senhime 「 千姫 」 (
deontological) wrote in
recountal2014-12-29 09:17 pm
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Nagumo clan estate.
Tosa, Japan, June of Bunkyū 1.
Tosa, Japan, June of Bunkyū 1.
["I come as a messenger of the Princess of Yase. My mistress wishes for me to see the face of the child under your care with my own eyes."
Technically, it isn't a lie. She does wish to see the ward of the Nagumo clan, and she is acting as a messenger - on her own behalf, perhaps, but on the behalf of the Princess of Yase nonetheless.
Sen is well aware that after so many attempts have gone horribly awry - her messengers being turned away or being entertained within the house but never actually being allowed to see Kaoru for themselves - that this isn't going to be easy. She is prepared to be stubborn with the men who have received her, and so she does. It's a fact that the servants have orders to placate her and send her on her way, but that is something she won't allow.
She had arrived the day before, just after noon. Now it is noon again, and she still isn't gone. Currently she is kneeling on a cushion in the room for receiving visitors, and she thinks that perhaps she has finally succeeded - a servant is dispatched to go and fetch Kaoru. She would prefer a private conversation, but that same servant will most likely be instructed to monitor them as they speak.
That's fine. Now that she's here, she's sure she can figure out a way. Things have been quiet enough lately that she has a little more freedom to act on her own (and she is acting on her own - for once, Kimigiku has no idea where she's gone, though she's left instructions with a child in the village to tell her that she saw the princess going to Tosa if she hasn't returned within two weeks), and she is sure she's up to the task of bringing Yukimura Kaoru home.
She looks up when she hears the sound of a sliding door, and smiles.]
Ah... are you Kaoru-san?
[She swears to god if they've brought some random girl to try and trick her, the Nagumo clan will become very well acquainted with just how much damage Yase can do when she's been offended.]
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They don't have the time for hesitation, though. He has to set himself aside again if that's what it takes to ensure Sen's safety, even if that selfish part of him reels at the thought. What has being selfless ever done for you? Nothing - and really, there's a part of him that undeniably does this in the hopes that helping Sen out now will earn him a return favor later. But he's trying - he's trying - to be a good person.
He levels the man an even stare, still not budging from the spot.]
How will I know that someone else won't come along after and do her harm?
[Bartering is about as much as he can do here, unless he tries to make it past this man, which he's also considering. He's keeping a keen ear out toward the surrounding area, and trying his best to feel for any nearby presences.]
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[There isn't anything at all reassuring about the way he says that, and he's smirking, which really doesn't help matters either. Sen certainly doesn't trust him; though she can't catch her breath enough to speak, she shakes her head again and tugs lightly on Kaoru's kimono again in a desperate attempt to get him to turn this offer down. It's just one man - surely, if they try hard enough, they can overcome a single man and find their way to safety. They're so close...
She doesn't want to give up. She wants to see Kaoru safely out of here, right here and right now. She didn't come all this way just to return to Yase without him.]
Tick-tock, tick-tock! [Calls the man, and he repositions the bow to take aim directly at Sen.] You'll either return to your rightful place or you'll both die right here. What will it be?
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—I'll set her down. Don't harm her.
[He squares his shoulders and avoids the attempt that Sen is making at trying to get him to turn the offer down, because he doesn't have any other choice.
That is, he doesn't have any choice but to disarm this man by pretending to go along with what he wants. Kaoru doesn't want to risk Sen being shot in a frantic escape attempt, especially since a bow and arrow would definitely have the field advantage in this situation. Instead, he'll approach, slow and careful and not giving any outward signs that he'll be trying to pull any last minute moves.
He even starts to set Sen down on the ground, but he's well prepared in the case of any sneak attacks from the distance or closer range attacks from the one visible enemy they're facing off against. It'll be a bad move on the man's part if he actually does try to get close enough to grab Kaoru's arm, because Kaoru will be making a grab for the bow first, reaching out to snap the tightened string.]
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The man, on the other hand, doesn't have a single problem with this arrangement. He is confident in his plan and confident in his belief that Kaoru will go along with it and won't find back - and so, when he reaches for Kaoru's arm, he's caught by surprise when he grabs for the bow more quickly than he can react to and snaps the string. There is an instant where he stares at it dumbly, but then in the next instant he's readjusting his hold on the arrow and thrusting it downards -
Not into Kaoru's flesh, but right through Sen's hand. She lets out a sharp cry and jerks back.]
You'll pay for that! [His leg sweeps out at Kaoru for a harsh kick. Luckily for Kaoru and Sen, though, Kaoru won't be fighting alone for too long - Sen's shout has sent Kimigiku running. She'll be along shortly, if the rustling of the leaves and her footsteps are any indication.]
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And act is exactly what he does. He can't risk him injuring Sen further, and he can't allow himself to become a useless asset in this fight. His movements are whipquick, dodging out of the way of the kick but still staying in close enough range to be able to reach out and touch that man. If he could just restrain him—
His hand darts out, reaching for his collar in an attempt to pull him off of his balance. If successful, he'll raise his opposite leg with the intent of ramming his knee into the man's gut with merciless strength.]
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Sen, too, is shocked. Her eyes are wide as she watches Kaoru fight back against his would-be captor, and she isn't sure whether to be terrified or pleased or both. He's very strong, she can see that much; if he could freely harness that strength the clan really wouldn't be able to treat him the way they do. And yet... it's uncontrolled and frightening, and she tries to speak up to calm him once the man's body goes limp but finds that she simply doesn't have the words.
She doesn't need them, though; Kimigiku appears out of the trees a moment later, crossing the distance between them in the blink of an eye and scooping Sen back into her arms. She surveys the scene with a bit of disdain.]
The others are on their way here. Milady, we must leave now. [She sees the still-unhealed scrape on Sen's cheek and the arrowhead wound in her hand, and scowls. These are both wounds she'll be holding Kaoru responsible for, though she's aware Sen would tell her it wasn't his fault.] You mustn't argue. Yase cannot lose you.
[She doesn't speak a word to Kaoru - she leaps up to put some distance between them while he is preoccupied with the man who had been trying to stop him. Sen, on the other hand, lets out another cry and reaches for him, still unwilling to leave him behind but starting to understand that "You must save him" is one order that Kimigiku is actually going to disobey.
The tears she's taken such pains to leave unshed stream down her cheeks, unbidden.]
Kaoru!
[...but unless he hurries to catch up with them, Kimigiku will be carrying her away at top speed, all the way back to Yase.]
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This is as far as he goes, then.
The ebb and flow of his anger is unpredictable even now, but he deflates quickly this time, carelessly dropping the unconscious man off to the side. He doesn't even bother trying to catch up; either because he knows he wouldn't be able to, because he doesn't want to deal with the scorn from Kimigiku, because he doesn't want to put Sen's life in further danger for his own selfish whims, because "Yase cannot lose you" only applies to her - for any number of reasons. Maybe for all of them. He makes a pained expression when Sen calls out to him, but his feet stay planted.
It's pretty unsurprising, he thinks, that his first friendship would end up like this.
A few seconds pass by after they vanish into the forest, but Kaoru won't stand there like a sitting duck, either. Leaving the man behind, he turns and starts to head back toward the compound that he can only hope will remain a temporary prison.]
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The announcement of her death, however, never comes - much to the surprise of the higher-up members of the Nagumo clan, who has assumed she would have succumbed before an antidote could be administered. Rumors do reach the compound that the Princess of Yase has taken ill and slipped into some kind of an unnatural slumber, and perhaps those rumors even trickle down to Kaoru as he suffers mistreatment at his adoptive family's hands. Word that Sen has fully recovered comes shortly before Kaoru slaughters them all, and though a member of a lesser branch of the family who had escaped the slaughter by being away on business appeals to Yase for reprisal, no action is taken. Kaoru becomes the head of the Nagumo clan.
...the branch member never returns from Yase.
As time passes, Sen does not seek out an audience with Kaoru, though his becoming head of the clan would certainly give her an excuse to either visit or invite him to her domain. The truth is, she doesn't know how to face him. She truly feels as though she has utterly failed him - though it isn't something she discusses even with Kimigiku. She dodges the topic in the same way that she dodges one of her chief duties: by busying herself with politics. Her travels to Kyoto bring her into contact with Chizuru and into closer contact with Kazama, much to her displeasure.
That, too, is a duty she can only dodge for so long. When Kazama becomes a little too insistent in regards to Chizuru, she steps in and makes a deal that she truly dreads holding up her end of the bargain for. It is a relief that they both have affairs to put in order before doing so, and after sending Chizuru and Heisuke on their way and parting ways with Kazama, Sen and Kimigiku continue on their way. Both the princess and her bodyguard look rather unsettled.
Kimigiku, of course, thinks that Kazama simply isn't good enough; Sen, on the other hand, dreads doing this at all.
"My lady," Kimigiku begins, but Sen just cuts her off with a weary sigh.]
Please, not now. [When she starts to question her, she shakes her head.] I don't wish to discuss it. ...besides, there is someone else here. [She's felt Kaoru's presence nearby; she turns to look in his direction, though she can't see him just yet, and tilts her head to one side.] Why don't you come out and say hello?
[Part of her wonders how much he heard; the rest of her is too unsettled to care.]
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But being named head of the clan does come with its share of responsibilities, and Kaoru has grown into a shrewd and capable leader; ruthless, but someone who can accomplish things that no one else can because of his penchant for viewing people as disposable pieces on a board. He keeps an eye out for Chizuru using the information that Sen had given him so long ago, but doesn't ever do anything with it. She doesn't remember him, and that's a bridge that hurts too much to cross, so he leaves it behind to tend to clan matters. He pushes the Nagumo name forward in the sphere of politics even without a hefty number behind it, masquerading beneath pretenses of surviving a massacre. He spearheads dangerous forays into research on ochimizu, wields the shield and sword of any respectable warlord even though he still can't bring himself to cut his hair or wear men's clothing.
It's not the life that he had once hoped for, but it's the one that he was thrust into, and he's made the most of it.
So it's a little surprising to him, too, when he senses Sen's presence nearby. Keeping an eye on Chizuru didn't mean obsessively following her every move
because this isn't Okita route, but when Kazama got involved, he did step up his watchfulness a little, spending more time in Kyoto than he'd really like. He avoids her for similar reasons - because he doesn't know what he'd say. He doesn't even know how he feels. Memories of those days have faded, taking a back seat to things deemed more important (or at the very least, less traumatic.) He has become a person who discards the things that aren't necessary, and while that works well enough, it leaves him a little bereft when things are suddenly thrust into his lap to deal with. "Unprepared" is a good place to start.]Oh, my— [Not quite as good, but still a place to start. Kaoru steps his way out of the alley that he had been passing through, all elegance and grace and none of the fumbling that had cursed him in his younger days. Years have been added to his face, but his smile is lovely and his features are soft, though there's a sharpness to his stare now like a beast of prey.]
I hope that you can excuse my manners... If I had known the Princess of Yase was passing through, I would have cleared the path.
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Such a thing is unnecessary... if I had wanted it to be known that I was passing through, I would have sent Kimigiku on ahead.
[Poor manners can be excused in this case, apparently? Kimigiku doesn't seem to think so - she's eyeing Kaoru suspiciously, rather distrustful of his alleyrat ways, but outwardly Sen doesn't seem all too bothered. Inwardly, though, she can't help but feel a little off-balance. The exchange with Kazama had been enough turmoil for one day and she still isn't certain how she ought to be acting around Kaoru after all this time.
She supposes she should take her cue from him.]
Likewise, had I known that the head of the Nagumo clan would be here, I would have prepared a more suitable greeting... what brings you to the area? Have the humans and their war caught your attention as well?
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He folds his hands together and smiles a little more widely.]
It's impossible to ignore something so attention-grabbing, isn't it? Though I wouldn't mind doing just that, if I could. [Meddling in human affairs still isn't his style, and even though the Nagumo name is tied intricately with politics, he'd have no problem severing ties without any notice.]
Still, if even the important Kazama and Amagiri clans have been drawn in, it's not a matter that can be set aside easily.
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But the moment passes, and she nods slowly.]
It's a shame that humans can't manage their own affairs. [GOD, HUMANS. Always demanding their attention.] But this sort of thing will come to an end soon. It always does.
[She smiles lightly.]
Do you plan to return to Tosa immediately, once circumstances allow it?
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[CASUALLY HINTS AT GENOCIDAL TENDENCIES.
Kaoru also noticed that sour look - who wouldn't? - but doesn't say anything about it just yet. His feelings regarding Sen are complex and he's still not entirely sure where he stands with her, but Kazama is a punishment he'd rather not see inflicted on anyone.
Better Sen than Chizuru, though, as far as he's concerned.]
I do, yes. There is still much to manage. Does the Princess plan on lingering in Kyoto?
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[Well, she can't say she's opposed to an end to wars and humans trying to get demons involved in their problems, but she's not about to condone any genocidal tendencies. It's a good thing Kaoru is a top tier shithead and is good at acting polite, or else she would probably be having Words with him right now. Instead, their conversation remains neutral enough.]
Mm, not for very long. I was planning on leaving Kimigiku here to see to things in my stead. [This is news to Kimigiku, apparently, because she looks mutinous and opens her mouth to protest but Sen predicts it and holds up a hand to silence her... though she doesn't spare her a glance, either. She's holding this conversation with Kaoru, after all.] There are a few things I'll need to see to before I leave [like making sure that Kazama actually is leaving Chizuru alone and not just playing them both, and trying to convince Sannan to cut the shit with the ochimizu but we both know that's going to end horribly] but once that is finished, I have some affairs I need to put in order in Yase.
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There are more important things to deal with right now, anyway!! Like, for one, the fact that Kimigiku can now be laughed at for being ditched haha nerd. (Internal laughter only, of course...) A feigned look of curiosity follows, and Kaoru's head cants neatly to the side. The ornaments decorating it chime together in a soft, pleasant way.]
Is that so? You do seem busy... I don't suppose you have time to do a little catching up before you leave to tend to the rest of your business here? I'm a little short on time myself, but it has been quite a while since we last spoke.
[IT'S A TRAP.]
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If you are astute enough to notice that milady is busy, then you should know that to ask such a thing is—
[Sen puts her hand on Kimigiku's shoulder and shakes her head.]
...Kimigiku, please. I would very much like an opportunity to speak with Nagumo-san. [The expression on the bodyguard's face practically screams "this is a bad idea," but Sen just smiles and gestures for her to go on ahead.] Please go on ahead and secure our lodgings for the night. I will come and find you later.
[Trap or no, she... doesn't think anything too dastardly will happen. What's he going to do, poison her?? Been there, done that. Kimigiku frowns, but goes on ahead after shooting Kaoru a deeply suspicious look because she's been ordered
and I'm tired of attempting to play her. Sen turns her attention to Kaoru with a small smile.]It's been far too long. ...but this is hardly a place for a conversation. Is there anywhere you would prefer to go?
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[Oh, look! Kaoru's finally paying attention to her!! If only to give a parting potshot with a rude shit smile... REST EASY, FRIEND.
But Kaoru's attention doesn't linger on her for long at all, at least, since Sen is the person here that he holds the most complex feelings toward and therefore the person that has most of his interest.]
My tea house of preference is just a block down this way, if that would suit you. The owner has been very kind to me over the years... [By which he means he uses that joint to do his shitheaded business and everyone knows not to listen in or bother him while he's there.]
Would that work for you?
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It sounds more than acceptable.
[Just a block down this way... She doesn't wait for Kaoru to lead the way, which might look weird to any onlookers with traditional beliefs about women's places and men's places and so on if not for the fact that Kaoru is a crossdresser. She doesn't have to follow after him because he's just as much of a pretty princess as she is!
She will slow down and let him point out which teahouse is the one he favors once they're about three-fourths of the way there, though. Once they're inside and seated, with a hot pot of tea, two cups, and some snacks in between them while the employees give them a rather wide berth, Sen smiles again. It looks natural enough, but she's fiddling with the hem of her sleeves while her hands are folded in her lap - the only outward indication that she's feeling a little confused as to where she should even begin here.]
...you seem to have been working hard as of late. [Because how else would such a decimated clan still have such a strong political presence...]
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But he'll follow along without issue and point the way to the teahouse easily, since he's been here many, many times before and knows his way like the back of his hand. Once they're all settled in and seated, he turns his attention to her fully, hands folded neatly in his lap. There's no fiddling going on here, if only because Kaoru's mastered pretty much every aspect of outward presentation over the years and can usually controle himself to a ridiculously fine degree.
At her leading question, his head dips briefly.]
That's certainly one way to word it.
[And then his smile grows, and while it's very pretty and well-crafted to look as elegant as possible, there's something unpleasant and sharp there, too.]
It seems there's always work to be done... Though I knew I would be taking on much more when I accepted my new position, of course.
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There is no one who can say that he didn't become strong enough to fight his way out from under that clan's thumb.]
Ah... yes, that's right. Congratulations are long overdue, are they not? ["Congrats on slaughtering your entire clan! Many happy returns!"] I'm pleased to see that your circumstances have changed so drastically. [Because, let's be real, any change would have been an improvement to his prior situation.] Congratulations on becoming the head of the clan. It has been many years since that clan has had a leader of your caliber.
[It's also been many years since the clan has had a head that wasn't a fucking psychopath, but she can't really congratulate him on that because that's one cycle that hasn't been broken. Unfortunately.]
...I suppose I should also offer you my apologies for not congratulating you sooner.
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But he focuses instead on her congratulations and on the apology, and it basically makes a part of him want to compete for the gold in the crazy Nagumo clan head olympics, if he hasn't already won it. It's satisfying to hear, on one hand, but it's not like satisfaction (or any positive emotion) is something that Kaoru feels strongly or for long periods of time. The larger part of him feels strangely bitter about it in a way that he doesn't particularly want to think through.
One hand is raised in a delicate gesture, a quiet "it's fine", even though his expression remains sharp.]
The Princess of Yase is surely busy at all times, so the delay is only to be expected. I thank you for your kind words now, though. [Every day is a good day to celebrate a mass murder!!] I hope that I will be able to lead the clan well for many years to come.
[All like, what. ??? zero of the rest of them?? WHATEVER MAN HE'S A CLAN OF ONE and maybe some scattered branch families, he does what he wants.]
I heard rumors that your health had ailed for a while as well, though it seems such rumors were unfounded. You look to be in prime shape.
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You are welcome, [She replies with a small nod of acknowledgement. What follows is, perhaps, a sentiment that not many others will share, but - does it matter? Kimigiku isn't here right now to express her disapproval, and chances are none of the humans in the teashop have any clue who or what the Nagumo clan is.] That is a shared hope. [She'd rather see Kaoru in the position than any demon of the actual Nagumo bloodline, to be honest.
Her expression takes on some measure of distance when he touches on the rumors of her illness. They're rumors that Yase as a whole would prefer others to believe were unfounded - it had left them in a disadvantageous position for her to be sick for so long, stuck in that strange, unrestful sleep. Now, the elders of her clan tend to pretend it never even happened.]
...mm, they're just as unfounded as the rumors that the tragedy your clan suffered was an inside job. [So pretty fucking true, basically.] Whatever the case, I'm in better health now than I have been in a long while, and I hope to remain that way.
[Except that's not happening once she meets up with Sannan, but eh, hopes exist to be dashed...]
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But if Kaoru is surprised to hear her agreement, he doesn't show it. And it is a little surprising... There's a part of him that has grown into the expectation that he'll be disliked by everyone he meets, and has been by everyone who had come earlier. Sen may have claimed to want to be his friend way back then, but how true had it been? He can't say for sure.]
I'll try to let that hope continue onward.
[A very placid answer, but truthful all the same. His continued survival will be a bad thing for everyone around him, sure enough, but he doesn't exactly care about that...
But the next topic is an easier one to deal with, in a way. The feelings that this brings along are familiar and easy to parse.]
I see. [WHAT CRAZY UNFOUNDED RUMORS.] Though I hope you'll accept my condolences for being forced to handle such an unfortunate rumor. As the head of the Nagumo, I'd also like to extend well-wishes for continued health on the behalf of us all.
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Anyway, Sen meets that placid answer with a small smile - even with all of Kaoru's flaws (and there are a lot of them), it's still somewhat preferable to her to have him be in power in Tosa than any of the other alternatives. Then again the pickings are sort of slim: dregs of the Nagumo clan, Kazama, Shiranui... Amagiri could probably be trusted, but it's not like he would actually try to take power for himself there.
Besides, better the devil you know than the devil you don't (even though things have changed so much that she probably doesn't really know him anymore).]
Your condolences are unnecessary... it's not as though you spread those rumors. [HIS PREDECESSORS, ON THE OTHER HAND...] But the sentiment is appreciated, nonetheless.
...and on the behalf of Yase, I would like to wish you the best of luck in your endeavors. [Just don't go nuts and kill your sister, okay?]
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But yeah, basically, there really aren't a lot of pickings to be had here. The Nagumo only continue to have such a strong presence in Tosa because they had been there for so long that Kaoru's connections with everyone in seats of power are pretty solid. No one's going to shake him if he has anything to say about it...
He makes no response to her receipt of his condolences, since it's not like they're very genuine anyway. The rumors had upset him in his youth, but he had grown out of that concern. As for the luck:]
My... With the luck of Yase behind me, I feel as though I'll be able to accomplish anything.
[WHICH IS BAD. A BAD, BAD THING. Everyone evacuate immediately.]
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