Owari Rumble [Kenji/Open]

[Amakusa Takehiro]

Takehiro's first time in Owari was extremely awkward, having begun and ended with a strange opium trip. His second time there, he'd been training with the Oda army, and in just a few days since he was training as a mercenary, he came back bearing the Mon of his own clan. Sure, it meant he wouldn't have fallen in with the Oda as he'd initially planned, but being a ruler was cool too. And so he found himself in Owari, initially with the goal of talking diplomacy with Lord Nobunaga.

Having been told Nobunaga was out for some reason, Takehiro took to the markets to get a better feel for the place, making sure to have his helmet off, so as to not terrify the residents. It seemed that, in the middle of the market, a traveling group of performers had set up a stage, so it was jam-packed. There were guys on stage fighting each other, and they somehow inspired guys in the crowd to start fighting each other, and it pretty much ended up as a, uh... rumble in Owari.

[Miyamoto Kenji]

While it wasn't Kenji's first time in Owari, it had been a good while since he last passed through. This time, though, was strictly on business; the Mogami had sent him to support the Oda against the oncoming of the Imagawa... 'Support', huh? One man wasn't exactly much in the way of support, for he was no Lu Bu or Guan Yu, but Kenji surmised that the Mogami daimyo simply wished for the Oda to feel that they had allies. Getting a foot in the door, so to speak.

He spent most of the first day in the markets, wandering around to stretch his legs - Aoko was stabled by this time - and see how the place had changed. In his aimless travelling, he came across a stage where performers were mock-fighting to entertain a crowd of people. Kenji slipped into the rear of the crowd so that he could leave if desired, and observed for a while. After some time, the performers began coaxing and inspiring those gathered to similarly fight with eachother, which had a ripple effect throughout the crowd and sparked a big brawl.

Now, Kenji could have left by this point, not having a taste for random violence... But this fight, if kept in check with minimal lasting injuries, was ultimately just good fun between strangers and locals. He had no problem with that, and frankly, it could do wonders for his endurance or strength to go fist-to-fist with this many people. As the fighting started to break out toward his end of the crowd, Kenji eagerly awaited the first punch to be thrown in his direction, ready to rock.

[Amakusa Takehiro]

As the fights broke out, one of the men in the crowd thought it would be a great idea to punch Takehiro in the face. As that fist met his cheek, the man turned his head to the side, grunting in pain when he realized he'd left his helmet back at home. That means it hurt just as bad as it should of. That meant he just got decked in the jaw, full-force.

Usually one for rumbles, Takehiro would have gotten involved himself if he wasn't trying to keep things civil for issues of diplomacy. But, never, in a rumble, did he meet a guy who just threw face shots. Generally, people aimed for the chest or the arm, somewhere that wouldn't hurt too bad. So, Takehiro got a little pissed.

The Daimyo removed his gauntlet from his hand - didn't want to kill the guy - and sent a powerful punch into his stomach, which propelled the man into the crowd and caused him to slam into a good deal of people. In fact, he went so far that he would no longer even be part of the crowd! The man, seemingly drunk, stood to his feet and threw up a little, before beginning to wail on the first person he saw. In this case, that person happened to be Kenji.

[Miyamoto Kenji]

Kenji's opportunity to join the brawl came in the form of a bumbling drunkard, a fresh drop of vomit hanging off of his chin as he swung at the merc. Ducking aside a wild haymaker, he rushed in low to strike the man's ribs, then rose with a hard uppercut that collided with his chin. The combo attack disoriented and knocked back the already-unsteady brawler, and he harmlessly fell back, disappearing amidst the sea of bodies.

It wasn't long until Kenji's next opponent made themselves known, throwing a straight for his chest. He grunted and stepped back from the force of the attack, but did not let it stop his retaliation, stepping in with a low fist for the man's gut that caught him off-guard. Using his momentum, Kenji moved in and grabbed the man's shoulders, hauling him into a knee strike meant to bash his solar plexus. He was rendered breathless and sputtered, the shugyosha following with an elbow strike across the stranger's cheek. This did the trick, sending the man into another's back, who in turn stumbled into Takehiro's striking range.

[Amakusa Takehiro]

As the man stumbled into Takehiro's direction, the Daimyo simply held out his palm, and he stopped upon reaching it. He pulled his head away, angrily, and sent a right jab for Takehiro's face. He responded by taking a step back, and then slamming his foot into the man's stomach. The force was enough that he would be barreling back in Kenji's direction.

"Why the hell is it that every time I come to Owari, there's weird shit going on?"

It got to the point that the crowd was so involved in its own rumble that the stage performers disappeared! They themselves were part of the crowd, now, and they were using the chaos to pick the pockets of drunk and wild men. One of the performers bumped into Kenji, with the intent of stealing any coin he had on him.

[Miyamoto Kenji]

Kenji reflexively bashed the man in the forehead with the back of his fist as he barrelled over, sending his body twirling off to one side. It seemed like this crowd was truly getting insane, but there didn't seem to be any blood yet, so that was good. Just an old-fashioned brawl between guys.

And then he felt someone bump him and reach into his haori.

The mercenary was no great fan of theft, whether of his own belongings or of another's. He knew this wasn't some drunkard who happened to have his hand slip inside; he was about to be pickpocketed. Kenji turned with the man, his coinpurse very timely being pulled away from the pickpocket's hand with his motion, and proceeded to hammer the man's temple with a heavy strike. As he began to follow with another attack, he recognized the man's face as being one of the performers, which prompted Kenji to put two and two together: the bastards had used this as one big diversion to make off with peoples' money!

He would not stand for this. Not for petty theft.

Kenji snatched the man's robe and yanked him into a straight punch that rammed into his nose, quite possibly breaking it. The performer yelped in obvious pain and went limp in his grip before the merc threw him roughly to the ground, then cupped a hand to his mouth while slipping the other into his robe to guard his coinpurse, yelling for any coherent brawlers to hear, "The stage performers are picking your pockets!"

[Amakusa Takehiro]

As soon as the announcement was made that the performers were stealing from the people, Takehiro was enraged. His eyes scanned the crowd, and upon spotting another of the performers, he would act. The Daimyo leaped high into the air - like, UNREASONABLY high - and landed on top of the performer he spotted, pinning the man on the ground. Angered by their acts, Takehiro would also slam a heavy fist down into the man's cheek, knocking him out.

"That is the type of game you play, is it? Riling up your spectators so you might steal from them?!"

Takehiro was literally speeding through the crowd, tackling all of the performers to the ground. Kenji's announcement made the man a beast!

[Miyamoto Kenji]

(( Note: Since Takehiro's rise is still very recent and Kenji hasn't been in this part of the country for a while, Takehiro would presumably be unknown to him aside from hearing the guy's name in Owari. Fair's fair, right? ))

To be frank, Kenji was dumbfounded at how fast and mighty this unknown man was. He stepped back through the crowd and watched the ridiculous action of this veritable tiger of a fighter. It was clear that his morality was similar to the mercenary's, at least, so that was something worth keeping in mind if he found himself in need of a good friend in Owari.

Remembering that he was still in an active brawl, and a little put off by almost having his hard-earned cash stolen, Kenji ducked and weaved around wild fists and random kicks as he retreated from the flock. In short time, he successfully came out from where he'd entered, continuing to observe the enraged man with keen interest.

[Amakusa Takehiro]

[OoC: Yeah, I don't expect people to know Takehiro's name for a while.]

It wouldn't take long for people to become discouraged after seeing Takehiro's ferocity. Any man who threw a punch his way ended up floored in a matter of seconds, though he wasn't a total dick about it. He made sure to incapacitate the performers first, and any civilians he knocked out would be left with their coin purses. Takehiro made sure to give everyone their money back after the fiasco, though he still looked like a beast. It's good he wasn't wearing his helmet, at least.

"You!" His finger fell to the man who had announced the performers were thieves. The crowd gasped, afraid this man, too, would be pummeled into the ground. "You're a good man! How 'bout I treat you to some sake and a meal?"

[Miyamoto Kenji]

"Huh?" Kenji was caught by surprise. First the man goes wild on the nefarious performers, then offers him a drink and food? A curious fellow indeed. It was worth seeing where this rabbit hole went, so he decided to dive in, offering a brief smile and nod. "Certainly, if you're offering. I could use a round after this scrap."

[Amakusa Takehiro]

"Great!" the Daimyo chirped, walking up to the man with a smile. A kind but firm hand would fall onto the man's shoulder, unless he preferred not to be touched. Takehiro was just trying to be friendly. "The name's Amakusa Takehiro, friend."

Before too much conversation was made, Takehiro would lead the man into a tavern. Once seated, Takehiro would hail one of the workers over. "A round of sake for the two of us, please. I'll take whatever you're currently cookin' up. And he'll have, uh..." And that was the man's cue to speak up! Once they were all settled, he would make some idle conversation.

"You don't seem to be as strange as the people I typically encounter here," and he had encountered a LOT of weird people in Owari. "You not from around here, I'm guessing?"

[Miyamoto Kenji]

Kenji did not shirk from being touched, so long as this Takehiro was not intent on swiping his coinpurse as well. Given his blatant moral scale, however, he was confident that that wasn't the idea. So he went along with the man to the tavern, and upon being cued to order, he similarly requested, "Likewise, please." He decided to be reasonable and not take advantage of Takehiro's goodwill by having the same thing, presumably a less than expensive meal.

Once the two were sat and comfy, he listened to the man's claim that Kenji was not like those in Owari. Kenji chuckled at the notion, then nodded in regards to his question. "You're right. I'm born of Harima province, but relocated to Dewa some months ago. Before that, I pursued musha-shugyo... What about you, Takehiro-san?"

[Amakusa Takehiro]

The lack of a name was noted. It was not held in contempt, of course, though little details like that were always held in his mind naturally. He did listen as any other man would, however. It was interesting to hear about other peoples' stories, no matter how they put them.

"Dewa? Aren't there like, four lords in that area?" Mogami, Ashina, Date, Akita... no, four. "I, myself, am from Sagami. I used to serve as a general under the Hojo, but yada, yada, yada, no longer part of that. I'm a man of Totomi, now. Nice little place." He smiled, not having addressed his status. "What makes you come to Owari, if I may ask?"

[Miyamoto Kenji]

"I'm on contract with the Mogami," Kenji explained. He stopped for a few moments as a barmaid came by with a jug of sake and two cups, one for each warrior. The merc smiled and thanked her, then gestured for Takehiro to pour for himself first, as he was the gracious host in this scenario. With that, he continued on, "I am to meld with the Oda ranks and fight the oncoming Imagawa. I'm sure it's some extension of goodwill on the part of Mogami Yoshimori... What a gift it is, too, sending one man." He offered a wry grin to compliment his sarcasm, pouring his own drink after Takehiro, or pouring first if his new acquaintance declined the earlier gesture.

Kenji's smile shifted to a more polite, friendly one as he settled back in his seat with the drink in hand. "Forgive me, I've yet to introduce myself whereas you already had. My name is Miyamoto Kenji."

[Amakusa Takehiro]

"Well, depends how you look at it! One man could mean a lot, you know," the man smiled, allowing Kenji to pour his cup first. "Circumstance does apply, however. I, too, am here for diplomatic reasons. I seek an alliance with the Oda." He figured that it was not random to bring up, considering Kenji's own reason for being here. The people of Totomi were currently caught in a battle that wasn't theirs, and it would certainly do to gain favor with one of the forces on either side.

Takehiro took a sip from his cup just as the food was brought over. Steamed... fish. Some kind of fish. "I was training with the Oda but a week ago as a mercenary for the battle to come. Though, now I offer them an army." A smiled crossed his lips as he took a bite from his food. "That sounds weird. "I offer them an army.""

[Miyamoto Kenji]

"You'd best hope that someone doesn't offer the Imagawa a giant." Kenji laughed, setting into his fish for a few bites and washing it down with sake. This Takehiro had revealed himself to be a newly-risen daimyo, from what he understood. That should mean paying him proper respect, but since the man sitting across from him seemed to prefer speaking and acting casually, so too would Kenji. It was only fair.

"In any case, I would imagine it's strange for anyone to suddenly gain such power, and immediately set about using it. I personally don't know if I would be a good daimyo, but I have never had the opportunity to see." He shrugged, speaking honestly. Frankly, Kenji didn't even know if he would take such a chance, though if it could help his fellow man and woman, he just might.

[Amakusa Takehiro]

"I'll fear a giant when I can meet one who can best me," Takehiro returned with a chuckle. He wasn't boasting intentionally, but he believed himself to be one of the strongest men in the country. A little bit of height wasn't something he'd fear, unless the person was stronger than him in a ratio proportionate to the height difference. A man like that could... move mountains!

Taking a bite of his fish, Takehiro would shrug. He couldn't properly assess the man, but from what he knew, he had a good sense of morals. "No one really gets a test run for something like leading a fief. I don't even know if I'm making the right choices. But, if people look at you with hope and gratitude rather than fear and hatred, you'll know you've done something right. If you ever get about trying the Daimyo game for yourself, that is," he would smile. Becoming a Daimyo was like a fad these days.

[Miyamoto Kenji]

"I think I understand... I'm sure you'll turn out to be an admirable Daimyo then, Takehiro-san." Kenji offered his new friend a smile and nod, then continued to chow down on his meal, pondering over what to discuss next. He could perhaps talk about the man's plans, but that might turn this encounter into a business meeting, something Kenji was trying to avoid, especially given his current contract. Maybe talk about Takehiro's abilities? No, that'd be impersonal, and prying... What the hell could he make conversation over?

Eventually, Kenji settled on what he felt was a fairly mundane topic. "You said you were a mercenary before becoming a liege lord. Have you seen any interesting things in your travels and work?"

[Amakusa Takehiro]

"We shall see," the man smiled, taking a sip of his sake. He hoped he would, considering an entire people put their lives in his hands. In fact, they requested he lead them, so there were expectations he'd need to live up to. If he didn't, chances were he'd be really upset with himself.

Taking a bite of his fish, he considered Kenji's question. "Define "interesting,"" he chuckled. "I've seen some crazy things, that much is certain. Bandit raids where the bandits were in the right, religious fanatics who happened to be correct. I've - and this is going to sound crazy - encountered Gods themselves, and those were not always pleasant situations." Bishamonten is a dick, and Izanami is a bitch. "What about yourself?"

[Miyamoto Kenji]

Kenji pondered his returned question over another cup of sake. It sounded like Takehiro had had some interesting times... Particularly if his notion of meeting gods was true, which it could very well be. As he finished off the cup, he began, "Well, there's this town almost dead on the border of Mino and Shinano that I passed through to get here. They have a temple to Amaterasu, and one of their miko was missing, along with a decent few of the locals. The girl in particular was beloved, I mean loved to bits by the townspeople; I couldn't go a block without hearing something about her. So, one of the local ladies and I took a look around..."

He paused, reflecting on the event as he munched on a bite of fish. "I'll spare you the less eventful part, but we deduced that they might be in this old, closed-down brothel. We dropped down through a trap door and found this group of thugs holding quite a few women in chains and, well... Let's say horrible condition, including the miko I was looking for. So the local, Kaede, and I put the men into the dirt and got the girls out of there."

Another pause as Kenji laughed jovially, recalling the joy of the events afterwards. "The celebration was worthy of song. They were overjoyed to have their precious miko and neighbors back safe and sound. It was enjoyable, and comforting to know that the problem had been resolved..." At this, the merc fell silent finally, going to pour himself a fresh cup of alcohol. He sighed contentedly, the cries of happiness lingering in his mind.

...And the thought of Kaede's 'gift', too. That was there.

[Amakusa Takehiro]

Takehiro listened with evident interest to Kenji's story. Seems he'd also went through some interesting encounters, some that Takehiro would break people over. But then, he was also a very passionate person.

"That is a tale worth telling, friend. Seems you've made quite the hero of yourself, or at least decided to be one of few decent human beings this country has left." Takehiro would down his sake and pour himself another cup. "I've seen these stories pop up more and more, and I must say, it makes me glad. Not long ago, a foreigner - Nord - size of a tree, wandered into my territory. Turns out he'd taken out a corrupt warlord and his army, all to save a small child. THAT is what I call a hero."

[Miyamoto Kenji]

Kenji said nothing of Takehiro's praise, for he was not the type to let his ego be inflated by such words. He kept a level head. That said, he stroked his chin and listened to the Totomi lord tell of a Nordic warrior... He'd heard of Norsemen from some of his Western acquaintances before, and they sounded like respectable fighters, but to take on a warlord and his forces to liberate one person? Now that was both impressive and heroic.

"I'll drink to that statement, Takehiro-san. I'd like to meet that man one day. I'm sure he would have more tales to tell than that act of heroism." To punctuate his claim, Kenji did indeed throw back his current cup of sake, then left it empty while he resumed eating to avoid letting his food go cold. For the moment, he had no other ideas of what to talk about, wondering if the daimyo before him did.

[Amakusa Takehiro]

Takehiro would have finished his food and drink rather quickly, being a man with a hearty appetite. Once the man finished talking, the Daimyo smiled, pouring himself yet another cup of sake.

"This is strange for me to have met good company in Owari. The last time I was here was perhaps the worst time of my life, through no fault of the Oda." Takehiro sighed, thinking back on it. "You ever have to deal with opium handlers?"