[Tea County] Broken Sword, New Beginning

[HotelBravo]

The sword snapped.

It had broken despite the tender care she administered to the blade. It’s not like the sword was her sword or anything - the snap actually meant very little in the long term due course of time. Yet, Akiko couldn’t help but feel sentimental about it. It was her first sword that was broken - the one assigned to her when she first passed her graduation and became a fully fledged member of the Tea country military - a member of the Heart Empire in truth. It had broken earlier that day during her practice with her master, Jubei. It was his customary harsh training, but where she was unbending before his relentless regime, the sword hadn’t been as capable. In some ways she could feel the stress that had snapped the sword on her own soul. Is this what her spirit looked like? Or would it look like someday?

She didn’t want to break.

If she snapped like this sword did, would she be thrown away much as she was preparing to do with this blade? After all there wasn’t much you could do to save it. It wasn’t like the steel was of such high quality that one would find a means to repair it. No, the snapping of this blade meant that it was now relegated to the status of decoration while she searched for a new blade.

“Go home, Akiko-chan. Thats enough for today. Make sure you come back tomorrow with a new katana.” Jubei wiped his brow with his shirt before he sheathed his own sword. She bowed to him and he returned the gesture, before he wondered off somewhere else in the dojo. She performed her duties as a student and attended to cleaning the Dojo before she considered herself truly free from the place.

The prospect of coming back on the morrow with a brand new sword was one that didn’t seem possible. Any Smith worth their salt would take their time, and any premade swords would doubtless be of lower quality. She new she was a push over when it came to dealing with merchants so an idea crossed the threshold of her mind.

It was about time for the pink lady to look up Kusari.

She navigated the streets in the waxing night - the moon was a glow and the air carried with it a bite of chill. Small paper lanterns floated through the air daintily dancing on the wind as they found their own journeys beyond the city limits.At the precipice of Kasuri’s apartment she hesitated with her hand just inches from the door. She paused to brush her own lips and recall the memory of the other woman’s touch before a fond smile crossed lips and she rapped upon the door.

Now to see if she was home.

[Kanade]

If she was to be sure to be ready, thought Kasuri as she stood at the foot of her bed with three dresses at the edge on display for her while she was sopping wet, she would need to pick a dress. She could pick pink, like her friend, lover, friend’s eyes. No wait, lover. She shook her head and patted her cheeks. It wasn’t the time for indecision, it was the time for action. She re-tucked the towel under her armpit and shook her head once more, letting it air dry always made it look more voluminous than it was, and she liked that look.

Two starred pupils in teal pools stared at the dresses. She could wear pink, or teal, or red. Red would be the closest to a ‘complimentary’ color of her long ombre teal hair, and it was a nice dress, cut up the side so that the split in the fabric rested on her hip, just high enough to hint at what was, or wasn’t under the dress.

The teal one was a flowing gown, one that she loved to wear, but wasn’t right for this occasion.

The pink one was… for lack of a better word, a baby-doll outfit, and that wasn’t right either.

She shook her head once more, letting her hair dry was a pain as well as she stared at the ceiling and sighed, “Red it is I suppose, but that means that the fixings underneath are going to be important, if we even want to have fixings underneath.” She made a grunt at the dresses before crossing over to the drawer as a familiar voice rang out in her head, the voice of Ayago.

“Why do you care what she thinks,” Ayago asked, in a tone that was almost grandmotherly, and was certainly judging her for her choice of companion, “She is a girl, go find yourself a man if you want to dress yourself up in finery. Put on a kimono and promenade around the town, you’re sure to gain a husband easily that way. Either that or I am sure that there is at least one or two match makers that wouldn’t mind an easy case like you.”

Kasuri grit her teeth and tried to concentrate, tried to ignore Ayago.

“You can’t ignore me, and you know that you’re wasting your time with impressing this girl.” Ayago reasoned, “It isn’t like she can give you any heirs, any progeny.”

“I don’t care about progeny.” Kasuri finally said, looking at Ayago, in bow form in the corner of her bedroom, perhaps she should put Ayago in the kitchen instead. She was loathe to be away from one of her only sources of solace, but she was being a pain just now. “I care about Akiko-chan, and she cares about me.”

“You can still find a man while you find comfort in each other’s arms.” Ayago got the last word in before Kasuri moved her to the kitchen, still wrapped in a towel. She didn’t have time to be distracted.

Putting on some tanga cut lacy underwear and making sure that they wouldn’t show with the dress, she wiggled her head once more and tilted it to the side, it was waist-length and she wanted to put it up in a bun to show off the intricate back of the dress, but that would have to come after.

She shimmied into the dress, pulling it up over her goose-bumped flesh of her chest and wiggled some more to try to find the zipper before, success, she found it and zipped it up. Patting and smoothing down the front and readjusting so that she was no longer having a wardrobe malfunction she looked at herself in the mirror. Makeup and nails and hair next.

--

A scant two hours later, she heard a knocking at the door and crossed her hallway through the kitchen, where Ayago was sulking, and through the living room to the door. When she opened it, she greeted Akiko with a smile, not too wide to mess up the cat-eye eyeliner makeup, nor the pink eye shadow. Not a spec of the blood-red lipstick on her recently brushed teeth. Dinner was soup, as was evident by the pot on the stove, gurgling in a happy noise and bringing the scent of beef broth, udon, soy sauce, and peppers to the nose.

“Akiko!” She could barely contain her excitement, but wanted to pretend, at least, to be poised, “Thank you for coming over.” She tried to run a hand through her normally down hair and realized for the fourth time that it wasn’t there but up on her head in an up-do that incorporated four separate braids.

“Tell her hello for me at least.” Ayago interjected.

“Ayago says hello, she’s watching dinner.” Kasuri would say as she ushered Akiko in and made her comfortable.

“Liar.”

“So what would you like to do tonight? A game? Just dinner? A movie?” She looked at Akiko’s features, “Did anything happen today?”

[HotelBravo]

Kasuri was dressed to impress, and Akiko was impressed. The attention to detail was always so admirable. Kasuri reminded Akiko or Ikebana. The whole was pleasing, but each individual part was chosen with deliberate thought. How very much like the archer; held breath while they made certain that their aim was true. Kasuri at least could breathe again now.

”Hello my lover.” Akiko’s vernacular was somewhat mismatched - yes she presented with the accent of her parents and family, humble folk who had dwelt in the land of Tea long before the country was formally inducted into the Heart empire. It was the easy way that she said the words “my lover” that told that this was a casual greeting. Kasuri would no doubt be familiar with Akiko often using the greeting to others. Perhaps some would see it as just a casual term that didn’t mean what was said - but to Akiko it was a secret invitation. Yes, the words had obtained a new meaning during those cold nights where she shared her warmth with Kasuri in the wilderness. Yes, tasting that forbidden fruit had been so sweet and yet brief. She wanted to taste it again and often, but she held herself back. Kasuri would never say no to satisfying the building desire she was starting to feel at just looking at the woman, and that was exactly why Akiko had to say no to herself now. It would be taking advantage of her.

She cleared her throat and her heart and she stepped into Kasuri’s home. Kasuri reminded her of the spirit that shared her body with her. In a way it was an intimacy that she was jealous of. Akiko returned a polite smile for Ayago and an incline of her head. ”I’m happy to hear from you as well Ayago-sama. Thank you for taking care of Kasuri as usual, and thank you for minding dinner as well.”

”Dinner does sound nice, after all if Ayago was watching it I really can’t decline.” She responded to Kasuri’s question. She could feel Kasuri’s sharp eyes upon her. It made her face grow hot - She was being weighed and measured in Kasuri’s sight, and Kasuri was one to notice detail. Maybe she’d notice that Akiko didn’t have a sword with her, which was unusual. More pressingly, she really didn’t want Kasuri to see the wicked thoughts in her heart.

Akiko looked for a place to sit and she enjoyed the aroma of cooking - it was savory and after the strict work out with Jubei-sensei she could not deny the hunger for something hearty. ”My katana snapped during practice with Jubei-sensei today… he wants me to find a new one before tomorrow - but good smithing takes time… I might just have to have some time away from the dojo for a while - ah! ” A sudden thought crossed Akikos eyes. ”How are your parents doing, and the Kudoka-dojo? I think it wasn't your mother’s birthday soon? I should pick something up for her next time I’m at the market.” Akiko brushed a pink lock of hair back as thoughts of gifts filled her mind.

[Kanade]

Kasuri winked as she was called lover, “No one outshines this star I suppose.” She said it as a tease and bit her tongue and smiled in a playful way as she shut the door behind her lover. It was a bit of a play on words since she knew that Akiko used it with others, but she hoped that she indeed did. She took Akiko’s chin in her grasp, just the thumb and forefinger and gave her a quick and delicate peck on the forehead, before frowning, “The lip stain I used doesn’t leave a fun lip-mark like I had hoped.” Another wink at her lover as she escorted her into the sitting room and dining room. Her apartment was small but that was no reason for it not to be comfortable.

Her eyes did detect that there was not a sword at Akiko’s side, but she decided not to push the subject as Akiko said that it was dinner that her mind was on. She nodded, knowing not to broach subjects that Akiko didn’t want to talk about without warrant. Besides she would-.

She was interrupted by the explanation that she was looking for and nodded, her lips pouting a bit, “We can get you another regular katana at the dojo. I am sure that mom and dad wouldn’t mind it at all.” She nodded twice to herself, “And you’re right, it’s almost Mom’s birthday and I haven’t even thought about it. I’ve been training with Ayago so much that I haven’t even given much of anything else a second thought. Which is to say that Ayago has been-” She leaned in closely to whisper to Akiko conspiratorially, catching her scent, which only served to make the blood come rushing to her face before she finished, “hounding me about not thinking of you so much when I’m at target practice.”

“I heard that.” Ayago said plainly into her head. What an annoyance. At that time the pot of soup she had put on started to simmer over.

“Two seconds lover.” Kasuri said, as she reluctantly pulled away from the pink hair to attend to the boiling pot.

As Kasuri bounced into the kitchen Ayago was making grumpy noises in the kitchen as she entered and rattled in her bow-holder. “You’re holding me hostage.” Ayago said, throwing shade at Kasuri. Kasuri answered with a fully stuck out tongue, “You’re just a fuddy-duddy and don’t want me to have fun.”

“It’s indecent.” Ayago returned.

“It’s company.” Kasuri responded. “Do you want to be put in the closet?”

“No.” Ayago seemed dejected.

“Well then, let me have my company over, and stop badgering me about babies.” Her eyes widened at the bow, who was making an inscrutable expression in the corner. “Because that’s the surefire way for me to never want to adopt any or have any of my own.”

“Fine.” Ayago replied, the grandmotherly tone coming back into her voice.

“Good,” Kasuri lifted the pot of soup, which was done and doled it out into two bowls, got out some chopsticks, spoons, napkins, and some fixings like extra sauce, veggies, noodles, and meat for the soup and put them on a tray.

Coming out, using her butt to open the door she grinned at Akiko, “Dinner!”

[HotelBravo]

There was something charming about the confident way that Kasuri handled herself. The way she took Akiko so easily in her palms and left the kiss mark on her forehead. Maybe it wasn’t the lip mark she was looking for, but Akiko knew that it must have left a mark. Would it be rude to rub it off? She didn’t want to get any on her kimono, as it was a very nice Kimono and she didn’t want to ruin it or have to pay to get it fixed. In a way that lip mark did burn as well for Akiko. The lip stain. It was a reminder about her own complicated feelings towards their relationship and was in part one of the reasons that she at least couldn’t commit. There were a lot of reasons actually. To Akiko who was obsessed with the idea of a romantic and chivalric love- Kasuri’s chivalric gestures really stirred up her feelings, but at the same time Kasuri would never be able to give her that chivalric type romance.

There were two reasons for this, but mostly it was because both Kasuri and Akiko were warriors, and Akiko wouldn’t be able to give up her life as a warrior and she didn’t expect Kasuri to either. There was just one thing Akiko would trade for her warrior's life and Kasuri couldn’t give it. Thus deep down Akiko knew that she needed to find a way to be satisfied with her friendship with Kasuri - but those sweet gestures like the kiss on the forehead and the confident way she had held her were such a temptation to drop her standards. Stop the hesitation. It was a daydream though. Akiko knew it was - she would feel miserable if she didn’t do things right. That's just how she was, and while she had near infinite patience for others she had next to none for herself.

That would be incredibly kind. My teacher’s Dojo is not a place for profit, so he can’t afford to buy materials for his trainees. Akiko wasn’t sure if Kasuri had ever met Jubei on account that as far as she was aware Kasuri had received her training from her family where Akiko had gone through the Heart Empire’s training program for the next generation of Samurai. If she had, she would have known that Jubei was a rather infamous taskmaster and one of the more hated of Drill sergeants. It just so happened that he was one of the best teachers in Heart. She could thank his strict teaching for her survival the night that brought Kasuri to her.

It warmed Akiko to know just how much Kasuri was always thinking of her. Kasuri leaned in close and she could smell the scents that Kasuri wore just for her. Akiko unconsciously was bracing for more. A kiss perhaps? When Kasuri was this close… She had to hold herself back. She couldn’t take advantage of Kasuri. It was wrong. It was wrong because she knew that she couldn’t, she wouldn’t be able to fully commit her heart. It was wrong because Akiko’s eyes wandered still when it came to handsome men. Kasuri wasn’t a man…but she knew how to push her buttons. Akiko felt her control slipping just a little.

The moment passed and Kasuri left her scent with Akiko as she moved her way back to the kitchen. Akiko felt somewhat embarrassed and very frustrated. Like an addiction that had been denied - she felt somewhat dizzy at the withdrawal but she shook the feeling off soon enough. It wasn’t fair to feel this way to Kasuri. She hadn’t done anything wrong after all. She drowned in her own thoughts, only vaguely listening to Kasuri talking to the unheard Ayago in the kitchen, her voice muffled by the walls.

Finally Kasuri was back with two bowls. Akiko brightened at the smell.

”Itadakimasu.” Akiko placed her hands together and bowed her head slightly. Her family were spiritualists and holding a prayer before a meal was a common practice. She said only a short one in her heart before opening her eyes and looking at Kasuri. Maybe it was time to change the topic?

”Were you on duty today? Did anything interesting happen?”

[Kanade]

"Just the usual, really." Kasuri sat down with her bowl and bowed her head with her chopsticks in hand muttering thanks for the meal under her breath, "I wasn't on duty, just went to the dojo and I was on arrow duty." she showed her fingers, which were red and seemed to be ill-used. "Have you ever tried refletching over a thousand arrows?" She grinned brightly, "It's not the most fun thing to do. Most people think, 'oh, if I hit my previous arrow, that's good right?" But usually it just knocks off the feathers, and if you split the arrow, that is the mark of a true amateur." She launched into the lecture, then sighed, letting go of the tension.

"Sorry, I am a bit stressed from it, we have three new students who are studying to become Kyudoka, and the way of Kyudo doesn't seem to be with them." She spooned up some of the soup in her mouth, munching on it pensievely, taking in the girl that was sitting across from her. She always had an intoxicating Sakura Blossom smell about her, she had eyes and hair the colour of the blossoms in the spring time, and Kasuri knew, with painful certainty, when the time came she would have to stop the trist because Akiko wasn't like that. She was bound more to males, she had always looked at males with a longing in her eyes, and she was drawn to warriors. She also wanted something that Kasuri could never give her.

She swallowed past the lump that formed in her throat at that brief thought, the soup was good at least, "They think that a Kyudoka is supposed to connect with the target no matter what, that their goal is always the target. They don't get the spirituality of the connection between Kyudoka, Yumi, and target." She sighed, "and they dry-fired the bows at least ten times today." She shook her head disdainfully, "I would have rather they had taken scissors to all of the bow's strings, like Ayago did on the day that we met. Or at least, I think it was scissors, each bowstring had been carefully cut as if they had used them." She looked at the bow, which sat next to the table, stewing in its own thoughts which it kept selfishly cut off from Kasuri.

[HotelBravo]

Akiko dug into the meal that was before her. She paused as Kasuri began to explain her day. Fletching arrows? Fun? That many? She was slightly taken aback before the follow up from Kasuri made her recognize the tale as a jest of sorts. It was a hard day it seemed. Some new hotshot wanted to show off and ended up damaging arrows forcing Kasuri to refletch them. That was too bad. She wondered if that was how Jubei-sensei thought of her when she snapped her sword in half during training. She could imagine him sitting down similar to how she was now with Kasuri saying a similar tale. She shook her head and brushed it off. Best to stay in the present. ”Is such Flashy bowmanship really allowed in the dojo? I never knew.” She commented. ”don’t be sorry, its good to have someone to share your troubles with from time to time. It makes the burdens for all of us lighter all around.” And she genuinely believed that. She beamed brightly like a ray of sunshine at Kasuri- and it honest to the kamis - was genuine. A genuine smile with genuine affection. She really believed and hoped that she could fix the situation.

Akiko listened with genuine enthusiasm for Kasuri’s explanation of the life at the dojo. It was so similar to her own experience, but different in the way that their martial studies differed. Hers, the bow, and Akiko’s the sword. ”It is rather difficult these days for people to connect with the spiritual aspect of the martial art. ” Akiko agreed. ”I feel that connection with my own. I wish others did too.” Akiko had come from a religious background, although her parents would never agree to the things that she did with Kasuri sometimes. That was part of the reason she had to leave her home behind and live on her own. She was her own adult now and needed to do things her way after all.

”Does the dojo own the bowstrings? That sounds like it would be really expensive to cut them all.” Akiko wore a thoughtful expression as she considered how a dojo could afford such expenses. She was familiar with such things as her own family ran a shrine and she knew how hard it was to keep up with the expenses with only the patronage of a handful of regulars.

”Speaking of Ayago… I know she is always speaking with you, but is she inside or you or is she inside the bow? I feel like that was never clear to me. I think I’d be a little scared to have a spirit inside me - but maybe if it was someone who is as genuine and kind as Ayago - maybe then it might be worth it.” Her thoughts went back to her sword again. It had served her when she had first met Kasuri, and now it was detritus to be cast away. She was just a little sentimental and was thinking of having it put on display in her own home instead. Yes, that idea sounded nice.

”Would you feel up for a bit of shopping later? I was thinking of perusing the swordsmiths in town. Its just a slightly intimidating task - the smiths are often very big.” Yes, a life of smithing made them intimidating men to be around, and swordsmith shops were only infrequently places for female samurai, despite Heart being open to women soldiers.

[Kanade]

She nodded, "We don't kick them out unless they do something like pulling the strings off of the bows, or snapping them, shooting too close to another arrow just comes with the territory, but sometimes people do it maliciously, it really is hard to tell." She sighed, "And it comes with being a Kyudoka." She continued to eat her soup and nodded, "Spiritual connection, actually, is what I would call the bond that I have with Ayago." she nodded to the bow, "So it's not like she's always there, but she does speak to me in a way that... well, I can only hear. I am not sure that she can take on another form so that she can talk with others. But I do know that there are some that can actually speak with her. They call themselves, 'tenkujutsu' masters." Kasuri shrugged.

She supposed that she could go into more detail, but she would gauge Akiko's attentiveness and willingness to pursue the subject first.

"I am always up for a bit of shopping, I will even help you buy your next sword, how does that sound?" She grinned and set down her empty bowl as she finished up, then nodded, "Yes, the smiths are a bit large, and they feel like they're in charge, but remember, they are destitute without their weaponmasters to supply them with income, so it's more of an even-footing situation than you think. Even though you don't have a sword, they have a sword without an owner, and a sword without an owner rusts more easily than a swordsman without a sword."

She used something that her father had taught her about the sword, not that she really took to other weapons besides the bow, for now, but she had listened like a dutiful daughter.

'some dutiful daughter you are.' Ayago grumped.

'I know that I cannot be with Akiko forever,' Kasuri answered, 'but I would love to be with her as long as I possibly can, she is the sakura tree which is always in blossom, and she fills my life with joy.'

'I suppose that I can be content with your happiness that you find in such a woman.' Ayago consented.

"So!" She clapped her hands together and got up from the table, dusting herself off, "the shops will close in a couple hours, shall we see who wants to have the pleasure of supplying you with your next sword?" Kasuri offered her hand to Akiko with a warm smile.

[HotelBravo]

Akiko listened with a sense of genuine interested as Kasuri elaborated on the rules and challenges of the dojo. She nodded in understanding, finding them similar to the those of her own school of swordsmanship’s rules. Akiko didn’t have much interest in Bows herself, but given the petiteness of her own chest, she figured that she might be able to take up the art in the future as well. ”I see. I visit the my Sword instructor at his Dojo about three times a week. Perhaps the off days I could visit your dojo and practice the bow with you sometime?” Akiko looked back to the soup and drained finished off her bowl, while Kasuri explained a bit more in depth her connection to Ayago. She stood and offered to take Kasuri’s bowl as well, as she seemed to be done with hers. She moved over to the kitchen and rinsed off the dishes, cleaned them, and then set them to dry. It was a fascinating subject as well, but one that she could honestly admit that she didn’t have any way of learning very well.

”Oh, would you really do that?” Akiko felt herself flush abit. She hadn’t expected such sweetness. Chivalry was really her weakness. ”I don’t know if I could accept.” Her words were spoken out of obligation - she wanted Kasuri’s help, but obligation and good manners meant that she had to deny it at least once. It was not only a show of humility, but allowed for someone to change their mind if they weren’t truly dedicated. The offer spoke for itself. Akiko agreed with Kasuri’s sentiment about the size and pushiness of the smiths. Still, she would feel safer and more confident in the market with the forceful Kasuri. Kasuri expected nothing less than perfection, and while Akiko wanted that too, she was often too shy or demure to get what she wanted.

”If there is time, perhaps I should get a bow too?” she looked over at Kasuri to gauge her reaction to the suggestion. Was Kasuri just a Kyudoka out of obligation? Akiko wouldn’t blame her for that - after all thats how she was. Yet, Akiko would enjoy spending time with Kasuri as much as she could. Given the line of work and the fact that war was once again on the horizon, she couldn’t truly know if they would get pulled into the situation - despite not being the top ranking of Samurai or the most skilled in their arts. Yet, to fight, and if necessary, to die was the way of the samurai.

Akiko followed Kasuri to her feet. ”Yes! I think I saw an interesting shop on the way here - perhaps we should stop by there first? The New Beginnings it was called. It felt like fate just a little bit, but the Smith there was really big and just a little intimidating. I’m really grateful that you’ve agreed to come with me. I’ll show you the way if that is alright?”

Assuming there were no objections, Akiko would lead the way out the front door of Kasuri’s apartment. She’d wait for her to lock up before leading her down to the street and to the market. The convenience of living in one of the larger cities meant that nothing was too far away. One could easily see the smoke from the craftsman’s stores peaking over the buildings and blending into the darkening sky. Lamps had set up and begun to be lit as they walked - a gentle glow fell over the city.

Kasuri held her hands in front of herself. She had been raised to be a proper samurai woman, and that meant that she should not take the initiative in such things, but she was secretly hoping that Kasuri would also offer to hold her hand. Was she being too greedy? Perhaps even hypocritical, as she refused to speak the words of how she really felt, and hid behind politeness and etiquette. It was a wonder why she still stuck to the old Shinto teachings and the formalities that her parents had taught her. Akiko smiled despite herself. It really said a lot about Kasuri that she respected Akiko too much to breach those rules that Akiko had set for herself.

”My Love…” she started. ”I don’t ever want to be the reason that you are holding back. If you…had needs… I’d understand. But you could ask me too…perhaps. From time to time?”

760/750 - Stat training lowered due to event +1 Endurance