The Name of the Game {Sagi&Okata}

[Nomi no Ōkata]

It had been some time since Okata had visited her whorehouse. It was still running and Okata made money from it, but, while she worked for Lord Mori, the woman had her favourite worker, Nami, take charge. Okata had found her when she was just fourteen when first entering this province. Nami had been a starving, abused girl, much like Okata had been, and she took her in. The girl learned the trade and quickly became one of the top whores, much like how Okata had. She had a lot of potential and wasn't petty or overly-ambitious like some other women, but she was intelligent and not easily swayed or taken advantage of. Nami had no interest in taking the throne, so to speak, far too loyal for such. It was why Okata left her in charge; she knew the business would continue to prosper under Nami's care.

After spending weeks with an enemy general and gathering information for Lord Mori, Okata returned home and wanted an evening or two of rest before relaying everything back to her lordship and beginning a new mission. As much as she wanted to see her Light, Okata was exhausted and needed a break, and she found a flicker of desire to check up on her girls and business. Despite her career with Mori, Okata still held onto this tiny part of her past, if even loosely through simply sending word, messages, and money, back and forth between herself and Nami.

Brushing back a loose strand of black hair, Okata entered the establishment. It hadn't changed much, although some of the items were replaced. The whorehouse looked ever richer than it did before, and Okata smiled. Nami happened to be walking by and a look of surprise splashed across her girlish features.

"Mistress!" exclaimed she. The girl quickly waddled over to Okata and bowed. "It has been so long! I was not expecting you. Hopefully the establishment is to your liking."

"It is, Nami-chan. You have done quite well," answered the woman. Bowing her own head, she said with a continued smile, "Thank you."

A light blush coloured Nami's cheeks, relieved about Okata being pleased and excited to see the woman she viewed as a mother after nearly a year of physical separation. A small hand rested on Okata's arm, but it bothered the slightly older woman not. Her hands slipped within the sleeves of her colourful kimono, and the two women moved forward, Nami explaining the changes made, finances, and the like.

She was about to sit Okata down and serve her drinks and continue talking, when one of the customers moved over to them. His small, black eyes were set on Okata and when she glanced over at him, she recognized him to be a low ranking general she used sleep with some years ago and sold information from. There was no anger on his expression, so he knew not that she used him. Instead there was eager desire.

"Masaki-san!" exclaimed he. The man wasn't particularly attractive, pudgy, red cheeks and a bit of a potbelly, and he smelled of booze. He had grown fat since she had seen him last, and she wondered if his rank had gotten lower since she last saw him. Okata wrinkled her nose slightly as he approached and nearly shoved Nami, who quickly sidestepped him, out of the way. "It has been so many years, Masaki-san!"

Her gaze switched over to Nami, silently telling her to get the drinks and leave them be until she could shoo him away, and the younger girl nodded and waddled off. Light blue hues moved back to the pudgy man and she tilted her head, arms folded over her large chest. Knowing she couldn't just ignore him and needing to be cordial, Okata answered, "Yes, it has, Ju-san."

Ju began to blabber on about how he long it had been and what he has been doing, and how he had been going there frequently in hopes to find her, that the other girls couldn't compare to her, etc etc. Okata only half-paid attention really. She cared not about this man's affections. She had Lord Mori, and she desired to speak with Nami about her business before she went back to him. There was no need for the woman to go back to lowly, pathetic men like this. This man's affairs and desires did not interest her in the least, especially right now.

She smiled softly at Ju, closing her eyes, and she said after seeing from behind him that Nami had drinks and was waiting patiently, if a little nervously, "That's very nice, Ju-san. I would love to continue visiting, but Nami-san has returned and we have very important business matters to discu-"

The low-ranking general moved forward and gripped her arm, bringing it to him. Blue eyes snapped open and the smile disappeared from her ruby lips. Nami stiffened from further back and a few of a girls noticed him grab onto the Mistress. It was one thing to do that to one of the regular girls, but the Mistress...?

"I've missed you, Amaya-chan," huskily, greedily whispered the man, and Okata slightly tensed.

She pulled back, wanting to remove herself from his grasp, and she whispered quietly, not wanting to garner further attention, "Ju-san, please let go. One of the other girls can take care of yo-"

"Let's head back into one of the rooms and... and catch up, Amaya-chan. I've... I've just missed you so much. I want to be with you again," breathed Ju, face flushing and breath growing heavier with lust as he drew her closer, free hand caressing her waist.

He wasn't listening to her, and Okata's slender arm began to ache from his hold on her, which only tightened when she tried to pull away. Her light blue eyes narrowed and she tugged again, to no avail. She bit down on her bottom lip and looked up at his face, whispering quietly, seriously, "You are hurting me, Ju-san..."

[Shinrai Sagi]

There was a man who posed a threat to the Azai due to the information he had and the fact he was a reckless idiot. Sagi's mission was simple: find and eliminate him. All he knew for certain was the man was within Mori territory, but once he was there, searching would be no problem. Village by village, Sagi would place his hands upon the ground, searching for the man, and if he could not detect him, he would move on. So was the process.

This would continue for a tiresome while, and Sagi was becoming rather irritated with the fact the man was so deep in enemy territory. Though, his search came to a halt when he scanned the area and... he found the man in a brothel. Sighing, Sagi took to the building, though he wasn't entirely too happy with it, considering his history. Though, a mission was a mission.

Once at the brothel, Sagi would enter and look around for the man. It would not take long to find him, either; he was fat, disgusting, generally always smelled of alcohol and looked the part. There were many in this building who fit that description, though there was one who stood out in particular. A single man thought he was too good to be told "no," and Sagi knew he found his target. He found his target in a bad situation. Were he found in any other circumstance, it was likely Sagi would kill the man quickly and give him a proper burial, though his mistreatment for the woman - regardless of the environment - was sickening.

"Take your hand off the woman, you pig," he spoke, the hooked blade of his shield raised and wrapped around the man's neck. Sagi pressed tightly enough so that it would pierce the skin, allowing blood to drip down.

[Nomi no Ōkata]

Okata would have killed the man, slipping out her hidden blade, but there were others around. She could not draw attention to herself. To keep herself safe, her business, and Lord Mori. Inhaling deeply, the woman was about to resign and slip him away into a room, until someone stepped in.

Someone who apparently had beef with this man (or who simply hated his behavior, but she had not really the experience to believe such.) How convenient.

As the blade went against Ju's neck and blood trickled down, Okata was released, and she took a couple of steps backwards. Rubbing her aching and likely bruised arm, the woman's light blue eyes scanned across the room, silently telling all of the women (and any customers) to go upstairs in the rooms. Nami seemed to not want to leave her Mistress, but Okata nodded at her, and the girl ran up the stairs, quietly ushering the others upstairs.

Lord Mori's concubine turned back towards the two men, and the pig man stuttered, clearly flustered and scared, "W-What is the m-meaning of this?!"

The woman simply stood in place, her expression far from nervous, which would be expected from most women. But she was the Mistress of this establishment, and had seen and been through much. That, and she was very curious about this scene, and there was a glimmer of pleasure from seeing this pig of a man in danger. Tilting her head, Okata would watch in silence, observing the two with intrigue.

[Shinrai Sagi]

It would seem Sagi had no qualms with the display he made in front of these people, as, in his eyes, the man was better off dead. He took little interest in the people around him as they moved, his only concerns being the man he was to kill and the woman he threatened to harm. Sagi's blade would be pulled from the man's neck, leaving a stream of blood, and his hand took hold of the back of his head. That hand would begin to glow, seeming to sap energy from the air itself.

"Did this man hurt you, Miss?"

He wouldn't wait too long for a response. Pushing down, Sagi would force the man onto his knees, and he would feel as if his head was going to explode from the sheer pressure Shiroyasha was putting onto it. Despite how things looked, though, Sagi wasn't going to kill the man right here and ruin the decorum. He was kind enough that he would not leave bits of flesh and blood everywhere.

[Nomi no Ōkata]

Oh, this was fascinating indeed. The pig was forced to his knees, and suddenly the other man's hand began to glow. She wasn't sure what exactly was happening, but with Ju's response, it almost seemed as though he were dying.

Lovely.

After how Ju had acted, Okata was already liking this other man. He was taking care of what was becoming a problem for her. It was not something she expected, but nevertheless it pleased her and she was appreciative.

He inquired about her well-being, and Okata blinked, looking up at the man. Her ruby lips parted a little in surprise, before she closed her eyes and shook her head. "It is nothing especially new for me. I shall be fine in given time, sir. But thank you."

Rubbing her aching arm, Okata looked down at the man, staring at him for a few moments, before glancing back up at the stranger. The pig was fated to die and, while she would not stain her hands with his blood herself, the concubine tilted her head and motioned towards a back door.

"We have stables in the back."

Why not aid him in the removal of the pest?

[Shinrai Sagi]

Sagi would nod, lifting the man into the air by his head alone, so he would be off his feet. If the woman would lead the way, he would follow. If not, he knew where it was anyway, because he'd just scanned the area before he came in. He'd make his way over to the stables area, all while pumping painful, raw energy into the bastard by his head.

Once he was outside, Sagi would toss the man painfully to the floor. Taking one of his staves, he would bend the earth so that it formed shackles around his wrists and ankles, and slowly, he would begin to pull him apart. To make it worse on the man, he would slam a force of raw energy on top of him, creating intense weight all around him, so there was literally no pleasantry about the situation.

"Men like this are a prime example of one of many faults in this damn country."

After slowly stretching the man's body for a couple minutes, Sagi would suddenly rip him into four pieces. The earth would then raise around his body parts, forming a sphere around them with only a single opening. He would ignite the inside of the sphere with his fire staff, burning the bastard's body to a cinder, and then place the gravel back into the earth, and it was like he was never there.

"I apologize for any inconveniences, Miss." Sagi would pull out a rather large coin purse and place it in the woman's hand. "For your troubles."

[Nomi no Ōkata]

Okata would lead him to the stables and watch with the utmost fascination. The woman didn't particularly enjoy seeing the man suffer like this. She was not a psychopath or sadistic. But it did feel justified. The man was a fool, and foolishness must be met with swift death, or inevitably would be. There was no room for it. Before even Lord Mori told her that, Okata knew it to be true.

She closed her eyes as the stranger worked on killing the man. "Mm. There is no room for idiocy and naivety."

She opened her eyes and watched the rest. It truly was a spectacular display, and Okata wondered who this man served, if anyone. There was power there, without any doubt. He could either prove to be friend or foe, and Okata was uncertain as to which. It was too early in the game to know what his agenda was, and likely she wouldn't pry. She was not ordered to do so, and he probably would be of no concern to Lord Mori. But at the very least, Okata would make her lordship aware of this powerful man, just in case it proved to be useful in the future, near or far.

After the man was finished off and not even a single trace was left of him or what had happened, her light blue gaze moved to the stranger. Her placed a large coin purse in her hand and she blinked. Looking up at him, a smile graced her lips.

"Oh, it was no trouble at all. In fact, you saved me from quite a bit. So please," said the woman, bowing her head, "allow me to at least offer you food and drink, and lodging if you are weary from travel. Masaki Amaya is in your debt."

Amaya was. But not Okata. The latter woman was intrigued with this man and didn't want him to leave so soon. Sure, she was appreciative and part of it was simple gratitude, but if she could even learn who he served... well, that would be quite sublime.

"Allow me to pay it off, sir," said the woman with a pleasant smile, lids drooping in the slightest as her blue gaze moved up to his.

[Shinrai Sagi]

Sagi carefully considered the woman's offer, though his gut told to him to just leave. After all, he could not be sure how clean the room would be, given they were rooms in a brothel. He was also very far from home, with several Daimyos' territory separating him from the Azai. That in mind, spending so much time from home would likely be a bad idea. But then, he needed all the rest he could get, and if his lodging would be free - although he did provide the woman with a fair amount of coin - he would take the opportunity. It wasn't as though there were many who could take advantage of him, either, given he could sense the location of just about everyone and everything in the village. So, he would take her up on her offer.

"Of course, though I would not like to be a bother." He bowed his head in respect. "I am Amako Akio." His "name" would be given so he would not seem unkind, though any facts would be kept secret. If this woman could see through him, then there was something she was hiding as well.

"At your service, Miss." "Akio" would smile.

[Nomi no Ōkata]

The woman didn't actually plan on keeping the money and would return it later, or at least that was her plan. He mentioned being a bother, and Okata continued to smile, shaking her head. "Trust me. You are most certainly not a bother. And unlike most other establishments such as this, we are quite lavish and clean, I can assure you."

The fact that Okata could not sense whether this man was lying or not, and with what he did, she figured he was lying about his name. But so was she. Of course, Okata couldn't be sure, but it was her suspicion, and it bothered her not. She doubted this man was a direct threat to her, and, quite honestly, she found him to be most fascinating. Besides her lordship, he was the first person she legitimately wanted to know more about, to talk to, and spend some time with. As for where it would lead, she knew not, and part of that was not unnerving but exciting.

"Thank you. It is an utmost pleasure, Amako-san," remarked the woman. She motioned for him to follow her back into the building, and as she walked, her hips swayed, movements fluid and naturally sensuous. Okata glanced back at him, smiling softly. "Would you like anything in particular to drink? Sake? Tea? Any food? I can have it brought to you right away, Amako-san."

[Shinrai Sagi]

((OOC: Changing my speech color out of nowhere, yes indeedy.))

Sagi, unlike most other men, paid very little attention - if any at all - to the woman's walk, his eyes instead focused on the building in front of him. He would match her pace, following behind her at a reasonable distance.

"Just water, please."

Sagi's eyes would scan the brothel, taking a deeper note of it than he had when he first entered, considering now he no longer had a blood-lust clouding his vision. Every single thing would be observed in great detail: the furnishings, the structure of the building itself, the women and patrons - were there any he could see - and what they were doing, if any of it wasn't just fondling or being fondled. There had to be a reason that officer would have come so far out of his way, if not just for the choicest women in the country. If that were his entire reasoning, then, well... it was to be expected, unfortunately.

"I trust you've run into quite a few men like that in your time here?"

[Nomi no Ōkata]

Okata nodded when the man spoke, and waved over one of her fellow whores. Whispering in her ear, she asked for water and tea, and the girl went scurrying off. She turned to Sagi and smiled again. "Many a men after such deeds often drink something stronger."

It reminded her of Lord Mori, and she assumed this man did not like to cloud his judgement with alcohol. She was actually glad he didn't want to drink then, because when men drank alcohol they acted like that Ju pig, at least that was her experience. And it was common in brothels.

Bringing him over to a booth, she knelt on the cushions on the floor and folded her hands on her lap. Okata blinked at the man's words and proceeded to shrug her exposed shoulder.

"Here, and many a places. I've run into it all over, I am afraid," answered the concubine. The girl came back with their drinks and set them on the low table, and Okata nodded in appreciation. When reaching out for her tea and picking up the cup, she winced slightly. Her arm hurt from how she was handled earlier and Okata closed her eyes, sighing. She set her hands back on her lap, releasing the cup and setting it back down beforehand. "But if it weren't for lust, I would be out of business. Hazard of the job."