Heir of the Mitsumine Clan

Touka shook her head, frowning just a little. "No, sir. The letter was, as you have seen, sealed, and grandmother..." ...had handed it to her with a broad wink and a laugh before sending her off on this foolish errand to the south... "...did not see fit to tell me of it. I know nothing of its contents."

edited 30th Aug '14 5:29:42 PM by RedSavant

"Well, it seems as if we'll get a good chance to know each other, Hakurou-kun. Your grandmother has entrusted you to our care for at least a year" says Takeshi, holding the letter in hand carefully "And of course, we shall welcome you for as long as you wish to remain. One of the Hakurou is always welcome with the Mitsumine"

Then Takeshi smiled, unable to contain a little of enjoyment from showing as he mentions a certain part "However, there is also another matter is addresses... apparently, we have your grandmother's blessing for Ainori to court you as a possible bride..."

There was a lot wrong with Takeshi's last few sentences, and it took Touka's brain a few minutes to catch up. Even then, her face was frozen into something half like bemusement and half like disbelief. "Wha... a year? Here?" she asked first, dumbly. A year away from the village, away from her family and the shrine, away from the dark fragrance of the pines and the cool waters of the brooks and the sun-warmed rocky hills? To spend time here, in a town full of monkey people and their noise, their clamor, their stinking city life? Touka opened her mouth to argue - it couldn't possibly be true - but her grandma's warm smile and soft, fond farewell hug came back to her, and there was nothing to argue with there. For that smile, if nothing else, she'd bear this.

The second bit, though; that wasn't going to go unchallenged. "As a what?!" she asked, breaking all manner of... well, manners as her voice pitched high and loud with disbelief.

edited 30th Aug '14 5:37:38 PM by RedSavant

Takeshi closed one eye at her outburst, kind of expecting it from the description of the young woman from her grandmother. The Mitsumine folded the letter lightly, hiding the part where she speaks of her granddaughter to let the young woman read the part where it speaks of the bridal arrangement "Yes... I was curious about that. Given how Ainori will eventually need heirs and well... just about everything, I'm not sure how your grandmother expected that to work. Still those are her words as you can read"

Jun's eyebrows shot almost all the way to his hairline. Offering a family member to marry Ainori was not entirely unexpected, but this? It just didn't make any sense. How could this marriage arrangement actually work?

Ainori was almost finished with the scroll when Takeshi announced the marriage proposal. The heir immediately stopped reading and opened her mouth to protest, but no words came out. She closed it again and prepared for another attempt. Still nothing. She repeated this one more time before giving up and returning to the Kunoichi's scroll.

Touka just shook her head, glancing over at Ainori... and nearly cursing as she felt a blush creeping up her cheeks at the mention of heirs. She shook her head more firmly and put it from her mind. "W-well, sir," she said, clenching her hands around the edges of her sleeves. "I must say, I was not intending to intrude on your hospitality beyond today..."

"Well, lets forget about the last part for now. Facts are, by your grandmother's edict, you are to stay with us from now on. Welcome to our home, Hakurou-kun. I hope you'll enjoy your stay as our guest" says Takeshi, trying to defuse the atmosphere that he inadvertently had caused "We'll get some chances to know each other from now on, though I see that you are a Miko. If so, I'll be thankful if you join me in prayers at some time, as well as taking care of the tombs and the family Shrine"

Tsubaki's head cheekily tilted towards Ghiren in response to his increasingly free-range movements. He was definitely laying thick into the drink, given that ha had already given up something interesting without much prompting. Not quite hilarious, but definitely impressive. Perhaps Ghiren was the sort to exaggerate when drunk, but that still didn't take away from the immediate legitimacy of the tale. After all, as she had said herself earlier in the conversation with Yasu, as an observer what others showed off to her was the immutable truth until otherwise proven. "Ehehe, I'm glad you were there for your friend in such a visceral manner. None of our lives would be the same without Takeshi, that much is for sure."

The conversation lulled just in time for her to catch the glory that was the contents of the Hakurou letter. Ainori definitely seemed to have heard. Tsubaki was just silently smiling externally, but internally the laughter bubbled forth. There was many a joke at Ainori's expense here, if Tsubaki played it right.

When the ex-general showed up at the table, Yasu think it was about time she shut herself up, added in a nori and a rolled omelet and finish her meal listening to his story, though she was making subtle move to slowly slide away from him when he gets going with the sake. She still does not understand why one drinks alcohol in a morning, but then again, she does not have much experience with it, maybe he won't get fucked up. She should try riding a boar, though, sounds like fun but she doubt her parents would allow it-

And then when Takeshi mentioned of a wedding between Ainori and Touka, it made her stop eating her meal and widened her eyes, she was not entirely sure if she was even hearing right. Marriage, between 2 girls? AWWWW YEAAHHHHH, this is essentially her thought process and she tried her very best to contain her excitement by gripping very hard on her spoon, though her blush came through her cheeks. After she retained her composure, she noticed that Ainori was reading her scroll.

"So, Lady Mitsumine-dono," Yasu said. "Have you considered our offer yet? We'll provide the best of service for you." Though the fact that she messed up quite a bit earlier made her scared that she might screw her clan out of the offer, but she's hoping very hard that Ainori would still consider the offer.

Upon the news of Touka's potential betrothal, Ghiren, in his partially drunken state, couldn't help but let out a roar of riotous laughter. He also couldn't help but let slip, if only in a subtle manner, his observation of her rather peculiar appendages. "This is a happy occasion, young pup! Of course, if it were anyone but lady Ainori here, both of your heads would likely be chopped off at dawn for even joking at such an offense against the Gods! But I think with your case, we can make an exception!" He then let forth another mighty laugh before attempting to refill his glass, only to notice that the jar of sake seemed to have been drained dry. "Hm. Well, a samurai must never drink enough to truly dull his wits, anyhow. Not that I wouldn't mind." It was then that Ghiren noticed something peculiar...

"Takeshi-san, unless I truly have dulled my wits, there seems to be a small orange cat holding a letter right next to your left leg." True enough, there was a small orange cat holding a letter right next to Takeshi's left leg; the same cat that had been lurking in the shadows prior.

"Meeeeeeoww!"

edited 31st Aug '14 12:48:55 PM by kkhohoho

Ougen was shocked at the news of a possible betrothal, between two women even! His lady and a beautiful woman he was sure he had seen somewhere before, the image of the two in bed together popped immediately up in his slightly sake-induced mind and he blushed.

Touka glared around at... pretty much everyone else at the table, a pink blush creeping into her cheeks. With a derisive sniff, she turned back to Takeshi and tried to calm down. "I... yes, I have some training in serving the gods," she said, nodding. "I would be glad to assist in your shrine upkeep, though I will need to ask who is enshrined there and about the proper procedures. Some other time," she added, giving a dark look to the rest of the table.

The orange cat, though... Unlike most of her family, Touka didn't mind cats. They were aloof, yes, but only in that they liked to come to you on their own time. Most didn't even try to approach her, which was fair despite how soft they looked. Nekomata, on the other hand... She cleared her throat at the cat. "You're not as subtle as you think," she advised it.

Kasuria made her way into the room as she pushed windswept hair out of her face. Her Shrine Maiden uniform clung to her as she slid the door shut with a clatter. Today was the day Ainori would take on her role as leader though Kasuria didn't expect that to happen soon given that the sun had only just barely risen and she herself had only just finished closing up the Shrine for the day.

Turning to greet her uncle and older sister she was met with a surprise. The room held more people than she had expected even despite the day's events. Surely it would be better if people had arrived later. Couldn't they see that they were being rude? Biting back her anger, she picked her way through the crowd, ignoring the cries of protest she met as she bumped into people.

"You seem to have attracted quite a bit of a crowd and so early too," Kasuria remarked with a light tease. "Tsubaki is not unexpected but surely others could have waited until later."

"I would have sworn you'd think that I'd show up late due to oversleeping or the like, Kasuria." The younger Mitsumune sibling was a face Tsubaki always enjoyed seeing, because with her bold and energetic personality when off duty there was many an interesting moment to be had. If either of the two had been keeping points to score their attempts to cause mischief to one another (and Ainori, but that went without saying) the two would have been neck and neck and had enough points to equal grains of sand on a beach. "It's not even especially early, is it? About the time that the fishermen are out in force."

"Their early arrival illustrates their eagerness; eager for what remains to be seen." Ainori joked with her sister in low tones. After the marriage proposal fiasco, she needed something to get her mind off the thought—and to keep herself from throwing the old general out in the cold.

Turning back to the others, she stared at the messenger cat. Touka-san was right; the little creature was being far from subtle.

"Kasuria-chan," Ainori said, turning to face her sister, "I would like to introduce you to Hakurou Touka, a maiden from the north. Her grandmother has requested she stay with us, so she will be tending to the shrine with you."

With that brief introduction started, Ainori went to address Yasu, Blood Lotus scroll in hand.

"Could you please follow me, Koizumi-san? I wish to speak to you in private."

edited 1st Sep '14 11:13:19 AM by TheodoreHastings

She sees a young lady approaching Ainori. Yasu recognised her, if only for the fact that she's Ainori's younger sister, then she went back to eating her food, With every spoonful though, after the excitement of a yuri marriage proposal wore off, Yasu began to worry if the other have picked up on her mistakes and identify her as a ninja. Would Ainori turned down the offer after seeing the inexperience of a disguised kunoichi? If she saw her as this, then what of the image of the Blood Lotus? Then what would her parents think?

Each thought process became more unbearable as Yasu was finishing her breakfas, she was rather quick in eating as many people, including her parents themselves, have commented on. By the time she picked the last remaining grain off the bowl, she knows what needs to be done. As soon as she gets up from the table, however, Ainori had just called her over for a private discussion.

"Oh? Of course, heiress," Yasu said as calmly as she possibly can and will follow Ainori to whatever she goes.

edited 1st Sep '14 11:26:03 AM by sgtpendulum

Ainori lead Yasu out of the dining room and lead her to a small room nearby; the very same room Takeshi and Ghiren had spoken in not too long ago. Once the door was closed and secure, Ainori turned to her guest with a sternness she had never shown at breakfast.

"I will be blunt with you, Koizumi-san, if that is your true name: I have little love for shinobi, and I have little love for you. Do you know why?"

Yasu let out a little sigh of disappointment, mainly in herself and asked "And why is that?"

"Shinobi drain resources that can be used for the betterment of the people. They charge far more than a few men or women are worth, experienced though they may be, and ultimately serve their coin purse over their employers. Money is their loyalty, which makes them no friends of mine. I have no need for a hired hand who, with the proper payment, will strike my enemies and cut my throat with the same blade.

"But that is not what bothers me now. You are the issue I seek to remedy. You are welcomed into my home as a lady, yet follow no sort of etiquette. You are welcomed to my table as a guest, yet would rather spread lies for your pitiful alias. You are granted an audience as a supporter, yet bring only this—advertisement for your clan!"

Ainori clutched the Blood Lotus scroll in her hand and walked very close to the kunoichi. She was more than a head shorter than Yasu, but her anger fueled her presence to make her seem much larger than she was.

"But none of that compares to what you said about my parents: 'was it an accident or assassination, I don't know, I forget which since it was so long ago.' How dare you suggest they were murdered! A suggestion of assassination coming from a murderer for hire? If I were less trusting, I might think you approached me solely so your clan could gloat! The drunken general has insulted me personally, but you, Koizumi Hinata, have done something far worse."

"W-w-what? You mean you yourself did not know how your parents died?" Yasu muttered, with her hand upraised to her mouth in an unconscious social defence. Unfortunately for Ainori, Yasu is really thick, among all the things Ainori have flung onto Yasu, the part about her parents gets to her the most. Yasu's mind was racing through a million things right now and the fact that a really mad heiress staring at her made it worse. Yasu tried to look away without making it look offensive, she never really like eye contact, it's like looking through the window to one's own soul.

"Okay...Okay..." Yasu uttered under her breath as she prioritise her own mess, then said "Okay, my real name is Yasu Minami-" A major move by Yasu, hoping that by revealing her name would build trust, even if she was entirely unsure as she subconsciously indicate it by twirling her hair. "-And I truly, deeply sorry if anything I've said offends you, I just...like to talk about...anything and everything, it's just nice to talk casually to anybody, it's a rare chance for me to do so outside of my training...and my parents. I never meant to boast or offend, just making friends..."

She breathed in through her mouth, unsure if the direction she is going is the right one.

"Bu-but know this!" She added with a bit more authority as she stood tall. "We, the Blood Lotus Clan members, are not like mercenaries. We have a code of honor saying that, once a side have contracted us, we will stay loyal to that side throughout the contract, we will never sell out to their rivals. And not all of Blood Lotus clan members are assassins! We're not so narrow minded that we can't have any other professions! We can do espionage, sabotage, infiltration, bodyguarding..."

There, Yasu had an idea. She kneeled down to Ainori's feet and boldly offered "And since you do not like to spend any money on mercenaries, then...allow me to be your bodyguard, against spies and assassins! For free! I can get my own food and I can sleep outside! Allow me to let you taste a bit of what the Blood Lotus can offer in protection! Trust me when I say that you don't want to allow your enemies to have an advantage over you with their spies...And one more thing if you allow it-"

Her tone changed to something much more solemn." At every chance I get, I will investigate your parent's death and if it really is an assassination, I will bring the murderer to justice. Turning any kids into orphans is a very serious crime in my book. And you do not need to pay me a single coin. And this is coming from the bottom of my heart. Do we have a deal, heiress?"

Ainori stepped back, both physically and emotionally. Yasu's determination to prove her worth struck a chord; someone who wanted to throw away all comforts and profits for their clan's honor deserved a bit more respect. Cornered away from any friendly face, Ainori saw a glimpse of something admirable—if she really meant it.

"I appreciate the offer, Minami-san, but I currently have no need for a bodyguard; I will have more than enough of them at the capital. You are free to stay for the day, though I suggest you return to your clan once you are well rested. Now let us return to the others before someone misses us."

As Ainori opened the door, she turned her head to look at the kneeling shinobi.

"And Minami-san: thank you, you are forgiven."

As Ainori opened the door, she might have found that the cat formerly at Takeshi's feet was now standing right in front of the door, a letter still carried within it's mouth. However, as Ainori had opened it, the cat had just finished making itself settled, so it likely couldn't have heard what had transpired within the closed room. And even if it had, it couldn't have understood a single word of what had transpired within, could it?

"Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeow! Meow."

Ainori smirked at the orange cat. "Does Takeshi-jisan not want to play your game, little one? Then I shall take his place."

She took the letter from the feline's mouth. Perhaps Yasu found the exchange bizarre; perhaps she was more sensitive to these creatures. Either way, Ainori remained silent as she read the letter and reentered the dining hall.

As Ainori headed back to the hall, the cat did not follow; rather, it stayed right where it was after it had let Ainori take the letter, as if it were waiting for the young heiress to return. As for the letter itself...

Ainori Dono,

Hiya! Or, I mean, greetings, Empress-to-be, or, depending on when I can deliver this letter, Empress. You must forgive my earlier expression; being, well, what I am, I can be rather... expressive. I also do not have the parchment to spare, so that will have to be left in. Unfortunately. Anyway...

First, please make sure you do not tell anyone else of the contents of this letter, or at least not at the present time. They likely would not believe it's contents in any case, but it is best to be sure. I do like to meander, do I not? Let me get to the point. I am Mikoto Kurumaru, a Kunoichi, but one belonging to the Mitsumine Clan. I am sure you know this, but the clan does have a select few ninja of it's own, as opposed to renting them out from the Blood Lotus or Tiger Clan whenever they have the need for such agents. I am one of those few.

Now, I am pledged to serve the Clan, but funnily enough, there are now multiple choices for the head of the clan, are there not? On the one hand, there are the current beings in power, residing in the Capital. On the other, they are also... a word which you may hear me use in person, but not here. It is a vulgar word, and while I cannot always stop myself from just blurting it out in public when I feel the need, I can do so here. Anyway.

And on the other hand, there is now you. As far as I understand, you have at last come of age, and thus count as the legitimate ruler of the throne. Therefore, there is technically nothing stopping me from serving you straight away as opposed to the bast— sorry; again, I have a lack of parchment on hand, so I cannot afford to start over. My deepest apologies. Anyway. I wish to serve the rightful ruler of the clan, which just so happens to be you. It will up to you to decide just how best to make use of me, or if I will be of any use to you at all, but I believe that in order for you to best decide, we must meet. Alone. But, not to to worry; you will not have to wait long.

You should have seen an orange cat just moments before you read this letter; it may even have given you the very letter that you are reading right now in your hands. If you can meet with that cat in a private location, alone, then I will most definitely make an appearance. There is so much more to tell you, but I feel that it will be far better to show you. I would also suggest that you do this as soon as possible.

Deepest Pleasures, Mikoto Kurumaru

PS.If I seem very formal and respectful in this letter, please be aware that I may not be quite so formal and respectful in person. I will try my best, but one cannot fight their own nature, can they? Not completely, anyway. You will understand when we meet. Again, deepest pleasures...