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 Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2010 9:45 am
Sitting quietly in the bath together with Kota was more relaxing than Ichiro would ever have thought. Even though they often sat alone together, there was something even more calming, more intimate about bathing. The time they spent together was pleasant, and all thought of their ill-tempered guest slipped from the prince's mind as they whispered quietly to each other and exchanged tiny kisses. As the water began to cool and their skin pruned, they reluctantly left the stone tub and dried off.
As they prepared for bed, Ichiro was reluctant to let Kota go off into the darkness on his own, yet said nothing. Although he trusted Kota completely, he wanted to be certain he was safe. However, Ichiro assured himself that there was nothing in the palace that would dare to harm one so close to the next emperor. If they did, they were fools digging their own graves. Doing his best to remain awake until Kota returned, Ichiro laid down on their futon and stared up at the ceiling, trying to remember what life had been like before he'd gotten Kota. He could still remember his own horrifying temper and how everyone had feared him. Honestly, he got the feeling they still did to some extent, but that was good. As a ruler, he knew that a certain amount of respect was best maintained along with a hint of fear to hold it in place. If nothing else, at least the continued paranoia of the slaves kept Kota safe.
Soon enough the prince had slipped off into sleep without noticing, and slept soundly until the morning, despite the empty spot next to him beneath the covers. When he finally awoke, Ichiro groped at the air beside him, wanting to kiss Kota awake as well. Unable to find his lover by touch, the prince finally sat up and opened his eyes with a yawn only to find that he was alone. Wondering if Kota had awoken without him and gotten breakfast, Ichiro took his time and got dressed, combed his hair, and prepared himself for the day. Once he was ready, he went into the halls in search of his love. Whatever servants he passed, he asked if they had seen Kota that morning, but all denied it. Upon reaching the kitchen, Ichiro asked the cook and other servants who also claimed not to have seen him.
The longer the prince looked, the more worried he became. Finally, he ordered one of the servants to tell all of the others that the entire house was to be searched for Kota until they either found him or the entire palace had been looked through. After a while of searching, it became apparent that Kota was no longer in the palace. Furious and confused, Ichiro demanded why no one had seen him leave the palace, to which none of the guards had an answer. However, they said that Kota's guest had left the previous night, seemingly alone. Knowing that peasant man had something to do with Kota's disappearance, Ichiro sent out messengers to all towns within a day's horse ride with the order that whoever could find that man and bring him back to the palace would be given a heafty reward.
Although the prince wished to ride out himself, his advisors reminded him of the continued meetings which he had to attend that day. Cursing the man Kota had let into the palace, the prince went off on business as he knew he must; as much as Kota meant to him, there would be no point in letting the country go to ruin over him. Certainly the prize on Yuki's head would be enough to bring the both of them back to the palace without his own interference.
((Good to have you back. And what a twist! :3)
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Posted: Sat Sep 11, 2010 10:48 am
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Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2010 9:28 am
Kotaro found his entire situation deplorable. Each bump in the dirt—each turn—had him growling in irritation. In all honesty, he truly couldn’t take this kidnapping seriously. I was apparent that Yuki had no idea what he was doing. Did the man even realize that stealing the Prince’s lover was a capital offense? One small cart could hardly escape an entire army of scouts. Sighing heavily, the beautiful boy leaned back against one of the silk-laden corners of the crate and rubbed his eyes in exhaustion.
“Yuki-kun. If you willingly return me now, I might be able to convince my Master not to execute you for this nonsense,” he stated calmly, sighing as he ran small, soft fingers through his silver hair. “The heat is bordering unbearable and I want a proper bath. There is no reason for any of this. Even if you bring me to the village, I will always return to Ichiro. The bond between Master and servant is very powerful.”
“Your affection for that anointed brat disgusts me. If he were a real man, you two would have made love by now. He’s weak. You get over him eventually. Trust me on that.” Yuki hissed, reigning the animal to a stop when he heard shouting in the distance. Something wasn’t right. The Ox was huffing and backing up, seeming a bit spooked by something. The smell of smoke permeated through the air. However, the naïve village boy disregarded it and forced the animal to continue urging forward. “Probably a petty fight,” he mumbled under his breath. “I’m not involved.”
The sound of collective hoof beats seemed to vibrate through the ground and rattle the cart. Kotaro yelped and clung to one side of the crate. “What on Earth is going on out there, Yuki. Turn back!” he ordered, voice tinged with a bit of panic. The sound of broken words could be heard in the distance, along with the claim of metal and the clambering of hooves on dirt. “Yuki, turn back!”
And suddenly, all Kotaro could here was a strangled scream from outside the crate as the cart flipped on its side without warning. He yelped as he tumbled out of the box, yanking off the silk that had caught on his lithe form. “Well well well,” a deep, gruff voice growled. “It seems we did well looting that idiot. Looks like he was hiding a little gem among the grain.”
Kotaro didn’t dare glance in the direction of Yuki. He could see that the man’s sword was stained with blood and that a body lay motionless in his peripheral. He bit his lip, unsure who these rogue warriors were. One of them dismounted his horse and moved over to Kotaro, studying the boy with hungry eyes and the fingering the silky cloth Kotaro was adorned with. “Whoever this kid is he’s certainly been living a life of luxury until recently.” Kotaro flinched away from the touch, whimpering as he was lifted onto another male’s horse.
“Let me go! I am the property of the Prince. This is madness!” he cried, struggling.” The men laughed.
“The property of the Prince? What nonsense!”
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Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2010 8:08 pm
((Do you mind if I introduce a new character? It'll be more realistic to play as her at the moment than as the prince, given the situation.))
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Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 8:31 am
Lol. I don't mind at all.
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Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2010 8:52 am
On the back of one of the horses, sitting sidesaddle behind one of the bandits was a young woman in a kimono, looking a little bruised and dirty but still holding her head high. She glanced over at the pretty boy the others had found a smiled a little bitterly. Whispering something to the man with her, she brought his attention over to the group. Turning enough to see, the large man smirked, revealing a yellowed set of sharp teeth and turned his horse to bring them over. "Eh, that's a pretty little thing we found," he said with an odd accent, eyeing the young boy up and down. "Shinosuke, why don't you load him up with you and bring him back. We'll put him with the others and bring him in on market day."
With a deep chuckle, one of the other men looped an arm around Kota's waist and hauled him onto the flanks of his horse, which he then mounted. Once everyone was ready, the leader gave an order and the group began to gallop off together. "Try not to fall off, sweety, it's the best you can do for now," the woman called over to Kota as their horses came up side-by-side. Giving him a sweet smile, she added, "Everything will make sense once we get back to camp, you'll see." As the troupe continued onward, they made their way into the forest at the base of a chain of mountains which protected the nearby villages from the harsh winds which tormented the other side.
As night began to fall, the men brought their horses up to a small group of tents where some younger and older men were taking care of things. As each of them dismounted, one of the younger boys ran up to take the bridle and lead the beast away, but not before the older men had unloaded whatever goods had come along with it. Kota was brought over to a small tent and thrust inside, with the young woman in the purple kimono following him on her own feet without guidance. Inside the tent were a few other young girls and boys, all rather pretty, all of them with their hands and feet bound.
The young woman smiled at Kota and said, "Now I can explain what's going on. You see, the countryside is in a real fit because there are some people who don't like our current emperor. So there's some civil war and in-fighting going on right now. Then we have these guys; the ones who brought us here. They're marauders. They pillage and kill people passing through certain areas because no one is going to catch them in all the chaos already going on. They move around a lot, too, so not many of them get caught. You'll all probably be sold off to some slave trader or a pleasure house whenever they reach the next town with a large enough market place. On the bright side, the prettier you look and the better condition you're in, the more likely you'll be sold to a half-decent place. So, just rest until that happens to make it easier on yourself," she suggested, sitting down comfortably herself and looking over the rest in the tent.
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Posted: Sat Sep 25, 2010 7:40 pm
Kotaro was enraged by the situation and the fire in his eyes made that known. Where the others seemed fairly unbothered by the woman’s words, he looked utterly disgusted. “A pleasure house?” he scoffed, shaking his head in dismay. “I have no time for this. I have to get home.” Steaming, the boy clenched his fist. The others regarded him with confusion. After all, most of them were either lowly villagers or work slaves. For them, this change was not so drastic. Not to mention, the boy spoke in a smooth, silky dialect that most had never heard before. He spoke like nobility or royalty and was dressed in fine silk.
“You seem fairly cozy with the lot, madam, and I do appreciate being spoken to kindly, but if you think I’ll sit and behave you have another thing coming. I will try numerous times to escape, because I can guarantee that I have much more to lose from this barbaric nonsense than the rest of you. I am not a sex slave nor do I ever plan to be.” Over the years with Ichiro, he had learned to speak, read and write in four languages. His mannerisms and dining etiquette were that of the highest nobility after growing accustomed to palace life. Even his accent was refined.
“Well, like it or not, you spoiled brat, you’re stuck in the same situation as the rest of us,” One girl hissed venomously in a thick country accent. “Don’t think you’re so much better than us just because you can talk fancy and were probably the courtesan to some old noble who sold your a**.”
Kotaro was about to make a comment back before a man popped his head into the tent and grumbled something about food. They were each led out individually by ropes and sat near one of the rogues, handed a small bowl of watery rice. The man holding Kota’s rope was burly and vicious, watching the beautiful boy with hawkish eyes. He tried to ignore the man watching him. He needed to eat if he wanted to keep up his strength. The silver-haired boy sighed and ate silently, getting stares from the delicate way in which he ate as opposed to guzzling down his food like the rest of the slaves.
“Well, would ya look at that,” the man holding his rope growled, grinning. “I think we’ve got a fancy little brat here. Probably will sell for more. Who knows, brat, maybe the Ichiro himself will choose you at the high-class brothel we’re going to sell you to.” The tone was teasing and sarcastic. Kota blinked upon hearing his love’s name. The slightest hint of warmth and sadness passed over his features before vanishing completely. He continued eating silently.
He would see his lover again if it killed him.
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Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 7:11 pm
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Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2010 9:28 am
That night, back in the palace, the eldest prince sat alone in his study, staring blankly at the books set out before him. After hardly touching his dinner, Ichiro had sat down to try and work on a few scholarly projects to distract himself from his rage and grief, but to no avail. No matter what subject he picked up, he could not erase Kota from his mind. Worst of all, he had no idea where his lover might be or what shape he might be in. Although the boy had healed nicely within the time since his return from an attempted escape, Ichiro still worried about his frailty.
If only he knew who Kota was with, he might feel better. Did that filthy peasant friend of his still have him in his clutches, or had he escaped and was on his own? Had the pair already been found and simply hadn't been brought back to the palace yet or were they already several towns away? So many possibilities, yet none of them were satisfactory for the lonely prince. He would not have a pleasant night's sleep until his lover was once again safe within the folds of his sleeves and they could whisper sweetly to each other of how they felt. However, no matter how much he put his mind to such things, there was nothing more the prince could do. He had already released the bounty and so long as such important political talks were crammed into his schedule, there would be no justifying leaving the palace to search himself.
Earlier that night he had ordered a servant to leave on horseback and search the nearby towns for any signs of either the peasant man or of Kota, but he had not yet returned. Unfortunately, there was no way of telling when the messenger might be seen again. Perhaps it would be days before he returned, and even then he might be without any news; it was impossible to know. With a deep sigh, the prince finally gave up on his studies and returned the books to their original places. So long as Kota was missing from his side, he knew he would be unable to put his mind to anything productive. Instead, he wandered down the halls and out into the finest garden the palace had. In old days he had often gone there to marvel at the perfect cuts of the bushes, of the colours of the blooming flowers, or perhaps admire the clear stream that ran through it all. However, with Kota missing, even this spot of near-immaculate beauty could not quell the storm brewing within his heart.*** As the prisoners were rounded up and returned to their tent, the bandits began to disperse, with some of them disappearing into various tents and others sitting around the fires chatting, gambling, or cleaning their weapons. Not long after, a rumbling was heard in the distance, and many of the men leapt up from their seats, weapons ready. The young woman watching over the prisoners swung around to look out the tent flap. Returning with a distressed expression, she whispered, "No, not now! These idiots have the worst timing." Pulling a dagger out of the belt of her tattered kimono, she quickly sliced through the ropes holding all of the prisoners hand and feet together. As some of them stared at her in shock, she scowled back and shouted, "Run! Out the back!" Before jumping up and dashing out first.
As the boys and girls bolted from their small tent, a battle raged around the fires behind them. Another band of marauders had found the camp and were doing their best to take whatever valuables there were for themselves. One or two of the unlucky prisoners were again scooped up by a random brute or caught in the crossfire, but it seemed as though most of them had made it out. A little farther into the woods, the woman stood at the bank of a stream, urging the others across with haste, not bothering to explain or two return for the others.
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Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2010 6:36 am
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Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2010 9:40 am
Kotaro was no fool and he knew that a battle was the worst time to start being disobedient. However, as he was running towards the bank, he was caught off guard by the high-pitched desperate screams of one of the younger prisoners. Without hesitation, he leapt for a bow and bundle of arrows near one of the tents, aimed for the brute’s forehead, and shot him right between the eyes. He ran over to the young, shaking boy and pulled him out from under the massive marauder. “Come along now. I didn’t save you so you could die in the crossfire.” He hissed, leading the other slave towards the turbulent banks. Within seconds, he had the other across the river.
However, instead of following the orders of the woman he began moving swiftly in his own chosen direction. “As lovely as this whole mess has been, I think it is about time I take my leave. No doubt your men are being slaughtered and I have no intention of staying with this group of unfortunate slaves. I have a home to return to and a Master worrying over my absence.” He stated smoothly, looking the woman dead in the eyes. “If it is really so much trouble, you can tell the others if they survive that I perished in the crossfire or was stolen. I see no hope for me getting home b standing here.”
With that said, he ran. It was important to get as much distance as he could between himself and the bend of marauders. He could only hope he somehow found the way home. He was more delicate than he had once been. Palace luxuries had softened him in some ways. Were he at home, he knew at that very moment he would probably be resting his head in his Master’s lap as the man read to him softly, stroking his hair with long gentle fingers. He missed Ichiro something grand. It hurt his heart to be separated from the person he so deeply adored. Sighing softly, the young servant made camp in an empty cave. He could only pray that the next day he would find the nearest town and hitch a ride to the palace.
He did, indeed, come across a town a couple days later. However, the dusty streets were filled with people milling about and hungry eyes seemed to bore into him as he passed through. He saw men selling eel, rice, and fruits in stands. He saw slaves locked away and gazing out at him from the numerous brothels, he saw ladies in pink and white serving tea to laughing, muscular men. It was all far too much to handle all at once. He just needed to find someone heading to the palace or someone who could tell him where they were in relation to the damn place.
“Well hello there, little one,” a greasy man purred, slipping out of one of the brothels. He was tall, burly, and smelled of sex and opium. “You look quite lost. Anything I could do,” those eyes scanned his slender body. “To help? I’m sure my establishment could house you for a small fee.”
“No thank you.” Kotaro hissed smoothly. He knew how those brothels worked. “I think your small fee will turn into a raging debt for whatever I eat, drink, and sleep on. Before I knew it, I would be working as one of your whores. I know how your ‘establishment’ works and I will take no part in it.” He snapped, rolling his eyes and continuing his trek when he felt a heavy palm close around his wrist.
“I think the customers would enjoy your company quite a bit.”
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Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 8:32 pm
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Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2010 9:44 pm
"Hey! Just what do you think you're doing, you pig?" A woman in a gorgeous kimono and light makeup glared at the stranger as she stood with her arms crossed over her chest. Despite her new outfit and overall clean appearance, it was instantly obvious that it was the same woman who had fled from the bandit camp along with Kota.
As the man attempted to make a reply, she cut him off, showing no patience for whatever excuse he had planned on making. "I don't think you know what you're doing, so I'm going to let you off with just a warning this time. You might be able to talk that way and act that way around the cheap whores you pick up in this dump, but you do not speak to one of my high-class boys and girls like that. Just an hour with this one alone would cost you more than you've ever held in one hand, so why don't you just find your way back through that door before I cause a scene?" With that said, the woman gently took Kota by the arm and led him away, acting as natural as possible until they were completely out of site.
Once they had gotten far enough away, she shot Kota an annoyed glare. "You should have listened to me back then. I was only trying to help you, and look what a mess you got yourself in." Taking a breath and calming herself, the woman shook her head. "At least I was here. In any case, come back to my building with me. I'll make some tea and explain everything to you that I couldn't speak of before." As they moved through town, the woman kept a close eye on Kota, always making certain they were walking side-by-side and that he never strayed too far beyond her grasp. After a bit, they arrived at a rather fancy-looking building with a few men of obvious wealth standing around and chatting near the entrance. Bowing to them as the pair entered, the woman had a quick word with a young lady behind the front desk before leading Kota into a private back room.
Dropping a few tea leaves into a pot, she added water and set the whole thing over a small fire before sitting down on a cushion and gesturing for Kota to sit as well. "I wish I could have told you before we parted ways in the forest, but I'm not who you think I am. Before I tell you about that, though, I must know for certain. You are Kota, correct? Our great emperor-to-be's most dearly beloved and treasured partner, no? Although we have met, I can tell from the description...but be honest with me. There is a large price on your head for any who can return you to the palace. Speaking of which," she said, rising to check the tea and pour each of them a cup, "was that your kidnapper who was driving the wagon the bandits found you in? If so, well...that saves me half the work," she said, without apology or explanation.
Glancing across to Kota as they both sipped their tea, she noticed that he was in even worse shape than he had been last they met. "You...you haven't bathed or eaten since then, have you? Were you just wandering about on your own hoping to get lucky and find someplace with people?" she asked, clearly bothered by the thought. "Hmph. Well, if you are Kota, then you won't have to worry about that much longer, now will you? Being returned to your lover will benefit us all, so you can rely on me for now. If you haven't already gained a distaste for me, that is," she said with a slightly taunting intonation, hoping to rile the boy up just a little.
With a troubled expression, the woman thought a moment before asking, "Would you tell me what happened that led up to this? I mean, anyone who knows about your kidnapping has heard the general details of a suspicious commoner visiting you and then your subsequent disappearance. Even more than that, though, I think everyone knows what it will mean if you are not returned to the prince post-haste." With a slight shudder, she composed herself before continuing. "Other than that, not even those at the palace have a clear understanding. So how about we make a trade? If you tell me honestly what happened to you then, I'll give you a nice meal, a hot bath, and something proper to wear before taking you home. I'm sure it'll make this all easier for the both of us if we cooperate," she explained with a satisfied smile.
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Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 4:35 pm
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