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Post by Utaku Sachiko on Dec 8, 2011 5:40:13 GMT -5
Sachiko blinked twice after hearing Mai's speach. She took a fast peek at Kasumi, to see her reaction and lowered her head after that. Just as Kael, she has put her chopsticks away and stopped eating. Not in a position to speak or disturb her family and a clan daimyo while she was speaking, Sachiko prevented herself from taking any action requiring her to move.
"You are doomed, Mai. You can insult me, but never allow yourself to do that to your own daimyo. You are asking for being humiliated in public for the whole evening... And you are doing it on a purpose. Kasumi might be giving a vibes of your friend, being all that nice. But it is a big mistake if you treat her as one. "
Sachiko took a pity of Mai, when Kasumi forbid her to pay for her wrongly chosen words with her own blood. What Kasumi has done was far beyond being cruel. It meant that their daimyo punished Mai the hardest way for disrespecting her wishes. Insulting Kael was probably was the wrong thing to do, as Kasumi loved him dearly. And she knew that Mai had no reason to speak about him in that manner - especially with him not replying to Sachiko's words. This is why Sachiko could think about Mai pushing Kasumi on a purpose.
"This is not the end... I know it. Kasumi won't stop only with humiliating Mai in front of us all. And I really hope she won't take it on me as well..."
And this is when Sachiko started to pray to the Kami, after seeing Kasumi's eyes changing color... which meant she was more than angry. And mentioning about Toshi Ranbo was also a bad choice, as Mai confirmed in public of her disrespect for their daimyo... and Toturi-dono, as for now they were his army, and their mission was to protect him till he reaches his destination point. Sachiko knew that every clan, that sided with Toturi-dono had their own orders, and Mai acting as one of the Lions... got on Kasumi's bad side, as it was known to everyone around, that those that Kasumi hated the most... were those of the Lion clan.
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Utaku Mai
Unicorn Clan
*Battle Maiden* *Paragon of Honor* *Goddamn Rockstar*
Posts: 484
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Post by Utaku Mai on Dec 8, 2011 9:11:55 GMT -5
<Are we bringing OOC backchat into this, Kasumi? Mai got nothing from the Lion other than general honors.>
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Kakita Sojiro
Crane Clan Global Mod ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png) ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
When you die, will you be remembered, or will you be just another strand in the tapestry?
Posts: 900
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Post by Kakita Sojiro on Dec 8, 2011 10:15:28 GMT -5
(OOC after re-reading this, I haven't seen anything OOC at all)
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Utaku Mai
Unicorn Clan
*Battle Maiden* *Paragon of Honor* *Goddamn Rockstar*
Posts: 484
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Post by Utaku Mai on Dec 8, 2011 10:23:47 GMT -5
"I heard about your nomination from the Lion Champion. I am really glad for you, my dear Shiotome, but are you of the Unicorn or the Lion clan?" Read more: rokuganee.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=unicornhq&action=display&thread=1731&page=5#ixzz1fxOgy3PWThis is a reference to something I said completely OOC in the cbox ages ago. I'm fine with rolling with it, but I just want to be clear on whether or not OOC proclivities are welcome in the IC exchange. Are they, Kasumi? Otherwise, I'd suggest an edit. This might also be a translation error from the word "nomination", but I want to make sure before I continue. If that is the case, it should be edited for clarity.
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Post by Utaku Kasumi on Dec 8, 2011 13:35:55 GMT -5
(OCC: I hope that this is the first and the last time bringing things like this up into a RP thread. I am gona ask Setsuro to delete offtopics later.
Mai, you have mentioned it in Cbox, that's right. But there was also my conversation about your character with Tomatsu, if I am correct. As "IC" talk. It is your choice how you want to take it. We might treat it as a nomination to Taisa or just a simple honors for someone who joined their battle and helped. Your call. It doesn't matter to me, really. To be honest, that "nomination" thing is just a minior issue with what Kasumi said, I believe. Next time, use a PM, please - here, on the forum or on FB)
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Utaku Mai
Unicorn Clan
*Battle Maiden* *Paragon of Honor* *Goddamn Rockstar*
Posts: 484
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Post by Utaku Mai on Dec 8, 2011 14:04:48 GMT -5
“Those...are your rules?”
Mai’s fists tightened with her own stress, though using her swords to settle this matter was never something that had even entered her mind. She was faintly aware of Sojiro trying to diffuse the situation, but it was no more than a buzzing compared to the pounding in her ears. The walls of the tent began to close in around her, as if to strangle her. "THOSE ARE YOUR RULES?!?!?" Mai shot upright, sending whatever items left on the table clattering onto the carpeted floor of the unicorn pavilion, and faced Kasumi head on. She knew she was breaking every rule, she knew the loss of face it would cause, but she didn't care. The frustration and anger of the last months, of her mother's death against the Yobanjin due to such horrendous leadership, of standing alone for Toturi's cause, of her personal failure at Toshi Ranbo, they all culminated in this one moment of fury finally given release.
“O daimyou-sama, when did such blatant impotence become strength? When did the unicorn lose their way? Once upon a time the armies of the Ki-rin rode wild and free through the untamed wilderness. Long ago we were warriors unmatched in fury and speed. And now your sole concern is for the comfort of shriveling in hot water and the taste of exotic delicacies?!?!?!” Mai’s hand flexed and was already reaching inside her kimono foldover. The action may have caused more than one wince at its threatening nature, but she merely snapped out a creased and worn set of papers, holding it up between two fingers like a dumpling gripped in a pair of chopsticks. “How dare you presume to set your own vanity and petty little schemes above the divine will of our most glorious Toturi-heika-sama.” Mai flung the papers like a shuriken to the floor before Kasumi. The disheveled papers revealed the imperial seal of the Toturi dynasty and a set of orders coordinating the Lion based defenses of Toshi Ranbo with other forces loyal to the Toturi banners. Mai had studied them well enough to have them memorized, poring over them daily in a vain effort to glean any extra useful information in absence of any unified statement from her own clan. “This is what some of us were doing while Sachiko was off performing a ‘personal request’ from one of the Emperor’s loyal champions. My most noble and eminent Lady Kasumi, if you are going to play children’s games like this while your own soldiers and supposed allies spill their blood in the cause of the Son of Heaven then you may as well betroth yourself to my Lord Crane here and move to Kyuden Doji with the other useless, cowardly fops they call samurai." She knew the lash against Kasumi would hurt Sojiro, but she could not be stopped even to feel shame for what would surely be the loss of their recently gained friendship. The feelings would come later, as surely as an arrow into her heart, but for now she was numb, and her countenance was like a sharpened stone.
"You really are a perfect match. I wish you both hundreds of fat children." Mai spun on her heel, flung open the flaps of the tent and stormed out of the tea party.
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Kakita Sojiro
Crane Clan Global Mod ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png) ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
When you die, will you be remembered, or will you be just another strand in the tapestry?
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Post by Kakita Sojiro on Dec 9, 2011 8:45:42 GMT -5
Sojiro's eye's burned holes into Mai's back as she left before anyone could respond to her outburst. He had every right to challenge the battle maiden to a duel after that insult. He turned to address Kasumi.
"Well, that was interesting. Does she make a habit of insulting your guest's honor all the time, Kasumi-sama, or am I a special exception in her eyes?" His voice was calm, but his body language and his eyes communicated exactly how angry he was.
"She calls me and my clan cowards after we were the only clan to stand up to the Lion and their allies at Toshi Ranbo. After my brothers and I charged a ram guarded by legions of Lion samurai with only 50 men at the west gate. Obviously she has a very different idea of what cowardice and duty are than I do."
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Post by Utaku Kasumi on Dec 14, 2011 17:03:52 GMT -5
When Mai's been leaving the tent, Shiotomes that's been guarding the entrance wanted to stop her, but Kasumi raised her hand to stop them and let Mai leave. "Let her go if this is the Path she choses."
Kasumi closed her eyes for a second or two and decided. "Ask Toturi-dono's one of advisors to explain it to me immediately. And I take "no" as an answer." She turned her head to Kael, who bowed to her and left the tent in a rush.
After that she's been all quiet, ignoring Sojiro's words for now. She's been just standing there, looking at the document that Mai left.
Ten or fifteen minutes later Kael came back, trying to catch his breath which means he had to be running back here. He bowed to her. "Utaku-dono. It is true what Utaku Mai-san said, but... Toturi-dono was sure that our previous Champion, Moto Yoee, informed you about it. Or that Utaku Mai-san informed you about her leaving for Toshi Ranbo. The one talking to me in his name said that it is unacceptable that there is such mess in our ranks as it were them who was obligated to inform you - as the one in her command." Kasumi rubbed her nose. "I see." This is all that she said that time.
Another five minutes has passed in a complet silence where every breath was loud like a thunder.
"For doing what she has been asked for from Toruti-dono, Utaku Mai will be raised in ranks to Taisa. Yet... for doing what she has done... which is for acting the way she acted here... " She closed her eyes once again, trying to deal with her own thoughts "Utaku Mai will be stripped of all her ranks and everything she possesses as a Unicorn and Utaku. All her property will be handed to those that need it the most. If her people wish to go after her, they might do so, I am not gona stop them. But they won't go after Utaku Mai - they will follow a nameless ronin as I exile her from Utaku family and a Unicorn Clan." Her voice, while she was speaking, was soft and gentle - so mismatched with the meaning of her words. "From now on, there is Utaku Mai no longer. She has no right to use that name." And only now she looked at Sojiro. "If she insulted you, my honorable guest I apologise as it happened under... my roof. I don't know her reasons and it is too late to ask for it. But let me tell you one thing. There is no difference between Unicorn, Lion, Crane or Phoenix clan. We all serve. And we all protect what's important to us - the Empire."
She gave a nod to Kael who raised his head. "But if you feel offended still... you have a right to duel... if this is your wish, Kakita-san. I can't and won't stop you."
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Kakita Sojiro
Crane Clan Global Mod ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png) ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
When you die, will you be remembered, or will you be just another strand in the tapestry?
Posts: 900
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Post by Kakita Sojiro on Dec 14, 2011 17:14:28 GMT -5
Sojiro seemed to rein his anger in.
"She is not the first person to think with their heart instead of their mind. I don't want to duel her, but whether I will or not will be determined by her actions in the next few minutes. Kasumi-sama, I will return shortly."
Sojiro stood, bowed to Kasumi, and left the tent to find Mai.
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Post by Iuchi Ozora on Dec 15, 2011 1:38:41 GMT -5
Ozora's face is clouded as the events unfurl around him. He remains quiet until after Sojiro takes his leave, at which point he stands and bows low for his champion. "My Champion, it was my last standing order to be Kakita Sojiro-san's escort while he remained in our graces. If I may be excused, I will continue to fulfill those duties. I am greatly honored to have been allowed to have a meal with the Champion of our great and wonderful Clan."
Ozora stands at parade rest as he awaits the orders of his champion, his face impassive and his eyes straight forward looking beyond.
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Post by Utaku Kasumi on Dec 15, 2011 5:13:38 GMT -5
She nodded to Ozora.
"You might leave, but do not disturb Kakita-san to talk to her. Leave it for them to solve it."
She looked at Sachiko. "You also may leave, prepare that report about Yodotai spying on our land as I need to hand it to Toturi-dono before we move. You too Kael, go and help her. You know them better than her. I want every single detail to be included in that report."
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Post by Iuchi Ozora on Dec 15, 2011 5:25:30 GMT -5
"Hai!" Ozora belts it out loud and proud before bowing deeply again. He straightens and moves quickly from the room in pursuit of Sojiro.
/exit
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