senhime 「 千姫 」 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
deontological) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
recountal2014-12-29 09:17 pm
deontological) wrote in recountal2014-12-29 09:17 pm
(no subject)
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.]
no subject
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...]
no subject
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.
no subject
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.
no subject
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.
no subject
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...]
no subject
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.
no subject
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?]
no subject
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.]
no subject
Okay, no, everyone stays as they were because they're smart enough to refrain from eavesdropping on two demons so they don't even know that Bad Things are going down in this corner over here. For her part, the way he says that leaves Sen feeling a little discomforted - and she isn't really sure why. Perhaps it's because she doesn't know exactly what his endeavors are; her own information network has been somewhat tied up with the Shinsengumi's dealings with the ochimizu and the war as of late.
Yes, it's just uncertainty that's left her ill-at-ease, she decides. What else could it be?]
This is certainly the time to make a move, if there ever was. The political tides are shifting quickly. [Someone's gonna die. A lot of someones, actually.] I do hope they don't turn against Tosa. [The domain's gotten the shit end of the stick on more than one occasion, if she remembers correctly...]
no subject
But yes that's surely the only reason for feeling ill at ease here SURELY IT'S ONLY THAT. After all, it's not like someone who is a known mass murderer would be up to anything sketchy in his spare time... That would just be silly and ridiculous and not plausible at all!!]
Fortunately for me, if Tosa becomes an uninhabitable place, I already have measures to safely move the clan. [ie himself
he's gonna hoof it to the mountains, basically.]
But I do hope that things won't come to such a dire point. Rather, it's been very advantageous to me so far. If the situation would continue on like that, I would be pleased.
no subject
If you were to require assistance in safely moving your clan... [Sen hesitates. She is well aware that Kimigiku would probably have a hernia if she knew what she was about to say, but the thing is, Kimigiku isn't here right now. So it's okay, isn't it?] I would— that is, Yase would be pleased to help you.
[But, yes, hopefully it won't come to that. While she's not sure she wants the situation to continue on as it is - there is far too much tension, and she's sure it could very easily snap in the face of a poorly-worded statement or a misunderstood set of actions - she is sure that she would like to see that tension slowly and safely diffuse.]
...this is, after all, an entirely new Nagumo clan as compared to before.
no subject
What a large honor... [Kaoru's head dips a little, and it's the first time in the conversation that his face has been entirely obscured. His anger has grown over the years, bad as its always been and only getting worse, until he had been left without much control over it. When he's feeling particularly vicious, he can't always keep it out of his face in spite of his efforts, and resorts to hiding instead.]
Then I will accept, and should the time come for it, the Nagumo clan will be relying on Yase's aid.
[But it's rude to talk at his teacup, maybe, so toward the end of that sentence he lifts his head again and flashes a smile that would be charming if it weren't for its cutting edge.]
no subject
...I will do my best not to let you down.
["As I did before." She comes so close to including those four words, but finds herself unable to get them out. And yet - the words hang in the air between them. They both know that the Princess of Yase has failed the head of the Nagumo clan once already.]
no subject
I do feel in much safer hands now! Though I'll continue to hope that you won't need to extend a hand in the end, either way. It would be better for both of us that way, I believe. It seems your friend isn't terribly fond of me...
[WHO KNOWS WHY goodness, what a vast and unsolvable mystery.]
no subject
Sen laughs along with him, but after a moment or two her expression becomes just the slightest bit pained. "Your friend isn't terribly fond of me" is one of the largest understatements she's ever heard - Kimigiku hasn't exactly made her dislike of Kaoru a secret. It's a little strange to see, considering how fond she is of Chizuru... nearly everyone likes his sister better than they like him, god.]
Kimigiku does not trust my judgment when it comes to you, I'm afraid. [Surely it doesn't have anything to do with the fact that she went and got herself kidnapped because she wanted to save him. SURELY NOT.] I do apologize for her behavior. I'll... speak to her about it.
no subject
But he'll laugh politely behind one hand, raising the other to wave in gentle dismissal.]
There's no need for that, though I do appreciate the offer. After all, even if you spoke with her, it would only make her more agitated. Isn't that so?
[Not that... Kaoru would mind it...... But Kimigiku is such a nonentity in his mind that her negative emotions aren't really worth a whole lot to him. No point!!]
no subject
...I suppose that is the case. [Her expression is still pained, because good lord. If she could fix whatever was broken between the two of them she would, but the way things have gone so far, she truly thinks it might be a lost cause. She'll just have to be more subtle about it, so that Kimigiku won't get upset.]
Still...
[She holds her hands out, palms up.]
I do not condone the way she has treated you. You have my most sincere apologies for not being able to do more to keep her in check.
[Not that Sen's most sincere apologies will mean much, anyway. Nor will the fact that she doesn't condone it. The last time she didn't condone the way Kaoru was treated, they both ended up suffering all the more for it.]