Arc IV: Meeting Expectations.
Etiquette/Awareness=35 (11,9,9,6,4,4,2) -15=20
Intelligence check=10 (8,2)-15= -5
The feeling of blood soaking through your kimono isn't an unfamiliar one...and you can't even say it's not your blood right now...world's spinning, like someone put it at an angle.
You walk over to the katana on the ground, it's not yours, you can't keep it...unless...no it's too hard to remember right now.
Kneeling down, you put his blade away, and then stick the daisho in the ground as a head marker.
Technically you're supposed to do some other shit like stay with the body for three days....but you aren't entirely sure you have three days. A fresh wince of pain surges through your body letting the world focus in for a bit.
You need medical attention, that much is clear, and the closest would be...Sister Chou, Fortune's haven't thought about her in months, you hope she's okay.
She'd be in the Jurojin Temple...You think you can make it that far. Putting one foot in front of the other you walk out of Tsukune's Shrine...you'll have to come back to confront that monk later, but first, not dying and then reporting to Moshi-sama.
The world has turned a distinct shade of grey as you stumble into Jurojin's Temple. You bow apologetically to the monks, before putting your hand on the wall.
"Sorry honoured ones...but I...seem to need your help."
"Megumi-san?!" Sister Chou's voice rings across the room.
"Hello Sister...." You say weekly.
"Dear Fortune...what did you do?"
That's the last thing you really remember processing coherently. Sister Chou handed you some tea and then? Then it was somewhat blurry. You remember being force to sit down and take off your kimono, you remember being scrubbed, you remember Sister Chou taking a needle and thread to your body, sowing the skin back together before making you drink something else....but it's all jumbled, in and out of order. Like you were drugged...what was in that tea?
And then somehow, it's four hours later, the sun is setting, you're sitting on a porch over looking the rest of the district while being bandaged from behind, and Sister Chou is begging you for the love of the heaven's not to get into any more fights.
"I did what I could Megumi-san, but you've lost a lot of blood, and your body is going to need time to heal fully. If you get into more fights, well, your stitches will tear, and then you'll probably die. "
"Thank you Sister Chou, I'll take your words under advisement" You say.
The ache in your shoulder is still there, but it's not as bad as it was.
"I mean it Megumi-san. You samurai are usually tougher than most people, but you aren't invincible. Whoever did this was aiming to cripple you from drawing, if not kill you"
"Yeah, that seems like something he would do." You say thinking back to Hisao.
"So promise me, you won't get into anymore fights for at least a week, and that you'll come back here so I can check those stitches"
"I will" You say.
"You'd better Megumi-san, I will send someone to hunt you down if you don't. Now what happened?"
"Well...I got into a duel and won, but not cleanly." You say simply.
"Samurai and their duels...but still I hope whatever matter had you duelling has been resolved."
You think back to the dead corpse on the ground.
"It's resolved Sister Chou."
The larger woman sighs rising from behind you.
"Your kimono will be given back to you in a moment. It took them forever to get out all that blood. After that you can leave."
You turn around and bow to her.
"Again, thank you for all your work Sister Chou."
"Thank me by making sure it isn't undone." She says her brown eyes looking at you.
"Hai." You reply.
A short young boy no older than nine years, climbs up the stairs and hands you, your kimono. Huh, they even took the time to put fragrance in it, you're not really a fan of mint, but the thought was nice.
The boy hurries away, allowing you to dress yourself.
"See you tomorrow Megumi-san." Sister Chou says.
"Tomorrow Sister Chou"
With that you head out of the Temple and back into the city proper.
It's a long walk back to Moshi Naeko's office, but it gives you time to collect your thoughts. Soju Makoto was obviously hiding something in his Shrine. But it might not have been entirely by his own will given Hisao's presence. But how did that connect to Yasuki Gozabaru? Who was that anyways? One thing is for sure that you would be going back to the Shrine.
The guard is this time a nice enough Dragonfly that waves you through without checking you over thrice.
You get the feeling you'll be familiar with these halls soon enough, but at least the grey isn't bad to look at it.
Announcing yourself at Moshi Naeko's door, you get a curt 'come' from inside.
With a deep bow, you do so.
"Moshi-sama, I return from my initial investigations... Kaiu-sama liked to frequent the Shrine of Tsukune, so I heard, so I went to investigate. There the Soju was evasive about something, but I was unable to find out what. On further investigation, the statue of Tsukune-no-kami had been altered, I found the original piece of the statue hidden on the grounds."
You take out the piece of ebony wood glad no one stole it from you. Naeko takes it from your hands, running her fingers over it as she motions for you to continue.
"After doing so I was confronted by another ronin, named Hisao. He promised to kill me, but allowed me a chance to duel him...I won, but not without taking severe damage to myself. So I went and got medical attention to make myself presentable before daring to darken Moshi-sama's office. However, Hisao also gave me a name before I killed him. Yasuki Gozabaru, said that was his employer"
A deep breath escapes you as you finish the report. Naeko's breath hitches at the mention of Gozabaru.
"So that's what it is...damn, the case will have to be called off." She says quietly.
"Called off?" You ask, still not looking up.
Naeko stands and turns around looking out at the city.
"Yasuki Gozabaru is arguably the wealthiest man in the city, and master of Mori Ward. If he's behind Kaiu-san's disappearance, then we'll never get her. He's too well protected from official legal reprisals, and has too many guards for unofficial ones. Over the years a number of magistrates have tried to bring him in. The last one was found hanging on the walls by what was left of his body."
Your honour burns, for this this...Yasuki, to be so vile...to have hurt Kaiu-san, and worse for you to be told nothing would be done about it...it burns.
She continues ignoring, your stinging sense of injustice
"Hida-sama will just have to wait for another Kaiu from his homelands. Still, for more or less solving the case, I suppose some congratulations are in order. Take the next few days off. Report at the same time you did today."
"Yes Moshi-sama" You say through gritted teeth.
"Very well dismissed." Moshi-sama says without preamble.
Another bow from you as you walk out of the office. On the one hand you understand Moshi-sama's hands are tied, and her desire not to throw lives away...but on the other, honour demands something be done...
She did give you a few days...
[] Return to the Soju and beat his face in until he talks.
[] Go find Iuchi Yukiko, get healed fully, and then head into Mori Ward
[] Go talk to Bayushi Sora, maybe she can give you some tips.
[] Leave it, Moshi-sama said it was done. You follow orders.
[] Some other plan?
Megumi is at 15 of 51 wounds, she is grazed (+3 to all TNs)
Intelligence check=10 (8,2)-15= -5
The feeling of blood soaking through your kimono isn't an unfamiliar one...and you can't even say it's not your blood right now...world's spinning, like someone put it at an angle.
You walk over to the katana on the ground, it's not yours, you can't keep it...unless...no it's too hard to remember right now.
Kneeling down, you put his blade away, and then stick the daisho in the ground as a head marker.
Technically you're supposed to do some other shit like stay with the body for three days....but you aren't entirely sure you have three days. A fresh wince of pain surges through your body letting the world focus in for a bit.
You need medical attention, that much is clear, and the closest would be...Sister Chou, Fortune's haven't thought about her in months, you hope she's okay.
She'd be in the Jurojin Temple...You think you can make it that far. Putting one foot in front of the other you walk out of Tsukune's Shrine...you'll have to come back to confront that monk later, but first, not dying and then reporting to Moshi-sama.
The world has turned a distinct shade of grey as you stumble into Jurojin's Temple. You bow apologetically to the monks, before putting your hand on the wall.
"Sorry honoured ones...but I...seem to need your help."
"Megumi-san?!" Sister Chou's voice rings across the room.
"Hello Sister...." You say weekly.
"Dear Fortune...what did you do?"
That's the last thing you really remember processing coherently. Sister Chou handed you some tea and then? Then it was somewhat blurry. You remember being force to sit down and take off your kimono, you remember being scrubbed, you remember Sister Chou taking a needle and thread to your body, sowing the skin back together before making you drink something else....but it's all jumbled, in and out of order. Like you were drugged...what was in that tea?
And then somehow, it's four hours later, the sun is setting, you're sitting on a porch over looking the rest of the district while being bandaged from behind, and Sister Chou is begging you for the love of the heaven's not to get into any more fights.
"I did what I could Megumi-san, but you've lost a lot of blood, and your body is going to need time to heal fully. If you get into more fights, well, your stitches will tear, and then you'll probably die. "
"Thank you Sister Chou, I'll take your words under advisement" You say.
The ache in your shoulder is still there, but it's not as bad as it was.
"I mean it Megumi-san. You samurai are usually tougher than most people, but you aren't invincible. Whoever did this was aiming to cripple you from drawing, if not kill you"
"Yeah, that seems like something he would do." You say thinking back to Hisao.
"So promise me, you won't get into anymore fights for at least a week, and that you'll come back here so I can check those stitches"
"I will" You say.
"You'd better Megumi-san, I will send someone to hunt you down if you don't. Now what happened?"
"Well...I got into a duel and won, but not cleanly." You say simply.
"Samurai and their duels...but still I hope whatever matter had you duelling has been resolved."
You think back to the dead corpse on the ground.
"It's resolved Sister Chou."
The larger woman sighs rising from behind you.
"Your kimono will be given back to you in a moment. It took them forever to get out all that blood. After that you can leave."
You turn around and bow to her.
"Again, thank you for all your work Sister Chou."
"Thank me by making sure it isn't undone." She says her brown eyes looking at you.
"Hai." You reply.
A short young boy no older than nine years, climbs up the stairs and hands you, your kimono. Huh, they even took the time to put fragrance in it, you're not really a fan of mint, but the thought was nice.
The boy hurries away, allowing you to dress yourself.
"See you tomorrow Megumi-san." Sister Chou says.
"Tomorrow Sister Chou"
With that you head out of the Temple and back into the city proper.
It's a long walk back to Moshi Naeko's office, but it gives you time to collect your thoughts. Soju Makoto was obviously hiding something in his Shrine. But it might not have been entirely by his own will given Hisao's presence. But how did that connect to Yasuki Gozabaru? Who was that anyways? One thing is for sure that you would be going back to the Shrine.
The guard is this time a nice enough Dragonfly that waves you through without checking you over thrice.
You get the feeling you'll be familiar with these halls soon enough, but at least the grey isn't bad to look at it.
Announcing yourself at Moshi Naeko's door, you get a curt 'come' from inside.
With a deep bow, you do so.
"Moshi-sama, I return from my initial investigations... Kaiu-sama liked to frequent the Shrine of Tsukune, so I heard, so I went to investigate. There the Soju was evasive about something, but I was unable to find out what. On further investigation, the statue of Tsukune-no-kami had been altered, I found the original piece of the statue hidden on the grounds."
You take out the piece of ebony wood glad no one stole it from you. Naeko takes it from your hands, running her fingers over it as she motions for you to continue.
"After doing so I was confronted by another ronin, named Hisao. He promised to kill me, but allowed me a chance to duel him...I won, but not without taking severe damage to myself. So I went and got medical attention to make myself presentable before daring to darken Moshi-sama's office. However, Hisao also gave me a name before I killed him. Yasuki Gozabaru, said that was his employer"
A deep breath escapes you as you finish the report. Naeko's breath hitches at the mention of Gozabaru.
"So that's what it is...damn, the case will have to be called off." She says quietly.
"Called off?" You ask, still not looking up.
Naeko stands and turns around looking out at the city.
"Yasuki Gozabaru is arguably the wealthiest man in the city, and master of Mori Ward. If he's behind Kaiu-san's disappearance, then we'll never get her. He's too well protected from official legal reprisals, and has too many guards for unofficial ones. Over the years a number of magistrates have tried to bring him in. The last one was found hanging on the walls by what was left of his body."
Your honour burns, for this this...Yasuki, to be so vile...to have hurt Kaiu-san, and worse for you to be told nothing would be done about it...it burns.
She continues ignoring, your stinging sense of injustice
"Hida-sama will just have to wait for another Kaiu from his homelands. Still, for more or less solving the case, I suppose some congratulations are in order. Take the next few days off. Report at the same time you did today."
"Yes Moshi-sama" You say through gritted teeth.
"Very well dismissed." Moshi-sama says without preamble.
Another bow from you as you walk out of the office. On the one hand you understand Moshi-sama's hands are tied, and her desire not to throw lives away...but on the other, honour demands something be done...
She did give you a few days...
[] Return to the Soju and beat his face in until he talks.
[] Go find Iuchi Yukiko, get healed fully, and then head into Mori Ward
[] Go talk to Bayushi Sora, maybe she can give you some tips.
[] Leave it, Moshi-sama said it was done. You follow orders.
[] Some other plan?
Megumi is at 15 of 51 wounds, she is grazed (+3 to all TNs)
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