Dancing with a Scorpion [RP]

[Shoju]

[ooc] - play along. I promise, no harm will come to anyone, but oh the reaction was great!


Yamuso laughed loudly. He found a humor in the reaction that The scorpion surely would not. "Tell me Bayushi-san. Who is in control of the situation right now? Is it you? Is it me? Is it.... someone else? Because I'm fairly certain your test on control has been completed" Yamuso stopped laughing let his mempo fall to the ground and stared into the scorpion's eyes in a way that seemed to almost penetrate the Scorpion's very soul.

"WE[/i] have one more test. It will be at dinner. It will be with your wife. And failing the test or refusing the test, I'm sorry to say, will have extraordinary consequences, none of which will be within my control. " Yamuso smirked a little. "You have been an amazing student. You have learned more from me than most would ever fathom understanding. I'm not even sure you understand it all yet Bayushi-san. You will in time though. I assure you that."

Yamuso began walking again. "Now. I wouldn't dally too long Hisa. we have to be prepared for dinner. You can't come home smelling awful, and in the company of someone who looks like I do. The letter has already been sent. Your wife will be expecting us for a late dinner.

[Bayushi Hisa]

[ooc]Oh I plan to play along, it just seemed like a perfect moment for that reaction


Hisa nodded, though still clearly angry with the situation. "Very well then Yamuso-sensei. You are right, I wouldnt want to come to her smelling the way I do. Seems that, for now, you have the control. Lead the way."

Hisa kicked a nearby rock into the river before following after Yamuso.

[Shoju]

As they reached the Camp, There was a new tent stationed next to Yamuso's tent. As they approached, Yamuso pointed at it. "This one is yours Bayushi-san. You should find all that you need to prepare yourself for dinner." Yamuso entered his tent and began to prepare for dinner.

Inside Hisa's tent, he would find a fresh Kimono. Scorpion red with exquisite detailwork, and a mon inlaid into the very fabric of the chest. The Work was amazing. The Scorpion mon stood out in gold, trimmed in black stitching. It was as if the Mon was part of the kimono. Next to the Kimono was a mempo, with silver inlays. It covered his cheeks and nose, but left his eyes, forehead, and chin exposed. The mask had no design, it was sleek and smooth.

[Bayushi Hisa]

Hisa bathed, put on his necklace of Jade, and looked at the exquisite clothing. It was amongst the finest he had ever seen. It was perfectly cut to his size, which struck him as incredibly odd and somewhat suspicious, but he put those suspicions aside as well as the thoughts of Kaoin's safety. Now is not the time, he told himself.

He looked at the mempo. Somehow it reminded him of the masks he had seen upon the paintings, statues and tapestries he had seen of Bayushi Kachiko, despite not surrounding the eyes. He tried it on and looked at himself in the reflection of the water bowl. He had to admit that it looked good on him, and the entire outfit was a striking and imposing image. The outfit was a wonderful gift.

He removed the mempo and tied it to his obi, replacing it with his wife's veil. He stepped out of the tent and saw her. Bayushi Kaoin was obviously displeased with being amongst the Spider, but her eyes softened when she saw her husband. As she approached they bowed low to each other, she removed her husbands mempo as he returned her veil. They fastened their masks back to their proper faces. When their ritualized greeting was completed they embraced each other.

Hisa whispered into Kaoin's ear, thankful that the mempo hid his lips from being read, "Be on your guard. I respect my sensei and Chuda Shoju, but I don't fully trust the Spiders yet."

They noticed Yamuso exiting from his tent. Hisa offered Kaoin his arm as he introduced his wife. "Yamuso-sensei, this is my wife, Bayushi Kaoin. Kaoin-chan, this has been my sensei these past few days, the Master of Will who freed himself from Nothing, Yamuso."

She released her husband's arm and bowed low. "Yamuso-sama, I thank you for the care you have given to my husband, as well as the lessons you have bestowed upon up."

She stood up and smiled at Yamuso, "I know my husband abhors the tediousness of the games of court, especially with war upon us, but I have a gift for you for his care and safety." She removed her necklace, a piece of sharp crystal hanging from its end. She placed it in both of her cupped hands, offering them up to Yamuso. "This is a shard of one of the crystal katanas used in the battle against the Lying Darkness, recovered by my father. You helped protect my husband's soul, may this help protect yours should Nothing return."

[Shoju]

Yamuso bowed low to her, and smiled. "Forgive me if I don't go to the extremes of refusing your gift. I am truly grateful for the token of your appreciation and will wear it well." Yamuso showed them into his tent, holding the crystal in his hand. It hummed in his hand. The piece of the nothing left in him that couldn't be removed writhed in agony, and Yamuso rejoiced inside. "I'm so happy that you were able to join us, please come in, and sit."

Inside the tent, there was a place setting for 4. Yamuso seated himself and began. "Bayushi Kaoin, please allow me to explain the situation to you. Your husband has been a fantastic student, and he has but one test left to complete. This dinner, will be his test. As you can see, there is a setting for 4, yet there are 3 of us. We will have a guest with us tonight. When the evening ends, Bayushi-san will have a choice to make. Kill the guest, and his training is complete. Failure to kill the guest, will result in your death." Yamuso looked at her plainly, calmly, his voice not showing any emotion.

"I'm truly sorry for the stakes of this dinner being so high, but if you believe in your husband the way I do, there will be nothing to fear."

[Bayushi Hisa]

"So I'm to be your assassin?" Hisa said, arms crossed, clearly unhappy with the recent turn of events. "Who am I to kill?" He put his hand to his blades to make sure they would clear their sheaths.

Kaoin put her hand to on her husbands chest to calm him, the fire returned to her eyes, "My husband will do what is right. As I told your messenger, if anything happens to him you will all burn." She grinned evilly; she was taking to her new life as a Bayushi perfectly.

Hisa paced around the tent, his mind racing, looking for the middle path.



[ooc - I'm in the process of packing and am moving into a new place Sept 1 so my responses will be slow]

[Shoju]

Yamuso smiled "No Bayushi-san. You are not to be my assassin." He looked at the scorpion and with his head turned to the side a little. "Do you think after all of this, I would turn you into nothing more than an assassin? I think I'm quite capable of killing anyone whom I find the need to kill. No, this is most assuredly a test." Yamuso turned back to Hisa's wife. "I promise nothing will happen to Hisa. If he fails the test, the price of his failure is your death. He will live his life knowing that he failed, and knowing that his failure cost him his love, and his lord."

As Yamuso finished speaking, the tent opened up, and a figure walked in. Behind him was another figure. It was a Scorpion Samurai. "Ah. Welcome. This is our distinguished guest, Shosuro Tetsumo. Shosuro Tetsumo has been a very busy little scorpion, hasn't he?"

I DO EVERYTHING FOR THE GLORY OF THE SCORPION! He spat at Yamuso.

"You see, This scorpion has been spying on you. On me. On your wife. And he has been reporting everything back to the camp of the Shogun. He has sold the safety, and stability of those loyal to Hantei to our enemy under the guise of supporting the Shogun. And if that were the case, then I could abide by the division in your clan and their lack of a finalized position." Yamuso sneered at the Shosuro. "But, he is a liar. He seeks the glory of his master, who is most assuredly not a Scorpion."

[Shoju]

Yamuso looked at Hisa. "His master is Chaos. Destruction, and the toppling of the Empire. His master is a madman, and they are sewing misinformation and chaos. His reports to the toturi camp have just enough truth in them to get yourself, your wife, myself, and several others killed, but enough lies to sew destruction and death in the Toturi camp as well."

Yamuso had the man seated and the the Shugenja behind him move a hand and the man struggled for a moment and then less. It was as if he couldn't stand. "Do you deny what I have said Tetsumo?"

The Shosuro hung his head in shame. "It is true. All of it. But... I have reasons."

Yamuso placed his elbows on the table and crossed his fingers and stared at Hisa as the servants brought in the most succulent delicacies. The Dinner was a marvel as they placed it around the table. Foods from the Dragon Lands, the Scorpion Lands, and even an odd steaming greens for Yamuso. "Dinner is served." Yamuso proclaimed, and waited for his guests to sample their fare.

[Bayushi Hisa]

"Sit and eat Tetsumo, tell me what reasons could possibly justify disloyalty to your clansmen. Every man deserves a last meal, lie to me and your life is forfeit. It may already be so." Hisa sat across from Yamuso, Kaoin to Hisa's right, forcing Tetsumo to take the seat on Hisa's left.

"What have I done to you that warrants this betrayal? What has my wife done? Your lies to the Shogun could cast dispersions on your clansmen in his camp as well. What would Senshi-sama, or Haruka-sama, or even your daimyo, Ichiro-sama, think of your betrayal? What excuses could you possibly offer that would justify disloyalty?"

Hisa, who had yet to remove his mempo, tapped his thumb on his blades awaiting a response from Tetsumo. Kaoin seemed unconcerned and gave an appreciable sigh as she sampled the goats cheese from her homeland and the meats from the Scorpion territories. When her husband finished speaking she mumbled something quietly under her breath, a spell compelling Tetsumo to speak truthfully.

[Shoju]

Tetsumo stared at the woman. He knew what she had done. His master had used that spell on him before. "You....."[/color] he said, eyeing Hisa. "You FRATERNIZE with an ABOMINATION! You are here enjoying the company of one who calls himself 'spider'. You seek his teachings. What can you learn from THIS! This.... monster! He should have been put down at Volturnum!" He swung his head around towards Yamuso, who delicately ate his steamed greens and ignored the scorpion's rants.

Tetsumo raged against both spells compelling him to sit and to speak truthfully, but it was all he could do to oblige. "You choose sides between two squabbling brothers. One brother has not the courage to speak, and the other lacks the mind to think. They both deserve to die, as do ALL who stand with them. The Scorpion cackled. None who have stood on either side of this budding conflict has the ability to lead.

He stares back at Hisa. You, like your worthless champion have broken the first mandate of scorpion marriage. You married out of love. You make our clan weaker as a result. And then? You marry a TAMORI!? The very name of their family is paramount with corruption! How can you sit there next to her and not fear she will become just like her namesake!?

He bucks harder against the spells. I had hoped that by giving the usurper false information, I could goad him, and the Master of Secrets into assaulting this place. Killing you, your love, this worthless follower of NOTHING, and all the tainted foulness that the crab has felt suited to allow into our empire. He spit in the plate of food that sat in front of him.

And once both sides are torn asunder, and the armies lie in ruins, the hour of my lord will be upon us. Tetsumo looked like a man possessed as he finished rambling. He continued to struggle against the spells binding him in place, and looking at each of the three of them with murder in his eyes.

[Bayushi Hisa]

Hisa was quiet for a moment then let out a roaring laugh. "Yes I married a Tamori, my fate was never arranged. Yes it was out of love, a rare thing in our clan, but only a Yogo is forbidden from such a thing. If you were truly Scorpion you would know that. Now, you insult my sensei and my wife by claiming they are monsters and corrupt? You know nothing!

Agasha Tamori's corruption was a result of the betrayal of his family. My wife was loyal to her clan, like Tamori was. She is now loyal to the Scorpion. Yamuso-sensei, was corrupted by Nothing, it's true. But you!! You claim to be Shosuro?! She was created from the Lying Darkness, she was its avatar! How many Scorpions were consumed by that monster and Bayushi's Daughter?!"

Hisa rose and drew his wakizashi with his right hand and placed it in front of Tetsumo. "You have betrayed the Scorpion. You have insulted my wife, my sensei, and myself. You have insulted and betrayed Bayushi Senshi and Bayushi Haruka. Now, you will give me your lords name, you will give me your true name, then take your own life."

[Shoju]

Tetsumo began laughing. He threw his head back and howled. The laugh began to sound... hollow, Tetsumo stopped, snapped his head back down and stared Hisa down. Oh, My name is most definitely Shosuro Tetsumo. I most assuredly was a Scorpion. But... My master... He has such a wonderful vision for the empire. A WONDERFUL VISION I TELL YOU! Tetsumo's eyes began to cry tears of blood. Not even that Chuda can stop us! We are... TRUE bloodspeakers and we will raise our master again!

Yamuso put his bowl of greens down, and stood, drawing his shortblades. The bloodspeaker in front of them began to stand as well. I believe it is time for you to die!

[Bayushi Hisa]

Hisa spoke a quick command he wife taught him, and from his mempo shot a bolt of jade colored light, striking the bloodspeaker in his chest. He slashed out with his katana, the same way he did in the forest before the Ogre attacked, slicing through the tainted Scorpion's stomach. He stepped forward and gripped his wakizashi, in one fluid motion he plunged beneath Tetsumo's arm and between the ribs at his side, puncturing his heart. "No," Hisa said as he stared into Tetsumo's wide eyes, "You won't."

When it was over, Kaoin rose and whispered a prayer to the kamis of fire. Tetsumo's body was engulfed in carefully controlled flames, while Hisa cleaned the fallen Scorpion's tainted blood from his blades.

[Shoju]

Yamuso sheathed his short blades, sat back down, and picked up his bowl of greens and started eating again. "You didn't hesitate to kill a clansmen. Corrupted, twisted, and possibly mad yes, but a clansmen nonetheless." Yamuso ate a bite, and swallowed. "Did you think of the repurcussions I wonder? Will you be able to convince your lord that your actions are honorable after killing the informant? Will he believe that you were here in search of knowledge? Or will he think that you have gone mad and that you are a pawn of Chuda Shoju, simply killing an informant?"

[Shoju]

As soon as the words left his mouth, Yamuso heard a commotion outside. He stood, and walked towards the opening to the tent. "Excuse me Bayushi-sans. I will be just a moment."

Yamuso left the tent and then came back in. Looking pale and sad for a man with such muted features. "It appears that the Hantei has refused our support and we are to be executed. You two must flee. I truly hope that you have a way of removing your husband and yourself from here quietly Kaoin-san." Yamuso looked at her, and then back to Hisa. "Forgive me, but I must leave. I wouldn't dally too long here lest the coming storm find you here, and think you traitors."

Yamuso bowed deep, and donned his dragon mempo. He fled the tent.