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| Hida Kisho | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: May 2 2011, 08:47 PM (204 Views) | |
| Mercules | May 2 2011, 08:47 PM Post #1 |
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Hida Kisho Crab Bushi Hida School Earth: 3 Stamina: 3 Willpower: 3 12xp Water: 3 Strength: 3 Perception: 3 12xp Air: 2 Reflexes: 2 Awareness: 2 Fire: 2 Agility: 2 Intelligence: 2 Void: 2 Honor: 3.5 Glory: 1 Status: 1 Taint: Initiative:3k2 Armor TN 25 Reduction: 5 Wounds: Healthy: 15 Per Level:6 Skills: Athletics 1 Defense 1 Heavy Weapons (Tetsubo) 3 5xp Intimidation 1 Kenjutsu 2 2xp Lore: Shadowlands 1 Battle 3 5xp Etiquette 1 1xp Sincerity 1 1xp Meditation 1 1xp Techniques: Rank 1 - Way of the Crab - No penalties to wearing Heavy Armor except Stealth. Using a Heavy Weapon +1K0 to damage. Advantages and Disadvantages: Blissful Betrothal -3 Kharmic Tie (Wife) -2 Tactician -3 Hostage +3 Bad Eyesight(Missing an Eye) +3 Overconfident +3 Gear: Heavy Armor Tetsubo 7k3 Katana 6k2 Wakizashi 5k2 Traveling Pack Whetstone Small Back Banner Small Folding Stool Small Tent Flint and Tinder Bottle of Water Blanket Cooking Pot Bottle of Sake Coin Purse I have a more detailed story that Kent has but rough idea of it goes like this. He was heavily wounded in his first battle, taking on an Ogre while the rest of his men were swarmed with Goblins. His face clawed, his ribs and arm broken, he managed to get his Wakizashi blade in the way so the Ogre ripped itself open when it fell upon him a final time and died. His father unsure if Kisho would recover well enough to man the wall again offered his son up as a hostage to the Crane. Crab had attacked Crane lands and failed and part of the agreement was members of the Hida family to hold "Safe" on Crane lands so it would not happen again. There he met Daidoji Shina who the fates would reveal to be his soul mate, bound through kharma. The families have exchanged letters and a betrothal is in the works and more or less finalized. Having recovered Hida Kisho is thrilled with the prospect of marrying a woman he loves even if he is still technically a prisoner of her family. |
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| Mercules | May 3 2011, 06:58 AM Post #2 |
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4 Years Previous The Sode of his armor was being attached by an underling when the other man slipped into the room. The large Hida slid his eyes over to the bowing man and rumbled, "What is it Yasuki? I am due at the wall." Yasuki Jiro was not surprised at his daimyo's uncourteous greeting for the Hida had no time or patience for courtly things. Thus they needed the Yasuki who in turn prospered among the Crab. "I bring word of the raid Hida-sama. It did not go well. We did not gather nearly the amount of supplies we will need and the Crane called in the Emperor's magistrate." said Jiro carefully. The harrumph from his lord was also to be expected. Since no words were added in to follow the outburst Jiro took it to mean he should continue speaking, "The magistrate ruled on the spot with the Emperor's authority. The conditions were... not favorable." Again there was a small outburst and this time a shaking of the head. Jiro quickly added, "We bargained hard and will receive the supplies we need. The magistrate is forcing us to pay a fair price and forcing the Crane to offer a fair price. It... is... favorable to us. The only issue is that in return the Crane require assurance that we will not raid their stores again. They require guests of the Crab to stay upon their lands to assure them we would not attack." Again the Hida harrumphed and this time he added words, "I think you mean hostages." "The magistrate was very careful to state "guests" but yes, you understand the point." The Hida glared at him and Jiro lowered his eyes carefully. Just as carefully he broached the next subject, "There was yet another condition... the guest are to be Hida, in good standing with their clan and the empire. We can not simply hand over some underlings of the clan. The time is to be 5 years and during that the Crane may not raise their prices without permission from the Emperor or his court. The Hida's face twitched at that and he shrugged away the man lacing up his armor. "They what?" anger was simmering just under the surface of the large Crab. He was like one of the volcanic vents nearby. Slowly it would give off heat and the hot mud would burble and bubble but every now and then the pressure would build and it would explode. Jiro understood he was very close to one of those infamous blasts of temper and so remained silent and let his lord work through it. "Do they not understand that the Shadowlands are restless? Do they not understand that their demands weaken the wall? First they refuse to supply us and now they will take warriors that stand between them and Fu Leng's hordes? Do they not understand my own son lies broken, likely dying not two rooms over? His sacrifi...." The large Crab trailed off, the fury leaving his face as his eyes moved about looking at something not seen by others in the room following his thoughts down a corridor. An expression then came across his face and Jiro read cunning in that terrible face he never wanted to see again. Finally the Hida spoke, "Bring me the roles. I want to know who is not active on the wall, the wounded, the infirm... hmmm, not the cowards since they must be in good standing... Yes." He snapped his gaze to Yasuki Jiro and said in a level tone, "Send a letter to the magistrate and these Daidoji. State that to show my good faith I will be sending them those they requested, my own youngest son among them." "Of course Daimyo, but your son... he is injured and could die." answered Jiro. Again that look of cunning crossed over the large Crab's face as he replied, "True, but can you imagine what the magistrate might say if he died whilst he was a guest of the Crane?" |
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| Devo | May 3 2011, 07:55 AM Post #3 |
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So he is a crab that is tied to our family by a diadoji marriage. He is beefcake and his knowledge of the shadowlands will be helpful. is there a way to tie him to the group in a substantial way? |
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| Mercules | May 3 2011, 09:04 AM Post #4 |
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Four Years and a Few Days Earlier Hida Kisho glanced to the Hiruma who was tracking the creatures. "Bakemono," he announced as he read the tracks, "and an Ogre." The Hiruma's return look was one of trepidation. He would never speak his thoughts aloud but Kisho could tell the Hiruma was unsure about Kisho's ability to lead. This was not his first patrol behind the wall, but it was the first that had encountered anything. Hida Kisho's budoka muttered quietly and grasped their weapons tighter. He noted their discomfort and did the proper Hida thing, as he saw it, he brushed those fears aside and said simply, "Lead us to them, quickly." Off they went, trailing the experienced scout. The already fresh tracks quickly grew fresher. This latest set had water seeping into them as they passed. Kisho brought his Kanabo off his shoulder and let it fall into a guard position. Around him his budoka readied yari and parangu. The Hiruma paused suddenly and then stood up and glanced around in confusion. He uttered, "Why would they split up?" before the Shadowland creatures hit them from all sides. There were many Bakemono, enough that his men were quickly overwhelmed by the small creatures and found themselves fighting for their lives. Hida Kisho smashed aside a stabbing spear then halted the heavy weapon and brought it back around much faster than the surprised goblin thought possible. The surprised look was removed from its face as the Kanabo smashed its head. He looked up at his next foe, and then up further as the huge Ogre assaulted him. It had its own heavy club, much larger than the Kanabo, but crude and rough. Kisho went into a guard and deflected the first blow. His arms jangled and tingled at the force of the blow. Glancing about he saw everyone else engaged and realized he was facing the beast alone. Again he blocked a blow but understood that he could not continue to do so, the Ogre was simply too strong to do so for very long. Kisho switched to offense directing heavy strikes of his own against the Ogre. His Kanabo struck hard but the Ogre shrugged the worst of it off. In return he took a blow to the side and felt several ribs flex and give. Both combatants backed off for a second, sizing each other up. Kisho tried not to favor his bruised and broken side and the Ogre's knee ached where a particularly hard blow had landed and damaged it. They struck out again, crude club that was more tree than anything else and carefully crafted kanabo smashing together. There was a loud crack and both weapons splintered under the force. Kisho flinched away from the splinters but the Ogre roared and simply struck out at the human. Claws scraped across his helm with a screech, drawing sparks from it, and then raked his face. Hida Kisho screamed as his eye was ripped from the socket and his cheek shredded under the Ogre's strike. He shouldered the monster and shoved it back for a second but it simply latched onto him and yanked him from the ground. Kisho flailed as the beast drug him and then heaved him up high. He managed to free his katana but then was sailing through the air to slam into a nearby tree. Pain flared in his arm and already injured side. He tried to push himself up and nearly passed out from the pain. His left arm stiffened but he felt the sharp grinding of the broken bones. Even more concerning was the grinding feel of his ribs as he twisted to get his other arm under him to push himself up. He heard a roar behind him and other screams as the Ogre smashed down the already engaged budoka. Wincing Kisho drew in breath, sharp stabbing pains running all up and down his left side, and bellowed out a challenge to the beast. The slow witted thing turned to find the human it had thought broken facing him with its small blade exposed. Hida Kisho, blood streaming from his empty eye socket and gouged face, arm hanging limply to his left, and breath pinched tight by pain brought his wakizashi into a guard position and grimly faced the Ogre. The Ogre, thick as it was, eyed the human it had thought dead. He had already felt the sting of this one's blows and bore wounds from it muscles torn and bruised, knee grinding the shattered kneecap, and ribs aching. The human staggered forward a step and the Ogre waded in. Damaged as it was, lacking its heavy club, could the human still threaten it? Kisho focussed, waiting, praying and emptying his mind and body of fear and pain. He asked the kami to guide his strike, to aid him in cleansing this tainted creature from the land, to not give up. In a pain choked voice he muttered, "I am the wall." as the beast charged. The Ogre simply buried the man under its bulk, slamming the smaller opponent with its huge from and smashing him back into the lonely tree. Then it collapsed, blood bubbling up with each labored breath. The Hiruma and remaining budako finished off the few remaining goblins. The small battle had been bloody, other than the samurai only a couple men remained. They levered the Ogre off Hida Kisho and were shocked that the man still breathed even shallowly. "Quick, we must get him to his father's surgeons." said the Hiruma as the budako gathered several yari to create a makeshift carrier for Kisho. |
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| Mercules | May 3 2011, 09:06 AM Post #5 |
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I believe Kent has that handled. If what I think he might do happens then I think one of those commanding the group might be his future father-in-law. |
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| Mercules | May 3 2011, 10:49 AM Post #6 |
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Three Years Previous His muscles had atrophied but he lived. Lips tight he lifted the pole and swung it about himself. Not even half the weight of his old kanabo it still strained the tight and weak muscles of his frame. His right side was ok, it had only been bruised against the Ogre and had healed quickly. The muscles in his left side though had been twisted and torn in the fight as their underlying structure fractured. His father's surgeons had placed things right and bound them tight but even so many thought he would not live or if he did he would be a cripple. His arm had been shattered, not broken, shattered. It ached when the cold came but again it had healed. Was he crippled? Hida Kisho had not determined that for himself yet. It had taken a year to heal. At first his legs did not work and he feared he was forever a broken thing. Finally a month later the feeling came back and he could move them some, but his broken ribs did not allow him to move much. Later he could stand and even walk. What a relief to not soil oneself like a baby. That was the most humiliating thing. Still he needed to care for the broken arm and ribs, he needed to sit still. Men died on the walls while he sat. He did not blame his father, even found his cleverness surprising. He found a way for his cripple son to serve the Crab. His captors were pleasant enough but he could not stand their eyes. There was a pity in their eyes that he hated layered on top of their arrogance. It said to him, "Look at the poor Crab, unable to fight, which is the only thing a Crab is good for." He didn't listen to the tiny little voice inside that whispered that he saw in their eyes what he thought of himself, that they were simply mirrors. He extended the pole in a guard position and took a few experimental swings with it. His lips tightened further as he realized just what the long recovery had done to his body. He may have healed enough to move, but he had lost his muscle and reflexes that allowed him to fight. In typical Crab stoicism he told himself he had 4 years to rebuild himself, to be able to fight again before he was on the wall. In the meantime he would serve the Crab in this limited manner. He felt some pride in that. His father was wise as well as powerful. He worked with the pole until the sweat poured off him. That sweat was good, it smelled powerfully of his weakness, of illness. He paused several times to drink water from the cool well nearby and replenish so that more sweat could roll off him, draw the weakness forth. He snapped the pole around more violently now, as muscles long still stretched and worked themselves more and more smoothly. Overhead the sun poured heat and light over him, blessed healing rays soaking into his frame. His hair had grown, he would have to cut it. His beard had come in, being Hida he could grow a fierce and wiry one but the scars running the length of his face caused it to be sparse on the left side and so he would have to shave it. Meanwhile he focussed on moving. He was aware of a few Daidoji watching him, with their silly white hair flowing in the breeze behind them. Kisho normally wore his hair short and tied up so as to not give an enemy another thing to grab. He ignored them and their eyes, focusing on his body. Twisting the wrong way, the pole pulled some muscles in his side tight forcing an inhalation of pain and a wince. Looking up he saw the eyes of a young woman looking into his own. His eyes dropped in shame and he felt heat rising up his neck towards his face. How his torn and scarred face must look with pain stamped across it. The weak Crane had seen him in pain, a woman had seen him in pain. He fought past his shame and boldly brought his gaze back up. It would not do to look away from some Crane woman as if he was her lessor. Let her look upon his torn face and understand that he and his were why the Crane had such rich lands, free of Taint. He boldly raised his eyes, expecting the moment to have passed, her to moved on or be speaking with one of her own. Instead his eye came back up to find two glittering orbs still assessing him. Anger coursed through him but he pushed it down. He stared at her face, reading pity there. No, not pity, concern. Hmmmmph, concern was a step away from contempt, his father had often said so. Still his remaining eye stayed locked on her's as he twisted the pole left and right, stretching the muscle he had strained in his side. His face was clamped tight in a careful neutral mask despite the fierce eye that beamed out of it at her, or so he thought. Daidoji Shina stared at the strange man. She understood she was being rude to her father's guest, but she had often wondered about the wounded Crab that she heard much more of then ever saw. He was young, not younger than her, but surely too young to bear the scars he had. Lean of body his frame seemed too big, too large for his current build. He looked sickly but she did not believe the rumors the serving girls spread that he carried the Shadowland taint and that was why he looked so thin. She instead saw slack muscles. Her mind formed an image of him strong and firm and her lips parted slightly in surprise when she realized just how far that image was from his current form. Her mind was quick but it was also disturbed as the Crab continued to return her stare causing her faint discomfort. He was back at it again, swinging the laundry pole about as if it was a staff, no, not a staff, but a weapon of some sort. He was a fierce thing, wasn't he. She considered what she had heard. He had apparently single handedly killed an Ogre in the Shadowlands if the gossip was to be believed, which it never was. More likely he and his men had come across an Ogre and had battled it, probably killed it, but not before the arrogant Hida had been nearly killed. She subtly changed her expression, feigning disdain for the rough Crab and saw his swings pick up in speed. Had she angered him? Interesting. A subtle switch again and she let a certain form of interest fall into her expression. Her lips tightened slightly, mouth becoming slightly smaller, her eyes half lidded and chin tilted slightly down. She almost laughed as her coy look caused the Crab to falter in a step and the pole bounced along the ground. His chest with it's faint dusting of dark hair flushed red and his gaze dropped again as it had when he had first noticed her watching him. Then it came back up just as before, his one eye smoldering. There was more than angry in that eye though and Shina was caught off guard as her stomach dropped out as if she was falling. Her hands involuntarily crossed in front of her, protective over her suddenly nervous stomach and she realized she had dropped her own gaze. Although only a novice of the Doji school she recovered well, folding her hands and turning to leave as if she had looked to her feet instead of looking way. It would not do to trip. She hid a swallow as she brought her gaze back up level and not on the crude Hida and moved off slowly. No one saw the one unknown signal she could not hide with her training, her pupils had opened wide. Hida Kisho could not hide his momentary smirk. The Daidoji woman had tried to manipulate him, turning that sultry look on him that made weak men weaker. She could not meet his gaze though when he showed her the true fury of Hida, he thought haughtily. He ignored the sudden flip in his stomach when she turned and walked away telling himself he would not give in to womanly manipulation, much less a Crane's womanly manipulation. Edited by Mercules, May 4 2011, 07:37 AM.
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| Mercules | May 12 2011, 02:33 PM Post #7 |
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Two Years and Eight Months Ago Kisho awoke to find a servant awaiting him outside his quarters. How long the man had been standing there Kisho did not know. Next to the man were several large bundles, one almost as tall as the man and the other a bulky bundle. "Hida-sama," the man began, "several things have arrived for you from Crab lands." He bowed and stood aside. The taciturn Crab grunted and gestured for the man to leave and the Crane did so quickly. As he picked up one of the packages and noted the heft of it a smile formed on his face, tugging on his scars. Depositing both bundles he laid the long one out and carefully unwrapped it revealing two heavy weapons. Inside were two Kanabo which others referred to as Tetsubo. The heavy war clubs were slightly different but both useful. The first was heavy hardwood, banded with metal up and down its length. Each band had 4 nobs sticking out and the wooden areas were studded with metal as well. Despite the fact that this was a very capable weapon Kisho intended it to be his practice weapon. The last four months he had worked with increasingly heavy staves of various sorts but the Kanabo had it's own balance and weight to it. The second was what he intended as his actual weapon should battle ever come to these lands. A long bar of black iron, worked in a manner that it was almost steel, the Kanabo would not splinter or crack. A rock would likely give before this weapon broke. The handle was thinner than the body, wrapped in copper wire. Nubs stuck out from the body the length of the weapon, squarish and brutal. In a couple places between them were the Crab mon and the Hida mon picked out in inlaid copper. Kisho carefully set the weapons aside. The iron kanabo had originally been given to his older brother. Kisho paused a moment and thanked his brother's spirit for his sacrifice on the wall as the only way he would have been granted that weapon was if his brother no longer needed it. A tinge of sadness passed his heart. His mind slipped back to sparring with diato against Jiro. His brother, older, more experienced, and stronger than he had given him countless bruises with a grim look upon his face every time. The first time Kisho had slipped past his guard and struck him hard enough to cause him to call an end to the sparring Jiro had given him such a fierce and proud grin that Kisho would never forget it. That was how he pictured his brother as he gazed upon his old kanabo. Kisho asked his ancestors to guide Jiro's spirit and prayed to his brother to rest well as Kisho was sure he had earned it. He then grasped the second package and slid it over. Carefully unwrapping the bundle he found the other thing he had requested. The Daidoji guards wore armor and he had seen many well crafted and attractive sets in the last few years. The armor he unwrapped was far from attractive but it was well crafted. While the Crane armor was carefully enameled and lacquered in blue and white colors this was a dead dull black. He carefully unpacked the armor and laid it out. He would need a stand but for now he arranged the pieces on the bed. Unlike much of the armor others worn, this set contained a good deal of steel. It was heavier and a bit less mobile than the standard armor of the Empire, but it was made to protect one from the inhuman monsters of the Shadowlands while guarding the wall. Even so the Hida trained in this armor day in and day out. By the time he was 13 he was wearing armor daily. By 16 there were weeks at a time where the only thing he didn't do in his armor was bathe. He checked the individual pieces of the armor. The Sode was heavy and stiff. It bore the Crab mon upon it's surface in white contrasting heavily with the dark armor. He noticed the laces and straps were extra long and loose, he would need someone experienced with armor to aid him in the final fitting of it. Checking the Do he could see that would need some adjusting too. The Kabuto was perfectly designed though. Long ago he had been fitted by having wet clay molded to his face, that was used to create a rough mold so that a Menpo could be easily created for him. Now it looks as if a Happuri was made to his request. He looked at the upper face covering that was rarely ever created much less used. His covered the left side of his face including the missing eye. Instead of an eye he had a Hida mon in the same smooth spot in inlaid copper. His mouth tightened as he considered that it matched his brother's Kanabo. Lifting the Do he shrugged into it and adjusted things as best he could without help. It would need proper fitting but this would work for now. He left the rest of the pieces arranged on his mat, picked up the wooden kanabo, and headed to the courtyard to practice. The weight of the weapon and armor felt good after his long recovery. Once in the courtyard he worked with the kanabo until the Do chaffed enough to raise several blisters and his arms shook with exhaustion. |
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| Mercules | May 29 2011, 04:15 PM Post #8 |
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One Year and Six Months Ago Daidoji Shina had avoided this courtyard for the last year and a half. This was where the training equipment was, this is where the crude Crab might be found and she had decided to avoid any more encounters with it. She had succeeded until yesterday by the simple expediency of being away from her father's house. The few times she had returned, she had managed to avoid the creature. Last night though, her father had held a dinner that included the household and despite his ill mannered way, that included the Crab. She hadn't understood at first why her father had seated him near her. She was forced to endure his taciturn nature all evening. She had done so graciously until father had revealed his surprise. She did not remember much after father's announcement. She remembered the smoldering stare from that single eye, the various guests and household members congratulating and wishing her well on her marriage, and her father watching her. The Doji training had kicked in automatically and she had spoken graciously to each and all, even spoken with her future husband and thanked her father for this honor. Honor! She was to be tied to that beast. She understood her duty and the fact that her father entrusted her with the task of dealing with such a husband was an honor, but it also hurt. She had hoped for a marriage to seal her father's house to a more noble one, and instead her life would be to cement a union with the Hida. The night had passed in a blur, her training filling in for her wits. Once it was finally over she had gone to her room and spent a sleepless night. The morning had come and she was dedicated to the task her father had set before her and so she had tracked her future husband down. Of course he would be here, training for combat. It was the only thing that mattered to the Hida. Her hair was artfully arranged and she was dressed in one of her finest kimono but she doubted he would notice. She paused at the edge of the courtyard, under the shelter of the roof. He was barefoot, stripped to the waist, a barbaric club in his hands of wood and iron. Her kinsmen practically danced during a duel, their training was elegant and smooth. This was... He snapped forward in a rush, feet stomping where her kinsmen's would glide. His weapon smashed the air aside with a roar instead of singing through the air. His scarred face clenched tight as he moved while her kinsmen's would be empty and calm. Her lips tightened slightly as she watched silently. He had changed. She hadn't noticed last night. She had not looked upon him in all that time. At most she had caught a glance of him from afar and altered her path to avoid him. Now she looked upon him fully. She realized how much his wounds had taken from him, seeing him now. When she had seen him before, he was weak, recovering. The past year and a half had built his strength back up. Muscles rippled across his chest and back as he swung the heavy Tetsubo snapping it into attacks and then stopping it. He was taller and broader than most the men she knew. His work with the Tetsubo was apparently only the beginning. He finally set it aside and began to work with other tools. He shocked her when he stepped across a raked bed of pebbles, disturbing the artful lines. He crouched and grasped a rounded boulder that was the centerpiece of the bed. With a rough grunt he hefted it, lifting it to his waist and standing upright. He then lowered it and did so again. Twenty times he did so before setting it back where it was and stepping back. His arms and legs shook with fatigue. Twitches ran through his muscles. He moved to a bench and sat upon it. There was a bucket set nearby and he dipped from it to sip at cool well water. Finally she moved from the deck to the courtyard itself, stepping down onto the stones of the path. She moved quietly forward but he turned anyway. He twisted to bring his good eye towards her which widened. He dropped into bow and spoke softly, "Shina-dono." he left it simply at that. She offered her own polite bow, exactly as far as would be required and addressed him, "Kisho-san, I thought we should speak." Someone had taught the Crab some manners. The large Hida had enough shame to swipe a hand up to his hair to smooth it and move to the bench and run a clothe over his sweat covered frame. He shrugged on a cover so only his chest was bare. "As you wish Shina-dono, though I am not in a condition to receive you, if you will forgive me." Someone had taught him manners indeed. She caught herself starting to purse her lips in thought and smoothed her face. "You are forgiven. I could not expect your appearance to be civil should I seek you out during your exercise. I could come back at some other time?" she let the question hang in the air. "No, please, if you are not offended." he said quickly. He hadn't learned too many manners though as his singular eye sought her face and gazed upon it boldly. She tried to remind him gently, "We are betrothed, not yet married Kisho-san." With a blink he dropped his gaze. Interesting, maybe he could be trained, like a loyal pet. She moved forward and sat upon the nearby bench in such a manner that her kimono draped properly. "Kisho-san," she started, "You have lived among us for many years now. May I ask your opinion on my father's house?" He was no courtier and the evidence was written large across his face. He struggled to find the right words. "Your father has been very kind. He has provided me with all that I have required. His lands are beautiful and full of life." She nodded, "And your father's house?" she asked quietly. "Our lands are not so beautiful. We spend most of our time defending the wall. I was a child in its shadow. His house is strong and solid. I see several ways to take your father's house with minimal losses..." he trailed off. Inside she laughed at his antics but outwardly she offered a soft smile. "Kisho-san, our houses are very different. Would you not be satisfied here though? Your father has agreed that you would become Daidoji." His face tightened slightly although he tried to remain stoic. "That is true." he said, "My father does not believe I could have recovered from my wounds. He has not seen me since my body was broken. He does not believe I could defend the wall. Do I look broken?" he asked sincerely, his burning gaze coming up again, his eye meeting her own. There was passion there and although it was in part fury it caught her up. She was not used to such emotion. He calmed himself quickly enough, his own wall sliding into place. "No," she stated honestly, "You look fit, much more so then last I saw. You seem a powerful warrior to my untrained eye." It was at that moment she realized how sincere that statement was. He might be brutish, but she could imagine him crushing a foe. Maybe her kinsman might strike with fluid grace, but she wondered if that would stop a man like this. She decided his foe would get one chance to strike him down before his crude weapons crushed them. Some small part of her thrilled at that thought. He bowed again to her and stated simply, "Shina-dono, I apologize." again that passion flared behind the mask of his face, this time his shame showed clearly. She attempted to remain aloof as her training had taught her but failed. There was something about this man. "I am ungrateful of the hospitality your father has given me. All he has provided has given me back my strength, a strength that should serve upon the Wall as is my duty." Daidoji Shina rose from the bench, still forced to look up to him her face became ice. "You are mistaken. Your duty is no longer upon your wall. Your duty is now to Daidoji... to me..." her face faltered and the ice didn't thaw, it shattered. Her eyes dropped to his chest. They glanced from robe to the dark curled hair of his chest, to his shoulder without seeing any of it. He had seen her before. He thought her lovely at least in form. This was the first moment he had seen her true being behind the Doji facade. He blinked and a lump formed in his throat. Before he thought about it, he stated, "Shina, you will be a fine wife but I shall die upon the wall. No wife should have to mourn me." The mask snapped back into place. Again she reminded him, "Kisho-san, we are betrothed but not married, you should not address me so informally. You are a crude man and you should return to your wall where you may be as bestial as your foes. My father though... he has given me my duty as yours has given you yours." Her face was again ice. He sighed heavily, "You are correct, Shina-dono." He dropped his eyes and his hand wrung as if he wished he could grasp something. One of the first things she had learned was how to control the uncontrolled language of her body. In turn she had learned how to read it. Even without reading his she could feel his anger. She gentled her tone. It was not his fault he was brought up among the crude. A true man would know better but she could not expect it from him and she could not fault him for it. Embracing her future she said, "Kisho-san, you will be my husband and I your wife. I shall pray that someday you shall find peace with our life. You are a warrior among the peaceful but you will find that while we seek peace, we do not often find it." She considered her next words to have the most strength, the pause something he did not notice, "You have defended me without knowing it, standing upon your wall; will you not consider defending me knowledgeably an equal honor?" her voice dropped and she added in a slight tone to hint at softness and longing, "I would consider it so." She again shocked herself as her words took on a breathlessness she never intended. Her eyes flicked to the curly hair of his chest and then up to his face. She felt heat rise in her face, a blush she never intended. Her eyes locked on his face. He had not yet cleaned for the day, likely waiting to wash away the sweat, and his face bore a shadow of dark stubble. She found herself wondering what it would feel like and the heat grew before she swallowed and dropped her gaze. "I..." he stumbled over his words, "Shina..." he belatedly added the "dono, you are wise and beautiful..." he was still stumbling, but the next words sprung from him like water from a shattered pot. "You... a man could find himself letting the empire burn to protect a woman such as you. It would be an honor to protect you as your husband... I just.." again the hesitance, "I wonder if I am worthy." She glanced at his hands. Still empty they reached out to her, not touching and yet half encircling her. She realized he had taken a step closer while her gaze was down and her chin came up slowly to stare up at him staring down at her. She wondered what was wrong with herself that she had lost control. She was not a novice, she was a woman, grown and knowledgeable, and as skilled with words as this man was with with weapons. Now those words failed her. "Kisho-san," she began slowly, "My father would not have chosen an unworthy man." She very carefully brought a hand up and laid her palm upon his chest, careful that she touched only the clothe. She found she was staring at his scarred face. "I do not know why, but... I find you worthy." She smiled again and continued, "A wise teacher once said, "In all things seek balance." Maybe the Kami have noticed us. You a warrior of few words and I one who fights with words. It could be we shall balance each other. Is that such a horrible thing?" Before she could escape Kisho very carefully reached up and placed his hand over her's on his chest. His palm was calloused, rough, and full of power. "You honor me." was all he said but Shina found the words to be more full of meaning than any speech she had heard at court. Catching her breath she pushed gently against his chest. Kisho for his part held her hand there a moment longer and then to his credit released her. She turned partially away from him and gathered her spinning thoughts for a moment. He seemed so familiar. She had never known his like and yet she felt as if she had always known him. The smell of his sweat brought back memories of peace and joy, but not any she could openly remember. His hand on hers was familiar and alien at the same time. She gulped in a bit more air and calmed herself, then said, "Kisho-san, I am glad we have had a moment to talk. There is something I must attend to. I would hope to call upon you again or that you might call upon me at an appropriate time?" "If I may, then I shall. I am grateful for your attention, Shina." he replied. She had not realized she had been awaiting his response with her breath held. She also did not chide him for his familiarity with her. Instead she fled his presence at a dignified walk a flame burning in her chest, the same flame that had awoken in the taciturn Crab. |
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6:38 PM Jul 10