driftfleet | dreams in digital

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dreams in digital

[ Calibration Rooms ]
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ROOMS BY CHARACTER

A - C

Connor

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Haggar

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Lup

(last updated: 1/21/19)

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[Tim will roll his eyes at Manji's order but still look at what he's indicating. Would it kill him to ask politely? His eye is drawn to the intricately painted mask and he picks it up to inspect the craftsmanship]

[Manji reaches forward to take it but he as he does the beautiful mask in your hand morphs into the face of a young woman passed out in your lap. Her face lovingly painted just like the mask. Except it isn't paint on her face; it's blood. You instantly know that her name is Rin and that she is the only one in your world who matters. Yet, here she was again foolishly throwing herself into danger way over her head, but that's part of her charm isn't it?

You look over at the long haired man, the artist responsible for this, as he comes back into the room. The man Rin told you was one of the ones there when her parents were murdered, but had changed her mind for revenge when she saw he had a young son living with him now. Briefly you wonder if this attempt on her life will change her mind. Probably not.] Make up to meet the maker, huh?

Yeah. Something like that. [Comes his reply.]

You got a good kid. You got talent you can turn into cash. [You don't even realise it, but you hold Rin a little tighter to your chest in a protective manner.] Why steal the life from a girl who ain't got nothing at all? [He doesn't answer, but you think you know. He can't help himself.

Instead he changes the subject to ask why you carry a blade. Waxing poetic about the nature of revenge and it's endless circle.] If it was just my problem I could grit my teeth and bear it. But sons, friends, parents, brothers... once they get in the mix, I can't keep my blade sheathed. Yeah, maybe the folk I kill have problems of their own, but if it comes down to their problems versus my problems I'm not going to hesitate. I mean, if that sort of thing bug you, you shouldn't be running around squawking about vengeance.

[As he speaks you lay Rin carefully on the ground. She looks so peaceful asleep like that and you smile down at her.] Yeah. She shouldn't.

[Then man does something strange. He starts moving some of the heavy furniture around the room. At first you can't fathom in the slightest what he's doing until he speaks again.] Hey, Manji. I'm building our ring. Mind giving me a hand here, pal?

[Curious you give a hand to move the heavy items in the room into a weird sort of ring. It's then that he explains the reasoning for it all.] The fact is there are no swords in this place. The boy might have found them, see? So if it's blades you want all I got is your little girl's dagger. [He pulls Rin's dagger out of his kimono.] So to make up for that I've set the stage in my favor. Now, a prediction. With this one dagger I will dissect you.

[You find amusement in this as the fighting starts. He has a point though, the field is in his favor. Your long blades just end up clanging against the obstacles in your way. You both pause as you come to the conclusion that you're both holding back. You throw your large collection of swords out the window leaving you with just a small dagger in your hand. They were useless to you anyway and this way you can match your opponent on even ground. The artist just laughs.] Honest, upright, and a fool. You and the girl both. You know for me, this life I'm living is the real artifice. Once I've killed you both and throw your bodies in the river I'll just tell my boy that she went home. I won't even bat an eye. After all, if I don't keep up the lie I'll lose the most important thing in my life. So I can never let you win.

[The fight continues, but this time you gain the upper hand as you take out a hidden second dagger out of your kimono and jam it into artist's leg. He rushes forward and you block his dagger with your own. Catching it on the tiny hilt on the blade, but he's so much faster than you. You've let your speed dull with your immortality making fighting nearly pointless so he's able to duck down faster than you can react and sink his blade into your side.

The pain is instant as you can feel something rupture. He continues through with the attack by throwing his whole weight into you, dragging the blade in deeper as you both fall to the floor. He manages to get on top of you and you're pinned between the two dressers with your stomach bleeding. He seems surprised as he looks down at you.] Damn it, Manji! You're the guy who killed ten Itto-Ryu! No way you're weaker than me. [You simply smile back up at him. Unable to admit out loud that you're struggling with the idea of turning his son into an orphan, but he seems to know anyway.] Well shit, you two really are alike. [He sinks his dagger in deep into your chest before pulling it sharply across in the opposite direction of the first cut and you scream out in pain.] Sorry, my friend, but I am out of time. You'll just have to let me finish you off. [He slashes Rin's dagger across your stomach once more before pulling it out and placing the blade against your throat. The one spot where a fatal wound actually means fatal. Even for you.] Now die.

[The blade digs in, but before it can get past the point of no return one of those dressers topples over and Rin throws her whole body into it in order to knock it over. The pressure on the blade vanishes and you rip it out as the worms quickly move in to stop the bleeding.

The memory fades out as you struggle to get out from under the crushing weight as your ears fill with the sound of Rin gasping in pain. The last thought that is not your own before you return fully to your body is: that asshole better not touch her.]

Thanks. [Manji continues to clean his blade as if nothing happened. The mask has been returned to the pile of items.] Can you hand me that next? [Manji indicates to another item that seems to call out to Tim to pick it up. Or maybe it's the mask again?]

[Tim just spends a moment look back at the mask. That-that was a lot to take in and he takes a moment to go over what he just saw and whether he even wants to reach for anything more.

But in the end, he reaches out to pick up the expensive hairpin]

[Tim has apparently picked a very interesting memory as the shack vanishes into a narrow dark alleyway. The typical alleyway where someone might sneak off to for a bit of dirty fun. Which it looks like Manji is just about to get started on. His hand already down the front of a beautiful woman mostly hidden by a robe. Their faces lean in close as Manji goes for a kiss, but right before their lips meet he grins while his fingers close around what they really had been searching for.

Quickly Manji pulls out the small dagger from her clothes with a victorious smile. She tries to give some sort of self defense excuse, but Manji isn't buying it. A quick taste of the blade tells him instantly that it's coated in poison and so he calls her bluff. By threatening her with her own dagger Manji gets the woman to admit a young samurai with narrow eyes and long haired paid her to kill him. It's that moment that Manji realizes that he has no idea what Anotsu, Rin's ultimate target, even looks like. Was that him? Eh. Probably.

He shoves her to the ground as she rattles off another excuse.] Forgive me, sir! He put twenty ryo in my hands! A woman such as I could work a lifetime and never see so much!

[Manji is unmoved.] If money is more important to you than you life, that's your friggin' business. You get it? You do something like this, you got to expect to get cut in two! [With a scoff Manji turns to leave.] Well shit, no point in killing armatures. Besides, I got people waiting for me. I'm out of here.

[Manji moves to leave the woman behind. Hoping to get back before Rin notices he was gone at all when suddenly there's an odd noise quickly followed by a sharp pain to his arm. He spins back around and this time the woman has shed her cloak and stands with a weapon in her hands. Perhaps Tim has met Makie during his short time on the fleet, but here her hair is a bit longer.]

Excuse me, I should have introduced myself before. I am Makie Otono-Tachibana by pledge of honor with Kagehisa Anotus swords-woman of the Itto-Ryu.

[Manji takes a quick glance at his bleeding arm. It was nothing that the worms wouldn't be able to heal. With a smile he takes a hidden blade out of that sleeve.] Heh, that's damn polite of you. If we're both pros then there's no point in playing around. [He wants her to know he's going to be serious. He doesn't want her to hold back. Manji can tell there's a grace to her body, but there's something still off about this woman. Something he can't quite put his finger on just yet.] Let's go for it!

Then resign yourself to your fate. [She lets one end of her three section weapon fall from loose fingers before rushing forward.

Manji leaps forward with his own long sword in hand to meet her. The way she moves and swings that cumbersome looking weapon tells him that this is someone with a lot of skill and practice behind her. She very nearly takes off the top of his head before tripping on a stray piece of wood in the alleyway. Manji stares in a amazement. Did she just-- did she really just fall? No, something really wasn't feeling right about this fight.

Makie swings out with her blade and it takes almost no effort to block the attack. She leaps back and tries again, but Manji doesn't even need to try to block. The blade getting stuck in another piece of wood. With little sympathy Manji strikes out violently with his foot and kicks her out of the alleyway finishing the fight by pointing his sword at her face.] Don't move. [She lays there looking unconcerned and that's when Manji figures out what didn't feel right about this. Was she trying to die? With a sigh he runs a hand through his hair.] You didn't even check out the battlefield! Either you didn't give it your best, or that was your best. Either way- [He looks back down at her before snarling out loudly in anger.] -Idiots who can't fight should keep their swords sheathed you damn fool!

I said it before and I'll say it again. Anyone who takes up the sword can't complain when they get cut down. Is that how you want to die!? If that's the best you can do with a sword then you'd better stick with being a whore!

[Manji turns and casually rests his long sword across his shoulder as he walks away.] Damn, is this Itto-Ryu really so low on talent they gotta use someone like her? [And yet... something still didn't sit quite right.

The scene fades as Manji walks away.]

Great. Done with this one. [Manji sets his katana aside and pull out a sickle bladed weapon. It's dirty and covered in old blood.] Can you hand me that? [Once more he'll point at whatever item Tim is most drawn too. For some reason needing it to help him clean this item.]

[Tim looks down at all the items again. A painted mask and an expensive hairpin only bought forth memories of violence and blood. Were all of these going to do that? And if these items showed these kinds of memories. What would picking a weapon show him?

What if he just doesn't pick anything up?]

[He's going to get lectured is what.] Come on, kid! I don't have all day and this blade ain't gonna clean itself. So either give hand me here and give me that item, go chop some fire wood, or catch us our dinner if you want to eat tonight.

[He holds out the blade.] Unless you want to clean this.

(OOC: If Tim takes the blade is has a CW for more violence.)

Edited 2019-01-26 15:08 (UTC)

[Tim is going to pick up the paper ball and chuck it at Manji's head]

[Tim will regret grabbing that ball to throw it when the memory almost immediately starts up.

Manji doesn't really look any younger, but those three distinct scars on his face are gone. Or, more accurately, the scar across his eye is missing. The one across his noise is newly bleeding. Currently an injury rather than a scar.

As the memory settles into place the thing Tim will most feel is the sense of sore and tired muscles. You've pushed yourself to the edge to stay alive since killing your Lord. There had been plenty of stupid bounty hunters after your head tonight and they've taken their toll. You've killed ninety-nine people so far just to stay alive and it's brought you no joy at all. Most were just men doing their job of being told by their bosses to kill you, but you refused to just lay down and die.

Which is why you now hide in a shack. Bleeding from several injuries you just need a place to rest until you gain back enough energy to leave this town. Hopefully some of the patrols would have given up by then too.]

Alright, you in there! This is Saito Oi Tatsumasa, officer of the law from the house of Katsukawa! [So much for hiding and resting. This guy sounded like he was right outside the door. And why did that name seem familiar?] You don't need to tell me your name. Your life will be over in a few minutes anyway!

[You don' t move just yet knowing he has a big speech coming, they always do, so you have a little time to collect yourself before you head out for your next fight.] I've heard about you, pal. [There's the speech.] They say it was you who cut up the Hatamoto Lord Horii Shigenobu two years ago. So, do you have any final words?

[Final words? Not really, but why not? You can have your turn for a big speech and rest a bit longer.] The way of the samurai means finding the right place to die, ever heard of that? Yeah, all so fine and noble. Me? I'm just a scumbag who accidentally got born into a samurai family, but when I hear things like that I think; Hey! Dying like a samurai? Not a bad way to go.

Thinking about it now, that's all I ever wanted. Something worth dying for. I killed plenty of people on that bastard Horii's orders. I never doubted that they were bad, bad, bad people. Poised like a hero, I did! But you know who the real bad guys were? They're the ones that are right under your damn nose! My big boss? He went and jacked up the taxes without tellin' the Shogun! Skimmed it right off the top. The folks I killed? They were nothin' but farmers who were going to tell the authorities. Hell, they knew they'd be killed just for bothering their betters, but they were still gonna try!

Would you die for a man like that!? Eh?! Or maybe I'm the dumb one here! Which!?

[You're satisfied for a brief moment by the stunned silence.] Bushido, the way of the warrior, follows the ancient code of gi – of righteousness. If there be any who stray from that path the samurai must punish them with justice in his heart. I guess you're a guy who never heard of loyalty. [It's then that you know that this is another idiot who just wasn't going to get it.] But enough! I don't need to hear anymore of your excuses! They are meaningless! I don't feel sorry for you. The law is the law. Your time is up criminal! Now your soul must be swallowed up by the darkness!

[The man on the other side of the wall continues to speak as you get to your feet and prepare your weapons. He talks about how five days after you killed your lord two of his body guards fell on their swords in an act of oibara. How one of them have been his father. You think about how that's a stupid way to die. To take your own life over the death of a wicked man.] For my father, his reputation, and the ninety-nine officers who have died trying to get you is that enough? I think I have reason to kill you.

[From out of the shadows you step forth to battle him. A sickle blade in each hand and even a dagger in your mouth for good measure. As you stand ready to fight a female's voice cries out and it surprises you. Why was there a woman here?] Tatsumasa! [You know that voice! Machi! Your beloved sister! What was she doing here!? Why was she out at this late an hour?!]

Machi! I told you to go home! Women and duels don't mix you idiot!

[As he shouts at her you're simply stunned. Mouth full you can't speak.] Manji? [She sounds so confused and concerned.]

Pay attention fool! [Distracted you hadn't even notice when Tatsumasa started dashing towards you. You want to tell him to wait. To stop the fight. Not with Machi right there! But it was too late and as he rushes towards you your well trained body automatically reacts and nearly defends itself. Your hesitation at the start costs you. He strikes at your face and the vision is cut out of one of your eyes permanently. The problem is that you are very skilled and your strike, despite the hesitation, lands true and you can feel your sword slide through the top half of his head like butter.

You watch with your one remaining eye as one half of the man's head flies backwards to bounce off the chest of your sister it's then that you remember where you've heard that name before. Saito Tatsumasa. The name of Machi's husband that she wanted you to meet, but you never got the chance to.

She doesn't scream. She doesn't react at all. That's the worst part of it all. She just stands there and you watch as the light in your sister's eyes dims away. Dims much like the memory fades and Tim arrives back in the little clearing Manji now calls home. There's likely a lingering feeling of knowing you've just killed someone important to you without even touching them.

Manji on the other hand doesn't seem to notice anything at all has happened. One blade set aside he now has a sickle blade out like the one before in his memory.] Alright. Let's get started on this one. Can you hand me that next? [The paper ball still remains among the items. Is Tim still interested in that item, something else, or is he done?]

(OOC: Note the paper ball now has a new CW of death, violence, and threats of rape. And these warnings are about things happening to a mentally challenged character.)

Edited 2019-01-27 16:38 (UTC)

Get it yourself!

[Tim gets up, he can't stay here anymore. He doesn't even know where he's going but he's up and leaving. Careful not to touch anything anymore he just walks away. He doesn't make it very far before he has to stop and throw up from the images playing in his head.]

[Manji will shout an insult about giving up on his chores, but as long as Tim keeps walking away from the scene he will find the exit he's looking for and wake up back in his own bed.]

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dreams in digital

Re: Manji | Blade of the Immortal

CW: Fighting, mention of blood

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