Lodestone Lamentations

Diana...was bored. Really, she should have been ecstatic; one of the biggest threats to the shinobi world was on it's last limbs, and she had managed to gain not one, but three critical components from it's body for study later down the line. The worries of a lesser tomorrow, and yet, thanks to her forgemaster Titania forbidding her from interacting with ANY of the three recovered items until the threat was dealt with for fear of some possible hidden tracking devices. Sure Diana was the head of Iwatomics, but Titania's judgement was sound.

'Go and take a break! You agreed to not take any missions for a while anyways, so go and relax! I'll keep an eye on the forge 'n shop like I always do for ya hun.'

She reflected on the words her friend left her once more. Crafting was her way of passing the time, but it was true that she did keep to herself. Even with being one of the extremely rare people to have two clan head positions at once, the general populace didn't know much about her then that although approachable, she wasn't seen much outside of her shop unless things required her direct intervention or supervision. So in an effort to try and reach out, she had been going around meeting with those from Suna. While she had yet to meet with any clan leaders, each of those who she had met were rather amicable if still unsure about how they felt. Some were fine with the move, others less so, but all seemed to be rather neutral about her.

It was progress at least.

That had been her pass time for the past few hours, but that brought her back to now, her boredom. As she sat upon a bench of rather nice copper & steel, she'd take a sip of her iced tea. Sure she could meet with another Fujio clan member or talk to some of the Tetsudashi to see if they understood why she was no longer able to call upon her third bloodline anymore despite the damage she dealt to the accursed beast of the Emporium, but she was sure both would just lead her back to here. Sighing, she'd slide a pair of shades she brought with her and leaned back, letting the sun reflect of of her porcelain-like skin as she wondered what to do next.

Getting woken up by the sound of bird adam opened his eyes. He was laying on his couch, where he passed out yesterday evening. Getting up he remembered about last night as he stretched. He wasnt really doing anything except reading and drinking something. Looking now back at it, he certainly drunk too much. Opening his eyes and getting torn out of his daydreaming by the sound his back made and the sudden pain he felt he decided to leave the stretching for another day or week.

Putting the half empty bottle of whiskey back on the shelf it belonged onto, he gothimself a change of fresh clothes as he headed for the bath th shower. Letting the hot water run down on him as he cleaned himself he thought about his plans. As always he didnt have anything to do, so he really was lost on what to do. Finally deciding to just go for a walk and maybe visit his friend if he felt like it, he got out of the shower to dry himself and get in his new clothes. To people he didnt knew, he looked almost normal now.

His black trechcoat gave quite a nice look with his black clothes and the occasional copper coloured buttons and lines on it. Walking outside he made his way through the city, taking his sweet time. Training wasnt something he was too fond of doing at the moment and he barely had other missions to do except just live. Maybe that would change once he got to know the two he met at the academy earlier this week.

Passing a women on a bench he glanced at her as something suddenly drew his attention. Her hands were looking unnatural. Not in a bad way, but they reminded adam closely about his hands. Not noticing that in fact he had stopped dead in his tracks and was actively staring at the women in front of him he thought if he should ask her a question.

[1]

Taking another sip of her tea, she'd activate a small seal on the cup to refill it, the tea re-cooling as the old liquid mixed with the new. Boredom aside, the blend of rooibos cooled in a cup was something she found to be rather divine to the senses. Sure it was not her favorite tea flavor, but it was a constant whenever she found a place that made it, such as the southern lands away from the shinobi world. But alas, her inner tea monologue would have to wait as she felt the distinct feeling of someone looking at her through her own peripherals. A man with a leather coat, shades that were a decent shade of gold, and a scruff that helped bring the look together.

From the short yet still reasonable distance away she could detect a hint of leather & lavender with her acute senses from him, a combination she personally didn't care for, but one that told her he either took his trench coat care seriously, just a fan of the scent, or possibly a leatherworker of some kind. But those took a backseat to the man's skin. Just as she appeared to be made of porcelain & crystal, this person looked as if they were made of metal. Thoughts of this man being a Tetsudashi flashed in her mind, but she herself was one till Kujira stole it from her, and she knew that what she was looking at wasn't the Impervious Armour of a Kōton user.

Activating her chakra sensory to confirm her suspicions, Diana couldn't help but be intrigued more at the man before her. While her assessment that he wasn't a Tetsudashi was correct as she sensed no traces of Kōton, she instead found an element she had seen a few times today: Jiton. The man before her was likely a Kazehana, which while not interesting in and of itself given several had moved to Iwa, her boredom-turned-curiosity brought her to want to know more about this odd man. Perhaps he was distantly related to her, or maybe they shared some sort of chakra mutation. Whatever it was, Diana was sure she had met an interesting fellow before they had even spoken a word.

Those shades of his be damned, she'd make eye contact with the metal-like man, then in order give a small smile, a slight tilt to the head, and a single wave before lowering the hand back onto her leg. The process was quick enough that it'd look like a normal greeting, but Diana knew she was slipping back into old habits. "Hello there, would you like to join me? It is not often I find a person who shares a similar body alteration like myself, be it natural or man-made." Contracting the seemingly normal attention grabber was her voice though, a monotone throughout and mostly stilted speech, the one thing she could not force to seem completely normal.

---

185/185 CP
Sensing Technique; 0.5 CP
184.5/185 CP

GIven the fact that he was literally staring, it wasnt a wonder that he got caught in the process of it. However it also had benefits. As he saw, her seemingly empty cup refilled once she pressed a small seal on the cup. If adam had something like this for his whiskey... Even the thought of it made him feel somewhat greedy and curious.

Reacting now on the invitation to come closer, he went a few careful steps ahead, the magnetic field that was always a part of him growing slightly in strength as he got closer. It was an automatic response to him getting interested or curious. Being now closer he was able to muster the woman better. She certainly was looking good, but the closer he got, the more her skin looked like porcelain. Strange, to be fair. Wondering what kind of metallic compound would be able to create such effects.

"Hello there. If you still have a spot left on the bench id surely love to join you if you dont mind."

Remaining standing on in front of the woman he waited until invited. While she dindnt look to dangerous from first glance, there certainly was something else he wasnt able to quite identify yet. Deciding it was too soon to allready ask about the cup and the secret behind it, he brought the conversation to her skin. Ignoring the fact that it ight actually be considered to be rude to straight ask the question like this, he said:

"So what happened to your skin?", clearly curious to find out what caused this condition. After all he knew what was the cause for his skin, though not hers. Her skin somewhat seemed smoother, while his was looking more "sharp" if that made any sense.

Dispersing his sunglases he looked into her eyes with his brey ones as he waited for an answer as a slight gust of wind made his trenchcoat wrap tightly around him and went through his short hair and neatly trimmed beard.

OOC:

[2]

Diana would gesture to one of the open spots on the bench, not minding the company in the slightest as she obliged his request. "Please, take a seat; I do not mind having company." She would also slide slightly more to the side, giving him more room to sit. Perhaps it was unnecessary to do so, but it seemed like the right thing to do in this situation.

As the man spoke again, this time asking about her skin, she'd bring her free hand to her mouth, acting surprised as if he had just asked her age. "My skin? I must say, that is rather personal asking for a woman's skincare routine." She'd give a beat before chuckling. "Apologies for the poor joke, but you made it quite easy. Personally I do not know why my skin looks like this, but the best answer that I have found is that it is caused from a biological mutation; a side effect of my twin heritages intermingling." While her crystalline eyes & bones made sense, how Bakuton would give her porcelain skin was a mystery to her still, the best guess being the Kotōshura's connection to clay with explosions.

She'd set her cup to the side, and pointed to his own unique bodily feature. "But what of your skin? Is is metal-like because of a mutation, or is it a subtle way to express your lineage? I ask as you do not strike me as a Tetsudashi, be it natural or artificial heritage. Maybe he did have a connection, she certainly didn't know until she had awoken it, and while her lineage factor was gone, she still had the metal to prove it was once hers.

And then she realized she hadn't preformed basic greetings. "Oh, right, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Diana Moneta, what is your name?"

---

184.5/185 CP

Sitting down next to the woman, Adam felt strange. There was soemthing to her that he, while not beinf able to figure out what it was, certainly felt. He couldnt say if his gut feeling was good or bad, however he certainly knew something was up. Maybe it was just the fact that she seemed, while peaceful for now, powerful. Maybe she just had some kind of aura or maybe it was just the fact that adam was, while not being up for long, not sober. Chuckling at her joke too he replied in a strong yet soft voice:

"Well if you put it that way, it certainly is... though it was meant more as a compliment."

Her answer however slightly bewildered him. Biological mutation. So was she able to use porcellan or dolls? An interesting feat to be sure, especially since adam has thought about getting himself crysal for his sand before. Though eventually metal would proove superior againt crystal in properties.

"So what is it that your heritages do for you?"

The question was offensively asked for sure, though with no bad intent. The statement she gave next was also strange to Adam. After all she was the second person to talk about his heritage, the first one being a strage person that insisted he must have been a Kazehana. Raising an eyebrow slightly he asked her in return:

"My heritage? I am noone special... I come from a small family." pausing for a second he raised his arm and manipulated his fingers slightly, as he took a deep breath, before continuing: "This here is a reminder of a so many things this word took from me, though i dont even understand why it has formed like this."

Thinking back about when this happened, it was a miacle he was still alive and even more so that the metal actually had fused with his body, and seemed to act just as normal skin. However he was certain he wasnt a kazehana or tetsudachi or whatever. Just Adam. Upon getting tol the name of the women in front of him he extended a hand, offering a handshake as he stated:

"Pleased to meet you ms. moneta, or if you allow, Diana. My name is Adam jensen."

"I am grateful for the compliment, I was only teasing." He did seem a little strung up from that, but to be fair to him, she was not one who was easily approached, so some mishaps were to be expected.

When he asked about her heritage, she tensed for a moment, but relaxed as she knew he meant nothing ill towards her about it. "There are several clans that I am descended from, but the two that most people know me for are that of the Korikane and Kotōshura clans, which allow me to use Crystal & Explosion release in tandem wit one another." It still felt wrong to say her clan names out loud for her. Twenty Five years of hiding her lineage for fear of someone trying to capture her did not immediately remove the habit. "I can tell you more about the clans later if you desire, but I wish to hear you speak about your own first."

She'd listen to him talk about his family, and her suspicions appeared to be...mostly correct. It wasn't uncommon for offshoot clans of a bloodline to exist, the most recently famous being the Kurama after the Epsilon Incident and their fight over old scrolls. How the clan held itself together despite it's many splinters made her wonder, given the Korikane almost had a similar incident when she had arrived to Iwa as well. "I see. my immediate thought is that you share some lineage with the Kazehana given you share similar chakra, but perhaps I am mistaken. Personally that fact does not matter to me, given that I rarely go by my clan names outside of official business." Perhaps he gained his powers in the same way she gained her tetsudashi bloodline when she had awoken? Was there some sort of link to trauma and new power? Questions for another time, as this conversation did not need those sorts of thought weighing it down.

She'd extend her hand, accepting the handshake with a smile. "And Diana is fine, and it is a pleasure to meet you Mister Jensen."

Putting one of his metal like hands up to his beard, scratching it slightly, adam sighed. Could he really be one of the Kazehana? His uncle never mentioned anything about it, nor did his parents, back when they were alive. However two people saying the same thing now couldnt be a coincidence. Starting with a sentence that would both a statement as well as a question he said: "You are actually the second person to mention the Kazehana clan. Though i never even met one of them in person before... Are you sure that my chakra looks like the same of a kazehana? You being the second one to mention it now cant be a coincidence after all."

Banishing the thought out of his head for the moment however, Adam brought his focus towards her calling him Mr. Jensen. It felt weird to him for a reason. Even the shopowner of his standart Liquor store knew him by his first name, so letting her be formal towards him, while he used her first name wasnt something he would allow.

"Please, just call me Adam."

As he stated this with a slight smile on his lips he continued about the question he didnt answer fully earlier.

"About my skin... this happened while i used my powers for the first time. Its like my body got molten and it sure hurt like hell back then. Although this pain was nothing compared to the other one i felt."

As he said this, his eyes seemed to have lost a bit of the intensity they usually had. Bringin out a box of cigars he opened it and held it towards diana, saying: "Would you mind if i lit myself one of those? And would you like one too?"

By his reaction, it seemed like she had hit the nail on the head, but at a cost she had not anticipated; that of what was likely trust. For a moment she assumed that it was a common question to come up, but she was surprised to hear that it was only the second time the clan had been brought up. "Your chakra has similar traits, but it is not the same. The Kazehana are known for the Jiton element, and given you share that same elemental trait I would not be surprised if you had an ancestor who was a Kazehana, however distant. I would not be surprised of your family did not know, as the relationship between the Kazehana Empire of old and the Land of Earth has not been a peaceful one. In fact, you likely have met a few during your time here after the Kage Summit about a year ago, but due to their history I doubt they would reveal their clan name that easily."

She would take a moment to think and then speak another thought regarding his blood. "Whether or not you are in fact descended from them though, I do not believe that changes who you are Mr. Jensen. I myself go by the last name of Moneta despite being of two bloods, and only use my clan names in official business in the same way one would address a doctor or captain. If you do not believe yourself to be Kazehana, then do not take up the name, but know that those who know of Jiton will assume that you are in some form when they sense or see it in action.

Maybe that was a bit deep, though thankfully Jensen, no Adam, changed tangents to how he addressed him. "Very well Adam, unless it is serious business I will endeavor to do as such." That was always something Diana never understood, going by last names first and first names second unless it was for an official meeting. Sure there were exceptions, but overall it didn't let her know the uniqueness of a person.

And then came to Adam addressing her question, that of his metal skin, something very much unlike her own. As far as Diana knew, she was born with the changes, having awoken the ability to use both elements before she could even use their base elements, let alone remember using them for the first time. His though, the feeling of molten metal? She didn't sense a Tatsuda bloodline in him, so maybe the burning feeling was due to the skin itself becoming metal? And then there was the 'other pain'... "I did not mean to bring up painful memories. You may go ahead, and if you are offering I shall oblige." Hard as it was, she would try to put on a sympathetic face to match how she felt, pulling out Cerise's lighter and offering it's use to light both cigars.

Taking a breath from his cigar, Adam kept the smoke in his mouth for some time before he slowly exhaled. While the smoke itself barely smelled like anything, the aroma of the the cigar was exquisite. After all, alcohol and tobacco were his only real expenses a month, so he made sure that both had a high enough quality. In fact, if he had more ambition, as well as skill, most people could have thought of him as a buisnessman, rather what he was in reality. Finally focusing again on Diana he asked:

"So, what brings you here today?" Thinking shortly he added: "Forgive me if i am wrong, but you look like a rather important person, so its making me wonder why someone of your class is sitting here."

And after all it was true. From what Adam was able to gather, the person he was sitting with was more unique then most other persons he had met so far, both in how they acted towards him, but also in the way how they presented themselfes. After hearing her answer he went out to add to her earlier statement:

"To be fair... even if i was one of the Kazehana clan, the persons that would have known are long dead now with the exception of one...", adding to his sentence Adam said, much quieter: "... one that i must consult soon."

Bringing up another topic he had interest in from the very beginning, Adam asked:

"If you dont mind me asking... i noticed how your cup can refill on its own... how does this work exactly?"

As he spoke, Adam felt a strange. It wasnt just interest that fueled his questions, but also the feeling tht the person in front of him could be one of a very rare kind.

Putting the lighter back into her pocket, Diana brought the cigar to her mouth and inhaled a small amount. Personally, she wasn't a fan of smoking, be it a cigar, cannabis, or even steak, but she had found that most store-brand versions didn't do much harm to her as a by-product of her Kotōshura lineage; not that she would mention it to Adam. She could however have some fun with said inhaled toxins. Infusing some of the smoke with her chakra, she'd exhale the smoke and let it take the form of a small canary, it's wispy wings flapping for several seconds before falling apart back into smoke. A fun but small trick of the Iwa kinjutsu.

Adam's question about why she was taking a casual stroll wasn't the first time she was asked, nor would it be the last. She briefly debated on revealing it was before she was kidked out by her subordinate to take a break, but she'd instead fall back on her usual reason. "I just wanted to take a walk, that is all." She'd frown, then speak again. "No, that is not quite right. While I am important to some, I often find myself with wanderlust due to my previous profession as a worldly traveler. Because of several agreements with Iwagakure officials however, I must stay in the Land of Earth for the time being, so I temper that desire by exploring what Iwagakure has to offer. While what I do has caused some commotion, compared to the previous two clan heads, Verneuli Korikane and Yui Kotōshura, many find my curiosities to be more preferable." Even if Adam didn't know who Verneuli was, she'd expect him to know of the previous Tsuchikage Yui, if only in passing.

Diana took a few seconds to process what Adam said about those who would know, and the likely implications left unstated. "I see. While I am curious, I will not pry." In some aspects Diana could relate, but she knew better then to assume she completely understood his plight. She did not have the luxury of remembering her family for decades, nor did she ever question what she was descended from.

And just like that, Adam seemed to drop the subject and switch to her cup, something she was perfectly fine with switching to. "Oh, this?" She'd hold up the cup and face the seal towards him. "This is a simplified version of the basic sealing technique shinobi use. I modified it so it can hold liquids at a desired temperature. It is not ready for field or public use yet for several reasons, but for personal, day-to-day needs it has served me well." She'd switch the ciger's placement so it was between her ring and pinkie, then tap the seal as her cup would refill again. "If you know the basics of fuinjutsu I would not mind teaching it to you; for a price of course." She'd give a clearly joking grin, clearly forced as she gave a bit too much teeth, but one which the intent was rather clear.

Adam watched Diana as she formed a bird with the exhaled smoke that shortly after being released fell apart back to smoke. While it was more a trick then anything else, it certainly was a good one, and neat to look at. Bringing his attention back to the smoke figures creator, Adam slightly nodded as he heard her tell her story. His guesses had been prooven correct and in fact, the person sitting in front of him was important, however there were a few surprises mixed in with the information he soaked in. Wanderlust... Not something he expected her to have. After all, many, if not all of the people she had met so far were pround of their village and couldnt think of anywhere else where to live or be, so seeing Diana not be so strict about that was a welcome change of pace for him. "Certainly... while i dont know too many specific details, there are going around a few rumors about the people you mentioned..."

Looking her in the eyes for a moment, Adam pulled out his flask and unscrewed it, before taking a sip, whihc he followed by saying: "My family... they died some time ago..." Taking yet another sip he followed with: "At the same time this here happened." Snipping his fingers he let them make their ususal sound, like metal was hitting metal, before srewing his flask shut again, while he let his statement sink in. By the time he was starting to speak again, replying to Diana, who was grinning now, he had stored his flask back into the relative savety of his trenchcoat again.

"Can this seal also multiply the liquids you are storing inside of it?" Slightly grinning now too, Adam added: "So what might that price be?" Wether it was a joke or not, Adam was inclined to know more about the seal, for obviousl reasons. Aside from that he enjoyed talking to Diana. She seemed so much more mature then many other people he met around the village.

Diana wasn't too surprised that Adam's knowledge on the two clan heads wasn't that deep, the former had retired and the latter having been caught by Diana herself...about a year ago now. "There are always rumors about those two, nothing that is worth getting into right now though." And really, there wasn't. To her their time had passed, and while it was good to remember them for what they did and who they were, they made their choice.

She didn't expect Adam to continue talking about the connection to his arms and his family though, the flask catching her a little off-guard. That was something she had little ability to relate to, she hadn't seen what happened to her parents when Iwa had fallen apart. "Ah. I know this might not mean much, but my condolences." She felt somewhat uncomfortable, death was still just one of those things that she was not suited to deal with. Yes she believed in Ninshū and that the Sage would guide them to the pure land, but that didn't help prepare those who were grieving. Sometimes, the best thing she had found was just to try to be there and let them talk.

With the topic shifted again, she'd give a small shrug and a shake of her head. "Sadly it cannot replicate liquids, to even begin working on a seal such as that would require Suiton, of which I do not have a stable access to." It was one of the few basic elements she had problems getting access to. Most of her Iwatomics subordinates only had access to Doton, and those who did have the ability to use suiton were unskilled enough to assist in enchanting or fuinjutsu. There were a few potential candidates that she had met in the Emporium, but with recent events...she was going to have to travel to deliver the request.

At least he seemed a little more jovial now. "Hmm, well seeing as you asked so nicely, if I were to cut some of the costs down it would come to...one million Ryo." She'd give a dead stare for a few seconds, then let out a chuckle. "I kid, you would need to show me that you have the skill to use fuinjutsu in a meaningful capacity before I would consider giving a proper price. I know that sounds harsh, but seal creation without having a proper baseline can be very dangerous." Her mind flashed back to the Kamizuru boy, but she'd brush it aside. Adam didn't give off the same vibe. "I have lost many a drink because the seal collapsed in onto itself, it would be a shame to lose even more because I gave an unprepared seal to another."

Dianas explaination about the former clan heads not being worth much talking about was just fine for Adam. He didnt really care for politics either way, so shifting the topic to something more interesting, more favourable to both of their interests seemed to be better anyways. Nodding slightly about her condolences, Adam muttered "happened a long time ago anyways" under his breath, barely understandle.

Hearing how the seal could not recreate the effect he thought it had initially was a bummer for Adam. It would have saved him a lot of money, however the other effect would have an rather interesting effect too, making it so he would be able to not have to spend either energy or strength to carry around the bottles, which he consudemd a considerable amount of every month.

By the time "one million ryo" reached his ears however, his usually calm and professional expression changed to one that had hints of surprise, confusion and a hint of being amused in it. Catching himself shortly afterwards he blinked twice and answered. "I-.. You got me there" Letting out a chuckle on his own he thought about it for a minute. If he ever happened to have so much money laying around, he would have other plans for it, then to spend it all for a seal, even if the core of his interest was the same.

"Unfortunately i am not skilled in this kind of field... But i totally understand. Seals are a delicate thing, both in use and application." Pausing shortly he added: "Also the loss of the things i intend to store there would be quite... devastating on my monthly expenses...."

"What do you use this seal for if i may ask? I recon it has quite a few medical or military purposes..."

Adam's muttering didn't go unnoticed by Diana, but she wouldn't comment on it, as it was not her place nor did she quite make it all out. Her hearing may have been comparable to a Kage's, but it wasn't perfect. Long ago as it was, having a constant reminder of the incident would leave deep wounds that wouldn't be easily mended.

Watching Adam's reactions to her trasing in regards to the seal was refreshing. Most of her colleagues wouldn't find the humor funny under working conditions, her subordinates would just as likely force a chuckle. But Adam's reaction? Genuine; something she could only get when she wasn't participating on political or professional business. It was just another reason why she enjoyed taking her walks, even if this one was forced upon her. "It is a skill that is more akin to learning a second language then say, blacksmithing or weaving, I can understand why many do not take it up, even as a hobby." A very complex language, that was for sure, with just as many dialects given how complex they could become at times. At least he was curious about its uses. "Currently, the seal is only used to store my drinks, as the standard sealing and unsealing techniques are more useful for commercial use. My goal is to develop this seal for residential use that any shinobi could use, even if their chakra systems are damaged or missing in some way." Her mind's eye flickered for a moment. Cerise. "That is why I am protective of it, as I must make sure it could be handled by a child without them accidentally turning it into an explosive tag-like seal."

Unexpectedly, the tomestone on her wrist made a small ping, and she'd take a quick glance to see what she received. "Oh, apologies for cutting this conversation short, but it seems that my presence is needed elsewhere now." She'd tap the screen and quickly types out a new message to the sender as she stood up. "You should swing around Iwatomics Incorporated sometime, if you are lucky by then I will have stabilized the beta version of the seal for limited consumer use." She'd give a short bow to Adam, giving a small smile as she did so. "And maybe we can talk about how to shore up those theoretical expenses as well. See you later!"

With a wave, she'd head on out. Perhaps she would see him later, perhaps not. At the very least he was someone to keep an eye on.

{Exit}

Answering at the topic that was revolving around the seal and Dianas plans and fears about it, Adam would nod and answer that it was understandable and the right thing to do. After all she had the power and the responsebility to amke sure her inventions were used in a way that she wanted them to be.

Answering to her as he left, Adam said: "I will try to do so. Meeting you has been pleasurable Diana. Until we meet again, which hopefully is rather sooner then later."

Seeing as Diana left with a wave, Adam decided to do the same. After all, not only did now seem like a good time, but also he had a lot of things to think about. Diana Moneta. A strange name, however, he was certain he would hear more from her very soon.

Walking home now, disposing of the stumble of his cigar in a nearby trash bin, he took a sip out of his trusty flask, as he wondered where his future would lead him to, concluding in the end that wherever his path would go, he would meet Diana again. She seemed like a person with morals. The very same morales that he valued.

Coming home now he took a long shower before he concluded the day with half a bottle of his whiskey.

[EXIT]