[Graded][Plotboard] Lamentable Loss

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[Graded][Plotboard] Lamentable Loss

Post by Willoria » Thu Apr 20, 2017 7:51 pm

[Plotboard] Lady in the Evening To say Yuri wasn't happy when she received the news of her new mission was an understatement. Truth be told the messenger who brought her the scroll was lucky he left her without a scratch, though the scroll itself was thrown across the room and quickly lost. Fortunately she had already read the details of it. She was to meet Yamai Aimi at a village gate where a rather nice carriage would be waiting for the pair, and as much as she hated the idea of having to work with him right now, she decided to go with it and did not protest.

By time she'd arrive at the gate and carriage the woman hardly be recognizeable. Given the scope of the mission she had to leave her normal weaponry at home, and dress entirely different. She wore a crimson dress that reached her ankles, sleeveless, with a string tying it just above her hip to keep it all in place. It was specifically designed to be easily and quickly removed given the profession she was feigning to be apart of. She had a dark grey shawl she wore about her shoulders, pulling it up and over her head to keep the sun out of her face as well as to hide her features. The darkness of the hood caused her bright blue eyes to seem even brighter. Henna-like ink decorated her hands and arms all the way up, adding to the allure of the woman and the image of her 'profession'.

She had no visible weapons on her, though small knives were hidden in several places in her shawl and dress in case they were needed. Upon arriving at the dork and rather ornate carriage she would look exactly like a woman in her position should, and silently she wondered what sort of outfit had been chosen for Aimi himself.
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[Graded][Plotboard] Lamentable Loss

Post by Golnax » Thu Apr 20, 2017 8:33 pm

When Aimi received his scroll from his elders, he was similarly angry. Not with the fact that he would need to work with Yuri on this mission, but because of what the mission demanded of him. According to the scroll he'd received, he was to play the part of Yuri's bodyguard, while she played the part of a 'companion', a prostitute. Everything about the arrangement of this mission made him pulse with anger, it was such a deception! He was a shinobi, not some thug to protect a woman in the business of flesh. What's more, the mission dictated that he had to wear clothes in order to better fit in with his surroundings!

Aimi hated clothing, for multiple reasons - not the least of which was that it was wasted on him! He was a Yamai for goodness sake! If they weren't careful, they would shred every bit of clothing that they owned which was why he chose not to own any in the first place save for his cloak to cover up his unmentionables! More than that though, Aimi was proud of his body and saw clothing as a way to cover up that pride, to be ashamed and embarrassed about his physical features which he simply wasn't! What's more, he didn't actually OWN any other clothing! Which meant he needed to go out and buy something before meeting Yuri at the gate later on that day.

Flustered, frustrated and already hating the fact that he couldn't outright refuse this mission, Aimi left his home with some ryo in his buttbag and went off to buy some clothing... which took a while. He couldn't settle on anything! He had no idea what a bodyguard for a companion was supposed to look like, so he ended up going from one set of clothing to the other, looking at it, hating how he imagined he'd look in it, and moving on. In the end, he settled on a very plain but serviceable, and most importantly disposable, kamishimo ensemble that was almost entirely black and gray in color, the hakama being black, the katagino being gray, and the kimono being white. He went ahead and bought a fundoshi as well, much as he didn't want to. He'd decided that his role as a body guard would be that of a samurai, and he took solace in the fact that these clothes he now wore were at the very least similar to the cloak he normally wore around his waist. He wore the outfit begrudgingly.

Worst of all though were the shoes. He argued and debated with himself on whether he should even wear shoes in the first place, arguing that one one hand few people if any would see his feet beneath the hakama while also arguing that no self respecting samurai would be without a pair of sandals. He actually agonized over the decision, and when he chose to buy a pair of simple wooden sandals he immediately regretted doing it. The wood was uncomfortable against his feet, the thong between his toes dug into his skin and worst of all he had to take off his wrappings which, at times, felt like a second skin around his feet. On top of everything, he was finding it difficult to even walk in the things! He vastly preferred being barefoot, but he knew that his role had to be perfect, and he was nothing if not a perfectionist.

Lastly, he bought himself a straw hat to cover up the bruises on his forehead. He knew full well that while on this mission he wouldn't be able to wear his clan's painting, yet another blow to his pride, least he risk them being identified as shinobi - or at the very least him. He brought all of the clothing he'd wasted his money on back to his apartment and got dressed inside, leaving his white cloak and foot wrappings on the floor along with his buttbag. His belt and sword he kept with him, though. Once every piece of oppressive, uncomfortable cloth was put on, Aimi pulled his long hair back into a tight, disciplined pony tail that rode high on his head, tying it in place with a piece of string. Looking into his bathroom mirror, he barely recognized himself. Once the dots were washed away from his forehead and the wicker hat placed on top of his hair, he truly did look like a stranger to himself.

He let out a heavy sigh and turned to meet Yuri at the gate, consoling himself that if he couldn't recognize himself, who in the mainland would? He left the Yamai compound and made his way to the designated gate, hating the sound of the wooden sandals on the street as he went along, hating how hot it was with all this clothing on, just hating life in general at the moment really. When he arrived at the carriage, he saw Yuri standing and waiting for him. She looked... well, exactly how someone should look. She was enticing, her dress provocative in form and in color. He, on the other hand, felt uncomfortable, stiff and ridiculous. Exactly how a bodyguard should feel, he supposed.

He approached the carriage, let out a heavy sigh, and said, "Gutten tag," to announce him as... well, him. How else would anyone recognize him with literally every part of his body obscured so shamefully if he didn't speak?

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[Graded][Plotboard] Lamentable Loss

Post by Willoria » Thu Apr 20, 2017 11:35 pm

Honestly even Yuri didn't really recognize Aimi at first as he approached. She thought it was odd that someone who was dressed in such a way was approaching her and from the darkness of her hood and shawl she was giving him an odd look. It wasn't until he spoke that she realized who it was. "Morning." She replied simply, still giving him an odd look for a few moments before turning and moving for the carriage. "We're all here." She called to the driver.

The driver was a dark haired, blue eyes Aisu girl who normally wore all dark clothing. To hide her weapons and clan traits however she wore a dark cloak over everything today. Giving Yuri a glance and a nod, Haruna pulled the cloak up to hide her features and turned to face forward as she waited for the pair to board.

As she opened the door, Yuri paused to explain the girl's presence to Aimi. "She's strictly our ride in and out, the mission and combat are ours to deal with." She informed him before climbing into the carriage and getting comfortable on one side.

Yuri was genuinely surprised by the carriage. Spacious and comfortable the fabrics were beautiful silks and comfortable cottons. On one side there was even a small bar set up, which Yuri immediately used to help herself to a cup of sake. Beside her feet was a box she looked through and quickly discovered it too was part of the ruse. Full of massage oils, candles, incense, and even a teaset for a proper greeting ceremony, the woman carefully familiarized herself with each item.
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[Graded][Plotboard] Lamentable Loss

Post by Golnax » Fri Apr 21, 2017 12:39 pm

Aimi paid no attention to the driver as Yuri called out to them, telling whoever it was that they were all present. He assumed that it was a slave or just a local who had agreed to be their transport up to a certain point. As his comrade opened the carriage door and stepped inside, he simply grunted in response to her statement and followed in after her. He took a seat opposite her and scooted as close to the window as he possibly could, taking his wicker hat off and setting it down beside him. The carriage moved, and while Yuri was familiarizing herself with the contents of the carriage, he was staring out of the window. If asked, he would have conceded that the interior looked nice, but he couldn't care less about how it felt because he couldn't feel it through all of his thick layers of clothing.

On they rode and for a while it was silent. Leaving the village behind, they'd only have a small ride before they would reach a dock with a boat which would take them out of the ring of mountains that surrounded the village. There was a heaviness in the air inside of the carriage, something that spoke most clearly of the last time they'd seen each other. He still felt he had nothing to apologize for, and if she wanted to be angry at him that was her choice. He had no influence over that. Be that as it may, he knew the value of being connected with your team mate when on a mission. Kasai had certainly reinforced his belief that, above all else, those on a mission together should actually work together or else spell their own doom.

To that end, he spoke. "What was the name of this young man that we're supposed to extract information from? I don't seem to recall it. Only that he's the son of someone close to the Daimo," he stated, not turning to look at her as he spoke. It was a simple enough question, she didn't need for him to look at her while she answered. Besides, he was still struggling with getting used to actually wearing the clothes. He was constantly shifting and twitching in his seat, unable, it seemed, to be comfortable while in his costume.

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[Graded][Plotboard] Lamentable Loss

Post by Willoria » Fri Apr 21, 2017 1:29 pm

By time Aimi posed his question, Yuri was settled with her back in a corner and her legs stretched across the seat she occupied across from him. She was sipping the sake in hand, her head leaned back and eyes closed. Truth be told she wasn't ignoring him at all, she simply had nothing to say to him as of yet. Yuri was typically a quiet sort, unless she was flirting or felt a need to discuss something that is. But until Aimi spoke, she hadn't really been thinking about discussing anything, not yet anyway. Her mind had simply been on enjoying the rather luxurious ride they had been given.

But as he spoke she opened a single eye and looked at him a moment before opening the other and moving her head back from its resting position to look right at him. "I believe he's the son of one of the Daimyo's generals, and I'm sure we'll get a name when we arrive." she remarked, watching Aimi a moment to see if he'd look at her a moment. "You know, it's going to be hard convincing anyone that you're supposed to be my loyal bodyguard, and best friend, if you keep staring away from me like a child whose cookie I stole." she remarked almost coldly, her vocal tones even and almost without emotion as she spoke.

Unlike what Aimi had seen of the woman in the past, this was actually far more normal for her. Flirting or on mission was the only time she spoke with any sort of emotion or real vocal inflection, as it was all part of her own mental guards against anyone she didn't trust.

Her mind was already wandering ahead on the mission as she considered what was to be done and simply frowned. "I wonder if I could get away with drugging the boy or if I'll actually have to sleep with him..." she remarked almost idly. "I can use the traditional tea ceremony to speak to him and get information from him, while that's going on you can check around the compound, perhaps see if you can get one of the guards talking..."
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[Graded][Plotboard] Lamentable Loss

Post by Golnax » Sun Apr 23, 2017 3:01 pm

Aimi gave a little nod and a grunt as she answered his question. It wasn't entirely unusual for shinobi to be sent on missions with only half information after all. They were shinobi - it was expected that they get what information that they needed on the job. He did take the detail about their target being the son of one of Daimyo's generals, not the Daimyo himself. That narrowed things down, which was helpful, and also would make it easier to get at this kid. Generals were much easier to gain access to than the Daimyo or his personal friends, after all.

Hearing her comment about him being distant, he blinked and looked away from the carriage window over towards her. He hadn't really realized that he was acting any differently towards her specifically, although he immediately knew the reason. He sighed, sat up straight and said, "Sorry. I'm not trying to be cold or anything... it's just these damned clothes!" He reached up and plucked at the kimono he was wearing as someone would pluck at a hair on their shirt; as an annoyance that offended their sensibilities. "They're so stuffy! I'm choked and it's making me grumpy as all get out! I've been in a bad mood ever sense I read the scroll and it specifically said I had to wear something for this mission! Just... UGH!"

Aimi threw his arms over his chest and crossed them, puffing his cheeks out and glaring down at the floor lest Yuri think he was glaring at him. He looked not as a man who walked with grace and without shame as Yuri had seen him before but as a child who was pouting over not getting their way and having to accept that their parents were more powerful than they were. His left eyebrow twitched out of frustrating, a perfect punctuation to his displeasure at being forced to wear such an outfit. He looked back up at Yuri as she mused over whether she'd be able to get away with getting the information they sought without bedding their target. The white haired jounin huffed, right cheek puffed up as he said, "I'm kind of jealous of you. You've got the option of taking your clothes off during this mission!"

An idea hit him then, a possibility that, while remote, he was more than happy to jump on board with. "Hey... do you think this kid's gay? Did your scroll say anything about that? If he is, can I be the companion and you the bodyguard?" he asked, a genuine bit of anticipation in his voice as though he were asking his mother a question that he wasn't sure how she'd answer, but would be endlessly excited if she said yes to!

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[Graded][Plotboard] Lamentable Loss

Post by Willoria » Sun Apr 23, 2017 3:17 pm

If Yuri were truly trying to remain grumpy with the man, it would have been impossible after his little outburst. The female shinobi tried to cover her mouth to stifle a laugh as he started ranting about the clothes, but as he excitedly started to ask about the boy Yuri was to seduce, and if he might possibly be gay, Yuri just simply lost it. The woman burst out in a fit of laughter that was rather uncharacteristic of her in any state of mind, especially a mission state of mind, but she just couldn't help it. Regardless of whether she had misread Aimi and the man was actually bi or pan, or if he was straight and simply that desperate to get out of his stifling clothing, Yuri wasn't sure it mattered. Regardless of the truth behind the situation, she just had to laugh.

Probably to Aimi's disappointment, the woman finally sat up straight and shook her head in answer to his question, having to catch her breath before she could verbally answer it. "No, I'm certain the boy is straight." she informed him, still trying to return to normal. "But tell you what, if I notice anything 'off' during our time I'll be sure to invite you in and take over your role, I'm sure I can sell the change easily if it comes to that." she added, clearing her throat as her vocal tones finally returned to normal and her calm took over again.

"Honestly though, while I'm with the boy trying to gain information, I'm going to need you out mingling with the guards, see if you can catch anything in passing conversation that either gives us information or an individual we can torture for it." The seriousness had returned and she relaxed in her seat, sipping on her drink.
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[Graded][Plotboard] Lamentable Loss

Post by Golnax » Sun Apr 23, 2017 4:06 pm

Aimi glowered at Yuri as she burst out into laughter. On some level, he understood why she was laughing, he just wasn't sure why she was. Had his expression of hatred for clothing amused her? Was it his suggestion that playing the part of the prostitute was the more desirable role on this mission? Perhaps just his eagerness to switch places with her if it meant getting undressed? Whatever the reason was, he certainly didn't mind hearing her laugh. It was a new sound coming from her, and it was pleasant to see her trying to cover her mouth up. He would have broken a smile if he weren't so uncomfortable in his clothes.

Her answer was disappointing and he frowned, his brow furrowing up as he leaned back in his seat and spread his legs in a vain attempt to get comfortable. "Hmph. Figures..." he said grumpily, lamenting in envy that she did indeed have the sole option of being the one to take her clothes off during this mission, meaning that he was trapped in these rags for the duration of their time together. The assurance that if the boy showed signs of being more inclined to the masculine she'd come and get him were little comfort as he was firmly rooted in the belief now that he'd be stuck in this heavy cloth for days!

"Yeah I can do that... might be a hard sell telling people I'm your bodyguard and then leaving to wander off while you're doing your thing," he noted. "I'll try to keep people around my station as much as possible to keep up the image, but if worst comes to worst I'll go mingle myself. Something tells me that the air around this kid is going to be one of 'he's a general's son, so he gets whatever he wants'. Ugh," he groaned, jutting his head back against the wall of the carriage only to wince and pull his head back forward as his ponytail dug into the back of his scalp. He reached back with his left hand and tugged at his hair, letting out a sigh.

"What are we even trying to get out of this kid? My scroll didn't mention anything like that since that's not my part of the mission. It'd be helpful if I knew what to listen out for, you know?" he asked, trying to keep focus on the mission rather than his own comfort.

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[Graded][Plotboard] Lamentable Loss

Post by Willoria » Sun Apr 23, 2017 4:14 pm

Yuri nodded at Aimi's mention that wandering too far away might give away the ruse, after all he was right. But she knew the information was important too... plus truth be told she wasn't exactly excited at the idea of bedding some virgin eighteen year old. In her mind that was the definition of boring, and as much as she used sex to get what she wanted on mission, that didn't mean she necessarily enjoyed it. It was always preferred when she got to choose who was her target for such a tactic, when in this case that target was chosen for her. "Well apparently this general, his father, is plotting against the Daimyo. So really we're looking for any information regarding that." she told him with a bit of a heavy sigh. "Hopefully this man has confided in his son and I can learn something... or maybe one of his guards has over heard something." she added, frowning a bit as she tried to get more comfortable.

But it was hard to get comfortable in her position, despite being the exact opposite of Aimi in this moment. She was wearing far less layers than she was accustomed to, and no undergarments to speak of. It wasn't something she liked to do, and somewhere in the back of her mind she was yet again telling herself that when people tried to insult her when comparing her to a prostitute... she really didn't understand the comparison. "Frankly the kid may know nothing, so at some point I'll probably knock him out so we can go check the home for any sign of this betrayal. Paperwork... something. If this is more than just a rumor there has to be a paper trail of some kind."
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[Graded][Plotboard] Lamentable Loss

Post by Golnax » Sun Apr 23, 2017 4:59 pm

Her reasoning was sound Aimi felt. Something like this, a betrayal of a Daimyo for a likely coup, was definitely going to leave a trail somewhere. Someone had to know about it, or else how did they get their information? There was going to be a paper trail somewhere, be it through letters, paper work, or money of some sort. Their jobs were to find it. Hearing of the actual importance of this mission, the pieces all fell into place in Aimi's mind. He'd been selected as her body guard not as some sort of cosmic joke designed to get him into a monkey suit, but because the mission called for exactly him. Someone like Kuro or Kasai, two other shinobi he'd worked with in the past, wouldn't make the cut. Kuro didn't have the stamina for prolonged combat and preferred to stay in hiding and Kasai had the subtly of a brick smashing a window. The mission needed a shinobi that was both capable in combat should the situation call for it while also be subdued enough that he could play the part and pick up any and all information needed.

Likewise, Yuri had been selected for the mission because of her prowess in deception and information gathering. From what Aimi had gathered about her, this was what she really specialized in. Their training a while back had revealed that she was new to hand to hand combat, so simply breaking into a place ready for a fight wasn't her forte. She opted for the subtle kunoichi route, gathering information through sexual favor and guile, manipulating weak hearted men and boys into situations where they had tied the noose themselves so to speak. For a mission like this, the potential coup of a Daimyo, a Daimyo who likely sent the mission request in in the first place, they were the perfect pair.

"Agreed," Aimi said. "Somebody knows something somewhere. We've gotta get to the bottom of things and find out what so that the village will know best how to proceed. How political..." he lamented, the cart bouncing as he came to a pause as they ran over a bump in the road. Looking over at Yuri, he said, "Somehow, I doubt that daddy's little virgin is going to have much information either... but in my experience, they have more information than you'd think. It'd be dangerous to just knock him out and leave him in his room. If he wakes up, our cover is blown. You'll have to keep him distracted for as long as possible and get whatever you can out of him while I mingle with the other guards. If this is going to happen at this general's house, then his personal friends are likely to be there. If his friends are there, then someone's going to be a confidant. It's just... going to be tricky figuring out who that is..."

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[Graded][Plotboard] Lamentable Loss

Post by Willoria » Sun Apr 23, 2017 5:10 pm

Yuri sighed almost unhappily as Aimi confirmed what had already gone through her mind. "Yeah.... but virgins are so booooring..." she lamented, frowning heavily as she downed the rest of her drink in her hand before setting the glass aside. She didn't pour herself a second for the simple fact that it just wouldn't do for her to show up drunk. She had to maintain the same professionalism a professional companion would. She was completely capable of that professionalism, but somehow she really hated it. After all, planned sex to 'make a boy a man' was so much less fun in her mind than a wild and random romp in an alley. Returning to a more serious demeanor the woman sat up, forcing herself to maintain the practice of simply sitting up straight. If she didn't force herself into it now after all, she felt she might slack on her performance upon arrival.

"I'll start with the traditional tea ceremony." she remarked, tilting her head as she thought about it. "If we're lucky, perhaps daddy dearest will escort him to the room... it angers men like him to see a simple and almost feminine start to an encounter..." she added, obviously talking aloud to talk herself through the process. "Men like him, when they say they want to make their boy a man, feel it has to happen quickly... if I can find a reason to kick him out of the room, he'll be too frustrated to see straight. That'll help your ruse to talk to his guards... he'll either be too distracted or perhaps even leave a couple of his own guards there and that way you won't need to take the risk of walking away."

As if suddenly realizing she was speaking all of this aloud the woman blinked and looked at Aimi. "My apologies... always works best if I can run through this aloud, and get into character sooner." As she had talked her way through it her tone were slowly changing. She was moving away from the course and cold tones of the shinobi, to a smoother speech pattern, something warmer and even welcoming, something a companion would certainly adopt.
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[Graded][Plotboard] Lamentable Loss

Post by Golnax » Sun Apr 23, 2017 5:40 pm

Aimi listened to Yuri speak and noticed the shift in cadence in her voice. It was subtle, more warm than it had been before, and he would have liked to think that it was his little pouting fit before that had made her laugh so that was warming her up. The truth could be seen in the empty sake cup she sat down, though. In the same way that he had to get used to wearing all of this clothing, she was having to get into the character of a companion. Slowly, she was donning the costume of a prostitute to hide her kunoichi roots. The sake was just fertilizer.

"No, it's fine. By all means, talk away," he told her, picking up his wicker hat and rotating it between his hands. Her voice was a nice distraction from the constant full body itch he felt because of his own costume, which was a pleasant surprise. If her getting into character would help him to get into character, that was all the better. After all, he was supposed to be a samurai on this mission. Samurai weren't uncomfortable in their hakama and kimonos after all. The more that he could just... ignore his discomfort, the better. He had until they reached the mainland to become this samurai, and so while she talked aloud to psyche herself up he listened while trying to think from his limited interactions with samurai how he himself should act.

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[Graded][Plotboard] Lamentable Loss

Post by Willoria » Sun Apr 23, 2017 6:05 pm

For a moment Yuri seemed to simply watch Aimi, without saying a word to the man. She seemed to almost randomly choose to lay down on the bench she sat on, laying flat on her back which of course caused every curve of her body to lay just so, and leave Aimi with a few of it as she rest her knees up and the skirt she wore fell to the highest point of her hip, just barely hiding things while exposing so very much. She took a deep breath and exhaled it slow before turning her head and fixing her blue eyes on him again. "A companion and her body guard are supposed to be closer than close..." she remarked, simply staring at him a moment. "But how close? No one ever really knows..."

Another sigh and she turned her gaze upward to stare at the ceiling of their carriage. "Safe to say you've seen every inch of me...." she seemed to speak idly, musing about the entire situation. "But in what state? Only in various stages of undress perhaps? I'm sure at some point I've worn some kind of get up that required a second pair of hands to get into. And who else would I trust to help me than the man who has protected me since my first day in this line of work?"

A grin crossed her lips as she suddenly looked at him again and a playful thought came to mind. "I bet you hate every man I've arranged a date with." she said with a bit of a laugh. "Perhaps a necessity of your job? Hate every man in case you have to kill him, no? I'm sure it makes it easier should you have to kill them." Her knees swayed back and forth in their upright state, wiggling her hips a bit as she did so. "But I'm sure I'll always accuse you of jealousy, regardless of the truth."
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[Graded][Plotboard] Lamentable Loss

Post by Golnax » Sun Apr 23, 2017 6:20 pm

At first he was very confused as to where she was going with her line of dialogue. With her provocative position on her back, the way she looked at him and the words she spoke in that oh so sensual tone, Aimi believed at first that she was coming on to him and perhaps even suggesting that they have sex before they arrived at their destination so as to better sell their companion/bodyguard motif. He thought that perhaps she was trying to subtly suggest that they do it there in the carriage. It wasn't until she spoke of needing help getting dressed did he realize that she was making suggestions for their character rather than they themselves. On the one hand he was somewhat relieved, as the air felt wrong for that sort of spontaneous love making but mainly because he despised the thought of taking off his clothes to do something he enjoyed only to put them back on.

Her little quips and jabs about wanting to kill got him thinking about his role as a samurai and thus his character. It was said that a samurai's sword was tantamount to their soul, and that they treated it with respect and reverence because of this. This lead him to think of Worldslayer, his journey that lead to him getting it, the place that he'd hidden it within the Water Country where no one would find it... if he was to be a samurai, then Worldslayer would no doubt be the sword which held is soul. If such were the case, then it did very much make sense for him to be protective of the woman who his sword was meant to protect. It was just a matter of pretending that his long sword was Worldslayer. He could do that.

He considered telling Yuri about Worldslayer for a moment as he thought back on what she'd said about them supposed to be close. He decided against it, though. Just because he was going to act as though he were wielding the Worldslayer on this mission didn't mean he actually was, and this mission certainly wasn't grounds to discuss such a weapon out in the open. His deadly little secret would remain that way. "Hate is irrelevant," he stated somewhat flatly. "What matters is only that you are treated well and that you are happy." He smiled a bit at Yuri, slowly settling into his character more and more. That was certainly something that a Samurai bodyguard would have said he believed. What's more, perhaps their connection could run deeper than that? Maybe after all these years and all this time, he'd grown fond of the companion Yuri and protected her out a sense of quiet love rather than obligation. If he was going to act defensively towards her on this mission, claiming love could be the ultimate shield.

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[Graded][Plotboard] Lamentable Loss

Post by Willoria » Sun Apr 23, 2017 6:30 pm

Yuri looked at the man as if analyzing him, evaluating the way he spoke those words and how they felt against her ears, against the ears of this persona she had created only moments ago as a part of their mission instructions. "Hm. I'm annoyed by that." she suddenly said, turning to lay on her side now with one hand under her head and her knees folded neatly against one another on the bench, her legs fully exposed as the dress fell to accommodate her movement. "I know the truth in those words." she said, speaking now of the persona she was taking on, and speaking from that woman's point of view. "I have known it for some time I think... and yet you never seem able to simply say it. In private I have tried to get a confession of you, and the most you've ever admitted is that you cared."

She suddenly leaned up, her hands on the bench as she looked him square in the eye. "But I know the truth, and that still matters, even if I am always wishing you would only admit it." Her lips quirked in a hint of a smile as a fairytale played out in her mind. "Perhaps I've been at this just long enough to hate it. Every man I have a date with is simply you in my mind, ever the child wishing you'd whisk me away from this life and away to something else... but never dumb enough to actually admit it." She nodded as if understanding something for the first time and swung her legs off the bench to resume her more lady-like pose with hands neatly folded in her lap.

"I know this is the life I lead and will carry on with... as will you... and I've convinced myself it is enough." She tilted her head to look straight forward, as if straight through the man who sat across from her. "I am a Lady of the Evening after all... I can be no man's devoted wife."
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[Graded][Plotboard] Lamentable Loss

Post by Golnax » Sun Apr 23, 2017 6:48 pm

He was pleased to find that she picked up on the idea he'd had almost as if reading his mind, his single sentence response apparently potent enough to further warp her character into a partnership most believable for this mission. Yes indeed, a secret passion was to be their link as star crossed lovers who could never be so long as they remained in this life, so unfair! So full of woe! So perfect a distraction that unless one of them screwed it up, likely him if he was being honest with himself, they should be in and out without an issue. The possibility that he might give them away by saying something out of character lead to a further change in his persona; the silent samurai.

He let out a grunt and nodded, acknowledging her words with the only that he, as her distant lover, was fit to voice. A man of few words, he was to be her guardian angel and a stoic protector with a wrathful vengeance towards any and all that would do her harm. It was perfect, really, as it allowed him to keep his mouth shut and thus further hide his discomfort in his clothing by eliminating the possibility of an unwanted verbal cue giving him away. Putting the wicker hat on his head, Aimi reached and grabbed onto the hilt of his sword and pulled it from the sheath, having to grab on to the blade in order to remove it completely. He sat the tip of the blade down in front of him between his legs and brought his hands to rest on either side of the crossguard, looking as a sentinel for her to rely on.

"My sword is yours, a scourge on all who would try to separate us," he said simply and to the point, very fitting of his new character. He was tempted to try and say more as the strong silent type wasn't actually who he was, but for the sake of appearances he kept his speech limited. All the same as the carriage suddenly came to a stop, the two of them rocking once from the cut of momentum. Aimi turned from Yuri and looked out the window, seeing the lake that would ferry them from this shore to the next and the mainland. He looked back at Yuri. "We've arrived... madam," he said somewhat hesitantly, trying out the word to see how they both liked it. He himself liked the idea of calling his companion lover something affectionate. It was just a question of what sounded best.

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[Graded][Plotboard] Lamentable Loss

Post by Willoria » Sun Apr 23, 2017 7:02 pm

She watched his silent reaction, smirking a bit as the hold her shown through, proud of how he took to the verbal cues and how he fell into character himself. As he withdrew his sword and rest it tip to the floor and hands on the hilt, the smirk faded to a lovely little smile that fit more the girl she was feigning to be. Moving forward she took a single moment kneeling in front of him and leaned forward. One hand came behind the weapon, resting against his hands as light as a feather, as her head dipped forward and she kissed where blade and hilt met. A certain look in her eyes as she lifted her head and blue eyes fixed on his. "The closest I can ever get." she whispered the innuendo in response to his oath, an oath of her own that fit both gender and line of work almost perfectly.

The cart lurched to a stop as she took her seat once more and eyes flitted to the window to gaze upon the waters as she heard him speak, and she couldn't help the sour pursing of her lips in response. It made her sound old. "Given my line of work I find the word crass and crude." she said quietly before turning to look at him. "I prefer 'my lady', a crossing of my station and the words unspoken." she added before she looked towards the door again and waited, knowing in this role she would never touch the door.

Haruna jumped down from where she sat driving the carriage and came to the door, opening it and inclining her head in a slight bow of respect at the pair within. She did not move at first as she knew it would be Aimi stepping out first, and then Yuri, under the guise of he protecting she. Only as both left did Haruna close the door and almost immediately she could see the difference between the two from the pair that had boarded at the village. Haruna bowed deeply as a man would, keeping her cloak about her and her face hidden in its depths as she said nothing to the two.

Yuri would turn and light a small, albeit sad, smile on Aimi as she reached out to touch his arm and be guided by her guard to the boat, another touch that was likely the closest such a pair would get to their true wishes and desires.
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[Graded][Plotboard] Lamentable Loss

Post by Golnax » Sun Apr 23, 2017 7:20 pm

"As you wish, my lady," Aimi said in response to her concerns just shy of the carriage door opening up. Giving Yuri a final look while they were in the carriage, Aimi stood up in a stooped over position and grabbed a hold of his sword by the handle, stepping out of the carriage and standing up straight with his unsheathed blade at his side. He looked around, as if expecting an attack or a spy to be present somewhere even though he knew full well that, here, there would be no spy. Though they were out of the village, they were still firmly within it's field on immediate influence. There was no reason to be so protective here, but it was good practice for when such actions would be necessary.

Aimi sheathed his long sword and took a step away from the carriage, moving to the side and letting Yuri step out, his left hand resting on the pommel of his sword 'worldslayer'. As their coach driver bowed, he bowed his head in way of giving them a leave of absence, their part in the mission over with now that they had arrived at the dock safely. They were now in the hands of the boatman, who was going to ferry them along where they'd be in their own hands. Looking over at Yuri through the obscuring view of his wicker hat, Aimi held out his left elbow for her to latch on to so that they could walk to the boat together.

As they approached, they were met by an old man with a limp and a cane. Aimi temporarily broke his character to greet the man. "Ah, gutten tag, Captain Ishi," he greeted, speaking out so that the old ferry boat captain would recognize him. He looked at Aimi for a moment, scrutinizing him and his greeting as he understandably didn't quite recognize him. It wasn't until Aimi tilted his head back so that the captain could see his face that he was recognized.

"You look a lot different with clothes on," the captain said. Turning to Yuri, he pointed his cane at her and asked, "Who's your lady friend?"

"Her name's Yuri, my companion on this mission," the jounin replied, getting back into character as he tilted his head back down. The captain let out a little grunt. "Pretty little thing... you'll be helping me paddle the boat and getting her ready," captain Ishi said to Aimi, turning and heading over to where the boat was tied to the dock. Aimi looked over at Yuri and gestured towards the boat with his right hand. "Smoothest paddle boat I've ever been on. Make yourself comfortable while I help get us ready, my lady," he told her, stepping away from Yuri and following the captain.

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[Graded][Plotboard] Lamentable Loss

Post by Willoria » Sun Apr 23, 2017 7:33 pm

At some point in their journey, Yuri had let the grey shawl rest across her shoulders instead of over her head, and this she maintained as they got out of the carriage now. She paused beside Aimi as the man spoke to the boatman, keeping from giving him an odd look as he slipped out of character for the moment. But as the boatman spoke of Yuri, the woman smiled gratefully and even reached out a Henna-tattooed hand to touch him sweetly on the cheek. "Aren't you a gem." she remarked with a sly smirk before retracting her hand and turning to Aimi as she let the captain get to his necessary work, and even Aimi was instructed to join him.

"Thank you, my friend." Yuri replied as Aimi seemed to be slipping into character again and Yuri followed suit. She assumed 'friend' was an adequate term to call her guardian, after all they were so much closer than some sellsword and his employer. She made her way into the boat and sat down, making herself comfortable and once again pulling the shawl up over her head and treating it like a hood. Her blue eyes seemed to sparkle like gems within the darkness of the cloth as she waited for preparations to be complete.

Of course, funny enough, Yuri was not all that fond of boats. It wasn't a fact that would become apparent until they got moving, her left hand suddenly releasing her shawl and snapping onto the bench she sat on to get a grip of it. She let out a slow breath to steady herself and try to hide this little quirk the woman had, though likely failing if either of the men present were watching her closely.
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[Graded][Plotboard] Lamentable Loss

Post by Golnax » Sun Apr 23, 2017 7:44 pm

Aimi made quick work of untying the boat from the dock while the captain boarded his vessel and made ready for them to be off. With the paddle boat untethered, Aimi pushed it off of the dock with both hands before leaping into the back end of it where the seat for the paddles was at. "Get us goin', lad," the captain said, getting behind the wheel of his boat and spinning it hard to the right. Aimi did as he was told and removed his sandals so that he could properly work the paddles, letting the wooden shoes fall down on the floor.

A sigh escaped him as he shuddered, stretching his toes out as far and as wide as he could, rolling his ankles and just letting his feet breath for a moment. This felt so much better to him than those uncomfortable shoes! After he'd gotten used to having the wooden footwear off of his feet, he placed them on the pedals between his legs and started to row the small paddle that was to his right, churning the water up beneath them and giving them forward motion.

Looking over towards Yuri, he noticed that she looked a bit... uncomfortable. "Everything alright?" he asked while he paddles. "Not going to be sick are you?"

"If you are, make your sick in the water. I just polished the boat not long ago," captain Ishi said, leaning his cane up against the side of the small boat as he continued to turn the wheel while Aimi propelled them forward.

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[Graded][Plotboard] Lamentable Loss

Post by Willoria » Sun Apr 23, 2017 7:51 pm

Yuri couldn't help turning her head enough to aim a cold stare at the captain as he made remarks about her getting sick, before turning her gaze back to Aimi. "I'm not going to be sick." she assured him, wiggling her nose and frowning a bit. "Just not fond of boats." she added, realizing the entire thing had made her slip character a bit, however as she thought further on the subject she wasn't sure that was exactly true. Just because she was meant to play the companion, didn't mean that she didn't have quirks of her own. Perhaps she didn't like boats either? Musing over it she steeled herself to use it as an excuse if price was commented on. It wasn't unusual after all for such couplings to cost extra if some part of the journey was more dangerous or simply uncomfortable for the woman.

Taking a deep breath she let it out slow and released the bench beneath her backside, forcing herself to rest her hands in her lap though her body language didn't ease up any. The woman was still quite obviously tense sitting in the boat, but it wasn't the kind of tense an on guard shinobi would be, it really was the tension of a woman who simply didn't like her situation.

Yuri turned her eyes to Aimi, watching him work the pedals with his feet if only because it gave her something else to occupy herself with. In her mind it was like a meditation, focusing on the rhythmic music as everything else fell away and she no longer felt as if she were sitting in the boat. There was no definite place she sat, but she felt more secure and slowly the tension seemed to leak from her body, something that would continue until they arrived at their destination.
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