bit since then. His hair had grown and his body was progressively becoming ice, like all Toketsu are bound to do. But he was still Itari. He had made little contact with his cousin outside a few jobs she had him do, but for this one he thought a visit would be good. So he was here.

Becca has been at it for a few days now, in the process of writing up another formula for a small device based pulse that can act as a stimulant for Cyphers and other poison/drug resistant yoroi descendants. It was hard to say the least, never been done before and almost zero prior research to go off. Not to mention the lack of volunteers coming her way at the moment, but then again, I suppose you'd need to go out for that. Anyway the point here is that she's got big bags under her eyes and hasn't slept for way to long. As she answered the door, she'd been seen in the same, overly casual attire that Bec was repping the first time they met, all messy and crazy scientist mode. "Ah, its little Itari! Looking all mature and shit." She was genuinely happy to see her cousin for a number of reasons, firstly because he's been growing on her over the years, secondly because he's practically replaced her now deceased brother and finally, because she needs something done. Should would turn around with a come in motion before walking into her crazy ass whiteboard lounge room which was even more crowded then before, with around 3 rows of whiteboards now instead of just one going around the room. "You're growing quite handsome, Iti, now that the baby face is leaving. Bet you're getting heaps of attention from the girls now, huh?"

Itari also gave his cousin a genuine smile in return. She had become like the big sister he never had. Most people would look at Becca as she was now and demand she got some good rest and food in her, but Itari knew that she could handle much and more. He also knew that he was liable to get something thrown at his head for interrupting one of her experimenting binges. He followed her and let his eyes flick over the whiteboard. Over the past years, he had gotten used to her rather cramped and scratchy writing, as he was now able to make out the notes she had written on her many boards. Some seemed like nonsense, but others gave obvious indication that she was onto...something. He turned to listen to her as she spoke and gave a small scoff at the mention of how he was aging well "Not a lot of them do, no. And when it does happen, I tend to make a hasty exit. In these past few years, I have found that my tastes lay in men, rather than women. The elders keep pestering me to pick a bride for when I enter my place, so that I can make an heir as soon as possible. They will be sad to know that I most likely will not be having any." He gave a small sigh and eyes roved around the room for a bit before settling back on his cousin, his voice softening from his usual professional lilt to something more casual, like he was speaking to someone he loved dearly "You have another job for me, Becca?"

"Ohhh, congratulations on discovering your sexuality. Be sure you don't tell me father though, he definitely doesn't approve." She would flash a smile thinking about Jasmine. Now that really pissed off her parental figures, it was amazing to see. In any case, she would turn around and face him as he asked for the next job. "Aye, i've got another job for you. But first I need to know how loyal you are. This is my more...shady type of business. Do you understand? I don't want to involve you in anything that makes your uncomfortable or upsets your morals or whatever. So, if you catch my drift, do you wanna hear more, or take on a more stable and legitimate task for me?" She would try to smile in a nice, comforting way, but it came kind of half assed. I mean its not everyday you try to corrupt your own cousin into committing murder. "Oh, by the way, do you want some coffee? I just got some imported from an old contact in Pandora. Turns out they have the best coffee beans, believe it or not. Fucking delicious."

Itari looked at his cousin for a long moment before speaking "I will make sure your father isn't informed. As for that shady business..." He trailed off and looked at the nearest board, thinking. Was he willing to do darker things for his cousin? She supported him a great deal and would be an invaluable asset when it came to securing power for his clan. But this went a bit deeper. They had grown close over the past few years and Itari could honestly say he loved his cousin, much more than he loved a great deal of his family. That was sad, when one thought on it, but such was life. He would do a lot for Becca, even if she didn't feel it was right to corrupt him. He looked back at her and gave a nod "I want to hear more, yes. I would do much for you, Becca." At the mention of coffee, he perked up immediately. When he first started visiting his cousin, he hadn't encountered the drink. After one cup he was hooked, but his clan refused to purchase it for him on a regular basis "I would fucking love a cup of coffee. Our bloody clan only drinks tea. Tea, tea and more fucking tea. I am frankly sick of it. I am surprised we are made of ice and not thrice damned tea." He sighed a bit. He didn't like cursing a lot, but sometimes he couldn't find better words to fit "I'll be needing a large mug, love."

Rebecca would nod, feeling a mixture of relief and guilt both at the same time. Of course, she didn't want to involve her young cousin in this dark world, but at the same time, she needed someone with his ability that could be trusted entirely. To commit to the deeds that her regular assassins and corrupt mercenaries weren't generally available for. There was also that nagging back of the mind thought that kept pressing its way through, telling her that in the end, who really gives a fuck. Her pirate days are long behind her, yet regaining the normal emotions that most people live with has been a fairly slow process. While heading into the kitchen and making their coffee's, she would continue to explain. "We'll its not really a secret that I'm involved in a few...not so legal trades. And the problems that come from these industries generally require...not so legal actions." She would begin stirring their coffee's before handing one to her cousin. It was perfectly heated for a Toketsu, slightly above room temperature, rather than the usual TOUNGE MELTING HOT. "Long story short, a part of my history before we met has come back to bite me in the ass. It may be a little shocking, but I was a pirate for awhile, and one of my former crew mates has figured out who I am and how much wealth I have. He's demanding Xel in return for keeping quiet about my past. A lot of Xel. I need him dead."

Itari took his mug of coffee and took an appreciative sip, savoring the taste. The cold of his skin was beginning to cool it from it's slightly hot state rapidly. It was the curse of his clan: doomed to forever have cold drinks. It would be ice coffee within minutes "If he is threatening you, consider him a dead man walking." When he said this, his voice was dark. He didn't have many people he cared about, but when he did care he cared a lot. Anyone who threatened someone he loved was liable to find themselves an icicle before long "I'll need his name and location, of course. As well as any information on his skill set or guards he may have at this time. If you know these things, that is. If you don't, well, going in a bit blind is always a fun affair."

Well her young cousin seemed to be quite enthusiastic, to say the least. Must say, it's great to see, especially since this was more a morality test than anything else.  The real targets will start rolling in when this dumb fuck had been dealt with. "I don't know what he calls himself these days, bank when we were sailing together, he was going by Bucky Bengimen. As for the where, i told him we were to meet a week from now further in county. It's a pretty secluded spot, but expect him to bring a friend or two, he's a sneaky bastard." Becca would take another sip from hey coffee, trying to down it before it began freezing up. "As for his fighting style, generally sword work, nothing as intricate as a samurai's style, more wildetails.  But he doesn't play fair, one ic the dirtiest fighters I've ever seen." Back when they were on the same side, those old tricks were welcomed, often even humorous, but not so much on the receiving end. "If you want, I can his up a mercenary to go along with you, just so you aren't out numbered or anything like that. I don't want you to be in danger after all."

Itari thought for a moment. He was decently skilled, for how much he had been slacking on training recently. He could definitely handle this "Bucky" she described, but he may have some hired arms defending him. That could prove...problematic. He took another sip of his coffee and nodded to his cousin "Someone to assist me would be much appreciated. I may be a force to be reckoned with, but there is only so much a person can do when numbers are not on their side." He brought the coffee back to his lips, this time taking a large, yet elegant, gulp. It was cooling more and more and he dreaded the thing emptying. Him getting coffee was a rare treat, after all "Someone that fits well with my skillset, mind you. Stealth is my main priority. A target cannot defend against you if they do not know where you are. Kenjutsu may help. I am heavy on Ninjutsu and Shurikenjutsu, so someone close range would tip the scales a bit. Do you know anyone?"

Hmm, someone who relies on close range Kenjutsu. Well there was that one drunkard genius in Pandora, but the last thing we need right now is any time of association with that faction. At least not until its future becomes a little more clear and a little less threatening. "Well, besides the Toketsu clan, the common clan based specialised mercenaries are from the Bishamon, Mishura, Arashi and the... Mikaboshi. I could put in a kenjutsu specialist request for any of them if you'd like. Of course I could find a stand alone mercenary, but without the clan behind it, they can be a bit unreliable ethically. I've been ripped off in the past." She would smile casually despite the bad memory of that one asshole who ran off with her money, not that it was really a big deal, but its the principal of it that's annoyingly bothersome. Needless to say, the man was permanently put out of a job.

Itari mulled over the names of the clans thought of the benefits of each, as well as the drawbacks, before he spoke "A Bishamon would be detrimental to my ability to cool the area, so they are out. Mikaboshi are...dark, I would rather not be working alongside one of them so soon. The Arashi or Mishura would be a good bet I think. If I recall correctly, don't the Arashi possess a form of their Storm Release that makes snow storms? That would be a good pair I think. Could you put in a request that specific? If not, a Mishura will do just fine." He drank down the rest of his coffee and gave a sigh at the emptiness of the cup. It had been great while it lasted, he supposed.

Rebecca would finish her tea, taking it over to the sink and rinsing it briefly before turning back to her young cousin. "I'm currently working out a large contract with the Arashi. If they want my business, they'll definitely take specific requests. The arashi clan have numerous assassin based members and branches now, so finding one specialising in close range shouldn't to too difficult either." She would ponder this for a moment, her eyes lost focus briefly as the thoughts rushed through their cycle. "I'll send out a letter tonight and get you a specific date and location by the morning. In the meantime, I've been meaning to talk to you about the Toketsu as well. How much sway do you have with the clan at the moment?" The banks are becoming bigger and bigger targets, more organisations and businesses are moving their money over and bandits are getting impatient. Obviously she needed more security and clans were a solid start in that direction.