Recent Posts

Rice Cake: Heals most minor wounds obtained in the current thread. +3 Con for two posts. Only thing that stacks is the posts. Up to three in a stack. 40 Yen

Large Rice Cake: Heals all minor wounds obtained in the current thread. +5 Con for two posts. Only thing that stacks is the posts. Up to three in a stack. 80 Yen

Total 120 Yen

The path I took to get to the location described became less and less busy the further I went. It was like the townspeople themselves were frightened of this area town, and opted to avoid it. But I couldn't do that, I had to travel into the heart of this darkness. I was determined to save Katsumi, even at the expense of my own life.

My plan wasn't the greatest, but I had no time to sit back and formulate any strategies. I had a large pouch filled with the remainder of my coins, trying to make it look as hefty as possible. While cloaked, I had hoped to get close enough for whoever had her captive to see that I had their 'payment'. And if Katsumi was safe, I would try to get this over with as quickly as possible. But if she was hurt... damn the money, my hand would be on my blade underneath the cloak. I wanted to get close enough to see her, to make sure she was okay.

My fists clenched tightly as I hurried along the road. "No, she's okay... she has to be okay..." I kept telling myself that, reminding myself that thing would be alright. "We're supposed to have our bright future together... just the two of us..." I promised to keep her safe... I promised I wouldn't let her be alone or hurt again... and one stupid choice left her all alone, left her to get kidnapped... I wasn't there... Damn it, Haji, you're failing the one person who ever loved you...

I gritted my teeth, trying to contain the anger and self-resentment. The longer I lingered on this situation, the more rage built up inside. If my fists clenched any tighter, I would draw blood. Damn it, why didn't I stay?!

I arrived outside my destination, and by now, night had fallen over the land. Certain that one of the men would spot me as I neared, my hand would come out from underneath my cloak, holding the bag of money up before me. My other hand was ready and waiting on my sword. I was certain that in this darkness, they would not be able to tell I wasn't her father until I had my chance to get closer.

"I have come!" I announced, trying to deepen my voice. I needed to talk as little as possible for this to work. But who knows, maybe all they cared about was their money. But I would hand nothing over until I saw Katsumi.

Item Name: Gaunlets of the Morei Clan
Materials: Steel - 60 yen
Stats: +5 CON
Description: Gauntlets emblazoned with the symbol of the Morei Clan on the back of each hand. These are very sturdy and aren't likely to be broken during combat. Strong enough to withstand blades and other attacks constantly.

Item Name: Headband of the Morei Clan
Materials: Iron - 40 yen
Stats: +5 STR
Description: Meant to protect the forehead of the wearer, it also makes the user feel as though they channeled some deeper power. Through tempering, it will be able to unlock more potential for the wearer someday.

Total cost: 1100

What the hell was I doing in the swamp of all places? The air was stuffy and damp, and it was quite unlike anywhere else I had traveled to, but the prospect of discovering something new was high. There were a lot of rumors going on about Numa Castle, and I was curious to see if there was any truth to them at all.

Upon hearing the screams upon getting closer, I froze up a bit, my eyes widened. So people weren't joking about that, oh boy. I debated for a moment on whether I should stay or go, and hoping Lady Luck wouldn't forsake me, I decided to go on. Approaching the entrance, I would see another man go inside, and I would follow suit, cautiously. Once I got close, I saw some familiar faces.

"Sanada-san? Takehiro?" I dropped the honorific with Takehiro after our last adventure.

The merchant seemed to break down in tears at Takehiro's aggressive persistence, it was probably the mention of the flying pink tunic warrior. I scratched my head, getting up from the ground and reattaching my weapon to my side.

I was about to speak when suddenly, I heard a booming laugh behind me. And I turned around, hesitantly, to see the first customers we had before standing before us. Only, they were wearing nothing but the samurai penis armor from before, and it was a disgusting sight.

"SO YOU FOOLS HAVE FINALLY AWOKEN! NOW YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE WHO REFUSE TO SELL US WHAT WE WANT!"

My face may have been the same exact one I was making in my avatar.

"IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT! I SHOULD'VE JUST LET YOU GET THE BOUNTY!"

We really were approaching the sun. We were going to die in a literal blaze of glory, and there was nothing we could do about it. I never thought I would be seeing the light at this young of an age. There was so much I wanted to do!

Suddenly, as we neared the light, we were suddenly engulfed in it... and next thing I knew, we were laying on the ground. No void, no demon horse, no dragons or worshippers, just me and Tak and our weapons.

"What... happened?"

"What do you mean a single fish is 500 yen?! We're right next to the frickin' sea!"

I was at one of the stands, noticing some fish that looked like they'd be rather good once cooked up, but these prices were outrageous! Grumbling about it, I would reach into my robes and produce some more coins. It was a hefty price, but I did not want to keep Katsumi waiting for too long, and it beat jumping into the sea itself to catch some. I figured I could easily make the money back with some odd jobs here and there.

Getting a small cloth bag from the merchant to put the fish into, I'd sling it over my shoulder and would start on my walk back towards the inn. I was certainly curious about this place though, it was a lot different than my home village. So much bigger, livelier, so much more to see, especially with all of the items of various cultures here. I saw one stand where they seemed to sell weaponry from all over the world, and another that sold rifles, those weapons that seemed to be putting us samurai out of use.

I figured I'd explore all of this later when I got a chance, as I had taken quite some time finding this stand anyway. The inn was a ways away, and I wanted to hurry back to the arms of my love as soon as possible. I figured I could cook the fish while at the inn as well.

Finally reaching the inn, I would walk back to our room, ready to announce that I was back but was greeted with an empty room. I scratched my head, laying the bag down on a table and looked around. Maybe she had gone out? I was about to go to follow her when I spotted what looked like a note on the table, and I picked it up to read it.

"... W-what...?!"

It was a letter filled with demands, requiring a large sum of money to be paid in order to get Katsumi back. It was addressed to her father, which sounded like they didn't know she had killed him. It seemed as though Katsumi's past had already caught up with her, and if she wasn't with me, maybe she would have been hiding herself a lot better instead of wandering around in the open...

I began to pace around the room frantically, trying to figure out what to do. By now, I was freaking out, and angry with myself that I wasn't there to protect her. "No, no, no... I shouldn't have left her alone..."

What was this I was feeling? Desperation? I was desperate, yes. I didn't want to lose her. Not after all of this. My fists clenched tightly, the letter crumbling in my hand. There was a location jotted on the note, but with Katsumi's father dead, it seemed some deceit was necessary.

I quickly gathered up my sakabato and katana, attaching them back to my side. I didn't know how many men there were, but I swore I would not rest until she was safe. I would take on an entire army if I had to. As I was about to leave, I noticed Katsumi's bow and arrows, quickly grabbing them as well. While I wasn't the archer she was, they could come in handy. And if I could get Katsumi free from them, she would have her weapon back.

Gritting my teeth, I knew that as angry as I was right now, walking in like this wouldn't help either of us. They'd see me right away and know that I wasn't her father. I went outside, looking for another merchant, eventually finding one with a large cloak with a hood. I produced a bag of coins from my robe, buying it from the man, and donning it myself and hiding all the weapons underneath. I made sure to put the hood over my head, so that when I would approach where Katsumi's captors held her, it would buy me adequate time to get close and make my move...

"Katsumi... I'm coming for you, please hold on..."

Of course I was nervous, scared even. I just didn't want both of us to be so nervous that we weren't sure what to do. But no matter my smile, it was without a doubt that my heartbeat gave me away. But if it was anything like when I felt her heartbeat before, then maybe she loved the feeling of it as well.

As I looked into Katsumi's eyes, there was this feeling of complete happiness and bliss. A feeling that I got every time I looked into those eyes of her's. I felt like I could read her every feeling, and if it wasn't enough, she managed to convey it through her actions. It was the way she looked at me, the way she kissed me, even just the way she touched me, there was something there that made all my worries melt away. As close as we had gotten in a single night, anyone might think we'd known each other a long time. Something just clicked, and we felt like a perfect fit for each other. As crazy as it sounded, I felt like I was already madly in love with her.

She wasn't the only one that felt this way for the first time. This, too, was my first time ever opening up to anyone this way. And while she probably wouldn't be the only one to learn of my life in the days to come, she'd be the only one to see this side of me. And I wanted to share with her more than I'd ever show anyone else. Katsumi deserved that special place in my heart, a place no one would ever wrestle from her.

As she hugged me close and kissed me softly, I would return that same gentleness. My eyes widened a bit as she brought my hand to the tie on her kimono, and I found my face heating up and feeling like I was blushing a storm. Her nod reassured me, however, and as she closed the distance, I would kiss her a bit more deeply, my hand beginning to undo the tie. Slowly, my hands would come up to slip it off of her, revealing her in nothing but the wrap that bound her.

I would smile at Yukimura. "It is wonderful to hear that we would be accepted with open arms, Sanada-san. It is definitely something worth considering." I bowed respectfully before him. It was nice to know that there was a potential home waiting for Katsumi and myself.

Looking back up, I would see Yukimura draw his blade and adopt a stance. I nodded, drawing my own sakabato as I faced him. Gripping the weapon with both hands, I steadied my breathing. Against a well respected general of the Takeda army, I had no idea how feeble my skills would fare in comparison, but this was an opportunity to learn.

I would quickly dash towards Yukimura, blade raised above me. With a yell, I would bring my blade downwards towards him for a simple slash to open with.

I really didn't want this feeling to end. The way Katsumi's lips feeled against my skin, the way her fingers danced along my skin, the way she felt against me. There was no way to describe just how perfect it felt. As she continued to kiss me, I would bite my lip, supressing a moan, but the way my body arched towards her would show how much every inch of my body was enjoying this sensation.

As she slipped the clothing from my shoulders, the cold night breeze seemed to not exist at all, she kept me warm with her closeness. It was all I craved right now, and I couldn't get enough. As her fingers trailed across my chest, my own would continue to run along her leg, my hand now massaging her gently. And as she stopped kissing and placed her hand to my chest, she'd be able to feel how much she made my heart race, and I'd blush realizing she'd know just what she was doing to me. Making my heart all aflutter in a way that no one had ever done before, spurring these reactions from me that I never could have imagined. But with her it just felt right.

As Katsumi spoke to me, revealing how she felt, I would let out a reassuring smile. My hand that wasn't on her leg would come up to her cheek as I looked back into those beautiful eyes of her's. I wanted to get lost in them.

"Katsumi-chan... it feels right to me too, I promise you. Something in me... just burns with desire for you."

And it was the truth. I wanted to have her. Not just in lust, but I wanted her to be mine, and I wanted to be her's. I wanted us to have a forever together. But right now, I wanted this.

"Whatever happens with you... I won't regret any of it."

Instead I felt like I'd get even more attached to her, but... I didn't mind at all.

"That's a mighty fine idea and all, Takehiro, but, uh... well..."

I looked upon the direction back to Owari, and... there was no direction back to Owari. The road behind us had suddenly just disappeared! The only way was forward at this point. Our path had been overwritten with some gaping black void, and I was far too afraid to touch it.

"What the hell's going on...?"

LLOYD WILL DO IT.