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Post by Shiba Kaigen on Feb 10, 2014 1:14:58 GMT
Some Time After the Events of "Ashes"
Gondo grimaced as the samurai groaned in the back room.
"I should have sent one of the boys to let the other Phoenix samurai know..."
His wife shook her head.
"You know as well as I that where we found him would cause him trouble. Poor way to repay the man who pulled your brother from under that masonry."
"I suppose."
He grimaced. In the shock of the moment, there hadn't been time to rescue both of the people they'd found outside of the foul-smelling room. He'd had to prioritize, and quickly.
"If he doing better?"
"Hard to say... the poison seems to have permeated his system... he breathed in a great deal of it."
"So we wait?"
"We wait."
"And if we end up with a dead samurai in our house?"
The wife paused, then gave a lopsided grin.
"Set fire to the house and run away?"
"That's... not even remotely funny."
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Post by Shiba Kaigen on Feb 10, 2014 9:04:31 GMT
In the back room, Kaigen's dreams were fevered. The face of the ronin Sakura blurred with Isawa Haruko's. He impaled the harmless ronin on his naginata, then went out of his way to rescue the maho-tsukai.
And then there were some dancing goblins and something to do with riding the Dragon of Fire into the sun, but that was probably just the poison interacting with the sake.
And then Shiba Kaigen, gunso in the First Imperial Legion, war hero, and frequent pain in the rear, say upright.
Where in Jigoku...
Wait.
I was in some Fortune-forsaken alleyway. That masked cretin had just run off.
...
Judging by the decor, I am decidedly far from my quarters with the Phoenix.
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Bayushi Satomi
Unwanted Betrothed
Scorpion Clan
Posts: 1,080| Likes: 322
Rings: Earth 4 * Fire: 5 *Air 3 * Water 1 * Void 3
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Post by Bayushi Satomi on Feb 10, 2014 12:08:49 GMT
A figure entered the room, removing the jingasa after recognizing Shiba Kaigen as the man in the bed. Considering the circumstances the heimin told her, he wasn't as bad as when they found in him in the alley, days ago. Taki, her servant, looking after Keitaro, had stumbled upon the information of a Phoenix samurai being tended by heimin. And as Shiba Kaigen was missing... Satomi took her chance to find the gunso before his enemies. The Crab woman crouched next to his futon, to observe his health (looking after signs of Taint, of course). Seeing nothing obvious, she asked. Well well my friend Shiba-san... How are you feeling today?
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Post by Shiba Kaigen on Feb 10, 2014 12:20:42 GMT
If he was surprised by the newcomer, he didn't show it.
"Alive, Kaiu-san."
He blinked, peering at the Crab general.
Time has passed. Signs of recent stress.
"Gondo tells me I have been here for days. I apologize if this caused any inconvenience."
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Bayushi Satomi
Unwanted Betrothed
Scorpion Clan
Posts: 1,080| Likes: 322
Rings: Earth 4 * Fire: 5 *Air 3 * Water 1 * Void 3
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Post by Bayushi Satomi on Feb 10, 2014 21:00:08 GMT
You can be generous to them later, if you feel like. They said you seemed... poisoned. And for all I know, you are here about four days... We've been looking for you.
Whatever he passed by, it seemed to have intoxicated the Phoenix warrior severely. With the aid of heimim and his own natural stamina, he survived, but he seemed to still suffer from the effects of a specie of toxic substance. Satomi witnessed several soldiers intoxicated with poisonous fumes before. Here... She produced from her belt a tiny porcelain vial, with an Agasha wax seal. This is Bayushi's Bane*.You'll feel better in no time. She opened up the tiny flacon and brought it to his lips, expecting that Kaigen hadn't intention to refuse her help. I never went to a Winter Court without such item. .. You shall be prepared for some obvious tricks, they say...
The Kaiu general observed him for a while, seeming not impressed by his poor appearance. A look of concern in her face. The heimin also said that, when they found you, you smelled as a smoked rotten fish...
She glanced at his daisho and other personal items in a corner of the room: What happened?
*Bayushi's bane
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Post by Shiba Kaigen on Feb 10, 2014 23:48:06 GMT
"The usual. Stuck my neck out, nearly lost my head as a result."
He knocked back the antidote and grimaced.
"Helped some ronin out. Name of Sakura. Bit of a fight involved. Recovering from that, and some masked clown shows up, calls her 'Mai,' and attacks. Saw him off, passed out."
He followed the Kaiu's gaze to the daisho.
"Gondo says I didn't let go until the second day or so."
A statement Kaigen was almost certain as a lie, but one he felt like preserving. Repaying Gondo's help by killing him and his family for perhaps touching the daisho seemed poor form.
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Bayushi Satomi
Unwanted Betrothed
Scorpion Clan
Posts: 1,080| Likes: 322
Rings: Earth 4 * Fire: 5 *Air 3 * Water 1 * Void 3
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Post by Bayushi Satomi on Feb 11, 2014 0:07:11 GMT
Don't worry. Heimin are creative in their ways of "not touching", I know. One day I tell you about how they invented the pincers. Also, when you marry Toturi-tenno, you can even make them samurai...
She sat in seiza position, and her tone lowered.
Now, Pretty Firebird, you said Mai, masked clowns, ronin... It sounds pretty bad. Ronin Sakura and lady Shosuro Mai... linked by a play. I don't know if the Ronin was in the city but I tell you one thing... nobody sees Lady Mai since her name was announced as the bride of Shosuro Sezaru...
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Post by Shiba Kaigen on Feb 11, 2014 0:31:06 GMT
Kaigen grunted, and seemed to find something interesting on the far wall.
"I think there's some saying about the notice of those in high places..."
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Bayushi Satomi
Unwanted Betrothed
Scorpion Clan
Posts: 1,080| Likes: 322
Rings: Earth 4 * Fire: 5 *Air 3 * Water 1 * Void 3
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Post by Bayushi Satomi on Feb 11, 2014 0:48:18 GMT
I'm ignorant of saying of ones in high places... All the high places I had been, were pretty empty of people... She said in a serene way. Do you think you feel better to be on your feet?
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Post by Shiba Kaigen on Feb 11, 2014 1:20:00 GMT
"I expect I will manage."
He got to his feet with a grimace.
"Beware the notice of those in high places, Kaiu-san."
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Bayushi Satomi
Unwanted Betrothed
Scorpion Clan
Posts: 1,080| Likes: 322
Rings: Earth 4 * Fire: 5 *Air 3 * Water 1 * Void 3
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Post by Bayushi Satomi on Feb 11, 2014 1:34:18 GMT
It seems to have a deeper meaning, and it's intriguing that a Shiba can be more enigmatic than a Togashi...
Besides... She evaluated his body thoughtfully. When you think about the conjunction of what you told me...It seems exactly the opposite... Maybe we should be very interested in the high ones. My duty, though, takes me to other activities than collect facts about...masked people. She smiled, whether approving what she was seeing or about other thing, Kaigen couldn't be sure.
She raised and went to the door. She turned with a serious tone in her voice:
Excellent. I'll wait you outside. Are you sure you don't wish this house burned?
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Post by Shiba Kaigen on Feb 11, 2014 1:49:07 GMT
"I would not even joke about it, Kaiu-san."
He took a swig from a bottle of water, appeared to think about something... and then very carefully extracted three koku from his obi and tossed them onto the futon he had occupied.
Gondo and his family had shown discretion, courtesy, and compassion. Three koku would mean nothing to Kaigen... but to a peasant family, the difference could be profound.
His host stood nervously by the door, looking out at the Crab samurai.
"I am pleased you are well, samurai-sama. If this one can-"
Kaigen held up a forestalling hand.
"You have rendered me a personal service, Gondo. Do not worry- and I will try to avoid burdening you further. Carry the Fortunes."
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