Spawning here with biography [
x]
Beginning a mission with the following storyboard element:
- Gather second-hand information about Red Fever (1)
Summary: A second strain of red fever has started to spread, thanks to the events transpiring between famed shinobi and the cursed Goddess, Tiamat. Seishirō, being somewhat out of the loop, learns about the events that unfolded through a secondhand account of one of the locals.
The winds seemingly brought Seishirō to this impressive city of Aridakumo; the bustling atmosphere left him astonished with how busy everyone would be. He presented a look on his face that intertwined confusion and shock as he watched merchants peddling their wares. He didn't want to get caught up in the farce of a busy marketplace, he didn't have any money. It wouldn't stop them, however. It was loud and daunting; the calls from stalls promoting wares like freshly caught fish over the border from the Fire Country, or nearby oasis water for those who wanted a real treat. He couldn't help but stand there, like a lost puppy, not even knowing where to begin his journey. His eyes gazed around the populated marketplace, for anything that could be of some use to him. Walking along the streets, he peered into shops aimed more at basic needs; a weapons shop, offering sales on kunai shuriken, and a local produce store selling melons in bulk. However, one store in particular took his interest: a small bar. Maybe it was the pungent smell of alcohol that felt rather intoxicating to the man, or that it appeared run-down with a sign that spelled "Hangura", almost about to break from the entrance.
Seishirō hesitated for a moment, placing his hand on the door's handle before sliding it open. Going to a simple, run-down bar shouldn't give him even the slightest tinge of anxiety, but for some reason it did. Maybe the hesitation came from having to talk to someone he was unfamiliar with. With the sliding door open, he noticed but a lone figure standing behind the bar, tall and somewhat robust.
"S-sorry, is this place open?" He said rather meekly.
"Well well, it's quite rare we get new customers these days." The voice resonated in response to his. A female voice, deep and husky, befitting of someone of her stature. She turned around to face Seishirō, cleaning a beer glass. Almost immediately after, she gestured for the man to come in.
"Close the door behind you, right sweethart," she mused. What was most noticeable about this woman was her sun-touched skin with fair freckles on her cheeks and deep red hair that fell down past her shoulders. She defintiely looked the part of the bartender.
"If you'll excuse me," Seishirō replied, before pulling up a seat at the bar. The unsettled dust showing its inactivity was evident from the chair grinding along the floorboards. His back was hunched over slightly, looking down at the table in front of him, in an attempt to avoid any sort of eye contact with the mistress.
"What'll it be for today, hun? We got a new stock of shōchū in just yesterday if you're beggin' to try it." She said, with an enthusiastic tone.
"Sure, sounds great," he replied, voice dragging on for a slight moment. Seishirō's gaze peered around the bar. The atmosphere was cold and insipid, which was to be expected of a place that appeared run-down from the outside. However, not even Seishirō would have thought the place would be completely empty. It seemed as if he was the only patron in the bar at the time, maybe that made things easier. He turned back to the bartender, pouring his small cup of alcohol.
"I would have thought there'd be more people." He said, briefly letting out a loose laugh.
"Oh? No way, we haven't had many a customer since y'know, the fever started spreadin'." The woman stated matter-of-factly, before passing him his drink.
"Let alone any new customers like you, hun."
Seishirō clearly expressed confusion; he raised an eyebrow at that one word.
"Fever? You mean people are getting sick?"
"Oh sweethart, you don't know about the Red Fever? Just how clueless are you anyway?" She replied with a stern tone.
"People've been gettin' awful sick lately, can barely move and all. Supposed to be super contagious too." She paused with a glare towards Seishirō; he froze before taking a sip of his drink.
"I--" he was lost for words.
"Oh, but don't worry about it hun, I'm sure you're fine!" The woman said with a jovial tone.
"I mean, you look fine, otherwise I wouldn't have let you in here." Seishirō let out a sigh of relief, followed by a nervous laugh; scared for that one moment he may have succumbed to the unknown disease, somehow.
"So, what's this red fever like anyway? Sounds awful if you get it." Seishirō questioned, taking yet another sip.
"Well, hun," she started,
"from what I've heard, you get real sick and can't leave bed at all."
"They're just bedridden?"
"Not only that, but it's supposed to be real contagious too. Heard about this guy who brushed against someone in Fire Country, and a week later he broke into some kinda fever." This woman seemed to know a lot about this disease, as expected of someone who worked in such a hospitable environment.
"I also heard in the worst cases, people's skin turns all red." That was it, her
diagnosis of sorts regarding the red fever. It really seemed to be a commonplace thing in the world, so long as people didn't have the worst case, they were fine for the most part.
"So, I just need to watch out for these worst cases." Seishirō said. He would have felt all confused by everything that happened, but having something of a recollection in regards to what may happen in the future was always a good tool for anyone to have. With said knowledge, the man's curiousity was piqued even further.
"I wonder how this all happened anyway..." His voice trailed off. As if it were instinct, he grabbed a packet of smokes from his pocket, pulling a cigarette before almost lighting it.
"--ah, you don't mind if I smoke in here, do you?" He questioned.
"Not at all, hun." She responded, ushering over a small ashtray from across the bar. His cigarette was lit with the meandering flame from his lighter before releasing a puff of smoke. The taste of the tobacco was cathartic to his senses; it really helped his mind to put things into perspective.
"I dunno much about what happened, but I heard there was a massive fight between some primal god or somethin'? Sounds like garbage to me." The woman mused.
"Don't underestimate the creed of shinobi." Seishirō replied sternly, almost as if he was defensive about what the woman said. Of course, ninja were known for having created near impossible feats, fighting some kind of elder being seemed to have some grounds in realism. It would certainly explain how some unknown fever spread around the world so fast. Though it was likely the mentions of gods and primals that deterred most people's thoughts.
She reached below the bar, before grabbing a map she laid out on the bench next to the ashtray.
"If you look here, we know something happened about... here." She said, pointing towards an area strictly north of the eastern continent of Tobusekai.
"Hokubu Ocean." Seishirō said, unphased.
"Pretty far from here right? That's why Hangura's allowed to be open, most other places are closed thanks to the red fever. Don't think anyone here's gettin' a bad case anytime soon!" The woman let out a nervous, yet hearty laugh.
Seishirō sighed, thinking about what all of this meant. A mass breakout of what people called
Red Fever, seemingly it was a common occurence and a lot of people seemed to have it, and severe cases turned the skin to a red pigmentation and completely weakened to a bedridden state. He inhhaled another breath of smoke, followed with a sigh.
"So," the woman paused before continuing on with her line of thought,
"what's your plan now, sweethart?" In truth, Seishirō had no idea what he planned to do next. Of course, he had a general idea of what he should do, he was a shinobi and they all had reason for their existence. Take on some kind of bounty job, perform some kind of mission, save the world, or anything. In any case, the man had decided on one goal to pursue before taking massive leaps of faith.
"Hm, think I'm going to head home for the time being." Seishirō replied.
"Northwest from here, to Fenchuch."
The bartender interjected almost instantly.
"Ah, if you're plannin' on headin' up that way, you're better off goin' this way." She placed her finger on the map, lining a track amongst the borders of Fire Country to the appointed destination.
"There's towns and vegetation that way, so you might feel safer."
"Got it, thanks." Seishirō finished his drink and left some money on the counter. He stood up, smoke in hand and proceeded to leave the building. He bowed beforehand, a common courtesy for the service provided. A faint smile escaped his lips, he wanted to come back to Hangura some time. Whether it was the atmosphere the place had, or the quaint company they kept; it made the man feel relaxed. He shut the door behind him, and with a deep breath, he was ready to depart. He peered along the lines of shops and merchants once more, still as crowded as ever, even under the basking heat from the sun. Nevertheless, his journey was beginning; Seishirō proceeded to the north, headed towards the place known as
Kucho. Supposedly it was a quaint country area with limited vegetation and abundant in livestock, a nice place for avoiding any kind of conflict or danger, but most importantly, lead a direct path to his destination.
End mission.
Travel Itinerary: #062 Aridakumo, #059 Kucho, #058 Daoshin, #082 Tuareg, #083 Lower Barrens, #084 Fenchuch
#062: 10:55am - 11:55am
#059: 11:55am - 12:55pm
#058: 12:55pm - 1:55pm
#082: 1:55pm - 2:55pm
#083: 2:55pm - 3:55pm
Arriving at #084 Fenchuch at 3:55pm EST