[action]

[dangerouswind]

[At some point during the afternoon, as you walk across the town or through well-used paths in the fringes of the forest, you may feel as if you're being watched.

Yes. You.

A fleeting shadow, the feeling of eyes following your every move, the feeling that you can't shake a follower. You know the one. It makes the hair at the nape of your neck stand on end. Makes you paranoid and jumpy. Or maybe just amused. Annoyed. Whatever it does, it's there.

Temari's not trying too hard to stay unseen. It's less training and more something to do. You might turn around and see a ninja standing behind you. Maybe she's touching down next to you. Maybe you're attacking. (She won't like that much, to be honest, but maybe that's how you respond to being watched.)

There's a ninja stalking you. What do?]

Comments

[fierybluebird]

[Marco is out returning books, getting groceries, occasionally whistling to birds. He plays this game for a bit, wherein he turns around only to turn back as if nothing was out of the ordinary. After about three times though he finally pipes up.] You know I'm a lot more interesting to talk to than watch. Believe it or not.

[dangerouswind]

[Oh, caught. How fun. Temari leaps down to land beside him.] Oh, I dunno. I'll be the judge of that.

[fierybluebird]

Your optimism in my conversational prowess flatters me. [Kind of the opposite, but he says it with deadpan aplomb.] Marco. [Offers a handshake.]

[dangerouswind]

Temari. [She takes the hand, her grip firm and confident.] People do some amazing things when they think they're alone.

[fierybluebird]

Unfortunately I never thought I was alone.

[Otherwise, admittedly she probably would have seen more bizarre things. And he shakes back.] Nice to meet you Temari, albeit under questionable circumstances.

[dangerouswind]

[She snorts, amused by that answer.] It's not questionable where I'm from.

[fierybluebird]

Oh. I wasn't aware stalk wasn't considered a social taboo anywhere else.

Perhaps because in mine that sort of thing is generally perpetrated by enemies or bounty hunters.

[dangerouswind]

I'm from a ninja village. It's kind of normal.

[fierybluebird]

Oh! Right headband. I always seem to forget that.

I'm from the world with all the pirates. I guess we tend to be a bit more edgy about such things.

[dangerouswind]

[She shrugs one shoulder.] I needed something to do; people-watching seemed as good as anything else. [Pause] Apparently, there's some great debate about pirates and ninjas. I'm assuming you stand with the pirates on that one.

[fierybluebird]

What's the debate?

[dangerouswind]

I've only heard about it second-hand. I don't quite get it.

[fierybluebird]

[A shrug.]

I can't commit myself to any one side without knowing though. What if the question is who makes a worse lover, or who takes the longest showers?

[dangerouswind]

[The look she gives him is amused.] Obviously, I need to look into this a little more.

[fierybluebird]

Aye, then we could open it up to the public to have a showdown and settle it once and for all.

[dangerouswind]

What sort of showdown would this be? Public vote? Tournament? Public evaluation of one's lover?

[fierybluebird]

Hopefully not the latter. In that case we'd have to get special volunteers.

[dangerouswind]

I'm sure you could find a few here.

[fierybluebird]

Maybe, but I'll have to draw a personal line there and say it can't possibly be about pirates versus ninjas, just an individual's prowess or lack thereof.

[dangerouswind]

[She barks out a laugh.] Agreed.

[fierybluebird]

Hopefully it'll be something much more entertaining, like who makes the best flapjacks or plays the best dodgeball.

[dangerouswind]

[Suddenly amused bark of laughter here.] Pirates vs. ninja dodgeball. That'd be a tournament I could get behind.

[fierybluebird]

On that I'm sure we'd win.

[dangerouswind]

Strong words, pirate.

[fierybluebird]

We have to deal with marine cannonballs all the time. Even your ninja throwing capacities would have trouble keeping up with that, eh?