Saiko
Spider Clan
Here we stand, at the end of all things...
Posts: 355
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Post by Saiko on Jan 12, 2012 3:51:13 GMT -5
Saiko shivered as the snow slid down his back, more out of shock than the cold. His reflexes quickly kicked in as Battou and Sojiro scampered off; he dropped and slid his leg powerfully through a snow bank, sending up a huge cloud of snow that obscured him.
He climbed the first tree he could find, and from there proceeded to jump quickly from limb to limb through the gardens, always staying near Battou and Sojiro, but sending up more clouds of snow and staying far enough away to make hitting him rather difficult, though he would occasionally get close enough to lob a snowball or two towards his comrades, a sly grin on his face.
Very well; I shall play...
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Kakita Sojiro
Crane Clan Global Mod
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 Jan 12, 2012 4:06:48 GMT -5
Sojiro had failed to take into account one crucial factor in his sneak attack:
Iaijitsu artists are fast. Very fast.
He was running and dodging for all he was worth, but between Saiko's airborne assault and Battou's sheer speed, he was looking less like a Crane and more like a snowman every second, and that snow was cold!
He was trying to fire back, but every time he stopped Saiko was above him, and Battou was flinging snow like he was somehow decended from Yuki-no-Onna herself, creating a withering hail of powdery projectiles that were frighteningly accurate. Sojiro had snow caked in his hair, in his mouth, all over his haori, and in some rather uncomfortable places in his hakama.
He spun around to fire back at Saiko, trying a different tactic than exchanging fullisades with Battou, and he almost would have hit him too, had three more snowballs from Battou not caught him in the face and chest. Icy white sludge slid down the front of his kimono, him to yelp and resume his retreat - but not before Saiko managed to drop yet more wet snow on him from overhead.
He ran, tossing a few snowballs of his own over his shoulder as he did to try to slow his "pursuers" down, but having little success. And then, in the distance, Sojiro saw a winter miracle.
Naetaru and Kakita Tomoko were having an evening walk in the garden, accompanied by Naetaru's yojimbo and Sojiro's old friend, Daidoji Hinto.
"Naetaru-sama!" Sojiro exclaimed, a frozen ear to ear grin on his face as he ran up, "You have come in a time of great personal need! I must humbly request the assistance of the noble Doji family against the most dangerous and cunning of opponents, my former students!"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than another snowball bounced off the back of his head.
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Kakita Mitsouko
Crane Clan Mod
::Daimyo::Kenshinzen::Hatamoto of Crane Clan::Paragon of Duty
Posts: 1,952
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Post by Kakita Mitsouko on Jan 13, 2012 1:30:21 GMT -5
Tomoko giggled behind the fan. It reminded her a tradition of her homeland province where children used to play in the first snow as the Children of Lady Doji and Lord Kakita supposed did in the dawn of Empire... She glanced at Naetaru, though, wishing to join but afraid of commiting another faux pas. Sojiro-san and Battou-san were swift but Saiko-san nimbleness caught her attention. She refrained a sigh.
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Doji Naetaru
Crane Clan
Doji Daimyo - Courtier - Otomo Twin
Posts: 687
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Post by Doji Naetaru on Jan 13, 2012 4:04:50 GMT -5
As Naetaru was approaching, he noticed the commotion and his clansmates as they were enjoying the snow.
"Lord Sojiro..." he looked down on the snowy ground as if let down...
He let his fan fall over the soft snow. With a swift move he glanced over his retinue members then adressed Sojiro.
"Hold on tight we're coming!"
He knelt and took two handfuls of snow. It was chilling, however soft and so tender. It felt like cotton. He quickly rushed to the fore throwing two snowballs intently over his "enemies". One snowball missed by far hitting a nearby tree, a shameful blow but yet again that's the reason he wasn't a fighter... His blows were mainly missing or getting diverted. He looked back at his yojimbo and his retinue...
"Please Daidoji-san, Kakita-san, we're been assaulted by snowballs! Assist us at once!" said with a broad smile
Moments followed with laughing, blows missing, and lots of fun and friendly prodding. For the following moments Naetaru felt as if the weigh of the world lifted off his shoulders, he felt carefree. For a moments he "expelled" his wife, his mother, his father's death off his mind. And for that experience Naetaru felt grateful, feeling young again, feeling a fledgling Crane among his family.
And was he not? His Kakita cousins beside, the people he loved and cared, his friend who also serviced as a yojimbo, his artisan aide who reminded him of the fragile and sensitive nature he admired in a woman, his Dragon friend a cousin among his cousins Sojiro, Battou and all.
If Naetaru was something right now it was happiness and for once more he would feel grateful to the Kamis for what he cherished.
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Kakita Mitsouko
Crane Clan Mod
::Daimyo::Kenshinzen::Hatamoto of Crane Clan::Paragon of Duty
Posts: 1,952
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Post by Kakita Mitsouko on Jan 14, 2012 2:20:59 GMT -5
Tomoko's giggling followed all activity until she took a blast of courage and got some snow herself. When she was younger, the Artisan used to throw peaches at her siblings when she was mad at them or were provoked by insolent boys, with good results, but maybe she lacked frequent practice. Though, her first attempt hit the Dragon full in the face.She hid her mouth with a hand, something between guilty and amused. Ahh! Sorry!
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Saiko
Spider Clan
Here we stand, at the end of all things...
Posts: 355
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Post by Saiko on Jan 18, 2012 23:42:23 GMT -5
Saiko fell to the ground, disappearing into a mound of snow as a clump of snow struck in the face. His head popped out of said snowbank, dodging back down to avoid another snowball, but he turned to Tomoko with a grin. "Oh that is quite alright; in fact I believe it is the point." He winked mischievously at her, hit her in the face with a snowball, and promptly disappeared back up a tree.
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Kakita Sojiro
Crane Clan Global Mod
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 Jan 21, 2012 8:41:59 GMT -5
Covered in snow but finding a way to turn the tables on their numbers game, Sojiro began stalking Battou. He was easier to deal with now that he has more than one target to worry about... but behind Sojiro...
Naetaru suddenly felt something cold slide down his back as Hinto calmly stated with a smile, "Sama, I believe you have been betrayed." The yojimbo backed off quickly, covering his retreat with a barrage of snowballs as he moved to join ranks with Saiko and Battou.
The numbers game was even again.
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Kakita Mitsouko
Crane Clan Mod
::Daimyo::Kenshinzen::Hatamoto of Crane Clan::Paragon of Duty
Posts: 1,952
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Post by Kakita Mitsouko on Jan 21, 2012 14:57:36 GMT -5
Tomoko just rose from the soft terrain a bit dizzy, and still shocked. IN her adult life nothing so stress relieving and fun happened. Nobody would dare throw a snowball at the face of a Crane courtier without a good reason. Mirumoto Saiko would!
Also, the whole scene were so nonsense! The Doji daimyo and some Kakita, and their Dragon guest heedlessly throwing snowballs at each other. She tried to dodge from a missing shot, but wasn't nimble enough, and again fell on the ground. Though, Tomoko just laughed at her own clumsiness, caused by the restrictive attire, not proper for athletic activities. She just cannot stop giggling.
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Zeure
Crane Clan
Crane Clan ? Samurai ? Duelist ? Artisan ? Guardian of Metal ? Unique
Posts: 826
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Post by Zeure on Jan 22, 2012 6:18:30 GMT -5
Battou of course pelted Sojiro way more than he did anyone else, being that Sojiro started this with them. But a few of his snow(balls) went towards Tomoko and Naetaru as well. Though the ones that landed near Tomoko sailed over her as she hit the ground. He did get one exceptionally good shot on Naetaru that hit in squarely in the upper chest. He had assumed the Saiko was his 'team-mate' so he did not throw any at him.
The entire time he was laughing. Even those who were not Kakita here were like family to him and he was just having a good time. Not having to worry about the world, the politics or anything else. Just good fun.
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Doji Naetaru
Crane Clan
Doji Daimyo - Courtier - Otomo Twin
Posts: 687
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Post by Doji Naetaru on Jan 23, 2012 2:28:34 GMT -5
Naetaru felt the sudden cold in his back by Hinto quickly matched by the snowball thrown by Battou. Truth be told the Doji daimyo was a sore loser, hit by two fronts. And there wasn't a diplomatic retreat for him... As he got hit he stepped back quickly getting toppled over the side, vanishing from trace...
The happening went on and on for about two minutes and Naetaru was nowhere to be seen...and as the fighting seemed to subside a head reared from behind the slope that he fell...
A non-human one...
A silly snowman head with 2 holes for eyes, a small poem unrolled majestically as if it was a mouth. It's body consisted of two larger ice balls and over the side Naetaru's fan was poked in it, slightly opened as if it was held by it.
"Cease fire! Cease fire! Don't hit snowman-sama! The envoy! He's got diplomatic immunity!"
He was laughing all the way, running to the fore between the two "sides". Sooner than later he put the snowman on a rather prominent position. Looking at his kinsmen he kept on laughing! Up to the point that Emma-O would need to bless them and avert pneumonia!
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Kakita Sojiro
Crane Clan Global Mod
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 Jan 23, 2012 6:43:31 GMT -5
As the evening carried on the teams broke down until there was simply random, chaotic flurries of snow being tossed towards whoever was closest. Kimonos were soaked, cheeks and noses were red, and eventually the the small group of friends and family was too cold to continue. The six of them, still laughing from the evenings fun, trudged into one of the side halls of Kyuden Doji, where the servants already had a fire roaring. Slowly they began to thaw out and dry off, and eventually Saiko and Sojiro brought out saki. One thing led to another, and conversation and laughter eventually turned to songs and drinking as Sojiro made use of his biwa while Hinto and Tomoko made use of their excellent voices.... and the others their not so excellent voices. Eventually, as late evening became early morning, drunkenness and sleepiness made themselves known, and the family wondered off in ones and twos, some to sleep off the evening, others to continue the night in more private settings.
But all of them would remember that night. In spite of war, in spite of death, in spite of fear and sadness and grief, for a few hours those six people were able to put aside all that burdened them and take solace and comfort in the family - blood or otherwise - that they had found.
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Zeure
Crane Clan
Crane Clan ? Samurai ? Duelist ? Artisan ? Guardian of Metal ? Unique
Posts: 826
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Post by Zeure on Jan 27, 2012 7:53:33 GMT -5
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