#koretohyuganokami

[odatodeath]

{ @koretohyuganokami​ }

... 

That didn’t bode well, and now Nobunaga was suspicious.

  “You have a man claiming to be your cousin who works at the ranch.”

He wouldn’t elaborate any further. If Mitsuhide wanted to go find out who this man was himself, or if he would carry out Nobunaga’s orders was up to him.

[tsushimanoonryo]

@koretohyuganokami

Jin had made some progress since learning he was not among the living. For example, he truly didn’t have to eat now that he realized he didn’t need it. Nor did he need to sleep, but sleeping did make the days and nights go by faster.

He discovered that nearly all animals could see him. But precious few humans could. Most of them who could were either very young children or the infirm who were on the verge of death anyway. It worried him that Mitsuhide could see him, considering he wasn’t nearly that old. It implied something that Jin didn’t want to think about, so he kept that discovery to himself.

He was still trying to figure out his abilities, however. He knew ghosts were supposed to be able to float, but Jin couldn’t quite get the hang of that. He’d spent the better part of a day trying to will himself into doing it and had resorted to jumping when that hadn’t worked. He was glad he was mostly invisible for that, as it had looked rather undignified.

He could manipulate objects, but he didn’t know however if the objects appeared to float in the air when he picked them up, or if they disappeared when he touched them. It was difficult to get feedback on that one without scaring one of Mitsuhide’s staff, and he wasn’t ready to do that yet.

Today, Jin was testing out the ability to create fire. He knew the stories of onibi and theoretically should have been able to produce it himself. But try as he might, he still couldn’t get the trick of it. He swore under his breath as he held out his hand and tried another gesture to summon the flames and got nothing.

[braceletofakechi]

@koretohyuganokami

“Father, I am bored staying inside house all day.”  Being home all along was just not Gracia’s daily routine, she wished to explore more of the world to release her boredom. “I want to go outside the world again. Take me with you, will ya.” She might suspects that Mitsuhide is going out again alone. She begs him to take her to go to the outside world.

[sengokujidai]

random starter - @koretohyuganokami​ 

Shizugatake. His domain as he wasn’t expected to see Mitsuhide around here. Therefore he lets him in to the castle with axes on his back hoping that he’s not a spy from Hideyoshi. As a fellow Oda retainer, he doesn’t mind welcoming him while Oichi is somewhere else.

“Akechi. What brings you here?” His tone may be stern and serious but that’s how it goes when it comes on interacting with the axe-wielding samurai.

[odatodeath]

{ @koretohyuganokami }

Nobunaga noticed, since the last bridge they’d crossed, that the and the guard he’d brought with him were being loosely followed by some conspicuous men who kept their faces out of direct view. Nothing protected them but wide-brimmed hats and their casual attire, but there was no doubt as to what they were trying to do.

And if Nobunaga had somehow made a mistake... it wasn’t as if times were better for ronin, right now. Cutting them down might actually be doing them a favour.

It never came to that, though, because before those masked men could step within steel-length of either of the Oda men, it appeared another passerby had gotten involved. It came as no surprise to Nobunaga, either, when he spun around on his heel at the commotion and saw the man they’d passed just seconds prior attempting to cut down these assassins.

They’d only seen each other for a moment, but Nobunaga noted the look in this man’s eyes and could tell he was a perceptive one. A ronin who’d been blessed by tento to be skilled at fighting, probably through duels in the past. 

Since their pitiful excuse for “cover” had been broken, the one assassin not being cut-down by this wandering samurai was making a run for Nobunaga. Dying to fight to his last breath, it seemed. At least he would go out honourably...

This fight was easy, as the assailants had lost their advantage of surprise. Both Nobunaga and his guard were ready, now, and no one else seemed primed to jump from the sparse bushes around them.

How foolish, Nobunaga mused. They must’ve been sent by the Matsudaira. 

The Oda group came to blows with the man quickly, Nobunaga’s guard engaging first. Neither of them had to wait long for the skirmish to end-- but it wasn’t Oda’s man who finished it. Rather, that ronin from before had come up behind the attacker and slashed him cleanly through the back and side. 

An insult to Nobunaga’s guard, clearly, as the man began sputtering in offence at the action. And, if Nobunaga were any other man, he might’ve been offended, too. 

Instead, after getting a good look at the surprisingly-pretty features of this new stranger, he laughed. “Is it really so easy for you to lose your head, Shibata-dono? He’s merely a ronin,” As Nobunaga said this, he looked from his own companion to the fresh face, stepping forward to get a closer look at him. Going out of his way to deal with a problem that wasn’t his, was he? “-- He must be desperately looking for employment. Isn’t that so, ronin?”

[odatodeath]

{ @koretohyuganokami }

He would hear his name in a voice most familiar from the darkest reaches of his mind. This voice was nothing new to the tortured man. He’d heard it order him and bark at him for many years of Mitsuhide’s life, and the voice of Nobunaga carried into his dreams even now. After a messy betrayal.

Only, the voice sounded less distant tonight, like it were in the room of the waking world alongside the Akechi.

He wouldn’t have much time to think before he was forced out of his slumber, but the last thing he would feel while still paralysed in bed was that of a crushing pressure against his neck. And something puncturing his skin, drawing blood from an important artery...

When Mitsuhide would awaken, he’d have no injury and no one would be kneeling over him close enough to have caused such a fright.

However, and it might’ve been a trick of the night or Mitsuhide’s increasingly-awful nightmares about his former lord, the silhouette of a man was illuminated by the moon outside the shoji. The shadow cast a terrible resemblance to a man who was long gone, and if the doors were approached, Mitsuhide would feel a freezing cold emanating from the figure like it were a ghost.

It’s stillness was intimidating, it would be impossible to predict.

Mitsuhide would have to bet on himself to determine whether or not this was a threat. He would have the feeling that if he chose wrong, a hunt would begin with him as the target.

[odatodeath]

{ @koretohyuganokami } a continuation

As it grew darker-- earlier in the day, now that the seasons were growing cold-- Nobunaga noticed white flecks drift past the shuttered windows in the old run-down shack. 

He had to stand up to assess for himself what was happening, walking to the window to peek up at the night sky. Indeed, there was light, early snow starting to fall. How odd... 

It wouldn’t be heavy, he reasoned, but this was still cause for unease. Hopefully Mitsuhide would be of some use soon, so that they could finish their trek to the shrine.

   “It’s snowing.” He announced, immediately turning on his heel to toss a few twigs into the fire before turning his attention to his travelling companion, who’d just stirred from a much-needed rest.

   “We should leave as soon as possible, so make sure you rest long enough to rebuild your strength.” 

And without giving any warning, Nobunaga rounded the firepit to kneel at Mitsuhide’s side, pull up the tattered kimono he wore as a blanket, and get himself comfortable under them, as well. It’d be hard to get comfortable on the hard wood floor, but huddling close while they slept was the smartest decision in this instance. The Akechi would simply have to deal with Nobunaga’s rustling-around as he tried to get into a good position... eventually ending up on his side, facing Mitsuhide, his eyes piercing into the side of his head. 

   “Any complaints?” 

[odatodeath]

@koretohyuganokami​: 

He did not know what possessed him to dare act like that. Even if he didn’t draw his blade, this could be perceived as an attack. But Nobunaga was just so - frustrating! And smug, and a jerk, and... beautiful.

They were dangerously close, and Mitsuhide was not entirely sure whether he wanted to hit him or kiss him. Both would be very foolish and probably a death sentence, but he was desperate. Nobunaga treated him so badly lately, and he did not know why. He did everything to please him, he carried out his duties with great care.

“Why do you hate me, my lord? What have I done to deserve your cruelty!?” He couldn’t keep it in any longer.

Mitsuhide’s eyes were electrified and conflicted. Nobunaga knew this was a surprise to the both of them. He couldn’t help but wonder if something other than anger spurned this close contact-- frustration in general, maybe. 

He’d let him come to a decision on his own. If he wanted Nobunaga’s attention, he earned it by being so bold. But Owari-no-Kami wasn’t going to let this happen for very long, and the downward twitch of his eyebrow signalled this. 

The truth was that Nobunaga didn’t have a reason to hate Mitsuhide... or, rather, it was one so unbecoming of him that admitting it even to himself would make him angry with shame. “I DON’T HATE YOU!” He barked, his small stature doing nothing to diminish how imposing he was, especially when he was yelling. 

Cowardly in his own way, Nobunaga refused to be honest, but he tried to come up with a half-truth that he thought would be sufficient enough to get Mitsuhide to back off:

   “--- You’re too easy to walk over, it makes you pitiful, and that annoys me.”