It's RAINING MEN!

[never_go_back]

Who: Kodachi Kuno, The Ninja, and YOU(???)
What: Who Wants to be a Fiance! Kodachi Kuno is looking for three potential suitors willing to chase after her and fight each other for her affection; though chances are it will end up with her chasing after them. Set-up post is here.
Where: Uh.. Highcrest Square, Highcrest.
When: April 28th 12-3
Extra: If you're OOCly interested in being stalked by a crazy gymnast but your character (obviously) isn't; feel free to have them wander by just to be in awe at how many people are willing to feed Kodachi's ego (not her player's, honest. orz) or whatever. Also if you're OOCly not interested either, come anyway for the tasty CR, yum yum.


Kodachi doesn't practice the art of subtlety. Despite having started with limited resources, she's managed to create a fairly impressive backdrop for her event that, let's face it, is of pure self-gratification.

A wide, white pole marquee resides in the the Square's center, which is set up to replicate a King's throne room with moderate success. The material isn't very expensive, but the presentation is much greater than perhaps one would expect from the citizens of this area could provide.
 
A lengthy, red carpet extends from the entrance to the stand where Kodachi's chair, covered in silk, resides. The Black Rose herself resides upon it adorn in a black, partially-armored bodysuit.

A full-fledged ninja stands by her side; presumably her bodyguard, as he's been assigned to throw anyone who hopes to spoil her fun out- but something may tell him he's been stationed there mainly to watch her show off.

The way it was supposed to go is that the potentials were to be sent to the left of the room and the rejects to the right exit, but thus far a good fifteen people have been sent right on out due to her being picky; and there are still forty citizens neatly lined up in a zig-zag, most seeming eager to be rated by her and/or get a closer look at her form-fitting attire.

Not even three seconds pass when the next person comes in before she replies, "D Minus; be on your way." with a dismissive wave of her hand. Afterward she sighs, with her chin slumped into her palm. "Somehow I was hoping this would be more interesting.. Is it truly so difficult to find a B or two about in this crowd? Who's next?"

Comments

sorry for the tl;dr @-@

[bondsoflove]

Oh, shit.

Sasuke's next and most urgent priority would have to be finding a map. Thus far, he'd been all right without one--he had an excellent memory and there wasn't much else to do but explore. The problem with this was rapidly becoming clear, though, as he tugged the hood of his sweatshirt up and over his head to try to obscure his face.

Of course he'd noticed the message on the network, and of course it had caught his attention; how could it not, when the description this Kodachi girl had given fit him almost perfectly? Maybe that was vain, but it was also true. No one could deny he was powerful, and he had been forcing himself to stare down his fears without trembling since childhood; his Uchiha genes meant he'd always been exceptionally good-looking and he was currently the most slender he'd ever been, bones sharply protruding but still elegant; keeping his living quarters tidy was one of few things he still had control over and he clung to the small measure of peace that gave him.

A memory of crackling electricity and blood spattering against his face surfaced at the word 'ambition'. His fingers twitched; the sudden prick of a thorn against his palm pulled him back to the present time and locale.

It would be the day he'd finally found roses that met his standards, fragrant and vivid and silky, perfectly shaped blooms in yellow and white and pink and red--not as much variety as he'd been able to get at the Port, but that was all right; roses in every available color, the letter had said, not every conceivable color, and they really were exceptionally beautiful.

But an armful of roses wasn't going to help him blend in or avoid notice. Keeping watch on the marquee out of the corner of one eye, he moved as carefully and as quietly as he could, staying close to the walls of the buildings around him. If he could just find a street to turn down, he could get back to the little cottage where he'd set up temporary residence and focus on Warsman's memorial for a while; after a morning browsing markets and city squares, Sasuke was starting to itch for solitude.

Gravy!!! D8

[never_go_back]

In Kodachi's experience, denizens tend to stand out a little more than the citizens of Highcrest. True, the ninja in question seems to be far enough away to keep notice but..

Kodachi abruptly turned the corner to become face to face with Sasuke, a black rose between her lips and, assuming he doesn't flip his wig, practically nose to nose. The intent isn't to be 'jesus!' frightening, but it can't be helped. She practically came out of nowhere.

"There's no need to be shy; I don't bite." she affirms with slightly red cheeks. ".. That was a lie. It really depends on the occasion."

Perhaps some explaination is in order- Kodachi didn't notice Sasuke right away, but due to her impatience she scanned through the crowds with a set of opera glasses disguised as an raven-feathered masquarade mask that she also has held in front of her eyes.

And honestly, she took a bit of offense that he seemed to be moving away instead of toward her very important event. She gave the benefit of the doubt, however, and decided perhaps he got lost. And so having abandoned her post for the moment, she's taken it upon herself to help him go in the right direction. How thoughtful!(??)

[bondsoflove]

The sudden appearance of the girl does startle him, but he has a good enough handle on himself to keep his reaction minimal--a sharp inhale and his eyes screw shut, fingers tightening around the stems of the roses in his hands. He's probably bleeding a little from the pricks, but it's nothing serious and barely even worth noting.

He opens his eyes, and the blush sends him back to being twelve and surrounded by girls from his class. She's reading into his actions, making the situation fit what she wants to think. A quick and flat rejection will be his first line of attack, and hopefully it will be enough.

"I'm not," he says, keeping his voice cool, disinterested. "I wanted to get these to my boyfriend before they wilt."

And the term still feels a little ridiculous; he'd rather use beloved--but gendering it adds a level of finality that will be nearly impossible to argue.

[never_go_back]

Well that is a development Kodachi did not expect. She hasn't the slightest idea that Sasuke has pricked his finger, and she's actually rather impressed by his lack of being completely flustered by her conversation starter.

Instead it's Kodachi's cheeks that burn a little more red as her brows raise in clear surprise. ".. 'Boyfriend'?" she repeats, "Roses.. For your boyfriend?"

Well clearly she's made the largest error she could have ever possibly made. But it's unsettling that one who's spent her entire life in an all-girl's school would mistake a girl for a boy. In fact, that's unacceptable! She looks him up and down silently.

And so with a frown, she attempts to reach out and press her palm flat against Sasuke's chest, which she would slide from one side to the other. Then, assuming she even gets that far, she would drop to a crouch and do the same for the front of his pants.

[wandthief]

Gellert is young and handsome with a dazzling smile and he has no idea what is going on but who can not notice the spectacle in the square of Highcrest, where he now happens to be wandering.

He moves closer to the crowd, looking around curiously and trying to find out what all the fuss is about.

[never_go_back]

Kodachi isn't looking for a specific person, but a specific type of person. Really, none of the citizens really catch Kodachi's interest- there's no secret that pretty much none of them possess any impressive amount of wealth but she had been aware of that from the beginning.

Attracting curious eyes such as Gellert's; that was her true aim and upon catching sight of them through opera-glasses made to look like a masquarade mask, a very pleased smile forms.

With a black rose in hand and bullhorn in the other, Kodachi gets to her feet. "Oopsie!" She takes careful aim, then slings the flower like a dart in the young man's direction that, with frightening precision, should embed itself right at his feet.

"Oh how clumsy of me, I do appear to have dropped my rose! If you could do me a favor and return it to me?" Kodachi requests, her now free hand pointing at the magician.

[wandthief]

He looks down at the rose then picks it up with a grin and an elegant flourish.

"Of course, Fraulein," he says with a kind of amused politeness.

The way he's dressed - in an almost Victorian style - may make him appear to be a quite fine gentleman. On closer inspection, however, the clothing, while clean and free of holes does look to be comfortably worn. As that of a favourite coat.

He approaches her with rose in hand, still grinning; his eyes sparkling with merriment. If nothing else he looks like he might be willing to go along with this for a time and have some fun.

[never_go_back]

Gellert's passing appears to bring about some disapproving grumbling though not much more than that- And of course their reaction is completely ignored by the girl in black in favor of the one that approached her without further (and more forceful) encouragement.

"Why thank you, kind sir." Kodachi looks impressed as she accepts the flower then looks him up and down. "Your attire isn't common where I'm from, but I like it. Particularly the frills."

She almost makes a show of circling him not once, but twice, as she rolls the stem between thumb and pointer finger. Eventually she stops in front of him, and looks right into his eyes. "'Fraulein' is German, is it not?"

[wandthief]

He watches her as she moves around him, not moving much himself but his eyes follow her. He continues to look amused and he still doesn't really know what is going on.

The grumbling of the crowd and being the centre of attention does not bother him at all. He's very relaxed.

"It is Germanic, yes. I, myself, am from Bavaria," Gellert replies. Bavaria is currently a state of Germany but he does make a separate distinction.

Once she stops in front of him, he keeps his eyes steady looking back to her. Not defiantly, just confident in himself.

[idiotdetective]

Yusuke was starting to become more familiar with all of the districts and where they were located. It was a big place, much bigger than the last one so it took him a little longer to adapt, but when he finally did, he made it a point to learn where it was the people he spoke to took residence. If he remembered correctly, that Akane girl lived somewhere in this district.

As he was roaming the streets of Highcrest, he came across a demanding scene of unusual events. Now Yusuke wasn't new to bizarre happenings and weird people with unusual interests, but this was still a first for him. He nearly stopped in his tracks to get a better look at the event taking place. Was this some kind of sponsoring or did people really have too much time on their hands?

"Looks like someone made themselves at home." He mumbled as he tried to process all of it. He'll just keep his distance and watch for awhile.

[never_go_back]

Things were finally starting to get interesting for Kodachi; she'd seen a few potentials out of the vast valley of weeds before her, and what was that? There appeared to be one more in bloom if her eyes didn't deceive her!

From Yusuke's point of view, Kodachi appeared to be just telling whomever was walking in to walk right back out, so it isn't really clear what the point of the whole thing is at first.. Perhaps.

He may also notice that suddenly she's made full eye-contact with him, and it doesn't break. With a pleasent enough smile she gets to her feet, the gymnast walks right through the crowd, then pretends to trip so she can fall right into his arms. "Oh; I feel faint!"

[idiotdetective]

Yusuke wasn't much of a gentleman- well he wasn't a gentleman at all in fact, but he wasn't the kind of person to turn down or ignore someone in need. Yeah, her introduction was strange, and the eye contact didn't go unnoticed. When the young woman collapsed onto him, he instinctive caught her. She might have noticed how well toned he was through his clothing, he was strong after all, and familiar with combat much like someone else she knew.

"Are you...going to be okay?" Should he take her to an infirmary? He wasn't much of a doctor and wouldn't be able to help her if she needed medical attention. The teen will just wait for a reply, who knew about her body best than she did right?

[never_go_back]

Oh the whole 'gentlemen' thing is surely nothing some whipping and submission holds wouldn't fix. Kodachi prides herself in her training regime. But that is neither here not there. ... Yet.

The Black Rose keeps her head down and smiles as things go just as planned thus far. She raises one arm to slip over his shoulders while giving a long, drawn out sigh with her opposite hand raised to her mouth, "I.. I think so.. But.."

That's when she raises her head to look her so-called Knight in Shining Armor eye to eye and.. Did her heart just skip a beat? Yusuke somehow seems so familiar, but she couldn't for the life of her understand how. Her eyes sparkle, as she speaks again. "My knees are so weak.. If you would be so kind to help me return to my seat, I'd be so grateful, kind sir.."

[the_ninja]

He has to hand it to Kodachi, she really knows how to make an impression- it's no wonder that she's drawn such a large crowd when she's gone to this much effort to stand out. The Ninja had been content to simply stand by her side and keep an eye out for potential trouble-makers but it appears that he's a little too good at his job. The most trouble they've gotten is the occasional bewildered look from a passer-by and he's already starting to get bored. Besides, he's never been very good and just shutting up and getting on with things; he likes to be heard.

Which is probably why he's started offering his opinion as well.

He leans forward as she sends the most recent suitor away, dropping his voice so that only Kodachi can hear him. "A D-minus is generous, Miss Kuno. Did you see his nose...?"

[never_go_back]

Kodachi glances to The Ninja with an expression of surprise. Is.. Is he gossiping with her? She clearly could not have asked for a better person to be her servant here. Kodachi isn't one to let many people get close to her, but he's winning her over pretty well.

Of course that doesn't mean she'll stop teasing him, and since he does like to talk, he's prime for twisting his words around.

"Oh? Could it be that you and I have similar tastes after all?" she asks, chin propped in her palm and one leg crossed over the other, "If you'd like, I could find a suitor for you as well while we're here, My Little Ninja."

[the_ninja]

The feeling is, much to even his surprise, mutual; he's hardly enjoying his time catering to a teenage girl's every, potential husband-seeking whim but perhaps it's not quite as terrible as he had anticipated. Now that the initial bruises to his ego have eased off, Kodachi's company is fairly enjoyable- they seem to be on the same, slightly self-aggrandising wavelength.

"Don't take this the wrong way but I'm not interested in picking through your reject pile." Which is looking to be rather big if this goes on. "Besides, I'm not entirely sure that our tastes quite align."

[never_go_back]

"Goodness," Kodachi replies in good cheer, "Well now I simply must know what your ideal significan other is like. Or.. Could it be that you're the type that beleives that romance would only hold back your true potential?"

As for the comment to the 'pile', Kodachi's attention diverts for just a moment when a near six foot tall, lanky individual with very long hair that covers his face shuffles in. She doesn't even give a grade and instead motions for him to leave- Which he does while managing to relay an emotion of rejection.

[ahogay]

Hinata just so happens to be passing through the square, still trying to get a feel for his new surroundings. Although he's actually been assigned to live in Orlea, he figured it would be good to see what the other districts are like, hoping they would be more interesting than his home district. So far he isn't disappointed.

When a long line of men comes into sight, he can't help but walk closer to see what the fuss is all about. It doesn't take him long to see what it is; an armor-clad girl sitting under a marquee and... rating men apparently? That's what it seems like she's doing, at least. Hinata can't comprehend why there's such a large crowd just for this - it seems stupid to him. He loses interest in the whole thing pretty quickly and starts moving again, hoping that he won't be noticed.

[never_go_back]

The interesting thing about Hinata is that despite having such an 'everyday' appearance, he stands out like a sore thumb in the crowd of denizens. Granted, Kodachi still needs her disguised opera-lenses to see him, but you know what I mean.

So when he looks her way, her brows raise in intrigue, then an inviting smile is given in return. In fact, she even gestures for him to come closer but.. What's this? He dares lose interest??

"Why that little.." The insulted Kodachi Kuno gets to her feet, with a half pink, half white gymnastics ball in hand. She winds up, then lobs it with frightening precision-it weaves from side to side, barely grazing other awed bystanders, and toward the back of Hinata's head.

Should she be lucky and it hit, the impact is fairly similar to being hit in the head by a sponge filled with water.

"Oh dear, I do appear to have misplaced my ball! Has anyone seen it?"

[ahogay]

She does indeed manage to hit Hinata square in the back of the head, causing him to stop and turn around to see what he had been hit with. Sitting right by his feet is the gymnastics ball, which he picks up immediately and starts to scan the crowd to see who it could belong to, not very amused at all by being hit by it. People really need to watch where they're throwing things when there's this many people around, seriously.

But when he hears the girl speak up, it becomes pretty clear that it's hers, and it's highly likely that she threw the ball at him on purpose. This revelation only serves to piss Hinata off even more. He could take the immature route and just throw it right back at her, but her ninja friend probably won't appreciate that, plus he's a better person than that, anyway. So he'll approach once more and walk directly up to Kodachi, holding the ball out to her.

"Here."

[never_go_back]

Kodachi would be very disappointed to hear that he suspected her; 'I am but a dainty girl with a delicate throwing arm!' she would say. But seeing as he is a gentleman about the matter, he unintentionally gains some points from the teenage girl.

With a sweet smile, she accepts the ball then bows deeply in appreciation, "Thank you very much, kind sir. This is my favorite ball; I simply don't know what I would have done if I had lost it forever.. I am truly grateful."

Once she stands, she flutters her eyelashes. "My name is Kodachi Kuno.. And what might the name of my chivalrous company be?"

[negative]

"『... That'd be me.』"

Hands stuffed in his pant pockets, and dressed in his usual Suisou Academy school uniform, Kumagawa Misogi casually saunters down the red carpet towards Kodachi, only to pause right in front of her.

"『Hiya, Kodachi!』" he greets her with an enthusiastic smile, boldly addressing her by her first name. At the same time, he extends a hand towards her, offering a friendly handshake. "『It's nice to finally meet you! You're much prettier in person.』"

And without missing a beat, the smiling Kumagawa busts out his phone with his free hand, and blatantly starts snapping photos of Kodachi and her sexy outfit.

For posterity, of course.

[never_go_back]

"Oh goodness! What a pleasent surprise!"

Kodachi had been thinking about it and, honestly, she hadn't the slightest clue what shewas going to do with Misogi. She's used to being the blunt and forward one and not the other way around.

Well, with the exception of men four times her age.

She returns the handshake, but when the phone is raised she looks slightly confused when it clicks And yet in the picture she's posed with a rose in one hand, the other making a 'v' sign. Before he can take a second, she has a rose in hand, extended to block it's lens. His entrance is overwhelming; she'll need to slow him down to her level.

"Excuse me; I'm quite flattered but.. Is that odd device a camera?"

[negative]

"『Of course not!』" he lies through his teeth, huffing and feigning offense as he tucks his phone away. "『Hmph! What kind of degenerate do you think I am? Do you really think I'm the kind of sicko who would take photos of my bride-to-be for, er, later use? Preferably right before going to bed.』"

The correct answer to Kumagawa's question is an obvious "yes", but the guy doesn't give Kodachi the chance to respond, exclaiming, "『Oh, I almost forgot!』"

Hastily, Kumagawa fishes in his back pocket for something, and after finding it, hands it to Kodachi.

That something is the saddest-looking rose ever. It's bent at the stem in several places, with some petals missing and some bruised, making it obvious that Kumagawa had inadvertently sat on it.

Still, Kumagawa remains unflappable and smiles warmly, even as the rose's thorns prick his skin and make bloody cuts. Furthermore, with that same hand, he gives her a cheesy thumbs-up.

"『Here you go, you deserve it! I have to say, that outfit of yours is really something. I may have to add bodysuits to my list of fetishes.』"

Hello I'm back!

[never_go_back]

A bead of sweat falls down the side of Kodachi's face. As she observes his antics she can't help but feel that she's far overestimated this young man. And it really doesn't help things when she gets a look at the rose; even she can't feign delight for something like that.

The look she gives him pretty much says just one word: 'Really?'

She takes the rose, but at the same time notices that he doesn't even know how to hold one properly. As a result, she decides to show him lenience. The rose is tossed over shoulder, then she turns around and back with a roll of gauze. Assuming he allows her, she would wrap his hand. "Kumagawa-san.. Something tells me you are not very popular with the ladies."