004 🏹 | Drinks, Bows & Nonsense

[dragonsmark]

🏹 01. Early Evening Drinks

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[For those who are old enough to come into a bar, they may find Hanzo seated alone, a setup of sake sitting in front of him as he peers down at the cup full of the clear liquid in his hand. It's been an introspective night for him, now that he's had some time to think about a few of the arrivals from his home— most particularly his brother, Genji. For the most part it has resulted in Hanzo withdrawing from most social interaction, trending towards more introspective moments like this. It's almost as if a heavy cloud has settled around him, but it's not one that he's going to very easily open up about.

Instead, if someone approaches the bar where he's currently seated, he scoots over to make room for them, a slight nod coming from his direction to otherwise acknowledge their presence. He doesn't say much more before throwing back the rest of what's in his cup.]

Another, please. [he requests from the bartender, since he's almost out of his favored drink.]


🏹 02. Old Fashioned Bows

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[With everything in the works storefront wise, Hanzo has taken some time to play around with a more old fashioned bow, made of mostly wood and metals. He's currently stringing the bow and being rather meticulous about it, seated at a bench near one of the many parks in Nova City. He's in a fairly good mood, all things considered, so approaching him might even wind up in a conversation rather than a glare and dismissal.

Once he finishes stringing the bow he turns to bits of metal he intends to carve into arrow heads. Apart from th It's a hard job but one he finds rather relaxing in the repetitive nature of it. Should someone approach at this point he won't notice them at first, his attention focused on the task at hand. That is, unless they make a noise or touch him, then in that case he will whirl around and fit them with a sour or irritated glance, depending on just how much of his personal space has been invaded...]

Do you mind?

🏹 03. Wildcard

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[[you know how these work, hit me if you've got an idea that you'd rather do! If you want, hit me up on discord or pp me on plurk if you wanna plot. I'm easy.]]

Comments

1. Early Evening Dranks

[youfool]

[Ted's old enough for bars! He doesn't look the part, but he is. The Bartender signals acquaintance with the young-looking man with a snort and a nod.]

Hello, have you any-

"No."

Ah.

[Bars are a good source to get information on troublemakers, and not much else, for Ted could never acquire a taste for anything alcoholic. But he could use a repose, so he'll take a seat anyway. It'd probably be polite to pay for something.]

You've cranberry juice, I hope?

[The bartender nods. For most men, that would be an embarrassing thing to ask. Ted knows no shame. He knows the look of the man he's seated next to, but the name's never been given. That and the navel-gazing look in his eye excites his extroverted impulse like no tomorrow.]

Hah, good evening, sir. I'm Ted. That's an interesting tattoo you have, Mr...

[dragonsmark]

[Cranberry juice? Hanzo rolls his eyes, the expression mostly shadowed in the bar. But, then he is addressed directly and Hanzo turns his body to glance at the blonde man.]

Shimada. Hanzo Shimada. [He frowns.] Is there a purpose in these questions?

2.

[astralera]

[ Even in Xistentia it wasn't common for Era to see someone aside from her, Aymeric, or Estinien using a bow. Everyone else had been from more modern worlds, and thus tended to favour guns over blade or bow. In Genessia the more 'old fashioned' weapons she was accustomed to seemed more common, though only in the city of Fayren so far.

So seeing a bow of wood and metal in such a (discomfitingly) futuristic city wasn't something Era would have ever entertained the idea of. But here she is, wandering one of the parks of Nova City and confronted with the sight of a man carving what appear to be arrow heads. It's not something she herself has done much of - every now and then she crafts arrows en masse, but it's facilitated by the use of crystals and specialized abilities. More often she simply buys them in bulk if she doesn't just create arrows directly from her immeasurable aether reserves.

She can't recall seeing someone take their time and carve each arrowhead one at a time with naught but a small tool.

Her fascination draws her closer to the man without her realizing it - at least until he snaps at her. She jolts, hand moving to her waist on reflex though she aborts the movement before she can draw a weapon. Instead she offers a polite bow. ]

My apologies.

[ Of course once she's standing upright again Era's attention immediately returns to the arrow the man is crafting, occasionally drifting to the bow resting nearby.

She should go. But she really would like to stay and watch. Her tail sways gently behind her, tip perked with her interest. For all its similarities to a Dravanian or reptilian tail it certainly manages to express her emotions more like a cat's, if not a bit more subdued. ]

[youfool]

[It's good for you, Mr. Judgy Jason. Hanzo's frown is met with its upside down, comical counterpart.]

Certainly: should you ever become unscrupulous enough to hunt down, I'd have a face and a name.

[Apparently the sweet tat is off limits until he raises his social link a bit more. That's fine; there's another subject that always interests him greatly. He recalls that both he and Genji have similarly thick and oriental accents.]

It's an interesting one. Japanese, for a guess? What's its meaning?

[He could produce his kanji manual and go hunting, but that seems rude in the presence of company.]

[dragonsmark]

[Have you put two and two together yet about them being brothers though, Ted? Please broach that subject. It'll go SWIMMINGLY. But yes, perhaps it will take a few levels of social link upgrading for it to be a good idea.]

I am named after Hattori Hanzo. A warrior samurai from the Sengoku era of Japan. It is an honor to share a name with someone who was able to do much for his country.

[it's a shame he does not deserve that honor, all told. Hm.]

[dragonsmark]

[He'd been harsh to begin with, he recognized that. The apology did much to assuage his irritation, so when he glances up from his work again to find her still standing there, he simply blinked curiously. It was hard to deny that she was a strange sight for certain, but he is at least familiar enough with animals to catch the cue coming from the way her reptilian tail moved.]

If you have questions you wish to ask, ask them now while I am distracted. [instead of waiting until later.] Do you have interest in bows?

[astralera]

I've no questions. [ She's earnest in her response. ] I've just never seen someone craft an arrow without the aid of... Magic, I suppose you would call it.

[ She tilts her head to the side thoughtfully. ] If you have need of feathers for fletching I have numerous on hand I can give you.

[ Era has quite the sizeable stack of dodo feathers in her inventory from the last time she returned home and never could find a real use for them. It wasn't as if she could eat them, after all.

The man's question brings an amused smile to her face. ]

Yes, you could say that I do.

[dragonsmark]

It is a throwback in effort. [he considers for a moment, pulling out one of his more modern arrows from a pack, holding it out for her to see if she so wishes.]

The act is relaxing, it allows me to let my mind drift while being productive. [A comfort, in its own way.] You must be an archer of some skill if you are familiar with fletching and what it requires.

[astralera]

In my world most are at least passingly familiar with archery. If you step outside a town you are liable to be killed by any number of beast or bandit without some form of protection.

[ It's something she still hasn't grown accustomed to even after nearly a year - being able to walk so far without being attacked by something.

Era does take the proffered arrow after a moment of looking it over from afar. It's... incredibly well balanced, though what's most surprising to her is that the fletching isn't made from feathers but something else entirely. Her curiosity outweighs her desire to be respectful of the man's weapon and she brings the base of the arrow closer to her face, inspecting the way the fletching moves under her finger up close.

She kind of really wants to shoot it. ]

...Are there laws here that forbid loosing arrows in public places?

[dragonsmark]

Unfortunately laws like that are necessary. If you wish to fire the arrow it would be best for us to go to an archery range. [He considers for a moment, starting to pack up the arrow heads he's carved by putting them into a plastic case in a rather meticulously careful manner.]

I am actually in the process of opening a storefront that would serve those who have an interest in bows and ammunition. It would be beneficial to have someone besides myself try out the arrows I make.

[so, in all, it turns out to be a win win sort of situation. The way she takes time to look at the arrow, inelegant as it seems shows that she is particular about her ammunition, at least that was the impression Hanzo got.]

[astralera]

[ How annoying - if there's no one around she should be able to shoot a few arrows. But new worlds have new rules, and Era will just have to adjust accordingly.

She stays a respectful distance while the man packs his things, swallowing any protest that he not inconvenience himself. Era gets the feeling this man is not the type of person who would inconvenience himself unless it was something he had made up his mind about. He also brings up a reasonable point. If he's working on building a store for such things it only makes sense that a variety of others test his wares. ]

Do you make bows as well, ser?

[ Era turns her upper body to look at her 5 o'clock where she can sense her Carbuncle snuffling around, doing whatever it does when it's given free reign. It pops its head out of some shrubbery in the distance, one ear twitching in attention before it hops out of the leaves and begins prancing over to follow at a distance. ]

[youfool]

[Ted knows all about names being too good for their bearers, sadly. While neither the brothers have mentioned the other in public, Ted can certainly take things that direction. Satsuki did learn him a thing or two in Japanese history.]

A bellicose period, that. Seems most of the things done for the country were just as much done against. Meaning no offense, mind. That was the...one who defended the ninjas, right? Master of the spear?

[Does Hanzo like ninjas? Does he think they're totally sweet?]

Just a guess--were you born in Hanamura?

[dragonsmark]

Perhaps to some. But without our history Japan would not be the country it is to day. It is to be honored and respected, and above all else, learned from.

[he avoids the barrage of questions about his namesake, to instead defend the period of time the man was from. He would have elaborated, but instead pauses mid sip to glance dangerously in the direction Ted is sitting.]

Yes, Hanamura is my home. [or, it was.]

[dragonsmark]

[Era, sometimes rules are important. But Hanzo could perhaps commiserate. It IS a pain in the butt to put everything away. He does it without complaint however, and it's for the best that Era doesn't object. It would have been met with a stern answer, since in this case her assessment of Hanzo is right on the nose.]

Yes, though it has been a while since I made a weapon. The technology is different where I am from, and makes the need to make a bow from your own hands obsolete. [he picks up the handcrafted bow from before and slings it over his shoulder. His own handiwork, but far from being ready to be used.]

If you are ready... [it isn't until now that he notices the young woman's glowing companion, and his brows raise. If he hadn't been so used to the pokemon that showed up here (and the ones he has at home, hopefully behaving themselves) he might have been more off guard.] Your creature?

[youfool]

[He grinned. Earnest, if general platitudes like that reminded him of someone.]

Haha, you remind me of my teacher. Huh! What a coincidence. Genji claimed the very same origin. Do you know each other? Friends, perhaps? Your accents sound so similar.

[Conversation set to self-destruct in 3, 2, 1...]

[dragonsmark]

[Hanzo's frame freezes at the mention of his brother and he takes a quick downing of his drink in order to snap himself out of it. He grimaces, gripping the little cup tightly in his hand.]

Genji is... [there's something at the very edges of his voice a faint air of regret that Ted might pick up on, but would do well not to mention.] Genji is my brother.

[astralera]

I am not overly skilled in carpentry, but I am able to make adequate short and long bows from wood and fibres if ever you need assistance creating bows less... technologically advanced.

[ It was satisfying, making her own bows when she was first learning archery. It helped her understand her weapon all the more and speed along her training. There are only so many hours in a day, however, and soon enough she ran out of the time to spare on crafting. If one tries to master all forms of combat available to them some things just have to fall to the wayside, unfortunately.

Having been formally acknowledged, Emeraldd bounds closer with impressive speed for something with such short legs. It wiggles its butt a few times where it squats near Era's feet, preparing for its jump onto her shoulders. The woman, for her part, is clearly used to being crawled all over by her unruly Carbuncle and shifts ever so slightly so that it can make the jump more easily.

Emmy lands on Era's shoulder with surprising grace, then promptly sprawls across the back of her neck like an awkward, fluffy, glowing scarf. ]

Emeraldd, or Emmy for short. It is my Carbuncle. The last world we were in altered it, so now it is more of a pet than a summoned companion.

[ Era moves closer to the man, falling in step beside him. It's only after she introduced Emmy that she realizes she hasn't introduced herself - ]

And I am Era Ra. Or Era de Borel, I suppose. Both are accurate. [ Era has never planned on taking Aymeric's name and likely never will, but it feels nice to say it - a way to stay close to him while they're apart. ] My apologies for not introducing myself earlier.

[youfool]

[Ted's not the most sensitive soul, but he can tell he wasn't exactly elated.]

Ahah, is that such a dire thing? I tell you only children like me hold you two in positive envy. I would think you'd be thrilled to find each other in such a strange seclusion of the universe.

1

[truesmiles]

[Fai always had time for a drink or two after a long day. He was also getting better at not drinking too often, but sometimes if it was a tough day one just couldn't help themselves.

When he had reached the bar and taken a seat, he couldn't help but notice what the other was drinking. It was something he was well aware of what it was anyway.]

Sake, huh? Good choice.

02

[scarlet_devil]

[ All Remilia was doing was pausing a moment to watch, simply being curious before she was going to head off.

Then she stepped on a twig. ]

How rude! That is no way to talk to a lady. [ And yes, that is a French accent. ]

Re: 02

[dragonsmark]

No more rude than it is to stare at something that is none of your business.

[accent or not, female or not, childlike or not, hanzo does not do well with being told he was being rude when he feels as though it is his privacy that is being tread upon.]

[dragonsmark]

Yes. I suppose so. [he turns to look at Fai, whispy tall thing as he seems to be.] You don't look the type to drink.

[hanzo that's rude.]

[dragonsmark]

[Would Ted be envious if he knew the whole story, though? Hanzo snorts out a harsh non-laugh, his head shaking.]

If only it were as simple as being brothers. You will likely learn someday that nothing is quite so easy.

[dragonsmark]

Hm... [It certainly seems comfortable with her. Hanzo sees no reason why it could not tag along, as long as it didn't do anything too rambunctious or make a pest of itself.]

Interesting, very well. [They're doing introductions now too? Hm. He makes note of her name with a nod.] Hanzo Shimada. You do not need to apologize. [he turns on his heel and takes a step or two forward.] There is a range not far from here. It will be much more acceptable to practice with arrows there.

[and luckily they probably know him on sight at this point, as Hanzo has a tendency to go there when he wants some time to himself.]

[astralera]

Hanzo Shimada. Your name sounds similar to one that would be found on the Eastern continent of my world. [ It's a nice bit of familiarity, if Era is being honest. It makes her wonder, briefly, how her companions in Doma are doing - she has been so focused on her allies in Eorzea...

Era nods at his statement, then follows behind him at a steady pace. Despite the difference in height Era has no trouble keeping up with him. When your best friends are two feet taller than you you grow accustomed to a faster stride. ]

Is there a fee?