She was an easy sight to spot against the landscape. Her hair was a light pink and worn down to her waist - white flowers adorning it. Loose, but well cared for and scented like cherry blossoms. Pale skin wearing a pink and white Kimono with floral patterns. Against the natural colors found in nature and on the roads of the Heart Empire, hers were plain to see and provided her little in the way of camouflage. She had two straps on her shoulders as she carried a bag with her on her back - the left overs of her supplies from her trip to the land of Pebbles. She carried also a wooden box full of a broken tea set, that she had intended to find a way to restore still. Unfortunately, the gold needed for Kintsugi and the payment of a crafter’s labor was an expensive undertaking which she had not completed yet. Despite her appearance, she wasn’t completely the demure young woman she seemed to be. Her hands that looked so dainty and soft were covered in callous’s from her ceaseless hours of swordwork. Then there was the Katana tucked into her sash - So she walked through the dirt road on the way to Xincha.
She was lost in her thoughts, but was suddenly given cause to stop. There was a man collapsed on the side of the road. She rushed over to his side and set the wooden carrier for her tea set on the ground and squatted down as to prevent her kimono from becoming dirty, and yet allowing her to inspect the man closer. She rolled him over, and onto his side where she checked his pulse. Still alive. Good. He was breathing as well. She searched for wounds and saw that he was wounded on his legs and chest. These weren’t the markings of tools but looked to be made by fang and claws. This man must have encountered a wild beast. Akiko pulled out some of her clean cloth from her satchel and used it as makeshift bandages for the wounds. She wasn’t much of a healer, but she knew basic emergency treatment as it was standard fair for a samurai to be able to treat their comrades in battle.
There was something familiar about him, but she couldn’tt put her finger on it. He wore gruff clothes like a farmer and had long untidy hair and a beard. He was much larger than her, but she could easily carry her own body weight, which wasn’t saying much to be honest. She moved her satchel to her chest and using her other kimono created a harness so that she could carry the man on her back. Once he was settled onto her back she took the up the wooden carrier box for her tea set and proceeded. This was many times more taxing on her stamina than her initial journey had been, and despite the fact that she now found herself completely out of breath she continued to make her way. Xincha was not that far away now, she’d be able to get help for him there.
As she entered the city, she got a fair amount of odd looks. She could take him to the hospital, but her family’s shrine was actually closer and she knew that her father had some experience with treating injuries due in part to their services during the civil war. She turned in to the old shrine and walked up the 77 stone steps to the plateau leaving her quite out of breath. Her mother was sweeping leaves out of the courtyard but dropped the broom when she saw Akiko with the man on her back.
”M-mother. Please get father. ” Akiko’s mother dashed off towards the inner sanctuary, while Akiko brought the man to one of the guest rooms. She removed her sandals before she stepped into the building and then set the man down on a fuuton. There was only so much that one could do. Akiko wiped the sweat off of her brow and saw how already the wounds were seeping blood into the makeshift bandages she had used. In short order, Akiko’s father was in the room with clean bandages and thread. He sewed the wounds shut and with Akiko’s help applied bandages to the man. The bleeding was stopped - and now this man needed rest and hopefully he would recover.
“Akiko, you should get some rest as well.” The man told her.
750/750 + 1 Endurance
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HotelBravo
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[Lonely] Brother
Akiko moved to the sitting room and knelt at a table while her mother brought out a tea set and poured some tea into a cup for her. She took her tea and contemplated its aroma and flavor as she took a sip. She was supposed to be out on patrol still, she would need to report this soon and didn’t really have time to sip tea with her mother, as much as she wanted to enjoy it.
“So, what were you doing when you found that poor man?” Her mother asked. Akiko was pulled out of her own thoughts at the question as she set the cup down. ”I was on patrol. It's rather standard for my rank.”
“I see. ” Obviously she was unimpressed. “They send maidens out on patrol to do the job of local police? Heart Empire must be terribly lacking in manpower.”
”Please don’t start an argument now mother. I know you don’t like my chosen vocation, but maybe you have forgotten what the war did to Shark Country. The cruelness of the times and people before Heart Empire ate up Tea Country? It is important for women to be proficient in the sword in these modern times. ”
“Maybe other women, Akiko. You are so petite! There have to be others better suited to this.” In the end, how could Akiko get angry at her mother? She read that worried expression on the woman’s face. It told her all that she needed to know - she was just scared for her daughter’s safety. Yet, Akiko felt safer with the sword in hand than with any other instrument. She would not be the damsel in distress, to be protected by strangers. The responsibility for her own life and safety would be her own duty.
Just then the door slid open to the room and revealed Akiko’s father. The man wore a grave expression on his face. He closed the door behind him and approached the table. As he sat, Akiko’s mother poured him a cup of tea as well. He sighed and took a sip. Akiko and her mother watched him in quiet curiosity. They patiently waited for him to settle himself in and reveal what he wished on his own.
“You t thought you were bringing a stranger into our home - but I’d recognize my own son.” Her father finally answered. He turned to look at Akiko who was shocked. She exchanged glances with her mother.
”/That/ was Hideki?” Akiko hadn’t recognized him at all. It was the beard perhaps, he had never worn such a long beard in all the time that she had known him. That and those gaunt features. She had thought that he would likely be a vagrant more than any brother of hers. Yet, she would still have to report this when she left here as an event that had occurred on her patrol. It made things more complicated because he had been missing for years.
“They’re going to want to question him.” Akiko’s mother stated plainly what Akiko was thinking. “Akiko, I’d like you to report that you didn’t find anything on Patrol.”
Akiko sucked in sharply. It was a difficult thing to ask of her, especially in this family where honor was so important. She bowed her head, having already come to a decision that she knew would not be the one her family wanted to hear. ”I will not lie to ”
580 / 500 - Chuunin Exam event bonus +1 to Willpower
“So, what were you doing when you found that poor man?” Her mother asked. Akiko was pulled out of her own thoughts at the question as she set the cup down. ”I was on patrol. It's rather standard for my rank.”
“I see. ” Obviously she was unimpressed. “They send maidens out on patrol to do the job of local police? Heart Empire must be terribly lacking in manpower.”
”Please don’t start an argument now mother. I know you don’t like my chosen vocation, but maybe you have forgotten what the war did to Shark Country. The cruelness of the times and people before Heart Empire ate up Tea Country? It is important for women to be proficient in the sword in these modern times. ”
“Maybe other women, Akiko. You are so petite! There have to be others better suited to this.” In the end, how could Akiko get angry at her mother? She read that worried expression on the woman’s face. It told her all that she needed to know - she was just scared for her daughter’s safety. Yet, Akiko felt safer with the sword in hand than with any other instrument. She would not be the damsel in distress, to be protected by strangers. The responsibility for her own life and safety would be her own duty.
Just then the door slid open to the room and revealed Akiko’s father. The man wore a grave expression on his face. He closed the door behind him and approached the table. As he sat, Akiko’s mother poured him a cup of tea as well. He sighed and took a sip. Akiko and her mother watched him in quiet curiosity. They patiently waited for him to settle himself in and reveal what he wished on his own.
“You t thought you were bringing a stranger into our home - but I’d recognize my own son.” Her father finally answered. He turned to look at Akiko who was shocked. She exchanged glances with her mother.
”/That/ was Hideki?” Akiko hadn’t recognized him at all. It was the beard perhaps, he had never worn such a long beard in all the time that she had known him. That and those gaunt features. She had thought that he would likely be a vagrant more than any brother of hers. Yet, she would still have to report this when she left here as an event that had occurred on her patrol. It made things more complicated because he had been missing for years.
“They’re going to want to question him.” Akiko’s mother stated plainly what Akiko was thinking. “Akiko, I’d like you to report that you didn’t find anything on Patrol.”
Akiko sucked in sharply. It was a difficult thing to ask of her, especially in this family where honor was so important. She bowed her head, having already come to a decision that she knew would not be the one her family wanted to hear. ”I will not lie to ”
580 / 500 - Chuunin Exam event bonus +1 to Willpower
