[X] Go find Taigen & Gohei.
[L5R] Minor Clan Quest
- Thread starter storybookknight
- Start date
0.12 - Prologue
- Location
- Connecticut
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Go find Taigen & Gohei.
Finding the infirmary is just as easy as finding the bathhouses was - you just find a heimin going about their duties, and ask them where to go. Like the bathhouses and guardhouses, the infirmary is located on the ground floor of the castle, though unlike the former two locations it is located inside of the main central structure. As you approach the infirmary itself you hear a familiar giggle, and Gohei's low voice. As you slide aside the screen door to the sickroom, you see that Taigen and Gohei have a companion - a familiar masked face in Scorpion armor.
"And so the monk comes up to her, right, and he says, 'have you no respect for the Tao of Shinsei?' All offended-like, never mind that he's a drug dealer and not an actual monk. And she says -"
"Let me introduce you to the Tao of Tsubaki." you interject. "And if you tell Scorpion-sama there what I actually told him the Tao of Tsubaki was, I'll find a way to make you regret it."
Taigen grins at you unrepentantly. "Oh, I've already told him way worse stories than that, Namazu-chan." You can feel your eyelid twitch. Your irritating little sister victoriously scoops up what appear to be some dried lychees and cherries from the table next to her and pops them into her mouth. From the bed next to her, Gohei raises a hand in a wave.
"Morning, Boss." He looks a bit pale from blood loss still, but his eyes are clear and not glassy from fever or pain, and you let out a breath you hadn't realized that you were holding. "Don't worry, she hasn't told Bayushi-san here any of the really bad ones yet."
You scowl at Gohei. "Clearly you're feeling fine, if you're joining Taigen in volunteering for extra night shifts." He puts a hand to his mouth in mock astonishment, and you turn a wary gaze on the Scorpion in the room. "Thank you for looking in on my crew," you say, and make a quick bow. "I apologize - we met briefly yesterday afternoon, but we weren't actually formally introduced. Though you've doubtless heard from these two troublemakers already, I am called Tsubaki."
The Scorpion's eyes flick once to your right eye, then back to your face, and from the way his eyes crinkle in amusement you can just picture a sly smile beneath the snarling oni mask. "Bayushi Sanji," he says with a small bow, its lack of depth an invitation to casual conviviality rather than a deliberate insult. "And I insist that you speak informally with me, -san is just fine. As to your crew, I was just bringing them some breakfast. Hantei-heika wanted to make sure that all of his rescuers were being well taken care of."
And, you think to yourself cynically, to send the message that he doesn't necessarily trust our hosts to do so. "Please convey my thanks the Emperor for his generosity, Bayushi-san" you say, and Bayushi laughs, a warm tone utterly at odds with the studied, analytical feeling that your gift gets from him. "And please, if I am to call you informally, please do so with me as well."
"I'll gladly convey your thanks to him if you so wish," he says, "but if you prefer, you can give your thanks in person. I was also asked to pass along the message that you are welcome to visit the Emperor in his suite at your convenience after you've finished breaking your fast."
"Not until she gets those hands looked at." You startle at the rough voice coming from off to your side. While you were occupied speaking with Sanji, an older man in Kuni face paint had appeared from behind a screen. He smells powerfully of medicinal herbs, and his eyes are intent on the slapdash bandaging job that you performed while Hantei slept. "When was the last time you changed those bandages, girl?"
"Yesterday," you admit. He clicks his tongue in annoyance.
"I swear to the Kami, all of you bushi are the same. It doesn't matter what clan you're from, every single one of you is just determined to prove that you're invincible. Then three days later, I'm petitioning the kami on your behalf to draw the poison out of your blood because you've let the wound go to rot." He sighs, then points to a chair. "Sit." It does not occur to you to argue. He ducks back behind the screen, and comes out with a copper bowl full of water. "Take the bandages off and soak your hands in this." Before you can respond, you see him duck behind the screen again.
You wince as you slowly pull bandages stuck with crusted blood away from the damaged skin below. "Thank you, shugenja-sama," you say, putting as much sincere humility in your tone of voice as you can.
"It's Kuni Yuuto. With a -san. And you're Tsubaki-san, right?" Yuuto says, coming back out once more from behind the screen with a mortar and a pestle that appears to be half-full of various pungent herbs. "As if I didn't know. Anyways, just hold your hands in there and hold them still. I'm told that this can feel a bit odd, the first time." You nod curiously at the elderly shugenja, and place your hands in the water. At first, the water is ordinary, cool and clear, and then the priest begins to chant.
"Harai dono ookami,
Moro moro no maga koto
Tsume kekari o harai tamae.
O kiyome tamae to.
Maosu koto no yoshiwe
Amatsu kami kuni tsukami."
The water under your hands begins to bubble despite there being no heat to it, and you can feel your hands go curiously numb, all of the pain of abraded flesh seemingly soaking out into the water, which remains crystal clear and pure despite the blood that is surely spilling into it. As Yuuto stops chanting, the water subsides.
"That was indeed odd," You say, "But not unpleasant. You have my thanks." As you pull your hands out of the water you can see that the broken blisters are still there, as are the simple rips and tears in your skin, but they look strangely bloodless, as if they were only strips of loose flesh and not actual injuries.
"Right, well, don't thank me yet, I'm not done." He mutters, but you sense a sort of gratified, pleased feeling coming from him. "The kami aren't like humans, so they don't really understand human flesh in the same way that we do. Right now the kami are holding your blood in your body for you, and removing any pain or uncleanliness from the wound. But the one thing they aren't doing is healing you. That's what the herbs are for - to help your body do the actual business of healing. Hold out your hands." You comply, and he slathers the green mush over the worst of the wounds before bandaging the salve in place with deft motions. "These herbs will make sure that you heal properly. The bandages are partially to make sure the herbs stay on, and partially to remind you that your hands are in fact damaged, so you don't go getting into swordfights just because your hands don't hurt."
Taigen snickers. "Wow. It's like you know the boss or something."
Yuuto gives her a sidelong look, then turns to you. "You should be set to go in a moment. I'd very much appreciate if you took your uninjured friend and that Scorpion with you when you do - my sickbay is meant for patients, not visitors."
You smile. "Oh, don't worry. She tries my patience sometimes too."
"Hey!"
You start getting ready to go, when a thought strikes you. Do you -
[ ] Try to find a way to ask about Iori's strange behavior the previous day, and why Yuuto didn't seem to share any of his paranoia?
[ ] Leave with Sanji and Taigen, and go to breakfast. No sense in bringing up uncomfortable topics.
[ ] Write-in.
Finding the infirmary is just as easy as finding the bathhouses was - you just find a heimin going about their duties, and ask them where to go. Like the bathhouses and guardhouses, the infirmary is located on the ground floor of the castle, though unlike the former two locations it is located inside of the main central structure. As you approach the infirmary itself you hear a familiar giggle, and Gohei's low voice. As you slide aside the screen door to the sickroom, you see that Taigen and Gohei have a companion - a familiar masked face in Scorpion armor.
"And so the monk comes up to her, right, and he says, 'have you no respect for the Tao of Shinsei?' All offended-like, never mind that he's a drug dealer and not an actual monk. And she says -"
"Let me introduce you to the Tao of Tsubaki." you interject. "And if you tell Scorpion-sama there what I actually told him the Tao of Tsubaki was, I'll find a way to make you regret it."
Taigen grins at you unrepentantly. "Oh, I've already told him way worse stories than that, Namazu-chan." You can feel your eyelid twitch. Your irritating little sister victoriously scoops up what appear to be some dried lychees and cherries from the table next to her and pops them into her mouth. From the bed next to her, Gohei raises a hand in a wave.
"Morning, Boss." He looks a bit pale from blood loss still, but his eyes are clear and not glassy from fever or pain, and you let out a breath you hadn't realized that you were holding. "Don't worry, she hasn't told Bayushi-san here any of the really bad ones yet."
You scowl at Gohei. "Clearly you're feeling fine, if you're joining Taigen in volunteering for extra night shifts." He puts a hand to his mouth in mock astonishment, and you turn a wary gaze on the Scorpion in the room. "Thank you for looking in on my crew," you say, and make a quick bow. "I apologize - we met briefly yesterday afternoon, but we weren't actually formally introduced. Though you've doubtless heard from these two troublemakers already, I am called Tsubaki."
The Scorpion's eyes flick once to your right eye, then back to your face, and from the way his eyes crinkle in amusement you can just picture a sly smile beneath the snarling oni mask. "Bayushi Sanji," he says with a small bow, its lack of depth an invitation to casual conviviality rather than a deliberate insult. "And I insist that you speak informally with me, -san is just fine. As to your crew, I was just bringing them some breakfast. Hantei-heika wanted to make sure that all of his rescuers were being well taken care of."
And, you think to yourself cynically, to send the message that he doesn't necessarily trust our hosts to do so. "Please convey my thanks the Emperor for his generosity, Bayushi-san" you say, and Bayushi laughs, a warm tone utterly at odds with the studied, analytical feeling that your gift gets from him. "And please, if I am to call you informally, please do so with me as well."
"I'll gladly convey your thanks to him if you so wish," he says, "but if you prefer, you can give your thanks in person. I was also asked to pass along the message that you are welcome to visit the Emperor in his suite at your convenience after you've finished breaking your fast."
"Not until she gets those hands looked at." You startle at the rough voice coming from off to your side. While you were occupied speaking with Sanji, an older man in Kuni face paint had appeared from behind a screen. He smells powerfully of medicinal herbs, and his eyes are intent on the slapdash bandaging job that you performed while Hantei slept. "When was the last time you changed those bandages, girl?"
"Yesterday," you admit. He clicks his tongue in annoyance.
"I swear to the Kami, all of you bushi are the same. It doesn't matter what clan you're from, every single one of you is just determined to prove that you're invincible. Then three days later, I'm petitioning the kami on your behalf to draw the poison out of your blood because you've let the wound go to rot." He sighs, then points to a chair. "Sit." It does not occur to you to argue. He ducks back behind the screen, and comes out with a copper bowl full of water. "Take the bandages off and soak your hands in this." Before you can respond, you see him duck behind the screen again.
You wince as you slowly pull bandages stuck with crusted blood away from the damaged skin below. "Thank you, shugenja-sama," you say, putting as much sincere humility in your tone of voice as you can.
"It's Kuni Yuuto. With a -san. And you're Tsubaki-san, right?" Yuuto says, coming back out once more from behind the screen with a mortar and a pestle that appears to be half-full of various pungent herbs. "As if I didn't know. Anyways, just hold your hands in there and hold them still. I'm told that this can feel a bit odd, the first time." You nod curiously at the elderly shugenja, and place your hands in the water. At first, the water is ordinary, cool and clear, and then the priest begins to chant.
"Harai dono ookami,
Moro moro no maga koto
Tsume kekari o harai tamae.
O kiyome tamae to.
Maosu koto no yoshiwe
Amatsu kami kuni tsukami."
The water under your hands begins to bubble despite there being no heat to it, and you can feel your hands go curiously numb, all of the pain of abraded flesh seemingly soaking out into the water, which remains crystal clear and pure despite the blood that is surely spilling into it. As Yuuto stops chanting, the water subsides.
"That was indeed odd," You say, "But not unpleasant. You have my thanks." As you pull your hands out of the water you can see that the broken blisters are still there, as are the simple rips and tears in your skin, but they look strangely bloodless, as if they were only strips of loose flesh and not actual injuries.
"Right, well, don't thank me yet, I'm not done." He mutters, but you sense a sort of gratified, pleased feeling coming from him. "The kami aren't like humans, so they don't really understand human flesh in the same way that we do. Right now the kami are holding your blood in your body for you, and removing any pain or uncleanliness from the wound. But the one thing they aren't doing is healing you. That's what the herbs are for - to help your body do the actual business of healing. Hold out your hands." You comply, and he slathers the green mush over the worst of the wounds before bandaging the salve in place with deft motions. "These herbs will make sure that you heal properly. The bandages are partially to make sure the herbs stay on, and partially to remind you that your hands are in fact damaged, so you don't go getting into swordfights just because your hands don't hurt."
Taigen snickers. "Wow. It's like you know the boss or something."
Yuuto gives her a sidelong look, then turns to you. "You should be set to go in a moment. I'd very much appreciate if you took your uninjured friend and that Scorpion with you when you do - my sickbay is meant for patients, not visitors."
You smile. "Oh, don't worry. She tries my patience sometimes too."
"Hey!"
You start getting ready to go, when a thought strikes you. Do you -
[ ] Try to find a way to ask about Iori's strange behavior the previous day, and why Yuuto didn't seem to share any of his paranoia?
[ ] Leave with Sanji and Taigen, and go to breakfast. No sense in bringing up uncomfortable topics.
[ ] Write-in.
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Wade Garrett
Just trying to do the right thing
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
Well, if we do want to show Compassion by giving Iori a job, this seems like the place to start off with it.
Or not, considering that he did see Tsubaki and immediately went "Tainted! Eat holy fire!" And she seems like the type to hold a grudge about that sort of thing.
Opinions?
Or not, considering that he did see Tsubaki and immediately went "Tainted! Eat holy fire!" And she seems like the type to hold a grudge about that sort of thing.
Opinions?
- Location
- United States
[X] Leave with Sanji and Taigen, and go to breakfast. No sense in bringing up uncomfortable topics.
Let's not troll the Nice Crab what healed us.
Let's not troll the Nice Crab what healed us.
[X] Leave with Sanji and Taigen, and go to breakfast. No sense in bringing up uncomfortable topics.
Wade Garrett
Just trying to do the right thing
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
On the other hand, these probably won't be the last Kuni we have to deal with in this Quest, and learning how to conduct ourselves so we aren't getting Jade Striked every time we meet a new one isn't a bad idea.
[X] Try to find a way to ask about Iori's paranoia the previous day, and why Yuuto didn't seem to share his paranoia.
EtchedSteel
*mumble mumble*
- Location
- Lima. Peru
[X] Leave with Sanji and Taigen, and go to breakfast. No sense in bringing up uncomfortable topics.
Random Member
Gardener of Human Happiness
- Location
- Behind You
[X] Try to find a way to ask about Iori's strange behavior the previous day, and why Yuuto didn't seem to share any of his paranoia?
0.13 - Prologue
- Location
- Connecticut
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Leave with Sanji and Taigen, and go to breakfast. No sense in bringing up uncomfortable topics.
For a second you almost consider asking about Yuuto's former clan member, but in the end you decide that there is too much potential for one or both of you to lose face in the discussion, so you bid the healer a polite farewell.
You head out into the corridors, and Taigen and Bayushi fall into step alongside you. "So before you came in, Bayushi-san and I were swapping stories." Taigen chirps, and you eye her suspiciously. "He was just about to tell me one about the Emerald Magistrates when you walked in," she continues, and looks at Sanji expectantly.
He gives the two of you an enigmatic smile. "You'd be surprised at how little individual glory there is to be found at times, working on the Empire's behalf. Not that I have any complaints about that!" he explains hastily. "The honor of serving one's clan in a position such as this is more than enough glory for one such as I. Yet, cases like this one aside, there are simply... very few indeed who would dare to challenge the supremacy of the Emerald Empire. 'And then they did their duty flawlessly, as befits servants of the Son of Heaven' is a worthy goal to strive for, but alas, not a goal that inspires such stories that the Shosuro would turn them into plays."
"Oh, come on. There must be a few interesting stories that you can tell." Taigen asks, a teasing tone in her voice.
"Well, there are a few interesting stories that I know, but I would be obliged to kill you if I shared them with you - and then to kill myself for the dishonor of such an act. So all in all, I think it better not to share those." There is a joking tone in his voice, but you can't tell whether he is truly being honest or merely exaggerating for effect. "As for stories that I can tell, truly, the life of an Emerald Guardsman is quite the simple one. We act as the Magistrate's hands and eyes, and follow his orders, but in these days of peace and prosperity few would dare contradict the Emperor's word, your experiences aside. The most excitement I personally have dealt with was apprehending a few smugglers - surely, not a tale worthy of Heroes of the Empire such as yourselves."
You eye Bayushi-san suspiciously. His face is a perfect mask of control (to say nothing of the actual mask!) but from the feelings of judgement that you get from your gift in regards to him you cannot help but feel that the choice of smugglers as an example was deliberate. Luckily, you are spared from having to respond by your entry into the mess hall. Kaoru is still in the room, halfway through what seems to you to be an almost immoderately large breakfast. "Ah! Tsubaki-san!" she says cheerfully. "Would you and your friends care to join me for a meal? There's plenty of room at the table."
"That sounds lovely, Kaoru-san," you say, cutting off any potential argument from Bayushi-san or Taigen. "These are Bayushi Sanji-san, a member of the Emerald Guard, and Taigen, a loyal friend of mine who assisted me in our rescue of the Emperor."
Kaoru bows without letting go of her chopsticks. "Pleased to meet you, Bayushi-sama, Taigen-sama... Ah, that's right, these two are my squadmate Hiruma Fujita, and my cousin, Hida Aoba." The two of them bow as they are introduced, and afterwards there is the familiar round of invitations to call one another informally.
For a few seconds, it seems that no one knows quite what to talk about. There are the usual constraints of precedence, of course, as no one wants to speak before someone of higher rank does so, but in addition there is a certain awkwardness about just what is appropriate to discuss in company such as this.
Finally, Aoba clears his throat. "So, Tsubaki-san... you are the hero who rescued our Emperor, yes? There are many rumors going about as to just how it happened. Would you do us the kindness of sharing the true story?"
[X] Tell the story.
- [X] Dramatically. Boasting about such an accomplishment would not be rude in this circumstance, and your voice is well-suited to such a task.
- [X] Factually. The facts of the story are impressive enough on their own, and you don't want to draw the attention of the entire room.
- [X] Briefly. You don't really feel up to telling the whole story just yet, but you can give them the outlines.
[X] Decline. You really don't feel up to telling the whole story. It would be easy enough to say that the Emperor expects you, and that you sadly have little time for tales.
[X] Write-in.
For a second you almost consider asking about Yuuto's former clan member, but in the end you decide that there is too much potential for one or both of you to lose face in the discussion, so you bid the healer a polite farewell.
You head out into the corridors, and Taigen and Bayushi fall into step alongside you. "So before you came in, Bayushi-san and I were swapping stories." Taigen chirps, and you eye her suspiciously. "He was just about to tell me one about the Emerald Magistrates when you walked in," she continues, and looks at Sanji expectantly.
He gives the two of you an enigmatic smile. "You'd be surprised at how little individual glory there is to be found at times, working on the Empire's behalf. Not that I have any complaints about that!" he explains hastily. "The honor of serving one's clan in a position such as this is more than enough glory for one such as I. Yet, cases like this one aside, there are simply... very few indeed who would dare to challenge the supremacy of the Emerald Empire. 'And then they did their duty flawlessly, as befits servants of the Son of Heaven' is a worthy goal to strive for, but alas, not a goal that inspires such stories that the Shosuro would turn them into plays."
"Oh, come on. There must be a few interesting stories that you can tell." Taigen asks, a teasing tone in her voice.
"Well, there are a few interesting stories that I know, but I would be obliged to kill you if I shared them with you - and then to kill myself for the dishonor of such an act. So all in all, I think it better not to share those." There is a joking tone in his voice, but you can't tell whether he is truly being honest or merely exaggerating for effect. "As for stories that I can tell, truly, the life of an Emerald Guardsman is quite the simple one. We act as the Magistrate's hands and eyes, and follow his orders, but in these days of peace and prosperity few would dare contradict the Emperor's word, your experiences aside. The most excitement I personally have dealt with was apprehending a few smugglers - surely, not a tale worthy of Heroes of the Empire such as yourselves."
You eye Bayushi-san suspiciously. His face is a perfect mask of control (to say nothing of the actual mask!) but from the feelings of judgement that you get from your gift in regards to him you cannot help but feel that the choice of smugglers as an example was deliberate. Luckily, you are spared from having to respond by your entry into the mess hall. Kaoru is still in the room, halfway through what seems to you to be an almost immoderately large breakfast. "Ah! Tsubaki-san!" she says cheerfully. "Would you and your friends care to join me for a meal? There's plenty of room at the table."
"That sounds lovely, Kaoru-san," you say, cutting off any potential argument from Bayushi-san or Taigen. "These are Bayushi Sanji-san, a member of the Emerald Guard, and Taigen, a loyal friend of mine who assisted me in our rescue of the Emperor."
Kaoru bows without letting go of her chopsticks. "Pleased to meet you, Bayushi-sama, Taigen-sama... Ah, that's right, these two are my squadmate Hiruma Fujita, and my cousin, Hida Aoba." The two of them bow as they are introduced, and afterwards there is the familiar round of invitations to call one another informally.
For a few seconds, it seems that no one knows quite what to talk about. There are the usual constraints of precedence, of course, as no one wants to speak before someone of higher rank does so, but in addition there is a certain awkwardness about just what is appropriate to discuss in company such as this.
Finally, Aoba clears his throat. "So, Tsubaki-san... you are the hero who rescued our Emperor, yes? There are many rumors going about as to just how it happened. Would you do us the kindness of sharing the true story?"
[X] Tell the story.
- [X] Dramatically. Boasting about such an accomplishment would not be rude in this circumstance, and your voice is well-suited to such a task.
- [X] Factually. The facts of the story are impressive enough on their own, and you don't want to draw the attention of the entire room.
- [X] Briefly. You don't really feel up to telling the whole story just yet, but you can give them the outlines.
[X] Decline. You really don't feel up to telling the whole story. It would be easy enough to say that the Emperor expects you, and that you sadly have little time for tales.
[X] Write-in.
Just an FYI, I'm going to go back to some of the older conversations and add some stuff about the proper use of suffixes when using people's personal names. I was just reading through Sword and Fan, and it emphasized that the normal course of action was to use -sama when dealing with anyone unfamiliar. As informal as the Crabs are, they would still follow societal norms like that one.
Sorry about the little bit shorter update, I don't want to lose my momentum with this story. There will probably be about three to five more chapters of prologue remaining depending on the choices that players make, and then we can move on from the Ronin part of the Minor Clan quest and actually get to your clan!
Sorry about the little bit shorter update, I don't want to lose my momentum with this story. There will probably be about three to five more chapters of prologue remaining depending on the choices that players make, and then we can move on from the Ronin part of the Minor Clan quest and actually get to your clan!
A Nation's Virtue
南國山河南帝居
[X] Tell the story.
- [X] Dramatically. Boasting about such an accomplishment would not be rude in this circumstance, and your voice is
- [X] Dramatically. Boasting about such an accomplishment would not be rude in this circumstance, and your voice is
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Deadly Snark
Tryhard As Fuck
[X] Tell the story.
- [X] Factually. The facts of the story are impressive enough on their own, and you don't want to draw the attention of the entire room.
Merely doing our duty.
- [X] Factually. The facts of the story are impressive enough on their own, and you don't want to draw the attention of the entire room.
Merely doing our duty.
- Location
- United States
[X] Tell the story.
- [X] Factually. The facts of the story are impressive enough on their own, and you don't want to draw the attention of the entire room.
Having just lost a number of close friends, I don't think Boasting is on her mind right now.
- [X] Factually. The facts of the story are impressive enough on their own, and you don't want to draw the attention of the entire room.
Having just lost a number of close friends, I don't think Boasting is on her mind right now.
Weren't we not telling the story, to prevent a war?
A Nation's Virtue
南國山河南帝居
The details about the bandits using gaijin weapons would be the issue. Otherwise I see no reason to not tell.