Heaven is a Ghost Town [Kenji/Open]

[Yoshiyuki Satsumaru]

With arms crossed, an imposing figure watched over a group of Christian converts going about the burial of a lost member of their flock. His name was Yoshiyuki Satsumaru, and he watched with curiosity. The Christians had always been an interesting group, and a powerful variable in the conflicts that were beginning to erupt across Japan. Their beliefs, aside from their weapons and technology, were what made Satsumaru so interested in them.

There were some universal truths to what he had heard of them, but to him, it was as alien and strange as Shinto-Buddhism must've been to the Christians themselves.

"So...those who do not sin go to Heaven...but everyone is born with sin? And...people are expected to sin, but must be forgiven by their church to have their sins removed?" Satsumaru mused to himself, "And no matter what the case, only the dead may go to Heaven?"

With a scoff, he thought, "So...Heaven is a ghost town."

And with that, the ponderous mercenary stood by and watched as everyone went about their business.

[Miyamoto Kenji]

Hands clasped behind his back, Kenji paused in his wandering of the streets to spy a Christian flock. Though they were converts and not Europeans, he managed to recognize them due to having ran into a fair few of both natives and foreigners during his travels. A couple of his acquaintances were, infact, of Christian faith. Despite the less than positive connotation of the group's purpose, that of the burying of the dead, it made Kenji yearn to see his friends once again. At the same time, he paid silent respects to the dead, whoever they were in life, for they would find peace in their religion's afterlife one way or another. That's what he hoped, anyway.

In his peripherals, the shugyosha noted a tall, almost lanky-looking fellow in ebony clothing, himself looking like he would fit in with the mourners before them, yet not seeming to be in the same melancholy. Another intrigued party, no doubt. Kenji contemplated his impressively calm demeanor, wondering what he did for a living. He had no reason to approach the stranger, however, and continued to observe the funeral in action. The mannerisms of foreigners, and of their religion, were curious.

[Yoshiyuki Satsumaru]

Satsumaru noticed out of his periphery (Strategist's Ring! Enhanced Perception, ftw!) the arrival of another onlooker. He didn't feel awkward until he realized that he wasn't the only one watching the procession. Instead of looking like a creeper spying on a funeral, he decided to speak up.

"Are you familiar with the Christian ways?" he asked the stranger bluntly, "I'm afraid other than some of the basics, I'm not really knowledgeable on their methods."

Satsumaru ran a hand through his long hair, taking a deep breath. These were curious people. He wasn't religious himself, but it was definitely an interesting topic.

[Miyamoto Kenji]

Kenji half-glanced toward the stranger as he heard him speak. He didn't need to ponder the question for long, turning toward him to answer. "I've got a good idea of Christianity. I made a couple friends in the past who were from their land. Good folk, interesting people."

He paused to turn and point toward the procession before continuing, "If you're asking about that, it's their version of a funeral. There are some curious parallels between their way of sending off their dead, and our way of sending ours. It makes you realize that we're all the same. Different blood, different countries of origin, different beliefs, but we still treat the deceased with the same level of respect."

[Yoshiyuki Satsumaru]

Satsumaru was surprised...he didn't expect such a deep answer.

"I suppose I didn't really think of it like that..." he admitted, raising an eyebrow, "It is interesting that, despite being separated by the rest of the world, these gaijin somehow developed similar rites and traditions in certain areas."

He wasn't xenophobic, but the word gaijin was pretty universal at this point for describing one of the foreign visitors. They were...different, to be sure, but as divisive of a subject as the Europeans were to the Japanese, Satsumaru wasn't too concerned. His sole priority at the time was warfare, and while the Europeans and their guns were changing the face of war in Japan, the red-eyed ronin didn't fall into either side of the debate.

The samurai decried the dishonor of firearms and cannons, treating the new style of warfare as an insult. The peasantry, and the use of ashigaru, were on the opposite end of the spectrum. Where the samurai lived solely for command and battle, their fighting ability was beyond challenge. Now that guns had given even the weak and untrained an equal place in battle, the peasantry were empowered. Satsumaru, a ronin and former member of a prestigious Kyushu clan, fell in the middle.

"Perhaps there's more common ground between our people and theirs than we realize," he remarked.

[Miyamoto Kenji]

"Perhaps you're right. After all, we have no reason not to try getting along with others," stated Kenji. He thought about it for a moment, doubling back to the crimson-eyed stranger's earlier words before chuckling. [/color=96bce7]"Of course, using such a derogatory term for these foreigners won't win us many friends."[/color]

Shrugging, the merc turned back to the procession. Seemed like they were beginning to wrap things up. He continued talking, and though he wasn't facing the stranger, it was clear who he was speaking to. "My father was slain while I was out wandering the land. I never got to attend his burial... I'm sure it's a common story, but seeing others have the privilege of seeing their loved ones off can make me a little envious sometimes." He leaned against the tree to his right, continuing. "I say 'loved one', but in truth, I respected my father more than I loved him. He was a strict disciplinarian. Caring, sure, but far less so than my mother.


Another chuckle followed before Kenji glanced over at his gradual acquaintance. "Have you had someone close pass on? If that is too personal for a stranger, you don't have to answer."