Realistic or Modern The Recursion of Japan

[AkuTheWolfOkami]

The steamboat had docked at the port in Tokyo, and even from this distance you could see the festival in celebration of the harvest in October, Kannamae-sai. The town was full with people- tourist, farmers, merchants and the different celebrations in honor of the festival that was going on.

It all didn't interest Nobunaga much as he stepped off on to the dock in his newly acquired western wardrobe. Black well polished dress shoes that seemed to reflect the sun's blinding light adorned his feet. They went along well with the black trousers that covered his legs and even the black vest that adorned his chest, and black stock tied neatly into a bow around his neck. Under neath the vest and stock sat a pressed white buttoned up collard shirt, with the ends of the sleeves cuffed neatly. Black hair tucked neatly behind his ears, using some type of wax he got in Germany to keep his hair in place complimented the goatee that sat on his face as the only facial hair. And to finish the ensemble, a black top hat sat neatly on his head.

He had embraced western culture, as made evident by the clothing he volunteered to wear. He even tugged the overcoat over his shoulder, before reaching into his pocket and withdrawing a pocket watch. A quick flip of it open and a glance at the time, before closing it was all he offered before replacing it back and glancing over the shoulder that the overcoat did not rest on,"Miroslav-san, come. We have things to do."

Where he had glanced stood a pale skinned boy,about 15, bright green eyes, brown hair stopping right at his shoulders. He wore an outfit similar to Nobunaga's, aside from the fact his trousers were blue, vest was green, and he didn't have an overcoat. He also was carrying an array of bags, probably mostly belonging to the older gentleman. "Right away Testsuyo-sama." His origins were clear, his German accent broke through his Japanese causing some of his words to sound rough and wrong, though they were the right words.

This caused Nobunaga to sigh,"What did I tell you about speaking Japanese..stick to Engrish. We both understand that." spoke Nobunaga, switching to English instead of his native Japanese tongue. He had begun to walk forward, before he was met by a group of men. It was four of them, he recognized two of them from the Matsuda clan, and the marking on the other two's hands made it clear that they were from the Hotsuma clan. Jeez, they were his allies and they had no idea of his true identity. Must mean he was doing a good job.

"Ambassador Tetsuyo?" questioned one of the men, which Nobunaga only responded with a nod. The next thing he knew, each produced small dagger like blades and were rushing at him.

"Jeez a work out already?" he questioned using his free hand to toss the top hat on top of Miroslav's head. He stepped forward, and used his coat to grab one of the man's hands while avoiding the knife, flipping his arm behind him and kicking his leg to cause him to fall to his knees. He wrestled the knife away, and tossed his coat on top of Miroslav's head before kicking the man in the back on to the ground.

Another attacked, and Nobunaga flipped his recently procured blade into the air, catching it an appropriate way to fight with the point towards his arm. He gripped the next assailant's free arm, using his wirst to block the hand that was coming with the blade, before kicking him in the stomach. The man doubled over, and Nobunaga rolled over the man's back to avoid a jab by another. When he got to his feet on other side of the man, he kneed him in the face, before dropping to the ground. He used his leg to sweep the man to the ground his head hitting the wooden dock hard, a move he learned from hapkido.

With another blade thrust from the guy who just attacked him, Nobunaga rose to his feet using the blade he stole to deflect the oncomner's blade. With a quick step, he kicked the guys knee, causing him to bend forward before taking him into an arm hold then flipping him to the ground. Once the man was on the ground, Nobunaga put his knee into his back and ripped the man's arm out of its socket. He was a Matsuda, a dislocated shoulder was the worst he'd do to his own kin. The other Matsuda came forward, and he seemed to be more skilled than the others. A flurry of stikes, which Nobunaga blocked easily, but had little time to counter or no opening to. He thought for a moment, before blinking.

He jumped back to give space between the two, before coming in with a hard right hook in the fashion he learned from Boxing in England. The man blocked as he had expected, but the impact behind the blow threw him off balance and a left hand uppercut came, hitting him square in the jaw causing him to fly a bit in the air before hitting the ground unconscious.

The final man, who was actually the first in which Nobunaga wrestled the knife from rushed at Nobunaga unarmed. A smile covered the man's face, he'd never had the chance to do a complicated move he learned in Hapkido before. The man threw a jab, but Nobunaga was in the air, wrapping his leg and foot around the man's arm, contorting his body - twisting and turning, before he spun the man on the ground and him in an arm lock with his own leg. As he lie there, Nobunaga concentrated to not hurt the man too bad, but still ended up breaking his arm in two places.

Dusting himself off, he got to his feet, grabbing the coat, and throwing it over his shoulder, and picking up the top hat and placing it on own head again. He smiled a bit looking over to Miroslav,"I think it'd be a bit dangerous if you stayed with me son. " Stuffing a piece of paper under the young boy's vest he began to walk away,"Follow the instructions on that paper. I'll meet you at the Inn later. Please don't get yourself killed with your bad Japanese."

A raise of the hand signaling his departure, Nobunaga (disguised as Ambassador Tetsuyo) made his way through the crowds of the festival that was occurring in Edo Japan.

@Shura
​

 

[ninbinz]

Cause and effect, action and consequence. All that trouble because one man acted and another reacted. For their power and their ideals they would plunge the citizens of Nippon to a new era of uncertainty. How long would it take the Meiji or the Tokugawa to commit a tragedy the likes of Honnoji.


"Namyo ringekyo" Kizoku chanted, prostrated alongside the main road next to a makeshift shrine. In front of the shrine were two bowls, one for him and one for Buddha. Tradition and religion had him tucked away beside the main road, safe from horses, carts and people begging for his god and for his dinner that evening. Success would be a ball of rice to save for the meal time, failure would mean a night of steadfast meditation and exercises to keep his hunger at bay.


"E mi tuo fo" he'd chant at the sound of a rare coin pinging against the wooden bowl before the Buddha. The road leading in from the docks was busier than usual, a collection of well dressed Japanese men and women mixed with the eponymous Westerners themselves. Their pale skin, round eyes and haughty accents immediately set them apart. Their passing was unmistakeable. Where the people of Kyoto would pass him with reverence or no mind, they, would openly scoff at him as though he were offensive to their sensibilities.


The morning was wearing on when a pack of children ran towards the dock, their feet hitting the ground like a stampede of great beasts. They were a cacophonous and rowdy bunch but even they offered him the respect reserved for men and women of a pious nature.


"Namyo Ringekyo" he chanted, rising from his kneeling position on the grass. He stretched out his arm and grabbed a young girl by the scruff of her shirt. She scrabbled for a minute until she realised who he was and bowed to him. He smiled and returned the bow.


"What is happening at the docks?" he asked. The girl dragged a forearm across her nostrils and sniffed.


"One of those new steamboats is here" she said hurriedly and scrambled off to follow her cohort.


Kizoku turned to the shrine of Amitabha Buddha and bowed before packing it and the tributes away into a small rectangle case which he then wrapped in cloth. He was curious, living in the shrine had never afforded him the sight of a steam boat.


The fight was quick and brutal, the japanese man dressed in western clothes was something else. His fighting techniques were beyond anything Kizoku had ever seen before. But that didn't assuage the fact that there were me lying injured on the ground. The victor seemed well enough to take care of his own injuries.


Kizoku turned and waved over the young girl he stopped earlier.


"Go to the nearest Matsuda shrine and have them send men to tend these ones." The girl nodded and ran off to disappear in the crowd. Kizoku in the meanwhile went about assessing the injuries. One man had an arm broken in two places but he would live.

 

[Brax]

If there was one thing that customers belonging to the Touzen Sushi Shop always noticed about Prince, it was that his accent when speaking Japanese was not only prevalent, but different. Being from Africa, his pronunciation of Japanese words was not the best, but he was fluent in speaking and understanding the language. Typically speaking, those who visit and have Prince as a server tend to enjoy the work that he does.


When it came to the Sushi Shop itself, it was set up quite eloquently. Lamps hung from the ceiling and on the walls of the wooden establishment. Small booths separated by small bamboo walls. First walking in, an extremely small set of stairs led up to the actual shop itself. People entered from all the way to the left, meeting the hostess near the door. She showed people to their seats, inside the booths that were at the opposite end of the restaurant. This wasn’t exactly a large place, rather, medium-sized at best. Five booths to the right side, five to the left. That was full capacity for the mom-and-pop business.


The Touzen Sushi Shop is located right in the heart of Kyoto. Prince works as the server, his father’s brother (named Toma) was the cook and the owner. His wife (Aki) worked as a server as well. The couple’s two daughters (Eun-Lee and Amaya-Hee) worked as a cook and a hostess, respectively. On this particular day, the restaurant was rather slow, so after one more table, Prince was able to leave for the day. He was happy to stay, but Toma insisted. The four truly believed that Prince was part of their family. As far as the relationship between Prince and Toma went, Toma referred to Prince as nephew. In return, Prince often called Toma ‘uncle’ and Aki ‘aunt’. Cousins, obviously, cousins. You get the point.


“Excuse me, waiter!?” A boisterous customer asked. He was a regular who never really caused any issues around the restaurant, despite seeming like the type to do so. Deciding that he would allow his aunt to take a break from some of her load, Prince would walk up to the table and confront the three men. Sitting on mats in the appropriate style that time dictated, the men were already drinking their sake by the time Prince made his way over to them.


“Hello.” Prince greeted the men with a genuine smile, placing his hands together and bowing. “My name is Prince, I will be your server for the duration of your meal. I see you have already received the complementary Sake, is there any other refreshments I may get for you? Or would you like to start on your orders?” When he was finished speaking, no one answered. Instead, one of the men asked where he was originally from. His tongue was not that of a person who was born within the language.


Honestly, it was not simply that Prince’s accent was weird in Japanese. It was weird always. Even when in English or Spanish, no one could ever place just what kind of twang his rhythmic patterns of speech withheld. It was awkward, and certainly uncommon. The real answer to this was, though his lengthy experience of travel from Africa to Japan, shit simply got out of whack. Learning different languages, listening to others talk for an extended period of time with rich accents of their own along with the culture made Prince’s own a mess. On the surface, it sounded almost as though he was unsure of what he wanted to be – except the truth was he didn’t have any power to change how he was.


“I’m from everywhere, and nowhere; all the same.”


Inhaling deeply through his nostrils as he listened to the men go on with their orders, he was sure to repeat what everyone around the table said. When he got confirmation that he had gotten everything down correctly, he brought the order to his uncle, who obliged immediately with an unusual calmness. “Once I get done with the order for table two, I will be sure to work on their order next.” Fair enough. Prince nodded slightly before returning to the main part of the restaurant from the kitchen.


Removing a small clay instrument from one of the pockets belonging to his vest, Prince began playing a soft melody from his tsuchibue. Leaning against the wall next to the sliding doors which had separated the restaurant from the kitchen, the young man provided some background music for those whom had been enjoying their meal. It certainly wasn’t packed, but there were a decent amount of people scattered throughout. At the moment, his workload was tiny – Aki often insisted that she took care of ‘usual’ clientele. Vibrant green hues became hidden behind closed eyelids as he became slightly entranced in the delectable tune which he had continued playing off the top of his head.


Generally, Prince received a laundry list of questions asking why he didn’t stick to the traditional wear of Japanese males, but Prince wasn’t Japanese. He owned a couple of essential items in terms of clothing, especially for nicer occasions, but Prince wasn’t trying to blend in. He was trying to be himself – his Spanish-influenced clothing was comfortable for him. It wasn’t a matter of respect, but from time to time there would be a couple of people whom came along and said otherwise.

 

[Shura]

Hikaru Anie


Festival


The sweat smell of festival food rose into the air mixing with up beat music making the atmosphere light with life and joy. Hikaru enjoyed these events more than anything, it was one of the few times she could get out and just enjoy herself. She strolled along an ornate fan held in her right hand gently fanning her self every so often. Thankfully it wasn't too warm and three was a welcoming breeze which swept through the courtyard. She had dressed light as not to suffocate under layers of clothing like other women did.


A silken light blue kimono worn for special occasions. The kimono its self held very little embroidering or decoration above the waist. As the colors faded from light blue to lavender light sakura blossoms started to trail down the outer edges of the kimono fanning out as they reached the hem. The only embroidering which decorated the top half of the kimono was the crimson fox seal of the Anie family which was threaded with a subtle darker shade of blue on the left side of her kimono near the collar. She had a white obi in place to secure her robes. Her long hair was gathered into a short bun and secured it with a pair of elegant combs which were gold and painted in black with an intricate design. Hikaru only used a light make up due to the fact that being out doors for long periods of time with heavy make up would become unbearable. upon her feet were a pair of simple white tabi and dark wooden geta which had small ornate painting along the side of blossoms and flowers.


To anyone in the festival Hikaru would appear to be a harmless young woman however among the pretty silk and accessories she wore a small arsenal was hidden in away. Two daggers hidden with in her obi along with a few needles, an ornate comb much thinner than the others with the sides dulled but the the ends of the long combs came to a very distinct point. A few more needles and daggers were tucked beneath her robes strategically as not to harm herself but be easy to draw when needed. While the festival its self was suppose to be a safe event for fun and good cheer she was still on guard. Scanning and searching for any possible threats. Her guards were not too far from her hidden in the crowd as well though they looked a lot less innocent than Hikaru.


The whistle of a steam boat caught her ear and she smiled slightly turning to make her way towards the docks. As much as she enjoyed the festival it was not the real reason of her visit. No, instead it was the return of a dear friend who she hadn't seen in years. As calm as she was to the rest of the world excitement bubbled in her belly. Last she heard he had traveled all of the world learning and growing something she had wanted to do but was forbidden. Hikaru had always found other culture interesting and she was naturally curious about them but her parents were more of a traditional mind set. Even with some of the more practical items it was never looked on too kindly. It was something that irritated her but she let it go. It wasn't Hikarus place to question her parents on such matters but that didn't mean she couldn't look into the western cultures on her own.


The sound of a scuffle reached her ear as reached the main street. Hikaru leaned against one of the buildings and peeked around the corner spying a fight between a few men she vaguely recognized from her clan and a rather well dressed man in western clothing. She paid close attention to the strange man watching him fight and counter with strange moves she had never seen before. Her combat training wasn't exactly the most extensive but his movements and style were very different than ones she'd seen taught to others as well. As the fighting died down she was finally able to she was finally able to get a good look at the man. She stared a moment in surprise face palatially hidden by her fan as she tapped her chin with the soft edges.


With all the years that had passed since their last meeting it was hard to forget a face she had seen nearly every day growing up. Though she had to admit he had change quite a bit from the young teen who had left Japan to explore the world. A small hidden smile curved her lips as she watch him interact with a young foreign boy. She moved along with the rest of the crowd merely following for the moment. Hikaru changed her direction opposite to her old friends but kept her stance light and neutral. She shuffled along looking at the different stands and what they had to offer. Just as they were to pass each other she shifted ever so slightly so slightly so that there shoulders would collide. During the brief moment of contact she slipped a small bit of parchment into on of his pockets. the motion was swift and unseen, most likely not even noticed by him. Hikaru regained her balanced as their eyes met and a small knowing smiled crossed her painted lips.


"Oh, very sorry."





@AkuNoOkami

 

[AkuTheWolfOkami]

He hadn't really any particular direction as he made his way through the crowd. If the Matsuda had sent people after him, he'd sure the'd have someone tailing him too in case the job wasn't finished. It was real easy to lose someone in a crowd, or tell if you were being followed. With everyone going every which way, almost at random, it'd be odd if someone walked the exact same path as you if you weren't walking in a straight line.

What he didn't know was he was being tailed, just not by who he thought it was, or expected. She was much better at role of conspicuously inconspicuous game, much better than the other kunoichi in the clan. He hadn't even recognized her until their eyes met for a brief second, and he finally processed who it was. He didn't feel her putting the parchment in his pocket, he was actually clueless the existence and wasn't even all to sure if that was who he thought it was,"Hikaru-chan?" was the only thing that escaped his mouth as he turned to see if it was her, but had lost her.

Was she really that good? That would be better than she was when he last saw her years ago. Maybe it wasn't her. Maybe he was just seeing things. Either way, unless she was his tail (which didn't seem likely because if that was her and she was, he'd be dead), he was sure he had lost his tail. So slowly, he moved his hand into his pocket to reach for for his pocket watch. He wanted to see how long it would have been since he left Miroslav, maybe he left him alone for too long.

His hand didn't find his pocket watch though, instead it felt something soft, smooth, crinkly. His hand returned from his pocket with a paper with note on it. It was a relatively bland note about tax collection to the regular eye, but he knew the AkuOokami's code. Every third kana, in every other line made up the sentence. So that was Hikaru. She was glad for his safe return, and didn't want to blow his cover. She was requesting a meeting in a little sushi shop that would no doubt be busy on this day. Their meeting would be just another one of the several in the festival, and no one would probably notice (or be sober enough to) a Matsuda and a Satsuma official were speaking together. Though, it isn't quite the strange occurrence on a day where everyone was suppose to be peaceful.

He chuckled a bit taking the contraption hidden under his sleeve, which used a flint type spark like a lighter, and set the paper a blaze letting it fall to the ground. He had made his way through the crowd again, walking into the Touzen Sushi shop and taking a booth that was recently vacated. Maybe he had been out of Japan too long, for he lied his body across the little area, instead of sitting and crossed his legs whistling a tune, before switching to singing it in English," he stuck a feather in his hat and called it Macaroni."

​

@Braxnond @Shura

 

[Shura]

Hikaru Anie


Festival - Touzen Sushi Shop


Hikaru smirked to herself at the surprised look which flashed across her old friends face. She had to stop her self from giggling a bit as she strolled along losing her self with in the festival crowds. As much as she wanted to welcome him home at the docks she knew it was unwise. He was undercover and being seen openly in public would just end up getting both of them in trouble, more so for him though. No one knew about it, only those with in the immediate family were told. Her two shadows were the only exception to this rule but that was so they didn't attack him any time they did meet.


A soft sigh escaped Hikaru as she weaved her way through the crowds. She pulled the small trinket she had exchanged for the note examining the pocket watch for a moment. She vaguely wondered if he would be mad or impressed she was able to even pull such a feat off. Possibly a mix of both. She tucked it back into her sleeve as and turned a corner making her way towards the small family run sushi shop. It was one she visited a lot and had grown to know and trust the family.


Her small neutral smile grew into a genuine and warm one when she approached the shop hearing a soft melody being played. "Good afternoon Aki-san" Hikaru greeted as she reached the hostess.


The older woman returned the grin with a slight bow "Oh Hikaru-Sama, It is good to see you. Do you want your usual table?"


Hikaru shook her head "No not this time, I'm meeting someone." She replied eyes gazing past the woman a moment quickly scanning for any sight of him. "And I think I see him already." She chuckled.


The woman blinked a few times before following nodding "Oh I see." she nodded "please sit where you wish."


"Thank you, Aki-san" The young woman nodded and moved further into the shop. Just as expected she spotted one of the servers, Prince, playing some sort of strange instrument, one of the many odd things about him but she figured that was part of his charm. A small bit of nervousness twisted in her stomach as she approached the both where her old friend was sitting. She caught the last bit of the the tune he was singing and tilted her head slightly.


"I don't think I've ever herd that one" She chuckled reaching the booth. "It's wonderful to see you Tetsuyo-san." Hikaru added as she slid into the seat across from him. She still found it odd addressing him in such a manner, but didn't want to risk and wandering ears even if their tones were hushed.


@Braxnond @AkuNoOkami

 

[Brax]

Prince Okiro


As hostesses passed about, Prince continued playing his tsuchibue. He hadn’t noticed that anyone special had entered the shop in particular, mostly because he didn’t know any better. The man wasn’t familiar with all of the Daimyo that existed in Japan – In fact, when it came to even the most popular of families, the young man knew nothing about whom withheld the most powerful bloodline. Such affairs interested Prince very little, as it so turned out. Even when it came to customary actions, Prince wasn’t familiar with everything.


After Nobu and Hikaru were seated, one of the hostesses walked over and whispered into his ear. Green eyes allowed themselves to become visible once more, he finished playing immediately and placed his clay instrument back into its rightful place. Time to get back to work. Immediately moving from his spot on the wall to the kitchen, he greeted his uncle once more and began setting up a tea pot. Along with a couple of cups, Prince would place everything onto one tray and walk it out into the main area of the restaurant.


Bringing it over to the booth that the two had been sitting at, Prince placed the tray down in the middle of the table with a warm smile. Naturally wider-set eyes gave his visage a softer look, almost doe-like. I’m not exactly sure if that phrase is meant only for females, but fuck it. That’s how the shit happened to look. A small smile graced his features as well, as he looked amongst the members of the party before bowing respectfully. “Hello, welcome to Touzen Sushi. It's a pleasure to see you again, Hikaru Anie. I will be back within a minute or so to gather your orders, to please be patient!” Prince then set the tea down on the table.


Turning his head slightly to the side, Prince gave both Nobu and Hikaru a warm smile. That was before he turned around on his heels and began walking back toward the kitchen area. Upon stepping inside, Toma let Prince know that the order for his first table was complete and ready to be served. Helping his uncle set everything on its appropriate plates, within a total of thirty seconds passed before Prince was setting the plates belonging to the booth he originally was meant to have before his break. As it turned out, now he would have to wait for the newest party to finish their meal before getting lunch himself. Not that it bothered him in the slightest; Prince was compliant always, and willing to work. It came with the territory of loving the people he worked for – his 'family'.


When he bowed to the people whom he had finished serving up, he made the group aware that he would be back shortly to check in on everything. After being thanked properly, Prince finally walked back over to the table for two once more. “I’m sorry about the delay, but I really hope the tea is to your liking!” Meanwhile, a hostess moved to sit another seat of men, whom happened to be samurai. They seemed to be overly-touchy, something that Prince preferred not to see when it came to his sister – but he hadn’t turned around to see it yet. Actually, as far as he was concerned, no one new had entered the shop at all. Even though bells let people signify new people walked in, Prince was completely oblivious and busy with work. It was simply part of his nature. As it sat right now, the samurai whom had been seated at the other end of the restaurant had noticed Prince.


“Do you happen to know what it is you would like to order? I could give you all more time if you would like to look over your options once more before making a decision.” Lifting one of his hands up to his face, Prince used his fingers to push a couple of loose strands of hair behind his ear. He pressed his lips together, letting the hand which moved his hair rest behind his neck as he waited for an answer from the two whom he was waiting on. When he was finished getting orders, he finally turned from the table, he noticed that his sister had been looking shaken up due to the rambunctious group whom had entered. The newest customers had been eyeing up the table belonging to Nobu and Hikaru, and therefore, the group had also been eyeing him down as well. The young man maintained his cheery demeanor, but maintained knowledge of what was going on after turning to look. Walking into the kitchen for the millionth time in this post, his uncle spoke before Prince even got a chance to. Meanwhile, Prince grasped the sheath of his Katana from the corner of the kitchen it was hidden in.


“Make sure your take is fond of the food which they eat! They are royalty.” Prince responded to this with a blank stare. Really, so what was the big deal? He was sure his uncle would make the food just as good as he always had. If it was bad, well… Mistakes happen. Big deal. After handing the order for Nobu and Hikaru's table, the samurai got up and began walking over to her. Once they reached the table, the three drunk men all maintained loose stances with wicked stares. Prince approached from the side while strapping the sheath to his side. When it was set, he kept his right palm placed around the bottom of his katana's hilt.


@AkuNoOkami @Shura

 

[ninbinz]

If the world were a pond, then the people were stones lying in its depth. Each new person brought into the world was a stone dropped into the pond. Some people made ripples that barely broke the surface while the truly great people made waves. The Tokugawa and Meiji were such men, the fighter who put so many people on the ground was such a man. Kizoku knew he was already caught up in the ripple.


The little girl returned shortly, Kizoku had tended the wounded as best he could but he was no healer. He moved aside for the priests and their stretchers. He reached into his shrine crate and found a few Yen that Buddha wouldn't miss. When he dropped the coins into her hand she almost cried but but he shook his head with a smile and shooed her away with a soft gesture. The priests she had gathered sniffed at him haughtily.


"You are not so great a worshiper to give your gods tributes to some small vagabond Monk." remarked their leader. Kizoku simply bowed to them and gestured to the wounded men.


"Buddha is a god of kindness and love, he would not mind a few stray coins to a young child in need of food" he said softly moving out of the way. The priests' leader sniffed again.


Kizoku helped the men onto the stretchers, it was a laborious task made all the more difficult by the injured who cried out when moved too suddenly. By the end of it he and a few priests were sweating profusely and breathing heavily. They all took some time to rest before heaving the stretchers up and making their way to the temple and thus the healer.


The people in Kyoto busied themselves with the holiday traditions. Men and woman traipsed up and down the roads in their fine Kimono or English attire. The priests nodded t the odd passerby and uttered blessings to others. Most looked oddly at him, uncommon as it was to see Shinto Priests and a Buddhist monk carrying injured men together. Kizoku remained silent, smiling absently at the heavenly smells from food and incense. He did his best quell his bodily urges to let go of the stretcher he was hold to run into a shop and gorge himself on Takoyaki or Yakisoba.


They rounded a corner and Kizoku saw the young girl from earlier eating a rice ball with two other children. It made him happy to see the Buddhas charity so well utilised. It was a wonder to find such a kind soul nestled in the heart of a city like Kyoto. Most people were indignant and ignored the world around them while pursuing their own selfish goals. The monk wondered if the world would soon look the same.


Kizoku was not a great supporter of the Westenised world and their influence on his country. True, they bought technological, commercial, medical and philosophical advances to Nippon but they also brought their diseases, attitudes and warfare with them.


They arrived at the temple to the local god, the bypassed the shrine and proceeded inside until they arrived at a large room where thy set the mend down. Kizoku was ushered into another room where food was placed on a table.


"Please, eat. You didn't have to help us carry those men all the way here." Kizoku shook his head at the priest who lead them to the temple.


"But I did. Both my god and my conscience required I see this to the end."


"All the same monk, sit, eat." Kizoku could not help but comply.

 

[AkuTheWolfOkami]

Ambassador Tetsuyo





He rose his head a bit when he heard her draw close, and managed to sit up,"I'm surprised you understood it. Or did you.." he offered in response with a smile and tilted his head to the side,"You have something of mine." His voice was stern, and he said what he said matter-of-factly with not an ounce of anger or awe. When they were greeted by the waiter, he only managed to nod in acknowledgement of his existence, taking the tea.


He brought it to his lips a bit, and took a sip of the warm liquid. It passed over his lips and through his mouth, down his esophagus and into his stomach, spreading warmth everywhere it touched. Something he was pleased with. He had grown to prefer Western food over Japanese, (he brought some back with him he planned to eat over the food offered at this shop) , but the west could not do Tea nor Rice proper. The closest he got with Tea was in England (excluding Korea since that's not really western), and no one came close in rice. He'd probably order some of that. Sounded delicious actually.


"So how've you been, Hikaru-chan," he asked her with a smile before looking to the returning waiter who had come for their orders,"Largest Portion of Rice you have." He'd wait for Hikaru to say his order before he'd move his tea back to his mouth,"The western world isn't so bad you know." He wasn't in character, he was being serious, but it'd be something she understood. They grew up being taught the same thing, that being progressive doesn't mean losing tradition. What could they do though, they were just in the AkuOokami sect.


His Great Uncle, Matsuda Hiro, was the leader of the family. The AkuOokami started off as dishonored Samurai who were so skilled that the clan could not afford to lose them. Honor was such an important thing, they couldn't continue to down the main family, so they started the AkuOokami sect. This sect would do all of the things for the Clan that any honorable samurai wouldn't. Over time it grew, and though a main family member would always be the head, there were even different branch families stemming from the main family. His father was the current head, his grandfather, Matsuda Hiro's older brother, passed a while ago, which is why Hiro had to come back. Farmers, former samurai, the lot all started to train in the art of the shinobi, until the AkuOokami became one of the most powerful clans period, not just in the Matsuda. They didn't know it, because out of loyalty they always fought for the Matsuda name, but they could bring the main family down if they wanted. But, very few thought like that, and those who did were usually silenced quickly.


"How's your mother? How's Chizoba?," he questioned gently. He kept in contact with his father, so he knew how he was doing, but he didn't know the state of Hikaru's affairs. He was also the only one to call Inukiku, Chizoba, well at least what he remembered. Everyone else seemed to think her African name brought shame, even the AkuOokami sect. He didn't, plus it sounded Japanese did it not? She was his distant cousin, but he couldn't hide the fact he cared more about her than he should.


Then there was Hikaru herself. She was like a little sister to him. When he had free time, they would play with each other, even train sometimes. Their families would eat together, hold festivals. He tended to prefer to be alone, but Hikaru and Chizoba were his exceptions.


The man would come back with their orders, and disappear again. Such an odd one that fellow was. That was all that he could think, until new men approached the table. He would bring the tea to his mouth again, taking a sip not bothering to look up to the group,"Good evening gentlemen, might I ask you return to your seats? In front of you and to your side are two unpleasant consequences from proceeding any further. This is a peaceful day, even for enemies."





He maintained character, despite his urge to rip their intestines out and throw them on the ground. Still, being the strategist he was, he went over every single possibility he could in this situation. He wanted to pick the one with the highest success rate, lowest injury amount, and where he nor Hikaru didn't have to fight. He feared the worst, that he'd have to step in. The fellow armed with the katana might kill them, or the other way around.


@Braxnond @Shura


Matsuda Inukiku Chizoba


She watched curiously from the distance at the men she sent to to attack. She knew they were no match for Nobunaga, and he wasn't the type to go without training, but she had her reasons for sending them. They didn't know he was Nobunaga and they needed to seem like the Matsuda clan was really trying to rid of the Satsuma. Two, she wanted to see if he had learned anything while he was overseas, he couldn't have just stayed in character the whole time. He was too anxious to learn new things to better himself.


She was right, the Japanese man had done things she hadn't seen from any of the fighting styles native to Japan. She expected him to handle them quickly, but how was something she hadn't known what to prepare for. She could tell he was holding back, he didn't want to hurt his clansmen.


She took in a deep breath, though he was younger, his taijutsu was much better than her's and the added techniques from overseas just made it far more deadlier. She'd hold on to her crown of stealth though, no one was better than her.


Her ears perked when she heard the location they would take the fallen assailants to. She'd be safe to speak to them there, so in a move she turned in her black kofurisode kimono, that was covered in a leaf pattern that mimicked the autumn leaves. The long sleeves trailed her gracefully, as she moved in the violet (skirt) hakama that adorned her from the waist down. On her feet, she wore wooden Geta, leaving her taller than she already was, and black tabi. There were something different about these tabi that no one could see. They were slightly spiked with metal, and had a thicker bottom than normal tabi. This was the socks (more like boot/jika-tabi) that the shinobi in her clan wore.


In her sleeves, she had poison tipped needles in a section that was crafted with extra protection, so as she wouldn't be pricked and poisoned herself. She also had a tanto strapped on top of each of her forearms that she could access easily, and there small size made it extremely simple to conceal under her sleeves. Her long hair was pulled into the osuberakashi style, with the front pulled back and tied with a bow, and the rest fell down her back until a few inches from the end, where it was tied with a bow into a "pony tail" on her back.


She would easily make it there before the priests and monk who would have to carry the heavy and injured men. Upon their arrival, she appeared and walked to the Matsuda member who had his arm broken. Kneeling next to him she looked him into his eyes as he writhed in pain,"You sparred Nobunaga-dono before he left, is that man better?"


The man was a chunin, who they usually sent out for initimidation, konran. She outranked him on two fronts. The fact she was a jonin, and that she was apart of the AkuRyu, which outranked even jonin. So he obliged in answering, gritting his teeth through the pain,"Yes, much better."


"I figured as much," she responded rubbing his temple with a free hand. He had a fever, must be from the shock. She continued to stroke his face before covering his mouth and placing one of those poisonous needles into a vein that would help the powerful poison take effect the quickest. He struggled a bit, wanting to scream as his eyes showed the horror of what was happening,"That was Nobunaga Matsuda. You can't survive with that knowledge, you'll ruin everything." She smiled as she watched his eyes lose any spark of life and his body lie still before she threw the needle to the side and stood up,"I think this one is dead. Poor Haru, he was a fine one."


She rose a brow when she noticed the monk had come with the priest, causing her to tilt her head a bit. A buddhist monk, in a shinto shrine. Interesting to say the least. She would need to find out his story,"Hey monk!" she called out making her way to him, bowing before him. She had to show respect, he was a man. She smiled,"My name is Matsuda Inukiku, may I ask what brings your presence?"


@ninbinz

 

[Shura]

Hikaru Anie


A whimsical chuckle escaped Hikaru as he pointed out that she had something of his. She placed the pocket watch on the table and slid it over. "I actually didn't really understand it, still I have yet to hear such a tune." She informed with a small smile actually getting to take in his full appearance. His time away had effected him greatly in style, posture and manner of speaking. "I have been well enough given everything that is going on."


She glanced over as Prince approached the table in his usual hurried manner. "It's good to see you as well Prince-san." She greeted before turning back to the man sitting across from her. "She took a sip of her tea and sighed softly enjoying its warmth. The tea was one of the many reasons she enjoyed the little sushi shop. "Hm Don't my parents hear you say that." She chuckled softly "I know it's not as bad as other are making it out to be." She shrugged slightly. When prince returned she ordered her usual order of sashimi and a few rolls she knew were the best.


"Mother has been well, so is Chi." Hikaru grinned. "Getting into her usual antics. That much hasn't change since you last left." She informed her tone still soft and reserved. It was clear she had matured a lot since last they were together. Hikaru was no longer just a young teenager though hints of her playfulness showed through here and there. She pulled a letter from her sleeve as if by magic and set it on the table a bit nervous about giving it to him. "Your parents actually sent me with this." She said slide it across the table. "Quite abi-" she trailed off as the three men approached the table as if looking for a fight.


Who they were after? She wasn't sure. They weren't familiar to her but that didn't mark them clearly as to what side they were on. The clan was so large not everyone knew each other. She stayed seated as any woman would but that didn't mean she was ready for a fight. She sipped the last of her tea before pouring her self a new cup steam rising from the cup but she didn't drink. She held it instead and waited. in her off hand several needles were already drawn and hidden under the long sleeve of her kimono. She cast a wary look over to Aki as if to apologize in advance for any trouble that might break out.


@AkuNoOkami @Braxnond

 

[ninbinz]

Kizoku

The food was delectable, doubly so for he was suffering from a mild case of starvation. He hadn't eaten a meal for three days and he wasn't going to make it a fourth. Still, though his body screamed to be sated, he remained calm, he maintained the quiet dignity of his order. He smiled politely at his host and lifted up a small glass of water. "Ganpai!" he toasted and bowed. The priest returned the gesture with grace.


"Hey monk!" he heard. and turned to find a slender woman. His heart thundered, she was a beauty if ever he had seen one. The way she carried herself bespoke of grace and poise, the same type of grace and poise possessed by those proficient in the art of death.


She was dressed in an exquisite kimono. Like water it flowed from her form, hugging her body in a tasteful manner before alighting on the ground. The dark colour and patterns that mimicked the beauty of autumn accentuated her dark skin and lurid eyes. From her height, Kizoku suspected she was wearing wooden Geta. She was worthy of art but no art would ever be worthy of her.


Kizoku's breath caught in his throat a moment.


"My name is Matsuda Inukiku, may I ask what brings your presence?" She had an abrupt character, it shook him from his moments gawking. It took him some spare seconds to reassess the question she had asked. She bowed as was expected of proper Nippon women. Kizoku smiled and stood up from his spot beside the table. He returned the bow, just a fraction deeper than hers.


"My lady, I am here by virtue of my conscience, adherence to my faith and by duty to the Matsuda." His answer was simple and concise. Truthful even, a quality lacking in the people of Kyoto. His experience of the city had not been very good so far. He maintained hope in humanity but he was still sad for those who spoke with false words.


"It is improper of me to do this, but would you join us at our table?" he offered.


"I'm sure my host would not refuse?" Kizoku looked back to the priest whose face had blanched, a few moments passed before the priest nodded vigorously. Kizoku couldn't help but think he had done something wrong.


"P-p-please m-m-m-My Lady, it would be an honour." Fear, Kizoku was seeing fear in the priest, this Matsuda Inuzuka was indeed more than what she seemed. However, Kizoku did not rescind his improper invitation, that would be far worse.


@AkuNoOkami

 

[Brax]

The customers whom had been just minding their business, scurried out of the shop in horror. Placing both of his pinky fingers into the corners of his mouth, Prince whistled extremely loud. Walking slowly to the middle of the restaurant, Prince’s eyes never left the group. He was currently withholding a rather hardened expression, one which grew as fighting became more inevitable as an only option. When he finally stopped, he parted his lips to speak. “If you gentlemen would do me the honor of following me outside, I would like to offer you a wager.”


Hues turned to the leader of the samurai, who scoffed. “If you beat me, i'll give you the entire Sushi shop. And you can kill that guy.” He pointed to Nobu, obviously unaware of who it was that he was speaking of. Prince wasn’t one to auction off actual people, though had done so this time. The Touzens were well aware of his actions as well – derail problematic persons and bring them outside of the establishment as to not ruin anything inside. His family trusted his skill enough to put their blind trust in him, also.


One of the hostesses immediately screamed otherwise, but was hushed by Prince's uncle. He stared coldly at the men, a plain looking frown adorning his features as he cocked his, head back slightly. There was no question to be answered - Prince was not simply suggesting the men fight him instead, he was telling them that it was going to happen that way. "Get past me, and then you could fight him." Those whom Prince was referring to turned to face him, all with those same smirks painted across their face. "You got a death wish, kid? We're not gonna take it easy on you just because you're young!"


There was no response to give the men, other than letting them know that he would not fight inside of the shop. The group insisted on following Prince, so the server would end up leading the group out of the shop's doors and into the main street. A small crowd gathering of passerbys ensued as Prince turned to face his opponents. The distance between was only a few feet. Fingers wrapped around the hilt of his Wakizashi in opposition to his Katana, pulling it slowly out of its sheath. His right hand eventually turned the blade to hold it in reverse-grip stance. This caused the samurai to bust out laughing, in hysterical fashion.


"You gotta be kidding me!" The various mumbles between the crew caused Prince to smirk. Naturally, he was not cocky in the slightest. Prince wasn’t exactly the type of person who looked menacing. From a technical standpoint, the young man looked like someone who had no business swinging a sword around for sport, let alone in life or death situations. However, these men had no idea what to expect out of Prince. Taking him as a joke probably was not the most intelligent thing to do, then again the men whom had attempted to cause a ruckus inside of the shop had made their mistakes in the first place.


One of the men spoke to Prince as though it was his first day. "The small one is used for inside combat, you stupid foreigner!" The rambunctious laughter once more took heed. Prince never doubted his opponents, because it was usually his opponents that made the mistake of doubting him due to his fighting style, or just general appearance. The leader of the samurai troop itself continued babbling on, but his words were lost to Prince, who began growing increasingly disinterested.


"Talk is cheap."


@AkuNoOkami @Shura

 

[AkuTheWolfOkami]

Ambassador Tetsuyo


She had placed the watch back on the table gently, and he reached his dominant (right) hand out to recover it. She had followed it up with a paper on the table and opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by the situation that was unfolding.


A brow rose when he heard the whistle, noticing everyone clearing out as a result of what was happening. A disappointed sigh could only leave his lips listening to their waiter, who now was a swordsman speak to the samurai before him. Nobu had no idea how long this man had been fighting, or if he had been good at it, but there was an aura about him that he felt confident in,"You're betting my life, a Satsuma official? You realize the consequences of you losing is far more than your Sushi shop." The young man still hadn't looked up but instead finished the rest of the tea, before pouring himself another cup.


"Alright, fine. Let's make this interesting gentleman, along with the shop you can take my pretty little friend here," Nobua stated handing his hand out to showcase Hikaru. He'd no concern if the man before him loss to the samurai or not. He didn't know it, and they were probably too drunk to recognize Hikaru IF they knew her, but there were two of the deadliest shinobi in Japan period sitting at that table. They'd actually probably would be better served if the boy actually won and didn't kill them. That was the only option for their survival.


He took a sip of the tea before getting up and placing the paper Hikaru had handed him in his pocket,"Oh, well I guess we're headed out. This shall be entertaining." He slung that coat back over his shoulder and headed outside. The only thing he was disappointed in was that to keep his character, he'd have to make a spiel using this "brawl" as a reason why the shogunate should be abolished, pity.


There was a crowd who gathered outside already watching the combatants take their stances. A peaceful day alright, oh the irony. When they would be standing next to each other, in a gentle voice only audible to Hikaru among the crowd of people and the ambiance of nature Nobu spoke,"You're familiar with this boy. What do you know about him." It wasn't a question, it was almost a command to her to tell him what she knew.

 

[Shura]

Hikaru Anie


"Things can never just go calmly..." Hikaru thought to her self observing the conflict.


She blinked a few times before sending a subtle glare over to Nobu as he offered her in his place and was very tempted to hit him for that. Something never changed that was for certain. Still she couldn't help but be irritated with the situation. It was nerve wracking enough giving him such new in the form of a letter and being left to fill in the blanks. But tack on the fact that he was under cover as someone on the opposing side made things even more difficult and complicated. Hikaru was never one for such things, simple was best but life insisted on becoming a twisted knot of secrets and plots.


She sighed softly and finished the tea she had poured before gracefully rising to her feet "I suppose so." She muttered following him out.


She observed the gathering fighters and just shook her head, things were going to get messy, being in such a large group something was bound to break out. Hikaru glanced over as questions were asked about prince and she smirked slightly wondering if she should leave him in the dark of play along.


"Hm... how about I tell you if Prince wins?" She murmured back with a mischievous glint in her eye. Not knowing would irk him, that much she knew. How much really depended on how much he had changed over the years.

 

[AkuTheWolfOkami]

Matsuda Inukiku


A very generic, if not honest, response. She'd hope for a little more, but perhaps that was habit born out of her occupation. She was often gathering information, intelligence if you will, ready to use it in some fashion. She didn't need to here, she wasn't in disguise -she actually stuck out more than she fit in. Though they were in a war, it was a day of peace and she wasn't on any mission. Yet, there she was, trying to pry into the open box that was the monk.


She had gotten lost in the labyrinth of her own thoughts that she couldn't even properly respond when the monk had made the offer to join them in their meal. It had caught her off guard and she had been so entranced with her own useless confusion that for once, she didn't know what the proper thing to do was. "I...." she started but trailed off the shi floating off into the air as she couldn't even get to the wa to connect to the rest of her sentence.


When she finally had a moment to regain that impervious demeanor she had lost in her own self brought confusion, she began to part her plush lips from each other but the monk had spoken again. He was asking permission from a priest, because he had made an invitation he knew was improper. The priest obliged, of course. He feared for his life. The priest knew of the Matsuda, of course he did. This was /their/ shrine. So he was familiar with her reputation specifically. The sairen. His fear was proper.


She couldn't help but offer a genuine smile, one lacking any malice that would be seen from someone with any ill will but it wasn't because she invited to the table. Nay. It brought her genuine pleasure to see the fear that lay in the wake of herself and the Matsuda.


So she bowed before the priest,"Kannushi-sama, arigatou-gozaimasu." When she lifted her head, she gave a devious smirk making sure only the priest saw before turning to the Monk and bowing. She made sure to sit properly, as a lady should, sitting next to the monk. She smiled at those around her afore turning her attention and with a smile as innocent a child looked to the monk,"mumei-dono, may i ask your name?"


She hadn't much experience with a buddhist monk yet, none of her missions required her to speak to them. She'd call her father, a shogun, dono and her elder cousin (the leader of the AkuOokami sect) the same but she wasn't sure if that particular title was offensive. She hoped she didn't offend, but in truth if she did or did not didn't matter to her in the grand scheme of it all. Mumei, nameless, was to give him something she could address him by without feeling too impolite.





@ninbinz

 

[Brax]

Prince Okiro


That was when the three men decided to attack all at once. When they circled around Prince, he kept calm. The man who attacked first was the one behind him. As he neared, Prince nearly turned to the side and extended one of his feet up into the man's chin, causing his body to bend backwards and fall on the ground. Balancing on his right foot for a moment, he brought his other foot back down to his side before another man attacked. Prince avoided one slash by moving to the side, and parried another by raising his sword.


When the man came in for a third strike, Prince sent a swift kick toward the man's calf. It distracted him enough so that when the young man punched him square in the face, he had no idea it was coming. The third samurai did not strike. Instead of waiting to be surrounded once more, Prince went on the offensive. The closest man to him was the one who had just tried slashing at him, so that was the man to be dealt with first. The samurai had tried to impale him with a straight strike, something which he would regret. Prince was able to hop over the blade of the sword, using his forward momentum to his advantage. As the man came down and landed on the ground, both of his feet had plowed the samurai’s head into the cobblestone as well.


One down.


He didn’t stand on the man’s busted face long. He was soon running, with the two other samurai chasing. Leading the samurai directly toward the wall of the sushi shop, Prince hopped onto the wood. Once both feet were planted, he kicked off and flipped backwards. Meanwhile, the two samurai both slashed at the side of the sushi shop, sticking their swords into the structure and momentarily getting them stuck. Prince landed directly behind the two men, immediately delivering one slash to the samurai on his left. His katana’s blade slashed through the flesh and bone as if it were butter, severing muscles as well as tendons. The man’s right forearm, still holding the katana which was plunged into the wall, momentarily kept its grip around the hilt and dangled off the wall. The samurai let out a gritty scream.


Whipping his left leg violently to the right, Prince’s foot smashed into the last samurai’s ribs, breaking all of the ones on his left side. Without bringing it down, his foot then hooked up and smashed the man in the top of the head, using the axe kick to instantly knocking him out. Prince's left hand would grasp the sheath on his left side. He turned the sword so that it was upside-down, sliding the length of his blade along the edge of the sheath until his blade got caught in the groove. His hand then slowly pushed the blade in until the hand guard clanked against the wooden end of the its resting place.


Two men were unconscious on the ground. One was fine, though sitting on the floor while grabbing his stump of an arm and continuously yelling. Prince took his time collecting all three of the men’s swords, as well as the gold they had on their persons. As for the man who was still conscious, he was in shock; he let Prince do as he pleased, staring on in horror. A large amount of people had witnessed the event, crowding almost in disbelief. Daimyo or not, such disrespect to the innocent was intolerable.


Prince’s facial expression softened once more.


@AkuNoOkami @Shura

 

[AkuTheWolfOkami]

Collab post type thing so follow grammar may not make sense for a personal psot buth


He cut his eyes at her, managing to turn and look to her directly,"Need I remind you, disguise or not, I still outrank you? His voice was still calm despite his temperature rising a bit from the insubordination. True, they were friends, but as always he took things too seriously.


Hikaru fanned her self lightly hearing the irritation in his voice and couldn't help a small smirk. He really hadn't change much to her relief. "Hmm are you so sure? As I was going to say before we were interrupted. Quite a bit has change since you were last home." She knew she was treading on thin Ice but wasn't exactly sure when or if they would speak again, and wanted to have some kind of fun.


"Oh really?" he questioned looking away from her for a second before returning his attention back,"There isn't anything that has changed in me being the Heir to AkuOokami sect." He told her matter of factly. He didn't mention the fact he was also the third highest ranking in the AkuRyu which only answered to the elders, known as the shadows (kages) -no fuck you Naruto- , because 2 years is a long time. She very welled could have become apart of the elite forces.


Hikaru hid a small chuckle under her fan wondering if she should continue to play the game or not. As amusing is it was to watch him get flustered he also ruined the fun by bringing up ranks and politics. She rolled her eyes keeping her attention on the circle of fighters. "Hm I don't know maybe you should read the note I gave you." she replied after a moment. She lanced her way with a small smirk "TO be honestly I dont know much about him. His name is prince and he had been through much of the western world from what I understand. He's never said specifically where though. He is fast and does know how to fight fairly well, though I've never seen him in this sort of situation." She looked back to Nobu "He also fairly good musician." She added her tone through out keeping light and casual with not real stress or focus one on one detail or another.


He shrugged his shoulders reaching into his pocket to get he paper she mentioned afore. He hadn't opened it yet when he listened to her go on about the waiter. She didn't emphasize any part of her words which made him curious,"Oh, so your new boyfriend is a musician? Aodrable." he stated gently before finally reading the paper and putting it back into his pocket.


He blinked a few times reaching back into the pocket and rereading it,"I'm suppose to marry you?"


Hikaru chuckled a bit louder this time around at the mention of the musician watching his face as he read over the not, and then read again. A small smile curved her lips "It was decided a nearly two years ago."


"Two years? In constant contact with my father, and not a single person thought it'd be ok to consult me?" he sighed a bit from frustration. He had no plans to settle down ever, but he knew at some point he had to. Keeping the family's name going would come of importance, and he couldn't stay in his physical prime forever.


Besides, Hikaru wasn't a bad wife to have. They got along well, and he was sure once he stopped going on missions and took over as leader, he'd have time to fall for her proper,"So what..do I kiss you now?"


Hikaru wasn't sure what she was expecting when he finally did find out. Confusion for sure maybe a bit annoyed. Still she would think he would be some what happy someone he knew and were on friendly terms instead of a stranger. She pushed aside the bit of disappointment kept the content mask the had grown used to. She just shook her head at the question. "Not if you don't to. Besides I might be a bit weird in such a public location."


He blinked a bit confused, she was right. It wouldn't be appropriate for his disguise right now, so he'd let it go and looked away. It was a bit awkward now. He wasn't sure he knew, how, to be a romantic.


collab over....


Ambassador Tetsuyo


There little conversation and pow wow had taken place the whole while that the fight was going on, and it was at the end of it that he finally turned to see what was going on. To be fair, they fought all the time, and a run of the mill fight wasn't particularly but....What the hell? This kid dismantled the samurai like that? Was he really that skilled, or where they that intoxicated.


He couldn't gawk for much longer, he had a persona to keep up so he turned to Hikaru and grabbed her hand awkwardly. He grabbed it like one would grab a child, or a little sibling. With a nod,"Well until later fiancee, I have a pretend job to do."


Ambassador Tetsuyo made his way from the crowd and stood close to the carnage that Prince left. He hated to have to do what he was, but he needed to,"Ladies and Gentleman this is perfect example of why we need to move forward with modern times. This man here, probably did not wish to fight these samurai today. Under Emperor Meiji, he would abolish the samurai. No longer would a kind gentleman such as this man have to defend his family with a sword. No more farmers living in fear. A man with exemplary character as himself would be on the police force, protecting the innocent like him."


He smiled as it was met with an applause from the crowd. The truth is, the poor (who were mainly farmers) suffered under the Tokugawa Regime as industry became more popular and profitable. Merchants owned the economy. A large majority of the people were poor or farmers, or both, and if he could appeal to them he could get them behind westernization," Under Emperor Meiji, bouts like this will be no more. We have to shed blood for now, but soon we will not spill another drop of our own brother's blood."


A hand reached behind him as he removed a coin purse and tossed at Prince before heading towards the Inn he said he'd meet Miroslav at.


@Kush @Shura

 

[Shura]

Hikaru Anie


Prince's victory over the three drunken fool didn't surprise her much. But it was still a good display as to why people shouldn't judge other by appearance alone. Many had fallen by her hands because of such an error. She glanced over to Nobu sensing how conflicted he must of felt receiving the news of their engagement. She felt bad for him, his life was difficult enough already to have one more thing adding to the complexities of his job. Her eyes met his when her hand was grabbed and mentioned having to go.


"Of course, stay safe." She said before he pulled away making his way to the center of the circle. She only stayed a few seconds longer before just shaking her head and leaving the crowd. As much as she had found western cultures interesting she was growing tired of the constant fighting and preaching. Each side pointing out the faults of the other. No system was perfect but still followers acted like they were.


A small sigh escaped her as she weaved through the crowds making her way back home. As much fun as the festival was she had too much on her mind to really enjoy it. That and the longer she remained outside the more of a target she made her self. A small stab of disappointment pulsed in her stomach. The lunch wasn't supposed to be anything spectacular or romantic but she had wished to at least get a chance to catch up with Nobu before they were required to go back to their set roles. Romance wasn't exactly something that was expected in an arranged marriage most times. She had been lucky enough to be engaged to someone she knew and was friends with.


However years apart had given her doubts as to who Nobu was. He didn't seem too different from the short conversation she had shared with him, but that didn't reveal much to her. There was also the added difficulty of his job, combined with the tension already in play and she couldn't help but have a foreboding feeling twist in her stomach.

 

[Penelope Burns]

Matsukata Fuku had no business being at such a low profile festival. Her brothers were each preparing for the inevitable rebellions, were spending each and every moment ensuring that the Shogunate fell apart as cleanly as possible. By contrast, her own meeting with the heads of any clan who bothered to show was smalltime. All she needed to do was convince them to hesitate, as hesitation was a death knell for anyone.


Quickly, however, the meeting devolved into accusations, profanities, and other remarks that Fuku wished not to hear. "Gentlemen, please, you are all adults and you do none of your clans honor by acting in this manner." She said, her eyes reflecting her anger. She had come to discuss things, not start a clan war.


"If you aren't here to discuss terms of peaceful demilitarization, leave. I came here to prevent civil war from erupting, not begin one." She said, watching as the most bloodthirsty men left. "Now for the rest of you, I have an idea that will benefit all of us, and cost you little in personal wealth."


As she spoke, she watched expressions change from confusion and hesitation to confidence, even a few heads began to slightly nod. Unfortunately, however, her talks were ended early by the sounds of swords clashing outside of their building. She quickly gave them the general courtesies and dismissed herself, needing to find the source of the noise.


She didn't have to look far, finding the fight finished as soon as she arrived. Fortunately, however she made it in time to witness the speech of another pro-western citizen. Upon his finishing, she clapped for him, glad to see people actively taking a stand for the Emperor.


Once he stepped down and talked to a girl he seemed to know, Fuku approached him, wanting to know more about the mysterious stranger. "Hello." She said, in English. It was a good was to gauge just how close he was to the western world. If he knew English, then he had at least studied the West in-depth. If not, she would switch languages and speak to him in the common tongue.

 

[AkuTheWolfOkami]

Ambassador Tetsuyo


He hadn't made it very far towards the Inn, what did he truly expect? He was a Satsuma Official, and they were all the rage among the samurai. Yet, there was something different about the voice. It wasn't Japanese, no, it was English. No, it wasn't perfect English either- it's hard for a native Japanese speaker to escape the difference in pronunciations in ra ru re ro, and the English L. Let's face it, in the base language there wasn't even a kana for the L sound, but her English was good enough to note she had spoken it for a while.


So he managed to turn, and faced the woman before him. He suddenly was self conscious about his own English. It wasn't close to polished as her's, partly due to the fact that he hadn't spent much of his time at any one place. Though English was the one he picked up the easiest, he still wouldn't say he sounded as native as the woman who addressed him,"Greet'eengs," he started, stressing the i (which made the e sound) a bit too harsh,"I am Ambassador Tetsuyo, of the Satsuma Province."


A moment's pause, an observation of her figure and characteristics caused his eyes to widen a bit and bow immediately. He had broken back into his native tongue with a flurry of apologies,"I am sorry Matsukata-sama, I did not recognize who you were. Forgive me." He made sure to bow his head again, face out of her sight as he gave way to a displeased face.


Thoughts began running through his head,"These western clothes make it hard to hide my favorite weapons, else I'd take this shot to take out a high standing official. I'm not sure my escape success rate in this setting however. Not like I have the tools to do it properly anyways." He lifted his head up with a smile,"I hope my speech was of to your satisfaction."


@LotusSan

 

[Penelope Burns]

"It is good to meet you, ambassador." Fuku said, bowing her head slightly, trying to be respectful. Upon him turning around, a hint of recognition filled her, as she noticed that she knew him before, or at least his name. With the wave of her hand, she urged him to follow her lead, wanting a companion as she walked to a nearby temple.


It was good that he knew English, or at least some of it. She would need another pro-western ally of high standing in the coming days, and he was an excellent speaker. Not only that, his garb made him seem like he had recently left the western world for his homeland. It would hurt his image at first, but if he could look successful than it would be child's play to use him as an example of pro-western success.


"Was the boat to your liking?" She asked him, taking a guess. If he hadn't actually been travelling then she could simply act as if she made a mistake, but if not then she would seem like she had people everywhere, watching, listening. It wasn't a difficult gamble to make.


@AkuNoOkami

 

[AkuTheWolfOkami]

Ambassador Tetsuyo





A bit thrown off by her urging for him to follow her, he nearly objected, but thought better of it. Miroslav would have to wait longer before he was able to meet him at the end. He hoped to the Gods that his bad Japanese had gotten him kill. It would be a lot of drunken and rowdy people, and some of them weren't fond of westerners at the moment.


He'd be alright. So he obliged and followed her through the people and towards a close temple. He knew much about the woman afore him, but he needed to know more. He wanted to use this time to find her habits, ambitions, and thought process. If he could assassinate her eventually, and pin it on someone from the Choshu, perhaps it's not too late to stop the Satsuma and the rebellion.


"It was fine," he said switching back to English again. A few questions popped in his mind, 1. Did she know that already, since she was a Satsuma official herself? 2. Was she just that perceptive, that she could tell that he just came from over seas? I mean western style clothing was becoming slowly popular in Japan.


He had more questions, but shook it off and decided to give her a full summary of what he did,"Well I just got back from a world tour. Spain, America, Korea, England, France, all places that I've been and absorbed the cultures. And I would love to say that America was my favorite."





@LotusSan

 

[Penelope Burns]

Fuku kept her face neutral, but internally she was grinning, glad to know her guess wasn't wrong. "America? You're joking." Fuku repeated, awestruck. "It's a slave state that just recovered from a civil war. If that's your idea of a good culture, then you have a lot to learn, my friend." How long had the man been in these other countries, if America was his favorite? They were barbarians, stubborn and corrupt to the core. He must not have had enough interaction with the higher cultures of the world.


"Once this is said and done, should we still be on the same side, I'll gladly take you to immerse yourself in the English culture. You won't regret it." Fuku's offer was, of course, worth nothing. She barely knew the man, and she doubted she could trust him for such a long trip, but she did love the idea of returning to England.


"So how do you feel about all of this? You're obviously a supporter of Meiji, that or a good actor, but I'd to know exactly where you stand." Fuku stated, watching for his reaction. She wouldn't know if he was lying or not, not unless he was obvious, she didn't know him well enough for that, but she would at the least have a gauge on where he stood on the issue of rebellion. One speech was enough for an impression, but you needed far more than that to find allies.


@AkuNoOkami

 

[Shura]

Hikaru


The walk back was calm and quiet giving Hikaru a chance to think things over but it didn't lessen her irritation much. She sighed glancing around as she neared the temple. There was a lot of activity around but it wasn't really surprising. She caught sight of Chi speaking with a monk and tilted her head slightly wondering what happened. Possibly about the scene that was caused near the harbor. She made a mental note to ask later. Hikaru followed the path to her home but didn't announce her arrival. Everyone was off doing their usual tasks or enjoying the festival. Hikaru made her way to the back of the house stopping along the way to grab her Yumi.


Behind the home was several targets at varying range. Several arrows were scattered about most along the ground. Hikarus sighed softly as she took her spot and brought up her bow. Muscle memory from years of practice lead her motions as she notched an arrow and drew back on the string, arching the thick bamboo. There was a slight shift to aim the arrow higher before the string was released and the arrow sent slicing through the air and into a target set 100 meter away, dead center


Hikaru let out a slow breath as the arrow hit its mark feeling some of her stress and annoyance ease as if sent away with the arrow. She drew another arrow notched it, drew back and let it fly all with in one fluid motion. A quick shot but the accuracy remained the same. The young woman continued to practice her mind easing into a more relaxed state.

 

[AkuTheWolfOkami]

Ambassador Tetsuyo


"It's a young nation, who told its mother country to go to hell. They're brute, crude, but they tend to get things done," he repeated to her a last time in English. America was a country of his style, he was a Shinobi. She didn't know that, how could she, but maybe one day she would.


"I do hope to go back England sometime though, their tea was about to close to home as I've tasted since I've been about. Well not including East Asia, but still," the closest he had to good tea or good rice was in East Asia. But, what did he truly expect? Those countries were just like Nihon for the most apart. Maybe not exactly, but there were a lot of similarities.


"A supporter of Meiji-sama? No. He will be Emperor at this rate, and then what difference will Japan be on our leadership front? But, I can't deny that his ascension to power means the betterment of Japan in the long run, and fair bit of Western Influence here,"he felt odd at how natural that was to say, disguise or not. It felt like he was agreeing with the enemy, but to be fair, that idea wasn't way too far off his own. He just believed the Shogunate didn't have to be destroyed in order to achieve what the Satsuma were hoping.


A shrug of the shoulders was all he was able to finally offer her, pulling his pocket watch out to check the time,"I must get back to my German companion, before he gets himself killed, mind joining me on my walk?"





@LotusSan