Session Seven; Suspicion Sets In

Katsumi had been running through scenario after scenario in her head. Every possible outcome of the situation with Kitsuki played out with her choosing a side between her duty to her family and her duty to her ward. She wasn’t in the business of breaking promises, but Kitsuki was just making it so very difficult to keep him alive and to uphold her loyalty to her clan. She stared at the floor, not wanting to look him in the eye. She didn’t want him pushing her into a decision she would regret, like he had attempted with the note. He volunteered her to help him, and then told her she had to do something. He didn’t get to direct her actions, and he sure as Jigoku didn’t get to pit her against her family.

“Asahina-sama,” a voice said from the other side of the door, which promptly slid open to reveal a rather irate Asahina. He entered in a huff and stared down Kitsuki. Apparently, Asahina took the ‘threat’ to his life a lot more personally than Katsumi had imagined he would. Granted, he wasn’t aware that Negisa had orchestrated the whole ordeal so Asahina faced little to no possibility of being harmed. That was information he wasn’t going to learn either. Nevertheless, Katsumi hadn’t expected Asahina to be so worked up about such a small attempt on this life.

Session Seven; A Grand Affair

Anjin noted Asahina’s door was closed when he walked by late in the morning, having slept in after last night’s journey. He had woken to a house that was much quieter than usual; it seemed nearly everyone slept in late. Everyone but Daigotsu, who was carving some small object at the dining table, and Matsu who was having her hair done up by Negisa. Anjin made certain to take a seat where he wouldn’t have to look at Negisa, or have her see him. He was uneasy about the deal he had struck with Negisa, and although his legs continued to feel better each day, he took heed of Daigotsu Katsumi’s warning that he was in over his head. Katsumi didn’t scare easy, as far as he could tell, and something about Negisa scared her. Something about Negisa scared him.

When Asahina’s door finally opened, Anjin was dismayed to see that he was busy being surrounded by attendants who were readying him for the wedding. He needed a moment of Asahina’s time, just a moment to express the dread he had been feeling ever since yesterday morning. He had made a mistake. Fallen victim in a moment of weakness. Dreams of being like everyone else had clouded his judgment, and now he had to let someone know who could do something about it. Katsumi had proven to be useless, refusing to take part in the conversation. Yes, it was taboo, but when had Katsumi ever flinched at what was not allowed? The only other person he trusted to handle things, including whatever would befall Anjin, was Asahina. So Anjin waited, not so patiently, for a lull in the activity to have a word with Asahina.

Finally, the opportunity presented itself. Asahina stepped out of his room, about to disembark for the ceremony when Anjin blocked his way as politely as one can block someone’s way.

“Asahina-sama, will you walk with me?” He glanced around nervously, knowing the rumors that had been spread from this house. “We must talk and one cannot be too weary of lingering ears.”

Asahina gave a slow nod and a weary look about him as well. “Of course, Kitsuki-san.”

They paced several feet from the house, closer to the bathhouse than any other building, but making sure even to avoid that. Anjin didn’t want to make the mistake of being too close to any place a living soul would be. He didn’t want anyone but Asahina hearing his confession of blasphemous intent.

“Some things have come to my attention, and I cannot tell you everything within these walls,” Anjin nodded his head towards the house. “The mightiest grove has trees whose branches will not reach towards the heavens. I’m afraid there’s someone among us whose goal, it seems, is to drag us into chaos. And I worry of her plots. I’m afraid at a moment of indiscretion, I fell into one of Negisa’s traps, and I’m not sure how to handle the situation, but I may need to call upon your help. We also need to keep this absolutely secret.”

Session Seven; Midnight Meetings

It had gotten dark a while ago, though Mikoto knew the sun was still up. It was just that the trees blotted it from view as it slowly sank below the horizon, a horizon she couldn’t see because she had gone so far into the forest she no longer knew where it actually ended. Hikaru and Hinata had led her there. It was on her orders, but originally she had believed they were just going to wander around town. Even after they had entered the woods, she had believed it would be just a short trek. Now, after several hours of tramping through bushes that pulled at her kimono, sinking into soft ground, and tirelessly following her lions, she had to find Katsumi or else she might not ever make it out of here. She was lost.

She wasn’t just lost she was also hungry. She was tired. And, most of all, she was angry. She was getting married tomorrow and not one of those she lived with was going to be there if they were all gallivanting in the woods. They probably didn’t even care, too busy with their stupid hunting trips and their stupid group outings that she wasn’t even invited to. Tsuruchi invited Shiba right in front of her, but did he think to even offer Mikoto the chance to decline? No, no he did not.

And what was Katsumi thinking? She was most obviously out here; otherwise, Mikoto wouldn’t be out here. Hikaru and Hinata were following Katsumi’s scent, so she had to be out here with everyone else, hunting and foregoing the wedding. Mikoto’s anger melted into sadness. Katsumi didn’t want to come to her wedding. She could empathize with that. If Katsumi were getting married, Mikoto knew she wouldn’t want to be there seeing Katsumi promise herself to someone else. It would be too hard to bare witness to, especially with the way she felt. Mikoto knew she was teetering on the edge of adoration for Katsumi, with the long drop to love lying below her, and Katsumi was like a weight pulling her off the cliff. Mikoto wondered why she hadn’t seen it before. Katsumi was already at the bottom, or at least in the same precarious situation Mikoto was. She probably felt the same way as Mikoto did for her. In addition, Mikoto was marrying Katsumi’s brother, that could make things more complicated for Katsumi’s feelings, she reasoned.

Hinata ran ahead, bounding through the trees and out of sight. Hikaru chased after her and Mikoto followed suit. They must be getting close; her lions hadn’t raced off like that the entire trip. Then Mikoto smelled it, something savory and warm, something was cooking. Her mouth began to water, it was past dinner and she was starving. She had skipped breakfast, and only eaten a small amount for lunch, too nervous about tomorrow and too preoccupied with where Katsumi was. Her stomach gurgled in response, as if agreeing that whatever it was that smelled so delicious needed to be consumed right away.

Session Six; Through the Woods

Katsumi sat cross-legged in the family room of Negisa’s house, silently waiting for the time to pass. Kitsuki sat across from her, not so rigid; he was lounging but also silent. He never seemed to have much to say to Katsumi, but that was alright, she didn’t like talking much and preferred if he didn’t hold a one-sided conversation. Not that she had known Kitsuki ever to hold a one-sided conversation. Besides, she wasn’t much in the mood for conversation either, all the things that had happened today, the things that no one should know outside of her family, those would be the things brought up by Kitsuki, and he wasn’t family. So, they sat with only Negisa’s shuffling around the house to fill the air.

He was looking at her, she knew even though her eyes were downcast. The way Kitsuki looked at her when he believed her to be lying. She knew the look because she could feel the weight of his gaze. It amused Katsumi at times because she hadn’t lied to Kitsuki since the one time in his tent, the morning after he learned about her curse, and he had caught her in it. Since then, it seemed like there was no point to lie. She wasn’t good at lying in the first place, and the fact that Kitsuki had seen through her first and only lie to him proved it was futile. There was a reason Katsumi didn’t enjoy conversation, besides being a bore most of the time, she didn’t trust herself to answer delicate questions in a matter that was acceptable to others, others like Kitsuki.

Session Six; Learning About Each Other

Katsumi dropped her bones into the bowl, savoring the sound as she always did. It calmed her mind, it was her center, and it pushed out all the uncertainties. When she was young and saw visions in bowls of water, and whispers spoke to her from tealeaves at the bottom of cups, it was that sound of the bones that promised to keep it at bay. It was her control over the sometimes-frightening answers to questions she had not asked. And every time she dropped the bones into her bowl, she was reminded about how confusing life was, and how it would all be all right.

She set the bowl down and opened the pouch she had brought back from the woods. After the conversation with Negisa, Katsumi had decided she needed more answers to the questions that still remained at large. So she had trekked back through the forest to where they had burned the bodies of the tainted Naga, grabbed a handful of ash from under the skeletal remains, and came back to see what the Realm would offer. Katsumi dumped the dust on top of her bones, she was hoping for any sort of information really. Where this taint came from? How it affected the Naga that Negisa swore couldn’t be tainted? Who was behind it? Anything that could shed some sort of light on what they were working against out here.

Session Six; A Warm Welcome

The first leg of the trip was silent as the grave. Kyuzo was deep in thought trying to figure out what to do with the new friend of theirs. She obviously was coming to town with them, but after that, what would they do? And why was she out in the woods? And even further, what was she doing awake? The Naga were supposed to be sleeping, at least, that’s what he believed. Yet here one was, being hunted by her kinsmen, triumphing, and now attached to his side and following them back to the city he was running. Not to mention whatever happened in the woods with the spirit that turned her Naga friends against her. That was also something he would have to worry about. First, what he was going to do with her needed to be worked out.

“We…” Shiba was the first to say something in over an hour, “Should probably not be walking into town with a… Naga.”

Her timid voice floated effortlessly across the space between them. She was behind Daigotsu, who was behind the Naga, which was behind him, and Tsuruchi took the lead.

“Honestly, I’ve thought about that, and the thing is… I don’t want to…” How could he say this in a way that others could understand? “For lack of better words, I don’t want to hurt her feelings because I don’t want to make her mad.”

Session Six; Little Secrets

There was a break in the trees up ahead, a break the Naga’s trail led directly into. Morasahi was not a skilled hunter, she had actually never been hunting before, but she had no difficulty finding these tracks and following them. Naga weren’t exactly small creatures, if the stories were to be believed. Judging from the shuffled dirt, this one was no exception. When the creature had begun bleeding, the trail was only made all the easier to follow, and follow they did, their hunting mission now turning into a rescue mission. Or at least an investigation if the creature turned out to be dead. She thought back to what Tsuruchi had said about eating the snake, visions of Tsuruchi and Daigotsu tearing into the mangled corpse of the Naga filled her head, green blood caking their faces and hands. Her stomach turned. Morasahi felt sick. Breakfast had been a poor choice for trying something unique to the Spider diet. For the very little she had eaten, it weighed heavily like several stones knocking together in her stomach.

The air changed as they entered the small clearing hidden amongst the thick woods and underbrush. Morasahi could feel it. Like everyone and everything was holding their breath. Some sort of unnatural silence where she was suddenly aware of every twig breaking under their feet, every scuff of their sandals, and every ruffle of their clothes from every movement. The world was charged and perched on the edge of some unseen cliff, waiting for some unknown action to take place before everything would go careening out of control.

Session Six; Morning Plans

Kyuzo was up at dawn, always rising just before sunrise. A routine that had become so ingrained in his being he had long ago stopped being surprised that it was nearly the same moment everyday when he opened his eyes. Today was another day he wasn’t looking forward to. He was restless. It had been a long month of training in order for him to accompany the Scorpion scouting party on a mission. A long month of little improvement on his part, he just wasn’t getting how one could make themselves lighter than they were. Maybe he just wasn’t suited for the art of silence. He’d keep at it, at least. Nevertheless, that didn’t solve how much he desired to be out of this small town where everyone bowed and addressed him as their lord. Just for a few hours. It wasn’t as if he wanted to run away, he just wanted a break. Even when he was painting, he didn’t really get that break. It was the same four walls, the same scenery, and the same people constantly interrupting him.

Kyuzo took a deep breath before leaving his room. He had dressed and was ready to begin another day of solving menial problems, if there were even problems to solve. The town seemed to function rather well on its own. The only issue that had been brought to Kyuzo’s attention so far was the unfortunate business with Tsuruchi Airo. A business he would rather put out of his mind than use as an example of his brilliant leadership. He was still uncomfortable about the way everything happened. Seeing the ghostly Airo following Negisa around town after she had taken him to enact ‘justice’ was even more discomforting. Then he had simply disappeared shortly after the new Mantis delegate, Airo’s brother, Tsuruchi Meintaro, had arrived. Kyuzo had decided he wasn’t going to postulate on what happened to Airo, he truly didn’t want to know, and so he didn’t ask.

Session Five; Secrets in the Night

The sky was getting darker as the sun began to sink past the horizon. It wouldn’t be long now before the moon filled the night sky, and for once Katsumi wasn’t afraid of what this full moon would bring. She had spent the last two nights shackled and tied in Kitsuki’s room, as had been prearranged from the last month. However, the last two nights she remembered being shackled and tied, and bored out of her mind as well. He still didn’t trust her it would seem, and even though she had kept her sanity after nightfall, there was no convincing him that she need not be tied any longer. If she had gone both previous nights this month without an issue, she certainly wasn’t going to subject herself to another long and tediously slow night of watching Kitsuki read. She was gaining a hold of her curse, and she believed she could easily maintain control tonight as well.

Katsumi walked through the house to the dining area where Asahina was taking his meal. Katsumi ate much earlier, especially when this time of the month came around and she was usually tied up somewhere by dinner. She stood there, just watching Asahina for a few minutes. She wanted to wait until he was done, or at least close to it so she didn’t interrupt his meal.

He put his bowl down and sighed. “Yes, Daigotsu? What do you want?”

Session Five; New Additions

Tsuruchi Meintaro rode into town, the same town his brother had ventured into only two weeks prior, and would never leave. Meintaro grimaced at the thought of his brother; Airo had created a mess of their family name and Meintaro was here to make up for it. Not only was he here to retake the position of Mantis consult and restore honor to the Tsuruchi family, but he needed to retrieve a specific heirloom Airo had been gifted with, one he no longer deserved. He dismounted from his horse and allowed the heimin to take it and stable it while a short man quickly came to greet him. Undoubtedly the mayor of the town.

“I’m here to see Asahina-sama,” Meintaro said sternly.

“Of course, samurai-sama, right this way.” The mayor bowed graciously and scurried to the large house not far from where they were standing. Meintaro followed, once entering the house he was asked to wait while Asahina was fetched from the backyard. Asahina was doing some sort of exercises with a rather unusual obstacle course. Asahina hustled inside and bowed to Meintaro.

Session Five; Negisa's Help

“What is it you wanted, Little Sister?” Negisa walked away from the door leaving Katsumi to close it on her own. Katsumi looked around the house Negisa was residing in. It was decently built, not paper walls and mockingbird floors like hers, and not large either, but it had a living area and two rooms, along with a small kitchen. Negisa had done well for herself when claiming her residence until the kyuden was built. However, she wasn’t here to take in the construction of the house, she had come to Negisa with a problem Katsumi had very little experience with.

“Asahina said something to me… I don’t know what to do about it,” Katsumi sat in the middle of the floor and pulled off her mask. “He’s just so peculiar.”

“Did he say he loves you?” Negisa asked, her boredom clearly showing.

“No. Oh, no. No. He said I hurt his feelings. What does that even mean?” Katsumi couldn’t wrap her head around it. Obviously, she knew what feelings were, she had them as much as anyone else, but how did you hurt them? You could hurt because of them, which wasn’t the same thing. Like feeling sorrow, or lonely, or even dishonored, those feelings could hurt you, but someone couldn’t hurt them.

Session Five; Life Marches On

Today had been the most trying day in Kyuzo’s life. He couldn’t remember another day when his word weighed so heavily, and with it his conscience. He hadn’t wanted to let Tsuruchi go to the Spider, he hadn’t wanted Tsuruchi dead at all, but when it came down to it, it was the only option. Everything pointed in the direction that Tsuruchi was guilty of the crimes he was charged with, even Kitsuki had informed Kyuzo that Tsuruchi was lying with his last words uttered. And when he had opted to lock Tsuruchi up, to keep him alive because he hadn’t actually succeeded in burning down the distillery, he was forced to overturn that ruling. Daigotsu Negisa, though not the head of the Spider clan in the area she definitely pulled some weight with those in attendance, had made a request, something so simple and yet laden with so many consequences if he refused. After weighing what he believed to be the result of each decision, it came down to pleasing the Spider. After all it was to be their town in the not so distant future and if he started by insulting their way of life by refusing to let them deal with a criminal, they might see fit to start problems of their own before Kyuzo had finished his duty in the area.

It frustrated him to be backed in a corner. It frustrated him that as the lord of the town his word was not final this time. It frustrated him that Tsuruchi had done this unreasonable act. And it frustrated him that he just sentenced a friend to death. He may not have known Tsuruchi for very long, but it was long enough to have made a positive impression on Kyuzo. He thought about it for a moment, really, it frustrated him that he had to make the decision at all. Things like this shouldn’t happen, especially from a samurai, especially from someone sent to protect this town. Now that it was over, he knew business had to continue on as usual, and frustrated or not his sensei would be waiting for him to continue his training.

Session Five; Trial and Consequences

Airo quietly slid his shoji wall open and crept out the backdoor of their shared home. It was sometime in the early morning, just past the witching hour, a time when everyone was in bed and he was the only person to walk the streets. Even with that being the case, Airo was careful to stick to the shadows and not rouse any of the houses he passed. He didn’t want anyone to wake and ruin his fun. It was a silent and uneventful walk to the distillery. He peeked inside the distillery and listened, the waterwheel churning through the steady stream was the only noise in the night besides the natural sounds of bugs and nocturnal things.

Airo cracked the door of the building and slipped inside. He allowed his eyes to grow accustomed to the lightless barn, the windows only allowing pale moonlight to fall in sparse silhouettes away from corners exposing the center walkway and nothing more. He had a good look around earlier today when he toured the facility this morning and once he could make out shapes he headed towards where he remembered the pile of dry burlap sacks was stacked. They were still there. Airo ran his hand over them to make sure they hadn’t been used since he last saw them. Perfect, dry as tinder, which is what they were about to become. He pulled out the flint and steel from his pocket and sparked the coarse material to life, a small flame like the light at the end of a wick, which quickly grew as it spread across the airy, dry bags.

Session Five; Training Begins

Kyuzo stepped back from the cherry tree to better see the big picture instead of focusing on the small details. He looked it over and nodded to himself. It looked real enough, he had done a fine job with shading so the tree gave the illusion of gentle motion in a breeze. It was serene. At this moment, he couldn’t think of anything that would improve upon it more than he already had today. It was good before, but now it was starting to become a tree and less a picture of a tree. He went through the motions of cleaning up his painting station wondering what he was going to do next. Kyuzo had thought running a town would be much more time consuming than it was turning out to be. With Daigotsu running construction, Matsu the guard, and Kitsuki handling the trading and income, there wasn’t much to take care of himself. On top of that, they were waiting for the bulk of their new population to arrive, so everything was just continuing as normal with very little guidance from him. The city was running smoothly and would continue to do so until they had to expand.

Expanding, that was a thought. Kyuzo had toured the town but he hadn’t seen much beyond the hill they inhabited. He knew there was a forest to the southwest, and a river that ran through the town, but besides that, he wasn’t aware of much of the countryside. There had to be rice patties somewhere. And what was beyond those? It suddenly occurred to him he hadn’t given much consideration to which way the town would expand, or how far, or even what was out there. For all he knew there was another town within a few hours travel. In addition, the Scorpion weren’t very forthcoming with information. They spoke to him with riddles and half-answers.

This isn't Writing Only what Needs to be Said

I feel the need to explain a few things when it comes to the current work I’ve been posting.

When I develop a character, I fully develop a character. Most people believe that just knowing everything about the person makes a character complete; their personality, their likes and dislikes, what drives them, and major life events. Yes, those are all important, but the character isn’t yet fully realized. Who were his or her parents? What are their names? Where did they come from? What do they think about their child? What about brothers and sisters? Names aren’t the only things you need there too. How do they feel about themselves? How do they feel about the character? What about the character’s best friends? Or the first person they fell in love with? They would know every detail about that person, from the way they looked to their favorite food.

That is how I create a character.

Yes, sometimes I discover new things as the character comes to life, as the character becomes a person. I don’t have all the answers all the time. That’s okay! It’s even okay if you don’t ask all the questions to begin with. Even my characters start with an idea, an incomplete atom waiting to combine and coalesce into this complete person.

So, with that in mind, it’s nearly impossible to incorporate every detail when introducing the character. Usually you only introduce things pertinent to the topic at hand. This means there are so many facets that will never be discovered by writing about them. They will never come up, especially if it is something the character doesn’t think is important.

I have to reign myself back from writing an itemized history, especially now when there’s so much I want to say about someone who is the main character of my current writing.

This also applies to the environment they are inhabiting. In this case, and most others' on this blog, the environment has already been developed. I rarely go over the history of the land, and only mention certain current events that deeply affect the character. The worlds that each of these stories come from are extremely in-depth, shaping the general consensus of thoughts and beliefs. And unfortunately, most of that will never be explained.

I wish I could. I honestly do. But when it comes down to it, it just doesn’t fit into the way I write, or the way I see a story going. Just know that there is more, much more than I can reveal.

Session Four; Dreams do Come True

There was a knock at Mikoto’s door and moments later she heard it slide open. She opened her eyes to see one of the house servants sitting in her doorway bowing to her. Mikoto attempted to shift onto her hip so she wasn’t laying facedown while being spoken to but a soreness she hadn’t experienced before kept her on her belly.

“Matsu-sama,” The servant girl said, “I trust you had a wonderful night?”

Mikoto groaned in response.

“We’ll make you some tea this morning. Asahina-sama is calling for everyone this morning to breakfast.”

“I’ll be there,” Mikoto groaned and brushed her hair out of her face.

The girl left, closing the door behind her. Mikoto surveyed her room; there were clothes everywhere, most of them not hers. After last night’s debacle, she wasn’t sure what was hers, what was Katsumi’s, and what was Negisa’s, so she had just grabbed everything and brought it with her back to her room. This morning she would have to sort through it and give them back to the proper owners.

Last night… wow. That was all she really could say. She had never done anything like that before. In fact, she had never done anything with a man before last night. It was an evening of new and exciting things that she would not soon forget. And Katsumi… There was a flutter in Mikoto’s chest at the thought of the Daigotsu living with her just down the hall. She was happy Katsumi had kept her waiting, it was probably one of the reasons last night was so amazing.

Session Four; A Night to Forget

Morasahi clutched the shochu bottle contemplating using it as a club with which to hit Tsuruchi. It would probably get him to stop talking. Granted, he would be on the floor, possibly bleeding from the skull, and Morasahi couldn’t guarantee he would still be alive, but that was a price she was willing to pay. And what was he going on about now? Fishing? Or Sailing? It was something about water. Whatever it was Morasahi didn’t care so she had stopped listening long ago. She was too wrapped up in her unfortunate life to give Tsuruchi even the slightest bit of interest, even for politeness’ sake.

The party had ended, but even before then Morasahi was brooding over the events of the night. She did not enjoy the bustle of social situations, even less so when she was ignored by everyone except Tsuruchi who followed her around and talked, and talked, and talked. This just wasn’t her place in life, yet there she was, amidst a crowd, feeling uncomfortable and unwanted. Now it was just her, Tsuruchi, and Asahina drinking into oblivion while Tsuruchi and Asahina argued about whatever it was they were arguing about and Morasahi contemplated all the wrongs in her life.

Session Four; Three is Company

Thoughts of caressing the white silk and seeing her mon again clouded Katsumi’s mind as she hurried back to the house she shared with the others and Asahina. Asahina had it. She had given him that small piece of her kimono when he cut it off during their duel three days ago and now kicked herself for doing so. It was so perfect and beautiful; she desperately wanted to see it again. Maybe even hold it again. No, not maybe, she definitely wanted to hold it again. To touch it and to have it. There was not another Spider sigil in all of Rokugan as flawlessly made as that one; with how it played on her mind, she was certain of it. Yanagi had agreed with her, maybe not with words, but his actions proved she was right in coveting such an exquisite piece of cloth. She was free now because he had untied her, and it took hardly any convincing on her part.

Katsumi went in the same way she had left earlier in the evening, through the backdoor. It was the closest entrance to Asahina’s room, which meant she didn’t have to go through the party to get there. This meant she didn’t have to inform Asahina she was going to be looking through his personal effects in order to find the trophy she had given him. If he still had it… That thought had not crossed her mind yet, but now it did. Katsumi’s chest tightened imagining Asahina had thrown it out, imagining she would never see it again.

Session Four; A Mantis Among Them

“Tsuruchi-san,” Soshi Meiko said sweetly, “I suggest you stop insulting the Lion.”

Tsuruchi Airo’s jaw throbbed. His mouth was numb, the kind of numbness that comes from a sudden blow where your body hasn’t recovered enough to assess where it actually hurt. He could feel his lip swelling and wanted to touch it to see if it was bleeding but didn’t want to give Matsu Mikoto the satisfaction of knowing she had wounded him. He hadn’t even said anything offensive, not that he was the offending type, but there was no cause or provocation, it just came out of no where. The last thing out of his mouth was lavish praise on the clan Matsu’s fiancé was from, the Unicorn. Then she backhanded him. She was riled up like only a Lion could get. The intense rage in her amber eyes making them look like they were on fire, wildly dancing.

“Yes,” Airo agreed, “it seems to be the best move for my life.” He wearily eyed Matsu, now wishing he was on the other side of the table by the questionable Scorpion woman rather than where he was next to the honorable Lion.

Session Four; Playing Doctor

Dew clung to Mikoto’s kimono as she waded through the field outside of town. She had woken that morning, eaten breakfast by herself, and left with a basket to find herbs and other plants that could be used in medicinal ways. She had no idea what she was really looking for, not knowing anything about medicine besides folklore and tales. It wasn’t something people studied when there were priests around who could heal with just a prayer. But she had seen Asahina patching his own wound the first day they were in the dream world and the idea planted itself in her head that it was probably something worth learning. Today she would ask Asahina to teach her, he wouldn’t be able to say no if she already had the plants. And if he did, she’d just make sure Hikaru was nearby to keep Asahina from leaving until he decided teaching her was the better idea.

Mikoto looked at her bounty. She had some circle leaved plants, some with pointed leaves, a few thin stalks of something with some sort of seed pods, a plant that was two different colors, and a branch that had berries on it. It looked like a pretty good haul, the only thing she was missing was some sort of flower, and she knew people used flowers for medicine. Mikoto inspected the area, she could always grab some cherry blossoms on the way back, but that seemed way too common of a flower to be useful. Maybe there was a bush closer to the woods that had flowers on it; she could also pick up some bark while there. Mikoto remembered a time when she was young that she had gotten sick and in order to get better they made her drink a tea made from bark, it was terrible. But if bark is part of medicine she would definitely add it to her basket.

Session Three; A Place to Belong

Anjin rubbed his eyes and sighed. The sun was about to go down, and after last night he wasn’t looking forward to the upcoming sunset. Daigotsu was going to be here soon, at least he hoped. She seemed rather concerned about keeping herself supervised and had taken precautions last night by showing up at his tent with rope and requested he tie her up. Anjin didn’t doubt she would do the same tonight, but tonight he was better prepared for whatever sort of insanity was going to possess Daigotsu. She had almost escaped last night, thank the Celestial Heavens he had someone run and fetch her brother, Yanagi, who was obviously aware of her condition. They had subdued her with a tonic which her sister, Negisa had claimed would keep her sleeping for eight hours or so. Even so, Anjin hadn’t gotten much sleep, too concerned Daigotsu would somehow break her bonds with some superhuman strength and… Who knew? The possibilities were endless. Yanagi had told him sometimes she became violent, which did nothing to calm Anjin’s nerves and only strengthened his resolve to prevent Daigotsu from doing anything of which he couldn’t handle himself.

Daigotsu and he had a long conversation this morning about her unique situation. Anjin had never heard of such a thing, but that just went to show how much he still didn’t know. There were only so many scrolls and books one could read in a lifetime, and he wasn’t even halfway through his. It wasn’t surprising he didn’t hold all the knowledge or all the answers to life. Unfortunately, because of this, and the secret nature of her madness, Anjin was at a disadvantage when it came to exuding control. He was a cripple, after all, and Daigotsu a warrior. His rope tying skills were laughable, and he wouldn’t ever be able to repeat the same move Yanagi had preformed last night before he had tied Daigotsu up again. So today he had procured a few questionable items that should prove more effective than simple rope.

Session Three; Position of Authority

Kyuzo awoke earlier than usual. Normally he rose with the sun but today it hadn’t yet crested the horizon before he stirred out of his bed. The last few days had been filled with incredible events that seemed to be compounding on one another, becoming more and more unbelievable as the week progressed. Last night he had just been told he was to be a magistrate, to take charge of an entire village. He took a deep breath and shook his head at the memory. He had no idea how to run a town, and all this responsibility was being thrust upon him leaving Kyuzo confused and a little overwhelmed. Granted, he was honored to be receiving so many blessings. It was just that it was a lot of them all at once.

He took his time dressing, considering the next course of actions he should be taking as the new head of the town. Kyuzo wanted to be sure not to dishonor himself, or those who worked under him. The group he had met several days ago, the one that kept popping up and continued to be a factor in his life, was now working for him as shogunate. He still wasn’t sure what to even make of that. They were an interesting bunch and finding a job for everyone’s ‘unique’ talents was going to be difficult. Finding talents he could use would prove to be just as difficult. Another deep breath came and went, Kyuzo attempting to calm his thoughts, it wasn’t working as well as he had expected. Feeling the need for a little serenity already, he decided to watch the sun rise.

Session Three; Lord Moon's Curse

Katsumi wriggled her wrists, straining as hard as she could to get free from the rope. She knew it was of no use somewhere in her sound mind, Yanagi had tied them and he always did make the most difficult knots. She had shown up at Kitsuki’s tent earlier that evening, before the sun had set. He was supposed to watch her tonight, but he was gone, and now that he was gone she had to get free. Kitsuki had enlisted in Yanagi’s help. That meddlesome Yanagi. No, not meddlesome, he meant the best but he didn’t know about the other people who were walking around outside. They were just waiting to take her stuff, to take Kitsuki’s stuff, maybe even Yanagi’s stuff. Katsumi had managed to scoot around the room, collecting everything Kitsuki owned and piling it on the bedroll; she was sitting on it for safekeeping. No one was going to take it while she was sitting on it. She wouldn’t let them. Now it was hers. But what about the stuff in the next tent? Or the one after that? No one was watching those things. She had to go and get them. And add them to the pile. And keep them safe. And take them as hers.

Session Three; Winning is Everything

Morasahi sifted through her traveling pack fretting over what sort of gift she was going to present to her host tonight. She hadn’t brought much along with her, she wasn’t planning on staying longer than the rest of her traveling party but now she found herself invited to a dinner with one from the Imperial family and nothing to show her gratitude for the invitation. Morasahi emptied out her bag and threw the sack itself on the ground. Nothing. It had to be something good, something unique; you couldn’t just give anything to someone of such high status. Something that she highly valued wouldn’t work either, it would come across as an insult because who was she to offer an Otomo a worn and loved item like her Go set? She was nobody.

She racked her brain, there had to be some bit of knowledge in there that could give her a footing for this situation. She had studied heraldry, and although she didn’t know family lines past the last few generations, maybe there was some insight she had overlooked. Otomo… Mainly compromised of tacticians, something she could relate to; that didn’t help. Let’s see, wasn’t there a famous courtier Otomo? Yeah! What was her name? Kuri? Kimi? Otomo Kirumi! That was it. Now what? Morasahi wasn’t a courtier, and although she understood the basics of etiquette she didn‘t understand court very well, or those who attended it. A name wasn’t going to be enough to offer as a gift. There was no way she would conjure up a poem before dinner, and probably even less of a chance she would be able to recite it. She tried to imagine what people in court did. All the women and men of court standing around, playing their word games, reciting rhetoric, hiding behind their fans. That was it, their fans! It was the perfect embodiment of a courtier. It also would pair nicely as a tribute to Otomo Kirumi. Now to find a fan that suited the situation.

Session Three; Existential Lunch

Mikoto sat on the bench perplexed by Daigotsu’s behavior. Daigotsu hadn’t ever really given Mikoto an answer, but no answer was usually the polite way to say no. She hadn’t tried again, believing her charms lost on Daigotsu, but now Daigotsu had just patted her leg, touched her, and that was the opposite of no. Then she just ran off. Maybe this was some strange way the Spider played hard to get. She wasn’t even going to pretend to understand. Mikoto looked down at Hikaru, “I don’t know either.”

It wasn’t long before the little Scorpion girl came walking towards the dueling grounds. She was clutching a pin doll and although she wasn’t crying, she seemed obviously upset to Mikoto. Okay… now what? Mikoto had told Daigotsu she would keep an eye out, and she stuck to her word, she never said she would interact with the kid. Besides, she wanted to watch the events unfold, see how it worked from this side of the Realm. If they had fixed the problem on the other side, things should just fix themselves here. Yes, it was better to keep her distance for now. Just keep watching, as she vowed to do.

Session Three; A Tangled Web we Weave

The communal tent was alive with jovial voices and firelight as Katsumi passed the open flap of the doorway of the Spider’s largest tent. It had been a good day despite not taking first, it would seem. Inside she caught glimpses of youths clad in other clan’s colors, students who were bending an ear towards what the Spider could offer. She considered joining them, just for a moment, to make an appearance as the Spider that shook the Topaz Championship up, but reconsidered knowing exactly where that would lead, to too much drinking and probably a late morning the next day. Unfortunately her morning was already reserved for something of more importance than sleeping in.

She had spent two days living in Yume-do, only to be returned to Ningen-do to replay those days on the other side. She wasn’t complaining, knowing what was to come was largely a blessing, and one Katsumi didn’t take lightly. It’s just that tomorrow would be the day the little girl became lost, and after this morning she knew it was more than a dream, it was an accurate foretelling of things to come. Today was the third day of the tournament, the final day, the day she had woken in Yume-do. In the Realm of Dreams the people she found herself with had battled dark creatures coined the Noise and saved a Dragon girl from a Scorpion plot.

Session Three; A Night of Letters

“What a spectacular match,” Anjin began talking to the person closest to him which happened to be a Scorpion. The clan didn’t matter; he was speaking loud enough so all those passing could hear as well as all those filling in the seats around him that had held the entire Spider traveling party just moments before. He had always had a way with words and he liked Asahina, so a little boasting was the least he could do in order to shine a more positive light on the duelist who bested his new yojimbo, Daigotsu. He very much appreciated Daigotsu as well, she had proven to be efficient enough to reach the finals and losing to a Kakita Duelist wasn’t something to be ashamed of; it was expected to happen.

“To win the tournament is one thing; but to win it in such magnificent style is unprecedented. It’s legendary! Such deeds of heroics shall surely be spread far and wide. Poems will be spoken of this man.”

Session Two; Winning isn't Everything

Kyuzo gave Matsu one last smile as they turned towards each other, having taken their places on each side of the dueling grounds. He kept running into her as if their fates were intertwined. Since he arrived, there hadn’t been a day Matsu hadn’t made an appearance in his life, even in the gray world he had lived in the last few days, she was there. And now, out of everyone he could have faced off against in the iaijutsu tournament, it was Matsu. It was a tiny bit regretful that it had to be her; she didn’t have a chance against him when it came to iaijutsu. Not only did Kyuzo possess an almost unnatural ability for iaijutsu, he had also bore witness to Matsu’s fighting techniques in that other realm and it was safe to say that she lacked the grace and focus of katana use. He was certain she knew it too with what she had said before they took their positions. She had said her respect had grown for him over the last few days, and she believed he had great talent.

Session Two; Same Day, Different Tricks

The canvas colored roof of Morasahi’s tent greeted her when she opened her eyes. She sat up, half expecting this to be a dream, to come to her senses and be back in the gloomy world she spent the last two days. Nothing changed. She was in her sleeping kimono, covered from the waist down by her blanket, which had fallen when she sat up. There was noise all around her, coming in from the cracks where her tent brushed the ground, the sound of people talking, walking, eating, and shouting. The sound of setting up, cooking, and working. It was the sound of life, something she had missed but hadn’t known until now. The silence from the last two days along with that terrible screeching, it was gone from the world, but not from her memories. She smiled, closing her eyes and just listening to the world.

Session Two; A Childhood Lost

Mikoto had been quiet throughout the conflict between Shiba and Daigotsu. She was literally in the middle of things, making sure to be out of the way enough so she wasn’t blocking their conversation, but close enough to prevent any swings from one to the next. At least that was her hope. The Lion fought, not as often as the Crab, and more times than not it was just words being thrown around during a rowdy night drinking. It rarely led to anything. The Phoenix weren’t like that, always saying what they mean, at least that‘s what she was told. And the Spider? Mikoto really had no idea. She assumed they were constantly battling amongst themselves, they were tainted and even Lost, and the firm grasp of Jigoku surely had something to do with their violent nature. She had watched the two cautiously, until they suddenly started talking about uniforms. The fight had just died.

Session Two; Enter the Dragon

Katsumi surveyed the scene, or what remained of it. The world still stood as it had before the ogres, but their bodies faded away like all the others had. The tent was toppled. That’s right, the tent, and those bats. She glanced over towards the strange cave, sitting there where she was almost certain it hadn’t been the day before. There wasn’t any movement but never had she seen so clear of a sign on where to go next. If the bats had been causing the problems, and they still had to find the problem, then the cave was where they needed to head. Katsumi leaned her bisento against her shoulder and watched Matsu go through the motions of cleaning off her already clean blade before sliding her katana back into its sheath. Shiba was collecting her spear that was sticking out of the ground at least five feet behind where the ogre had been. And Asahina stood stringing a bow. He seemed to always be ahead of the game, or at least cresting the lead. First to run after a task, and now preparing for the inevitable fight against aerial creatures. Katsumi absently gazed at the cave, wishing she had a bow to conquer their foe with.

Session One; Four Heads are Better than None

Katsumi stared at her hand, trying to figure out the ancient kanji calligraphed below the descending numbers. She knew how to read and write well enough, but these words, they weren’t ones you’d see in your day to day encounters. They were old, really old, making it difficult to gain insight on the matter when she had trouble deciphering the magic script telling here what to do. Oh how ridiculous that would sound to anyone but her, and not because she was living these odd happenings. The Empire was a strange one when it came to accepting the curious conjurations of the realms. If you’re born with white hair, you’re destined to become great; if you’re born with one eye colored different than the other, you invite evil spirits wherever you go. Yes, Katsumi knew the unwavering resolution of cloistered minds all too well. To anyone else, one would be mad to say such things. To anyone else, except the Spider.

Session One; I Like the That

As they approached the Scorpion tents, Mikoto wished she had been more clear on which one the girl was in. There were more than a handful, and searching each one would take up time they probably didn’t have. The group as a whole stopped, each person looking around, probably attempting to guess which place to start like she was. She eyed each tent in view, it had to be a big one, no way someone could be held captive in something made for just sleeping. That one. Mikoto took a step forward and then she heard it, the muffled cry of a young girl. Her eyes darted towards the noise, it was just a bit smaller than the one she had chose, but that didn’t matter now. They knew where the girl was. Without thinking she rushed towards the tent, Shiba had apparently had the same idea as she charged ahead of Mikoto, katana in hand.

Session One; Killing Grounds

Now that they knew the plot, Kyuzo checked his hand to see if they were correct in their assumptions. Apparently so. The calligraphed  kanji had changed once again, this time reading, “Fix the problem.” That was easier said than done, he had already considered many methods to stop the duel as soon as they discovered there was foul play. Even if it wasn’t the next task in this ‘game’ they were playing, he wasn’t about to let an honorable iaijutsu duel be perverted by a murderous plot.

“Okay, let’s stop this from happening.” Kyuzo said. Shiba and Matsu nodded in agreement, setting off in their own way to figure out a fix for their problem. Daigotsu didn’t move. Of course not.

Kyuzo leaned close to the Dragon’s chair, getting a better look at the scorpion dagger. Perhaps if he removed the weapon… He brushed at the haori, it didn’t budge. He tried to pick up the dagger without moving the haori, again to no avail. When his hand got close to the object it hit some sort of invisible wall. A thin layer of air that prevented him from moving or touching anything that wasn’t part of this world. So much for that idea.

Session One; Dark Plots

Morasahi hustled to the dueling grounds, keeping pace with Asahina. What she would find, she couldn’t even fathom, from the start of this morning life had been a series of unexplainable events. Her hand had told her to go there, yes, her hand. As if waking up, standing, fully clothed, and in some strange place wasn’t odd enough, the Spider, Daigotsu, was just as peculiar, and then there was that shadow beast, and the noise, and that Jashuwa who had such a story to tell them. Dead, he had said she was dead, and bestowed upon her a series of numbers counting down to the end of the game. A game for her life. The script on her hand clearly read, “Get to the dueling grounds.” And so, if she were to win this game, that’s where she had to go. Asahina seemed to be the only one as eager as she to wrap up the day, the week for that matter. This game was to be a week long, and the sooner it was over, the sooner she could return to a place where things actually made sense.

Session One; Foreign Noise

A dull grey existence enveloped Katsumi when she opened her eyes. She was standing in what appeared to be the common way, but it wasn’t exactly that. Like an echo, or dusty painting, the colors were washed out, muted, just a ruminant of what would have been the common way in front of her tent. The buildings were there in the same fashion, solid but faded. It was familiar, not because she had spent the last few days in a mirror of this place, it wasn’t the location that really brought on the sense that Katsumi had been here before, it was simply the feeling. It was a feeling that weighed on her shoulders, that kept her heart from pounding, that muffled the world and felt like it all should make sense. Like she had been here time and time again, even if the scenery was different, this feeling was one she knew she had experienced. There was something that didn’t belong in this dusky familiar place, instead of the common sounds Katsumi had heard the previous mornings near her tent, there was nothing. No crickets, no fires, no murmur from people. No wind blowing through the manicured trees, or ruffling the tent. It was deadly silent except for a faint and strange tone, a tone that now that Katsumi was listening for, brought a slow chill to the nape of her neck. It rang like war horn being blown miles and miles away, except it shook in and out with impossible pitches, stuttering and screaming as if dragging metal across a bronze statue lay at the heart of this horn. It was a sound Katsumi had never heard before in nature or otherwise.

Session One; Shiba a Go Go

Morasahi puzzled over where to put her next stone on the board. She had been looking forward to the Go tournament since she arrived. It was something she actually knew how to do, unlike the events held the day before that catered to those who were taught the arts in their schooling. Morasahi hadn’t been afforded the opportunity to stand in a garden painting, or be so moved by a sunset she had to sing about it. It was good in a way, she didn’t expect she was a very good vocalist, she had a hard enough time finding the words in response to normal conversations, singing in front of people seemed like it would be even more uncomfortable. But strategy, that was something she knew and had little trouble acting on.

Session One; The Game of Birds and Cats

Asahina Kyuzo sat quietly, listening to the competitor before him play the most beautiful rendition of Cherry Snow he had ever heard. It was the perfect song to play here at the Topaz Championship, full of complicated transitions between notes and strict timing. Probably the best song to pick if one were skilled enough to manage it, unlike Kyuzo. He could handle a komabue well enough, but since his acceptance at the Kakita Bushi Academy he had not the time to practice as often as he would have liked. The Asahina family was well known for their talent in arts, a talent that seemed to pass Kyuzo by. Still, he managed what he could, taking up the flute and painting in the precious little time he wasn’t learning dueling techniques, or strategy through games of Go with other students.

Session One; The Tournament Begins

The city was crowded, more so the closer Katsumi got to the registration booths. She had noted the sheer amount of people the day before, when her traveling group first entered the city and set up their tent. Katsumi had never seen so many people, even though the Topaz Championship was the smallest jewel-named tournament the Realm had to offer, it still invited several students from across the land, from every clan, coupled with the town’s own population there were easily more people than the small villages Katsumi had grown up around. Even the Black Silk dojo couldn’t have held this many people when it was still operational, before it was burned to the ground. That was back when the Empire had declared her clan outlaws, when they were actively hunted, and all because of what? A little trickery and espionage. The other clans partook in those activities daily, and had been for centuries. That time, however was over, and now here she stood, proudly wearing her clan’s mon upon her back and there was nothing the rest of the Empire could do about it, no matter how much they sneered and turned up their noses at her. It really didn’t bother Katsumi, she was used to scowls and stares, she barely noticed them anymore.

Author Update: The Stories shall Flow

Maybe flow is the wrong word to use here. Either way, I'm challenging myself with a new project, which is to transcribe the events happening in my new gaming group. New is also the incorrect word to use, as most of them are not new, but the setup has changed and we have indeed begun a new game. The last post was related to this, in attempts to get inside the head of my chosen character.

So, hopefully, I'll be updating this every week, if not more than once a week, with our gaming session written in a somewhat enjoyable fashion.

What about the rest of all those updates from a year ago? Well, long story short, I apparently take way more time than I thought I would to complete something. My partner fell out like a month or so into the whole thing as well, so it's been slow going. Either way, that stuff is of no consequence, this is the new, old, R.J. Mercy. I'm back, writing about more gaming stuff. Shocking, I know.

Part of the Family

Life is duty. Katsumi had learned this at a young age. She had been given a wakizashi crafted in the colors of the Dragon clan at seven. The hilt was painted green with a gold dragon curled along it, mouth open so it appeared the blade shot straight from the dragon’s mouth. It was terribly uncomfortable before she had wound the cloth around the long since faded colors. That dragon barely recognizable, worn down so much no one would know what it originally was, except Katsumi. She remembered clearly the way it looked. The way it felt in her hand. The weight of it, much heavier than she had believed it would be, only entrusted with a small, crudely made knife before that time. She remembered the man who it used to belong to and the way he had glared at her. He was a monster in her memory, the way she had seen him at the age of seven. Even on his knees he was taller than her, shoulders hunched as if he was getting ready to spring on her. Looking down on her with strands of hair hanging across his face, torn loose from his fight with her family. Her brother gripped the Dragon’s hair, his katana pressed against the man’s back, keeping him from fleeing. Her father kneeling next to her, pointing and explaining where she was to put the blade in order to stop his heart.

The Dragon was glaring at Katsumi as she approached. He looked down on her with disgust, with hatred. He was her sacrifice, her offering. The first to die by her hands. The one that would bring her into a life of duty, bringing her into the family, the Spider clan. Her brother pulled on the Dragon’s hair, straightening him. The Dragon’s armor had already been removed to prevent it from being sullied, it could prove to be useful at a later time. His kimono had been pulled away by her father so he could better instruct her on the point of entry, now hanging around his arms, the ropes binding his hands behind his back preventing it from falling away. Katsumi placed the tip of the wakizashi against the Dragon’s chest, her other hand cupping the end of the hilt for added strength and stability. She shifted her feet, getting ready to push with all her might.

“I will bring the Empire to its knees. I will bring death to your family. Your life ends by my hand. I am the Spider clan.”

Every day from then on, she was a Spider. Even before they were accepted by the Empire, they were Spider. When they were ronin, or Dragon, or Phoenix, they were Spider. When the clan was declared outlaws, when they were hunted, when they couldn’t bare their mon, they were still Spider. The Dark Lord decreed it, and it was so. In her heart she knew she was Spider clan. And now, six years after she first became part of the family, they were all Spider clan. They were part of the Empire, achieving great clan status with the sacrifice of the Dark Lord. His name she shared, as did all those she traveled with, all those in her family. They may not have been tied by blood, not even her father was of relation to her. But blood doesn’t make you a Spider, duty does.