Obstacles are like wild animals. They are cowards but they will bluff you if they can. If they see you are afraid of them... They are liable to spring upon you; but if you look them squarely in the eye, they will slink out of sight.
Kaori felt as if she wasn't any closer, but she knew that was just her nerves and excitement talking in place of logic. She had been walking for about four hours now, the sun had moved through the sky to indicate that much to her at least. She sighed softly before she started to hum to herself, she was partially regretting leaving Nova behind, despite knowing that it was for the best. She rolled her neck in a circle and listened to the satisfying crack of her vertebrae. She still had a ways to go, if her since of time and direction were right, and they usually were, she still had about six or so more hours to go, and that was without stopping for breaks. (3/10)
OOC:
There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.
Obstacles are like wild animals. They are cowards but they will bluff you if they can. If they see you are afraid of them... They are liable to spring upon you; but if you look them squarely in the eye, they will slink out of sight.
Kaori stopped at a watering hole and took a couple sips of the, surprisingly clean, water. She looked up and smiled, off in the distance she could see cats of all sizes, and it made her heart soar. It meant she was closer than she was hours ago. Close enough she could now taste the opportunity for success. She stood up and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, then began to walk along the edge of the water. The heat wasn't anything compared to the heat of Sunagakure, but that did not mean that the cool wind off the water wasn't appreciated. (4/10)
OOC:
There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.
Obstacles are like wild animals. They are cowards but they will bluff you if they can. If they see you are afraid of them... They are liable to spring upon you; but if you look them squarely in the eye, they will slink out of sight.
Kaori had left the water edge an hour ago, according to the sun, and was about half way to her destination now, by her estimation. She was beginning to see more and more wild cats, all ranging from the size of cubs, to bigger than Nova, though she was well aware that she had not come across the leader of the Wild Cats. Something told her she would not see him until she had reached her destination, she would merely have to be patient and wait and see. Only time would tell if she was worthy, but she would try her best. She just had to hope that her best was enough. (5/10)
OOC:
There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.
Obstacles are like wild animals. They are cowards but they will bluff you if they can. If they see you are afraid of them... They are liable to spring upon you; but if you look them squarely in the eye, they will slink out of sight.
Kaori swore she had caught sight of a cheetah cub, which reminded her of Nova when Nova was at her smallest. It made Kaori smile and a soft purr to rumble in her chest, something that Nova was not capable of, being a tiger. Some days, Kaori was more feline and human, but she didn't mind, not only did it give her an edge in battle, it made her feel closer to her partner, someone she absolutely adored more than she cherished her own life. She would do anything for Nova, just the same as Nova would do anything for Kaori, and Kaori knew it. It was why she'd left her friend back in Suna. She just hoped that Nova wasn't cause any issues. (6/10)
OOC:
There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.
Obstacles are like wild animals. They are cowards but they will bluff you if they can. If they see you are afraid of them... They are liable to spring upon you; but if you look them squarely in the eye, they will slink out of sight.
Was that? Kaori shook her head, she had sworn she'd seen s snow white feline, who was as large as a village plaza, yet now it was nowhere to be seen, as if it had not been there to begin with. Kaori knew she wasn't losing her mind though. She'd done her research, and knew that a wild cat of just that description existed here. She was being played with, similar to how Nova would play with her when they were younger. For most, it would be a nerving, but for Kaori is brought back happy memories, memories of playing with Nova in the courtyard of her family home, out on the outskirts of Sunagakure, before she'd reclaimed her Clan's ancestral home in Sunagakure proper. And now she was going to try and gain the friendship of even more felines. (7/10)
OOC:
There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.
Obstacles are like wild animals. They are cowards but they will bluff you if they can. If they see you are afraid of them... They are liable to spring upon you; but if you look them squarely in the eye, they will slink out of sight.
And that was, definitely, a pair of tiger cubs, though the term cub was used loosly in Kaori's mind. They were about the size an adult human, so about the size of Nova herself; she could only tell they were cubs because of their fur and the shape of their faces, since they still had their baby fat. They were adorable, and she already adored them. She couldn't wait to get to know them properly. So far none of the Wild Cats had come to harass her, but several of them had been spying on her, as if to take her measure. Kaori didn't mind, she woudl do the same in their proverbial shoes, after all. She shook her head with a smile and kept walking. (8/10)
OOC:
There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.
Obstacles are like wild animals. They are cowards but they will bluff you if they can. If they see you are afraid of them... They are liable to spring upon you; but if you look them squarely in the eye, they will slink out of sight.
Kaori took a few deep breaths as she came to a stop. She was finally at the entrance of t he great castle. And what a castle it was, too. It was massive, taller than even Suna's entrance, and that was quite a feat to accomplish, though she supposed that it wasn't a difficult feat when the creators weren't human to begin with. The Summons were always a league of their own, and this was just proof of it. The architecture was just as impressive as the size. Kaori smiled as she inhaled deeply, the scents that hit her nose were many, and they were varied. But they told the stories of those who had come before her, and told the stories of the Cats that lived in this very castle. Her sense of smell was not as strong as, say, Ayame's since she was a canine tamer, but it was still better than a non-tamer.
She took another deep breath, this one to calm her racing heart and the butterflies in her stomach, and stepped inside the open doors of the castle. It was clear to her why the doors were open, being a wild animal herself, more animal than human most days, she knew how secure they could be. If any dared cross them, they could simply eat whoever angered them. It was a sound strategy. Who would dare retaliate against the Wild Cats of this beautiful Savannah? (9/10)
OOC:
There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.
Nyx_Nightshade_7656 generated a random number between
1 and 10 ...
6!
Obstacles are like wild animals. They are cowards but they will bluff you if they can. If they see you are afraid of them... They are liable to spring upon you; but if you look them squarely in the eye, they will slink out of sight.
Kaori found her way to the main throne room of the castle, where she looked up, and up, and up, and up to see a tiger. But not just any tiger, he was clearly the king of this castle, and clearly a feline that was very much in charge. It didn't hurt that he was the size of a Bijuu himself. It was more than impressive and more than just slightly terrifying all on it's own. But Kaori shook her head minutely and took a deep breath, before she bowed to the massive tiger, "Lord Toragetsu, my name is Kaori Raigyo, and I came to request a contract with you. I hail from Sunagakure, and I am a tamer, with a Tiger I named Nova as my partner." She kept her bow respectful, and would not make eye contact until he spoke to her and let her know that she could. He was the Lord of the Cats, the King, he deserved respect, as the leader of the entire group of Summons. He was the most powerful and one of the oldest, meaning that he had worked hard to get where he was, and that was nothing to ignore. (10/10)
OOC:
There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.
Obstacles are like wild animals. They are cowards but they will bluff you if they can. If they see you are afraid of them... They are liable to spring upon you; but if you look them squarely in the eye, they will slink out of sight.
Kaori was silent as she waited for Toragetsu to render his judgment. It felt like hours, but she knew it was mere minutes before she heard a deep, rumbling, voice speak, "My people have watched you, from t he moment you stepped onto this Savannah, and they have brought to me their judgement of you. and I have come to a conclusion based off of their findings, and my own impression of you." Kaori held her breath as she waited for him to tell her his thoughts. She would not rush him, she was in his world, and she would play by his rules here. It was the only way to survive, and to possibly win his favor, though it was clear that he'd made his judgement already.
"I have found you worthy to call upon me, and mine. You will still need to work to gain the trust of each of those under my Rule, but you have my blessing. Use it wisely, and do not betray us. You may rise, Kaori Raigyo."
Kaori gasped and looked up, a smile on her face as she finally stood, still looking up at Toragetsu, "Thank you, Lord Toragetsu. I will endeavor to always make you proud of your decision, and never mistreat any of your people. I wish to become friends and partners with each and everyone of you, in time." She bowed once more, a smile of pride and joy on her face as she stood once more. Toragetsu nodded to her and motioned for her to head towards the entrance of the castle, "It is time for you to return home, with your prize of the very scroll you worked so hard to come here to earn. Call upon use when needed." With that, he had very clearly dismissed Kaori. Kaori turned on her heel and began the trek out of the castle, and out of the Savannah itself. She had a boat to catch.
OOC:
There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.
Obstacles are like wild animals. They are cowards but they will bluff you if they can. If they see you are afraid of them... They are liable to spring upon you; but if you look them squarely in the eye, they will slink out of sight.
Kaori stepped back into the castle of Toragetsu, head held high this time. She had earned the right to summon these creatures, and now she was determined to earn the right to be the Sage of these creatures. Once back in the throne room, Kaori bowed, then rose and looked up at the King of the Wild Cats, "Lord Toragetsu, I returned to request the right to train to be the Sage of you and your people." Kaori bowed once more after she finished speaking, waiting for Toragetsu to speak. And speak the giant did, as he nodded his massive head, "Very well. We begin training immediately. Come, follow me." Kaori was quick to stand up and all but ran to keep up with the massive tiger's footsteps. It would not be an exaggeration to say that one of his steps was equal to over a hundred of her own.
Toragetsu led her to a smaller room, of course to call it smaller would be to imply the room was small at all, and it very much wasn't. all of Suna could probably comfortably fit inside of this room. There was no ceiling here, it was clear the cats enjoyed the access to the natural air. With his tail, Toragetsu motioned for Kaori to move into the center of the room, where there was a raised platform. It was clear that he wanted her to get on the platform, so he'd have easier access to her. "You will sit here, and you will begin to meditate. You will feel for the natural chakra that is around you. Natural chakra, not your own, and you will begin to try and pull it into yourself. If you pull too much in, you will begin to turn into stone. I will step in and stop this from happening. Now, you must remain perfectly still, or you will lose any and all progress you made." Toragetsu pointed out as Kaori jumped from ledge to ledge, using her claws to help her climb. Once on top of the platform she took the lotus position like she did for basic chakra training back in Suna, and fell into an easy meditative state. (1/10)
OOC:
There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.
Obstacles are like wild animals. They are cowards but they will bluff you if they can. If they see you are afraid of them... They are liable to spring upon you; but if you look them squarely in the eye, they will slink out of sight.
Kaori could feel the nature chakra in the air, swirling around her. It had a very distinct feel to it, completely different from her own, despite her chakra being very close to the feel of flowers. She stayed completely still, something that wasn't too difficult for her; just about any position was a comfortable one for her, given her unique skeletal system, when compared to other humans. Sitting still would not be the problem for her, nor would the need for concentration. No, her problem would be knowing the limit of chakra to absorb. But that was what Toragetsu was there for. He would aid her by knocking out any Sage chakra that she absorbed if it was too much for her body to handle. (2/10)
OOC:
There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.
Obstacles are like wild animals. They are cowards but they will bluff you if they can. If they see you are afraid of them... They are liable to spring upon you; but if you look them squarely in the eye, they will slink out of sight.
Kaori inhaled on a count of seven, then held that breath for a count of seven, and released that breath on the very same count. This was a basic breathing pattern learned by most anyone wanting to meditate, it helped clear the mind of thoughts, since the practitioner would be focused on the count; rather than their thoughts. Meditation, true meditation, was a hard earned skill, and one Kaori had struggled with when she was younger. It came easier now, but she still was no expert. Kaori sighed out another breath as she cleared her mind, only letting her thoughts latch onto the feel of the Nature chakra around her. She could feel the air on her skin, rustling the flowers in her hair; and it was very refreshing. (3/10)
OOC:
There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.
Obstacles are like wild animals. They are cowards but they will bluff you if they can. If they see you are afraid of them... They are liable to spring upon you; but if you look them squarely in the eye, they will slink out of sight.
Kaori gasped slightly when she felt a massive paw hit her, throwing her entire body off of the platform and to the floor. She felt all the Natural chakra that she had accumulated leave her in something akin to a giant WOOSH. She looked up at Toragetsu, vaguely aware that her flowers and hair were everywhere. But her biggest concern was to find out why he had just smacked the hell out of her. She had been so close to getting the feel for nature chakra! She blinked and opened her mouth, only to snap it closed, "Your foot had begun to petrify. You're welcome." Kaori only nodded and gathered her flowers, letting them wind around her arms and shoulders in place of her hair; then began to climb back up to the platform. (4/10)
OOC:
There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.
Obstacles are like wild animals. They are cowards but they will bluff you if they can. If they see you are afraid of them... They are liable to spring upon you; but if you look them squarely in the eye, they will slink out of sight.
Once back on the platform, Kaori settled back into her meditative state, eyes closed and body relaxed, and began the breathing exercise once more. The thought of being petrified for all eternity was a scary one, but she was more determined than she was scared. She would succeed, she would become a Sage. This was what she needed to do, and she would do it with; maybe not grace or style, but skill. She began to inhale and exhale with her meditation, her heart slowing as she sank back into the natural chakra swirling around her. She was confident in her success, especially with Toragetsu guiding and watching over her. (5/10)
OOC:
There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.
Obstacles are like wild animals. They are cowards but they will bluff you if they can. If they see you are afraid of them... They are liable to spring upon you; but if you look them squarely in the eye, they will slink out of sight.
Kaori exhaled on a count of seven and felt for the natural chakra in the air. She felt as if she were so close, at yet she was so far, and she knew it. She had to get this right, sh had to be able to go back and say that this was something she had accomplished. She would make Sunagakure proud, and she would do this right. She began to pull more nature chakra into herself, slowly and at what she thought was a measured pace.
Toragetsu watched his little Summoner silently, eyes unblinking as he kept an eye on just how much chakra she was absorbing. He would not let this young woman, this child in his eyes, turn to stone. He could sense a strength in her that so few possessed. He was looking forward to seeing what she could do with the power of his subjects at her fingertips. (6/10)
OOC:
There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.
