@Auraicide As Koyumi does inventory in the back of her shop, a long day of sales completed in the bustling port city of Ryuza, jewel of the Yokuboo domain, she hears her daughter's voice ring out from the entrance. "Mom! Customer!" Somehow, mind-bogglingly, Mitsuri's voice is still high pitched and energetic, after what was possibly the busiest day in the history of Koyumi's little shop, coronation day. Across the empire, the official mourning period of fasting and temperance for the death of Emperor Gotaka has ended, and now the day has come to celebrate the ascension of his son. In spite of the people's fear of the future, or perhaps because of it, customers have been flooding in all day, joyous, depressed, combative, and mostly drunk. Koyuki peeks her head out the window to judge the time, realising from the position of the sun that the shop, though about to close, is still open for a few minutes. Mitsuri's impossibly chipper voice sounds again. "Moooom! We have a customer!"
@moonblack As Midori walks through the streets of Murikai, the castle town at the foot of Yokuboo Castle, she spots an attractive samurai in her peripheral vision. The woman gives Midori a quick look up and down, before realising she's been seen, and shooting the young woman a grin, before tugging at the strap holding her bow in place, and walking down the street in the opposite direction. The flirtatious encounter having ended, Midori heads up the main street to her house, opening the shoji door and entering, looking for her mother so she can report the completion of the small administrative errand she was given. When she finds the older woman in her office however, she's cut off before she can say anything by her excited mother. "You won't believe what just happened, Midori!"
@Mazoku In the gardens beneath Yokuboo castle, under the shade of a tree, Midori Yokuboo stands in her armour, katana held over her shoulder. "Ready, Chitsu?" The samurai smirks, using her niece's pet name, before bolting forwards at a sprint. She slashes Chitsuhiko's first arrow clean in half as it flies towards her, then the next, and ducks under the final shot, before moving up, her katana flashing forwards until it lies against Chitsuhiko's throat. Midori chuckles. "You're getting faster, damn fast, Chitsu, but you still have a habit of looking directly at wherever you're aiming at. You'll have no problem killing peasants, but any samurai worth her salt will be able to read you, and move her blade defensively." She sheathes her blade, patting Chitsuhiko's shoulder. "Like I said, though, you're getting damn fast. Soon enough, we'll have to take away your real arrows and give you training arrows, or you'll put one through my skull." She gives a short laugh at the idea. "C'mon, let's head back to the castle. I bought some tea from a Terada Clan trader the other day, it's unbelievably good." She slips an arm around her beloved niece's shoulder, and begins chatting as they walk together, before stopping as they see a figure, black robe clashing against the red of the leaves. Midori's hand goes to her blade, before the two women recognise the figure as Senzan. "Afternoon, brother." Midori nods to Senzan, who nods silently to her in response, before looking at Chitsuhiko. "Girl, come with me. I have things to talk about with you." Midori steps protectively in front of her niece, looking to see if Chitsuhiko is willing to go with her father.
@Regin34 Inazuma tries to stifle a yawn as she watches the coronation day ceremony take place, looking down at the throng of people packing the streets. Her current mission, watching over the city of Ryuza during the parade to lookout for thieves or spies, has been uneventful so far. As she watches, however, Inazuma sees a shadow darken the ledge around her. Looking up on instinct, she sees a kunoichi in the air above her, sword poised to take her head. Inazuma barely manages to dodge out of the way, the attacker's sword shaving off a small lock of her hair. The woman chuckles, before her sword goes back into its sheath with a satisfying clunk. Airi, Inazuma's sister, and fellow Rai Clan kunoichi, sits on the ledge. "Nearly got you, sis. The matriarch wants you back at headquarters. I'll take the rest of your shift."
@asddas193 "Kyouka! I'm looking for a woman named Kyouka! I know you're here, woman! Come out and face me!" Rubbing her head from the hangover, Kyouka slides open the door of her room a crack, to look out at the common room of the inn she's staying at. There, a bearded samurai stands, shouting loudly, the people around him looking to the exit, unwilling to anger a man of his social class. "Kyouka! Get out here now, before I burn this place to the ground!"
"Ugh... who the hell's making noise at this hour!" Kyouka grumbled, judging from the fact that she's still clothed. Last night must have been "tame" for her standards at least. But looking at the old man shouting her name, who seemed to be ready for a fight. Kyouka grins, "Well, well. Looks like my day is going to start out great." She chuckled to herself, before rubbing her temples. "Guh... or maybe not." Groaning as she moved toward the railings, she shouts. "Here I am, what do you want old man?" She yelled, which had the unwanted effect of making her head hurt even more.
@majus As Lord Yokuboo rides along the narrow paths bisecting the rice field, he looks up, seeing the imposing sight of the Shogun's castle, its tenshu rising up into the air like a mountain. For all its grandeur, however, Jurobei's strategic mind can't help but note that it's in a poor strategic location, the fields outside it liable to be flooded by any besieging army, likely the reason that the Yokuboo family sold it to the Fujiwara Clan centuries ago. "Hard to believe that it used to be our family in there, ruling the nation as shoguns, don't you think, brother?" Sanada, Jurobei's brother, speaks, his horse to the right of Lord Yokuboo. Sanada is dependable, loyal, and above all, unambitious, which makes him highly useful as the younger brother of a clan patriarch. "Meh, our castle was twice the size of that, before the Sengoku Clan burnt it down during the war." Bored, Shintaro, Jurobei's youngest brother raises his matchlock musket from the saddle of his horse, and from his place at Lord Yokuboo's left, fires, a bird falling from the sky. "Not a bad shot, don't you think, brothers?" Shintaro rides forwards to collect his prey. Shintaro has always proven as unambitious as Sanada, but unlike the older, more conservative brother, Shintaro has gained a reputation for being a layabout, spending his days drinking and sleeping with geisha. His only hobby, however, western firearms, is one that he practices almost religiously, and over the years since the weapons first came to Hattori, he's become extremely skilled with them. Sanada sighs. "Could you not shoot that thing in front of the shogun's castle?" He looks over to Jurobei. "So, brother, what do you think the Shogun's summoned us about? Her letter didn't really have any details in it, it just said that the shogunate patriarchs are being summoned to the castle. Wonder what she wants?" Shintaro returns, dead bird in hand, chuckling. "I know what I want. The shogun in my bed. I saw her maybe a year ago, when I came here last. She's unbelievable. Biggest tits you've ever seen." Sanada groans. "Shut up, Shintaro."
He blinks for a second, taken aback at her looks, before his brow furrows. "I'm here to avenge my father, wench. You shot him dead in the street with your demonic firearms, and now I'll have your head!" As he draws his katana, Kyouka's mind tries to think about who the samurai might be referring to, but since she's shot several people dead, it could be any one of them. Her headache certainly doesn't help with her memory.
Inazuma look at her sister and smile behind her mask. "I suggest to you be more quiet next time sister. If I follow my instink, you would have new tatoo on face of blood." She made salto above Airi and run on the roofs back to headquarters, to see matriarch.
"Ha?" Kyouka couldn't help sigh, "Sorry, I'm not sure who your father was. Though there's been a lot of challengers since I returned." She replied as she presses on her temple, while her left hand holds her katana. "Urk... well, it'll help you ease your mind. Maybe you'll attain the reward your father sought?" The redhead said as she slowly walks down the stairs, grinning as she says, "If you beat me, you're free to use my body however you wish for a day. If I beat you, you'll be seeing your father shortly. Nice deal, no?" Both her gloved hands now ready to draw her blade at a moments notice.
Yakuboo Castle: A shiver runs through Chitsukiko's body, a blinding flash of fear as she follows the path of the katana towards her throat. It passes a few moments after her mentor stayed her blade, as if time had stopped and Chitsukiko expected it to resume. Her cheasts heaved from the long training session, the woman's grip on her bow in her gloved hand loose. Midori's tone is infections, however, and she feels some strength returning and crooks her lips. "Yes, auntie, although you praise me too much. Later, I'll take Shiro Usagi through the woodland path to practice." The naughty stallion would certainly help her keep her eyes on the road and her surroundings as she tried to hit the targets set out along it. Both of them still had a long way to go before fully trusting each other. It had been a faint hope to participate in the yabusame before the emperor during his coronoation, but that goal had driven her to improve much – Shiro as well had tried his hardest. Tea did sound wonderful, humming her agreement. Moving closer as the arm wrapped around her shoulder, she allowed herself to be pulled along, partially resting her weight against the older woman. She wasn't much of a conversationalist at the moment, relying mostly on her aunt to fill the silence until they halted before the imposing male figure. "Father," Chitsuhiko bowed deeply, and properly, despite her aching muscles, "Of course, I'll follow." Straightening herself. "Auntie, please ask the servants to prepare the tea and I'll join you in the garden as soon as father has said what he wants and I've had a chance to shower." Her voice slightly dry, but impeccably polite, and her comment about a shower equally have could have been about cleaning off the stench of her father's immorality as it was the sweat of her body. As she steps out of Midori's shadow, she turns and briefly embraces her aunt. Her head is tilted toward the ground, eyes downcast, like a servant showing respect toward her master. "Father," waiting expectantly for him to continue talking or leading her away.
"Good shoot." Jurobei comments his brother's shot. Personally, he found Empress more appealing, but he couldn't deny, that he would take Shogun, if there was a chance. "A little display of skill might remind Shogun who she is dealing with. But Sanada is right, from here on, control yourself." The lord turned to the castle and studied it. "Twice, we ruled over these lands... this castle." He turned to Sanada. "The Shogun called us to confirm our loyalty to her, in the coming conflict. The assurances, that we will gladly give." He turned to his brothers, his eyes piercing them. "But make no mistake, her mother controls her - the same person responsible for our defeat in last war and manipulations behind it." He paused. "This time, in coming conflict, we will be playing our own game. No longer, we will follow unworthy Shogunate."
Moving across rooftops, Inazuma quickly comes to a nondescript warehouse building by the port. Heading in through the roof (the ground floor entrances being booby-trapped), the young kunoichi drops into the building, the headquarters of the Rai Clan. Heading through the labyrinthine halls of the upper floor, making sure not to set off any traps, Inazuma enters an audience chamber, a few lanterns lit around the edges of the room providing some level of light, but leaving most of the chamber in shadow. "Inazuma." The voice of the matriarch, Inazuma's mother, and leader of the Rai Clan, comes from the darkness. "Word has come that our lord will be travelling to the Imperial Capital. I want you to go with him, and guard his safety with your life."
A look of anger flashes across the samurai's face, quickly replaced by a lustful grin. "Fine, then, we have a deal. I came here for your head, but your body will be a fine substitute." Entering a combat stance, he waits for her to draw near, before changing stances as a feint and slashing at her side. He's not the fastest swordsman Kyouka has fought, but he's close.
Midori gives a comforting smile, before she turns and heads away. Silently, Chitsuhiko's father leads her along the garden path, eventually stopping in a small pagoda by a lake. Leaning on the railing, he begins to speak. "I require a service from you."
"Oho?" Kyouka's grin widen as she raises an eyebrow, "Like father, like son, eh?" She said in an amused tone as she draws her sword. Though she slowly approached him, she quickly parries his slash. "Heh. Well, well, you may just be good enough for me to sweat the alchohol out of my system." She complimenta his skills, deciding to take the defensive to gauge his skill. While also composing herself to fight off her hangover.
Yakuboo Castle: Chitsukiko gazes at a butterfly fluttering its wings over the shimmering body of water. "You need only tell me. We are family after all. Did you..." She pauses, wetting her lips, before deciding against saying whatever she intended. It had been years since they had a proper conversation, even now that Senzan had returned, not even an exchange of letters while he had been gone. She goes up the steps of the pagoda to stand opposite her father.
Shintaro nods. For all his antics, he isn't the type to unnecessarily antagonise his brother. Sanada nods. "No, we won't. Clan Yokuboo will take its rightful place once more. My only concern is what we do after the shogun has fallen." The Yokuboo brothers are allowed into the castle, and Jurobei is ushered inside into the audience chamber, where Aya Fujiwara, shogun of the Fujiwara Shogunate sits at the head of the room, on a raised platform beneath an imposing imprint of her clan's mon sigil. The other patriarchs of the shogunate lands, men that Jurobei recognises, sit on arranged mats before the shogun, and bow to her respectfully, though whether they actually hold respect for her is questionable. When all are seated, the shogun carries out a tea ceremony, she and the patriarchs all drinking from the same cup, with her portion higher than the rest to signify her position as their liege. When the ceremony has ended, council begins, a rather boring session except for a single item. The Shogun is going to the capital to make a pledge of allegiance to the emperor, and as it is customary for a shogun to travel with one of their vassal lords, she has selected Lord Yokuboo to accompany her. As the session concludes, Aya Fujiwara stands. "Lord Yokuboo, I would be honoured were you to accompany me for a moment, there are some further items to discuss regarding travel arrangements."
He attacks with not unsubstantial skills, though his strikes are wild, his hatred and lust causing him to attack more recklessly than he should. The samurai attacks with a flurry of powerful strikes. Every time she parries, the shock reverberates up her wrists and arms.
