[It's the day after the huge mess which resulted in Akira Hoshimoto being killed. The city is currently recovering from the attack, so Nakoto has been scarce. Tairan's currently resting up - it's never been made entirely clear how he's being recieved yet, but nobody's tried to kill him and he's been treated with a fair amount of respect, so it's all good.] [He's in the room designated for him, doing whatever it is he's doing. The medics did say moving around too much wouldn't be a good idea in his condition. But they're medics.] [Recovery Mini Start!] ... I really gotta stop getting my ass kicked. Ow. * Tairan adjusts his position as he lays, sitting up, in bed. His shoulder torso are heavily bandaged, and various other bumps and bruises from his recent fights are showing. Because of all the bandages, he's currently shirtless, wearing just his normal pants. [For the record, the room's a fairly simple one, but good-sized and furnished. Can't complain, considering.] ... s'the part I always hated. The getting hurt part ain't so bad... it's the damn recovery time that sucks. * Tairan pauses for a moment. "Screw the medics. If I don't get up and at least walk around the room a bit, I'm gonna go nuts. More nuts. Nutser? Somethin' like that." * Tairan gingerly turns and lets his feet fall to the floor and then, bracing himself on the bed, tries to push himself to his feet. After a few moments of heavy wincing, he manages to do so, although he's a bit wobbly. "I really hate torso wounds..." [Perception roll! Hearing, -2.] 2d6-4 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Tairan (2d6-4) and gets 7. (Give me another one, this one sight at -2.) 2d6-4 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Tairan (2d6-4) and gets 8, a CRITICAL FAILURE!!! "I hate being random." ( ... ) ( Hadn't had a crit fail in a while. S'nice to see Dicey hasn't changed too much. ) [Tairan's head implodes! Just kidding] * Tairan looks around the room a bit. "Least they put me up in a decent room... the cell I was in the last time I was here wouldn't have been too good for resting." ... wonder where they have the others. ... prolly depends. If Millie keeps quiet, they'll prolly get a decent room. If she starts yapping... torture room. Definately the torture room. [Tairan sees: room! And then he's thwapped lightly on the back of the head. "They're not in any torture room," a female voice offers helpfully. ( This mini is devoted entirely to Tairan's monologue. ) (I was considering that.) * Tairan stumbles foward a bit, wincing, then turns around. "The heck?" [Right next to you is... Tamiko, wearing a rich blue kimono, sandals, and all. She looks faintly amused. "You must be getting soft."] ( The kimono owns stock in the train industry. ) (Yup! Mweh heh.) * Tairan blinks, and his eyes narrow slightly. His posture also changes, from "Ow! My ribs!" to "Ow! My rib- it's you...". "S'possible. Let myself get hit with my own sword's magical ability." And I seem to be getting beat on a bit too often. ... so. I guess you heard about what went down? * Tamiko sighs and holds her hands open to him. "Look. I just want to talk. No weapons... you could likely defeat me even in your state. Kimonos are impossible to run in." * Tamiko nods. "Enough." Her voice quiets. "Likely not the whole story. Perhaps not the truth." ... weapons? *shakes his head* Cripes, Tamiko. You really think I'd try'n stab ya or somethin'? Thought ya knew me better'n that. ... 'course, I thought I knew ya better, too. So guess that makes us kinda even in that regard. * Tamiko sighs. As for last night... want the full version, or the highlights? And perhaps I was... pick the one you prefer. * Tairan shrugs. "Highlights then. After Daigoro... well, knocked me out, we continue lookin' for my employer, since she's the one that wants her stuff back. We find out from some travelers that she was taken by Hoshimoto troops, back here. So the others decide ta come here, posin' as a diplomatic party, asking about her." * Tamiko nods. ... rest of us were just hangin' out when we realized that the plan was pretty much doomed from the start, given... well, given the people in the group. So me'n the two Teckian guys... John'n Jinx... snuck in through the west gate, set off some dynamite near the wall to create a distraction, get all the troops rushing over there... then we made for the jails. * Tamiko winces. "So that was the reason for the panic. I had suspected, but..." ... yeah. Wasn't crazy about it, but the only way we could get in was to do something that'd get all the troops away from the castle. Seemed like the best way. Made sure nobody was in the blast radius, then we ran. Few were hurt, at least. Right. Worked pretty well, too. Only ran into a coupla guards at the castle gates. Got past 'em, and we were about to go into the jail when Nakoto nearly squashed me throwing the doors open. * Tamiko chuckles despite herself. ... yeah, woulda been a great way to go. Anyway, I run into Nakoto, we talk, he decides he's gonna help me'n my friends get outta there, as one last favor to his former brother. So we find my friends, who by this point have managed to start a brawl with Aki and his ninjas... *muttermutter* Well, they are... eager. Much like you, come to think of it. More like borderline psychotic, for some of them, but yeah. Me'n Nakoto break up the fight, go to get everyone's stuff, and we're about to get the hell outta here when the old man walks up. * Tamiko nods, paying close attention to the story. From there, it goes pretty much like you'd expect. Old man rails against the foul betrayal by two of his sons, calls me an honorless dog, we banter for a bit... then he attacks the whole lot of us. He is... was damn good... hit me clean in the shoulder, and damn near skewered me with the earth spike attack from my katana. In the end, though... he attacked the whole lot of us. Arrogant ass never stood a chance. And now you're here. Pretty much. *pauses* So my travelling mates haven't talked their ways into a death sentance yet? I don't know. I didn't come here to see them. But I haven't heard any gossip about executions tonight, if that helps. * Tamiko starts pacing, slightly, her sandals surprisingly quiet on the floor. She suddenly looks a bit more nervous than before. ... good. They're good people mostly... but lord, they don't know when ta shut up. * Tairan eyes Tamiko. "You always start pacing when you're nervous." And here I thought I'd broken that habit. * Tamiko keeps pacing anyway. Nope. Least y'aren't chewing on the ends of your hair anymore. * Tamiko looks almost cross. "It was better than you biting your knuckles. Or popping your back. That was disgusting, you know." * Tairan grins slightly. "Yeah, I know." * Tamiko shakes her finger at him. "And you did it because it was disgusting! You thought it was funny. Men." * Tairan shrugs. "What can I say? You were cute when you were outraged." * Tamiko folds her arms and hmphs. ... so why'dja turn me in? * Tamiko blinks. "Turn you in?" * Tairan turns around, points to the Shomuran Mark of Shame branded between his shoulderblades, then turns back. I... know about that. I wasn't there to see you off, though. They wouldn't let me. 'They'? * Tamiko looks faintly upset. "Kept me too busy. Lord Hoshimoto's orders, I discovered later. I hated your father." * Tairan spits (NOT LITERALLY. JUST THE SPITTING SOUND!). "Figures. Always comes back to him, don't it?" I didn't... 'turn you in', either. I was upset, but you should know I wouldn't do that. * Tamiko tries to keep her voice even, but some hurt shows through. "Though that explains a lot." * Tairan raises an eyebrow. He looks doubtful. "Then who the hell did? I knew all the guys in my hunting party, and none of 'em ever said a word about my... more unorthodox tactics." * Tamiko shakes her head. "I don't know?" She looks away. "You grew up in a lord's home, Tairan. You are- were- a lord's son." You should know more about politics than this. Even if bound to say the truth... * Tamiko shrugs. So? Everyone knew how much I hated the old man. I wasn't one of those commanders who treated the guys like trash... I did everything I could ta keep 'em alive, in one piece, and happy. Why would they stab me in the back when I was doin' so much for them? * Tamiko sounds more than a little bitter now. "Because a lot of the time, loyalties are bought." She fingers her sleeve. "I never did like these things." ... you sayin' one of my guys sold me out? What do you think? Or maybe I sold you out. It's hard to tell, isn't it. * Tairan scowls. "... I ain't in the mood for bullshit, Tamiko." * Tamiko snaps, "I'm not *giving* you any of this bullshit, Tairan! I'm just telling you that the world isn't that simple, and maybe you were wrong!" ( Nah. PCs are never wrong :P ) Have you ever thought of that? No, of course you haven't! You're too caught up in what you can see and touch. One part of honor seems to betray you, so you toss it all away, when it was your father who was the most honorless among us! (Of course they're not! They're the main cast. *nod*) * Tairan seems like he's ready to snap back at Tamiko, then pauses for a moment and slumps back down onto his bed, rubbing his temples. I always knew the old man was honorless. Why d'ya think I never bought into his idea of honor? 'cause it was a load of crap. ( Tairan gets a headache and dies ) * Tamiko folds her arms, glaring down at Tairan. "It's not a 'load of crap'. It never was." Don't like people makin' rules, telling me I gotta follow them or else I'm being 'dishonorable'. I don't need anyone ta tell me right from wrong. ... well, usually. Lord Hoshimoto tried to use it to control you, but that's not what honor is. It never was. * Tamiko seems to deflate, letting out a sigh. "You were always too stubborn for your own good. Stupid." * Tairan looks back up at Tamiko, unconsciously pulling out the ol' rakish grin mentioned in his background. "s'part of my charm." * Tamiko eyes him, gives the tiniest smile, then stops herself. "Do you understand, at least?" ... almost. * Tairan shakes his head. "I believe ya that you didn't turn me in. But if it wasn't you... I was in jail for almost a year. Why didn't you ever come see me? Why didja ignore everyone I sent to try'n talk to you?" I didn't get any messages. * Tamiko starts pacing, again. "I wanted to see you. I wasn't allowed. And I was sent on assignment almost constantly." ( That and the jail was cursed. ) No messages? Cripes, I musta sent people ten, twenty times to try'n talk to ya. *pauses; slumps back on the bed* The hell's been goin' on? (He was giving messages to ghosts!) * Tamiko shrugs. "I don't know. I really don't." There's a pause. "I'm sorry. Maybe if I tried harder..." ... s'okay. Someone was putting in a lotta hours to make all of this go down, and they obviously wanted me to think you were the one who turned me in, and wanted me hating you. * Tairan runs his hands through his hair. "Did a pretty damn good job, too." * Tamiko looks over at him. "How better to ruin your life?" * Tairan nods. "Take away everythin' I cared about..." ... oh, someone's gonna get an ass kicking for this. He probably already did. * Tairan deflates in mid-bravado. "... someone besides the old man." * Tamiko nods. "Untangling something like this will take time," she says, regrettably. "And we have very little proof. So chances are, they did get away." * Tairan shakes his head. "Only the people in the hunting party saw me use the gun. So one of 'em had to be the one to start it off..." * Tairan pushes himself up from the bed with obvious difficulty, and starts, with even greater difficulty, pulling on his shirt. Stop. Stop, Tairan. * Tamiko puts her hand on his and tries to take the shirt from him. "You're not going anywhere." * Tairan lets Tamiko have the shirt, then hobbles over to his weapon belt and starts putting it on. "I'll do it shirtless if I hafta." * Tamiko doesn't bother taking that from him. "And what are you going to do?" Limp around, looking for your old company, asking if they betrayed you? ... I was thinking of hobbling instead of limping, but yeah, pretty much. *fastens belt* One of those guys... one of the guys whose lives I saved I dunno how many times... stabbed me in the back. 'cause of them, I was nearly excecuted, exiled, forced to leave everything I knew... And then what? Even assuming whoever it is tells you the truth - which he or she won't - *then* what? You're in no condition to fight. Think for once. * Tairan is getting angrier and angrier as he goes on. He doesn't even seem to notice Tamiko's still in the room. "One of those damn guys tried ta ruin my freaking life! And tried ta convince me that the girl I loved was the one ta blame, to boot..." * Tairan falls silent for a moment, head bowed, then sighs and slumps down into a nearby chair. * Tamiko watches him, almost sadly. "Things aren't that simple. They never were." ( Suddenly someone comes down the hall, and sighs. "Damn, I wish my plan to ruin Tairan's life had worked..." ) (*cracks up*) ... s'why I never took to all the politics stuff that Nakoto deals with. The fight's simple. You hit them, they hit you, whoever falls down first loses. Rest of life... * Tairan sighs. "Woulda been nice if whoever was gunning for me besides the old bastard woulda just tried to hit me with a big stick or somethin'." ( He did! :P ) ( Aside from the brothers C/K/Ch/Ck/Q/Cthulub. =P ) * Tairan forces himself back up, and leaves his weapon belt on the chair. Turning back to Tamiko, he rubs at the back of his neck with his good arm. "... so what now?" * Tamiko shrugs. "I don't know, Tairan." She shakes her head. "I just... wanted to talk to you. Before you leave again, at least." Not gonna be leavin' quite yet. I've still got a big hole in my torso where there ain't supposed to be one, and I know at least a couple of my friends aren't in much better condition. * Tairan chuckles lightly. "Plus, I still gotta have a talk with big bro." * Tamiko smiles faintly. "Perhaps I'll see you again, then. But I think I may be out of time." Out of huh? Daigoro's waiting for me, and you need your rest. * Tairan blinks. "Another patrol?" No, not a patrol. Not this time. * Tamiko steps over him and gives him a light kiss on the cheek. "I'm sorry, Tairan." * Tairan blinks, then blushes. "Then what? Trainin'? Meeting with the higher- ups?" None of that. * Tamiko squeezes his shoulder, but not in a place that'll aggravate injuries. "Think. Things aren't the way they used to be." And she turns, opening the door quickly and walking off before he can say another word. * Tairan pauses to think about that for a moment. Then takes another moment. And another. And then calmly takes out Mikoto's sword and starts hacking the chair to pieces. [End Minisession.]