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 Dueling at the Shrine (Spectre)

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TheDiddler
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TheDiddler


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PostSubject: Dueling at the Shrine (Spectre)    Dueling at the Shrine (Spectre)  EmptyMon Jun 29, 2015 5:44 pm

OOC: Charlie, I wanted to set this up for your character to do some minor development with Kakita Kaiko.


  • Images of Kakita Kaiko found here: Kakita Kaiko and Others
  • The Temple of Lady Doji can be further detailed in Otosan Uchi Book 1 p65 (Let me know if you can't access it on the Dropbox).
  • For story reference, the 7th Hour of the day is the Hour of the Goat or the Hour of Lady Doji and takes up time between 2pm and 4pm.


Every seven days Kakita Kaiko underwent a ritual. Seven days for the seven kami who serve Hantei: Hida, Doji, Togashi, Akodo, Shiba, Bayushi, and Shinjo. Seven was a spiritual number, a number or profound reverence and power. Kaiko went so far as to set aside any work, any meetings, that might take place during the seventh hour of every seventh day so as to fall under the watchful eye of Lady Doji herself.

At this righteous time, Kakita Kaiko set aside the armor of an Emerald Magistrate and her remarkable mempo, tied up her kimono sleeves in the tasuki fashion, and underwent a transformation. The rest of the time she was certain, she was solid. On these days, she allowed the world to renew itself. She allowed herself to accept her ignorance and invite the lessons of experience inside.

For the past few weeks, Kakita Kaiko had begun to share her ritual.

The ronin Spectre stood beside Kaiko, sweat pouring out across their foreheads and inside the tight folds of the kimono. Spectre could feel a puddle building at the small of his back and knew he would have a small rash, just as he had for the past two weeks. He cast a careful glance to Kaiko at his side. He knew before he looked that she would not be as sweaty. The woman's bubble of righteousness protected her from the heat of the late spring sun. Spectre wondered if she would fare so well under the unforgiving light of summer.

"Draw." The word exhaled with a meager expenditure of breath and Spectre drew the iaido strike. Instantly, he recognized half a dozen flaws in his draw, but managed not to allow his consternation show. He knew what was to come.

"Sloppy. Your thumb pressed too tightly to the tsuba. Your wrist bent. You held your breath just as the blade came free. Your strike went high." Kaiko turned and eyed the ronin thoughtfully. "You have raw power and talent. I have told you this a dozen times. You need to learn the finesse that every Kakita is born with and it is nearly impossible to teach."

It had been like this each time. The two would come to the Temple of Lady Doji in the Ochiyo district just south of the Lower Juramashi. They would undergo a prolonged ritual that took up nearly a quarter of the training time. Spectre understood the religious devotion the Kakita felt, but could not quite feel what she felt. They went inside and picked their way carefully through a carpet of white flowers. Spectre had accidentally stepped on a petal the first day earning him a daggerlike glare from one of the younger monks.

Then they came out back. There was a small circle of white hot sand, the same sand that prisoners were forced to kneel into in the Imperial City when accused of a crime. There was a small torii arch, numerous stands for weapons and armor, and a dozen practice swords.

Kaiko had promised to teach Spectre. He had only slowly been able to glean the why.

It didn't help that the woman was a little crazy. On the first day Spectre had seen the zeal in her eyes, the flaring pupils and slight tilt of her head as if she were listening to something he could not hear. She didn't speak of it, not often, but he heard her whispering to herself one day. She spoke of a strange "benefactor" who watched over her every step and had apparently ordered her to teach him.

"We shall take a break for water." Kaiko walked over to the small bucket and took a drink from the ladle. She dipped it again and held it out to the ronin.

"You have been promoted recently to the position of gokenin. You are Lord Metsumoto's tax collector now. How do you find your new position?"


Last edited by TheDiddler on Sat Jul 11, 2015 8:36 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Crae Havok
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PostSubject: Re: Dueling at the Shrine (Spectre)    Dueling at the Shrine (Spectre)  EmptyMon Jul 06, 2015 3:41 pm

"I find it more than odd that in a short span of time, I have gone from prison inmate to gokenin. Enough to make one wonder when the fall is coming.", Spectre said making sure to drench the words in equal parts honey and sarcasism. The words were true to his feelings though. It was odd of him being appointed position to begin with, let alone being promoted. Spectre had already seen the corruption of the district, even tried to help out where he could. At this point however, he had learned that no matter what he did in his position, he could not change the inevitable. He made himself grow a thick skin and even stronger resolve to do what must be done. With each passing week, Spectre had grown more cold and calculating due to this newfound line of work. He secretly wished he could go back to his more simple life of mercenary work in small town militias.
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TheDiddler
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PostSubject: Re: Dueling at the Shrine (Spectre)    Dueling at the Shrine (Spectre)  EmptySat Jul 11, 2015 8:50 pm

Kakita Kaiko listened in attentive silence as Spectre discusses his situation. She pursed her lips as he discussed his personal feelings, the only sign of disapproval. She seemed about to speak, but Spectre saw her glimpse up at the torii arch behind him. Her eyes widened as if in surprise.

Spectre noted the dilated pupils and the sharp intake of breath. He saw decisions being made in her mind. Her entire demeanor shifted. He glanced up and saw a carving of a chrysanthemum in the arch.

"You and I are not so different, ronin." Kaiko pinched her face and sighed. "I apologize. I do not mean to offer insult. I do not know what else to call you."

Kaiko took a single step closer to Spectre and he instantly felt himself on guard. Everything about her was alert, focused, and deadly. He was absolutely positive she would destroy him if it came to a duel so his mind ran through alternatives. The hot sand in her eyes. The garden wall was short, he could leap it in a hurry. She was still talking.

"We each have our allies, however. Do you ever wonder why I chose you to guide and mentor? Do you ever wonder where that letter leading you to the library came from?" Kaiko took another step forward. Spectre wanted to cut her down then and there before she could strike. Her voice had dropped to a husky tone. Her eyes were totally unfocused as if she were intent on some vision only she could see.

"Your skill has attracted the attention of a Great Benefactor. My Benefactor." Kaiko's hand came up to rest gently on Spectre's shoulder. Suddenly, the situation changed. He was wary, but for an entirely separate reason.

She was trying to seduce him.

Kaiko's eyes remained unfocused. She looked not AT Spectre, but instead THROUGH him. She was pretending that he was someone else.

"Our Benefactor," she continued in that husky, false tone, "sees potential in you and though I do not...I will not refuse someone of his towering status. You cannot refuse him either, not after he has done so much for us both. He has ordered me to teach you. And," her cheek slid across his, her heat on his skin, and she whispered into his ear, "I am to give you anything you desire in order to keep you happy."

His body responded to Kaiko's attentions, but his mind was full of alarm. This righteous duelist was throwing herself at him. A trained Kenshinzen, righteous in her honor and attention to skill. She would not be doing this unless she so fully believed in this Benefactor that she would give to him anything.

Spectre's eyes flashed back to the torii arch, to the Chrysanthemum.

From over Kaiko's shoulder Spectre saw Ichita, his would be lieutenant, standing with arms folded. A smirk plastered across his features, Ichita simply observed the woman's fumbling attempts at seduction.
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Crae Havok
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PostSubject: Re: Dueling at the Shrine (Spectre)    Dueling at the Shrine (Spectre)  EmptyMon Jul 13, 2015 9:51 am

"What I want and what I need are not the same as what would make me happy." Spectre carefully considered his words, but couldn't keep from being a little provoking. Spectre knew even if he traveled down this path she was leading to, a few moments of pleasure would translate into alot more pain in practice. The feelings she was trying her best to show for him, were arranged for and not her own.

"I want to be the best. I need to train, and as much as I am going to regret saying this, I need to train hard. Please trust me when I say that I would love to take advantage of your advance, but I do not believe that it is coming from your heart. Do not cheapen yourself for our Benefactor on my account, as I am sure he has taken much more from you already. Let us take a moment and grab another drink, then we can get back to the ebb and flow of our relationship. Me checking you out and saying nothing, you checking me out and criticizing everything about me."
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TheDiddler
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PostSubject: Re: Dueling at the Shrine (Spectre)    Dueling at the Shrine (Spectre)  EmptyTue Jul 14, 2015 11:01 pm

Spectre moved backwards and away. He turned his back on her as he regained his sword.  He could feel her eyes locked onto him. Boring into his soul.

When he turned around she stood like a statue, her eyes locked on him. She blinked once. Twice. A long breath pause in between each. A third time and Spectre began to feel the disquiet turn to a hint of danger.

After the fourth, she turned abruptly and walked across the hot sands. She sat on a stone bench and undid the laces of her sandals. She removed her heavy tabi socks. She picked up her sword and put it back in its place at her side. She lifted the sparkling green mempo of an Emerald Magistrate and stood.

On bare feet she walked across the white hot sand. Spectre winced inwardly as she stopped in the center and imagined the searing pain. Her eyes locked on the chrysanthemum once more. Even as she spoke Spectre could see beads of sweat form on her forehead. She resisted the pain with the power of righteous dedication and unswerving loyalty.

"You are right, ronin. We should be practicing the sword. My order was to offer, not to force. If you will not have me, I cannot make you. Your dedication to training makes me think that you might be suitable clay for our Benefactor to shape," her voice paused, eyes shifted back to Spectre, "though you do still require polishing. I do not yet think you are there. I do not yet think you are ready for Him."

Spectre saw her gaze shift again. He could not help but look over his shoulder.

There, at the back of the Temple to Lady Doji, was a simple shrine. It was the same shrine to be found in each of the Temples of the Kami.

It was the shrine to Hantei himself.

It dawned on him them. Her words. Her fervor. Her dedication. Her belief in doing anything for her Benefactor.

When Spectre turned back to Kakita Kaiko, his eyes locked onto the chrysanthemum symbol over her own kimono. The symbol of the Emerald Champion.

The symbol of the Hantei.

She believed her benefactor to be none other than the Hantei Emperor himself.

Our Benefactor, Spectre remembered. Not just hers.
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