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Kurama no Koishi Vice Captain
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 Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 7:25 pm
The samurai armory lies deep within the palace, behind locked doors. Unlike the shirabyoshi armory, which is full of picky females hoping to coordinate their tachi with their robes, the samurai armory is deserted during the daytime when the warriors are training. The silence is absolute, the air, chilling... nerve-wracking for even the calmest of samurai.
Today, though, the door has been left open a crack. A man stands near the longbows, his face set in a frown as he examines them.
[[ Reserved for Kurama no Koishi and NaomiNaomi. Please do not post without permission. ]]
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Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 7:54 pm
xxxxWith adventure comes fear, determination and the forgetting and total abandonment of one's duties of the day. Soya did not know better as she traveled onwards to discover the secrets of a room she had not explored. However, nightmarish feelings plagued her actions and mind as she wandered over.
xxxxThe soft and hesitant putters of feet to floor danced through the room as they headed towards the small crack fixed between the two doors. A hand slowly made its way towards the opening, retracting every so little while as its bearer fidgeted from excitement and fright. Soya had discovered an adventure, and it had just begun.
xxxx"I must do this!" she noted to mind, furrowing her eyebrows in complete determination. However, the fear that had swelled in her bosom had now resettled itself in her arm . . . preventing her from entering into the shadowed room of secrets.
xxxxIt was not until a hesitant creak behind her sounded did she dash into the enclosed area, eyelashes knotted together while she kept her eyes tightly shut.
xxxx"You will not blind me, demon!" she shouted to no one in particular (though it was a keen warning towards any evil spirit floating about). "You will not!"
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Kurama no Koishi Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 5:10 pm
Shigeru was a solitary man, and for this reason, the silence of the armory did not bother him. Even the unexplained whispers, the mysterious soft padding of footsteps to the cold floors bothered him not. After all, he had skirted death's embrace too many times to be afraid of such small matters. He was a Shogun. He had already fought off things much more fearsome than restless spirits.
The absence of war in more recent times left Shigeru little to do but train, however. The influence of the Shogun and samurai was growing, certainly, but it was through military means that one could increase this influence. He was not content to rest just yet; he still had to show the emperor that he was still capable of amassing power. The two men had been at odds their entire lives—Reizei gained power by birthright, but Shigeru, on the other hand... His frown deepened as the smooth bamboo of a longbow cracked under his touch. Peace was not beneficial to him—it stagnated the growth of the Minamoto clan, made him frustrated, restless...
Something snapped as his thoughts were interrupted by a girl's voice, probably coming from the rack on the other side of the room. Longbow in hand, the man swiftly made his way toward the voice, dismissing the possibility of its source as a supernatural being; ghosts weren't quite that obnoxious.
He peered down his nose at the maiden in front of him, assessing her appearance. She was like any other girl, silly, ignorant, and blasted annoying. "What are you doing in here?" he asked derisively.
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Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 5:36 pm
xxxxQuickly opening her eyes due to the booming authority of the other voice, Soya shriveled up like a fruit come the cold caress of winter.
xxxx"He . . ." she started to herself in thought, "is ten, no! Twenty times more scarier than any tengu or evil spirit!"
xxxxThe heart organ nestled within her bosom thundered frantically. Whoever this man was certainly had an in-charge air about him. His aura was definitely frightening and Soya could not deny the utter fear he invoked. Time passed like a snail through tar for her. How can she explain?
xxxx"I . . . " the maid began, her tongue feeling as if it is were tied into a dozen and two knots. "I . . . "
xxxxThe maid swallowed and wished for words to come. But all the beckoning in the world would not pull a valid excuse loose.
xxxx"Punishment is sure to come . . . " she thought amidst a memory from her youth. "I will be punished, I will!"
xxxxHowever, in a quick notion to save herself, Soya shot a quick excuse more louder than the crack of a bamboo cane.
xxxx"I was curious!" she shouted. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"
xxxxAt this point, the maid had dropped to her knees like a servant to a lord asking for redemption. Her bow was quite improper with her hair disheveled and her fingers splayed out to the open (something she promised herself she would work on). However, considering her company . . . she just wished to be let off the hook instead of dangling by the thread.
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Kurama no Koishi Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 12:13 am
It could be said that Shigeru was used to the reaction he was receiving now. Even though he was only in his mid-twenties, he appeared significantly older due to the dedication of his life to battle and upholding the code of bushidō. On occasion he forgot that he had this power—he looked much rougher around the edges than he acted, much of the time. Even today, while he was not in full samurai regalia, his expression was perpetually serious, and his dark eyes contained the coldness of those who had seen wars before.
Still, there was always the code to abide by, regardless of how trivial the annoyances were.
仁 - Benevolence, the third virtue of bushidō.
Surely, a shogun could only be so kind before it conflicted with the other six virtues. However, he could only be so benevolent before others took advantage of it and destroyed his shogunate. It is only after this balance is understood that the warrior can advance further.
Exhaling sharply through his nose, Shigeru tapped the stone floor with his longbow to get the sniveling maid's attention. "Don't apologize. This place is not for you. Leave." he very nearly barked, irritated. He walked away then, muttering something about 'silly little girls and loud noise,' and deciding to turn a blind eye to her trespasses. It wasn't his place to punish those under the responsibility of the shirabyoshi, although he would have to have a little chat with Mori Akane about keeping her maids in line at some point in the future.
Really, though, he didn't care as long as it was quiet.
[[Keep her around? 8D]]
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Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 6:58 pm
[[ Of course. x3 ]]
xxxxCome the tap of the long bow towards the cold floor, Soya straightened up with her hands to her side, one kneading the purple material of her clothing. When the hulking man turned the other way. Soya intended on doing the same. However, her adventurous attitude pushed her forward with a heavy nudge. Instead of fleeing the room like she was told, she followed after the other like a homeless dog begging for a home.
xxxx"He is hiding something!" she thought with to herself with a crooked smile. Of course, she wanted to know what it was.
xxxxSoya trailed after him, watching her feet to prevent herself from making too much unneeded noise. Since the young maid did not know the name of the older man, she dubbed him 'Taka-san' or 'Hawk' for his ferocious gaze. It seemed fitting. He was certainly not like any of the furry pets that roamed the court, for sure. The stray cats and raccoons that wandered throughout the area were quite mischievous and clumsy as they scoured the grounds. The man in front of her seemed to only punish those who make mistakes, not cause them.
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Kurama no Koishi Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 11:36 pm
Shigeru didn't need to look behind him to know that the maid was still following him. The soft padding of her feet were a stark contrast with the heavier footsteps he took, though it was otherwise mercifully quiet. He supposed that he was able to understand why she insisted on staying—he had been a curious apprentice once before, after all. What surprised him, though, was the fact that the girl didn't seem scared enough of him to leave at his bidding. Perhaps he needed to be scarier?
Replacing the longbow on the rack, Shigeru returned his mind to the rest of the weapons. They were, most of them, well used—a testament to the growing influence of the samurai. Finished with the longbows, he moved onto the modest selection of blades. Katana were not yet popular, but he guessed that they would become useful in the future. Now, though, functionality seemed to be second to beauty and craftsmanship, were his thoughts as he peered at the ornate gold design on the hilt of one of the swords. He disapproved of this, of course, but it couldn't be helped yet.
He swung the blade around three times, its movement making sharp slicing sounds in the stagnant air. More or less satisfied with its performance, the shogun was about to return this, too, to its resting place. However, the sudden sound of heavy objects falling in an undisclosed area of the armory drew his attention. It was followed by an eerie, high-pitched wail.
Gripping his katana, Shigeru made as if to deal with the disturbance. What the hell was that?
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Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2010 10:38 pm
xxxxThe sudden sound that cracked and shattered the ultimate silence caused Soya to gasp like a fish out of water. What is the floating world was that?! Flicking and quietly moving about like a curious sparrow hopping towards a few morsels of breads, Soya tried to find her way towards whatever caused the racket. She truly hopped she had not caused it! Stopping mid-step, Soya peeked her head above a little to catch the disturbed glare of Taka-san as he gripped his katana. At that point, she knew for a fact she had to get her buttox out of there and pronto . . . or she'd receive more than a scolding!
xxxxPicking up her speed, Soya flashed through what she believed was the path to the exit. However, through a horrendous twist of fate (or just her own idiotic choice of running with her eyes shut), Soya thumped her forehead to the very person she was hoping to avoid. So much for getting away from trouble! Her fright caused her entire body to jump back and she landed splayed out on the floor.
xxxxStaring up, the maid realized she had just defied rules twice in the very same day from a higher up. She counted in her mind how many lashes she'd be receiving. In just an estimation, she zipped up into the hundreds.
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Kurama no Koishi Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 3:38 pm
For a little girl, she was pretty damn fast, Shigeru noticed as he blinked at the maid now lying on the ground. He had heard her coming, but he wasn't expecting her to run headlong into his stomach when he turned around. Holding his blade out of the way as she flailed, he watched the expression on her face turn into one of terror. Sighing, he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Even if you're not a warrior, it would do you well to keep your eyes open when you're running," he sniffed scornfully.
The shogun deliberated for a moment, then abruptly took a step forward, his long wavy hair falling over his shoulder as he did so. Strong arms lifted the girl onto her feet by her shoulders. "Performers must also watch their steps on the dance floor. Haven't those worthless women taught you anything?" he added, steel grey eyes flashing with irritation. How Japan managed to maintain this entertainment history was beyond the shogun. Most women he encountered in the palace were irreparably annoying.
Especially those shirabyoshi. It was especially creepy that they dressed like boys...
And as suddenly as he'd helped her up, he left in the direction of the noise.
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