Noriaki, for those times when I cannot instruct you in person, read these missives. They will impart the wisdom I share with you and will allow you to refer to them whenever you feel the need to do so. Today, we talked about the code of honor, the bushido, but there's one part of it I have yet to inform you of. We spoke of not wasting valuable time or resources, we spoke of loyalty - and loyalty is perhaps the most important thing you possess, and we spoke of the wisdom in addition to the violence we samurai inflict. You need to know the last, the other aspect of bushido. There is a belief in the way of the samurai, honour unto death. One day, when you have improved, one day when you are ready to adopt the way, you will understand what that means. But know that dying with honor is not the same as throwing your life away. Choose your battles. Choose your path. Only a fool undertakes danger willingly. You are many things, Noriaki, a fool is not one of them. When next we meet I will instruct you on more martial techniques, and you can share your latest poetry. I look forward to both. - Mifune
-Mifune's Missives to Okamato
Noriaki Okamoto, she of silvery hair, rolled the scroll, bound it with material, and placed it inside of the pouch hanging on the right side of her body, hanging from her waist. Reading those old things always managed to get her smiling, one full of sorrow, but perhaps the most honest and genuine emotion the woman had known. It used to be she got teary reading them. Now she only comes close to breaking down. A deep breath and Noriaki stood up from the table she had been seated at - a small rented room in an inn had been her home the night previous. Though it was early yet - far too early for any trouble to be made - Noriaki was already in her attire. A deep blue, but comfortably light, set of armor. Others might have gone for form and function and bulk, but Noriaki opted instead to go for armor that hugged her figure considerably, making careful not to show off her lack of armor from her neck down to the generous amount of cleavage before the breastplate began proper
Said armor, combined with a healthy amount of drink and embellished tales and possible some exchanged money, contributed to the slumbering body in the futon on the floor. Stretching her arms and stifling a yawn so as not to wake the sleeping body, Noriaki stepped towards the door leading out into the inn proper, but not before grabbing the two blades resting against the corner. Both of the blades were in blue sheathes. The larger blade, an uchigatana, had a dark blue hilt, while the smaller, a wakizashi, had a red hilt. Noriaki affixed the blades to her waist, on the left side of her body. Silently, despite her armored feet, Noriaki approached the futon and leaned down, planting a parting kiss onto the soft cheek of her previous night's companion. It was doubtful they'd meet again, and Noriaki had already forgotten the name, had forgotten in the middle of the act in fact.
She stepped out of the room, greeting the workers and stepped outside onto the streets of Kyoto. The city would not have been her first choice in destination, but when the Emperor posts notices throughout the country calling specifically of women of her ilk, you don't turn it down.
And it was because of that that Noriaki found herself standing amongst other women, most of them looking formidable. Sniffing alcohol on at least one of them,and giving a knowing, approving nod as she did so. Her eyes wandered, first to a girl who looked like she got lost on the way to a prayer ceremony at a shrine, then to a rather voluptuous red haired woman, and already her head was buzzing with prose, with concepts and ideas for a poem or three, just on the hair alone. The body could fill another five or so poems. Her gaze did wander, and even linger, on the other warriors, a smirk on the corner of her lips.
The smirk was then smacked away as she was not selected among the group while five others were, the shrine maiden among them.
"Hey!" Noriaki spoke up, stepping forward despite having been passed up or perhaps ignored, "You're forgetting someone. Me! Surely you've heard of me, and if not, surely you've heard of my exploits. Sure, those five look formidable, well four of them anyway, and sure they reek of blood, alcohol, and just absolutely radiate beauty," at this, Noriaki gave a wink towards the five who had been chosen to step forward, "But what they don't have is experience. And there's not a soul alive who has more experience than me. So, how about you and your equally as beautiful brother reassess your assets, Princess?"
Noriaki let her words sink in for a moment, as she grinned from ear to ear.
It was certainly a way to get noticed. Maybe not a good way, but one way.
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