Feudal Japan: A Slash RP

Dozo smiled despite himself, first at Setsuna, "I'm drunk, not blind-" he pointed at the demon, "-you don't move like we do and the claws are a dead giveaway."

He looked around and clucked his tongue against his teeth (a habit that had formed when deep in thought), "I'm sorry to hear of your plight; I had heard rumors about the Diamyo in this region, but for one man to spread so much misery.." Dozo shook his head, looking fleetingly between the young boy and Chiyo.

"For children to live in such a time is sad, very sad. Not that they cannot adapt-" he added with a wink, "-with cunning schemes, but youth is something not to be wasted with revenge."

He got up and looked between both Aya and Nanami, "I'm a wanted man, my life is worth nothing, and my word even less, but-" he bowed his head slightly, "-if I can help you find peace and keep these two rascals alive in the process, it would be something of a victory for me. I'll come with you if you'll have me."

Setsuna looked at his clawed hand and scowled at them like they did him a personal wrong. "Even after a hundred years I still can't remember to retract them," he muttered to himself before hiding his hands in the sleeves of his gi.

Meanwhile, Aya was a bit taken aback by what Dozo said. She felt a bit touched that someone would like to help her - and others - to find peace in there lives. And besides, the more the merrier, right?

"Thank you for your generous offer," she said, placing her hands together in the ninja hand sign for respect and then bowing at Dozo. "I would be honored to accept your help."

Zakuro glanced quickly at Aya, then at the others, before nodding his head a little and bowing at Dozo as well.

"Thank you very much," he said a bit shyly.

"Hmph, why should I allow someo-" Nanami began to out right reject his proposal when she felt yet another tug on her sleeve. She looked and saw the sad pleading look in Chiyo's eyes. Nanami bit her lip trying really hard not to succumb to the younger girl's silent pleas. But not even Nanami could successfully win against that face.

Nanami sighed, "Fine, you may travel with us. However, you seem to be under the impression that the konoichi and I are journeying together. I must inform you that you are mistaken. But considering she is willing to accept your help, and we do ultimately have the same objective, I am not opposed to traveling with her as well."

"Oh if that's the case, then count me in too," Eiji intruded in the conversation, wrapping an arm around Aya and Nanami, "I can't be leaving these two alone with a guy like that, ne?"

The platinum haired girl's eye twitched slightly as she moved Eiji's arm off of her, "Very well, you can come to, but know this. And it goes for all of you. If you do anything to betray me, I will not hesitate to kill you."

Eiji mocked a shiver, adding jokingly, "Did it just get cold here, or is it just me?"

Ignoring his comment, she walked on ahead deeper into the village. Chiyo glanced at the others and bowed, "Thank you very much. Nanami-neechan appreciates it too. She just doesn't know how to show it."

Dozo rested his no-dachi on his shoulder and nodded, "Right, so let's see-" he looked around while pointing at each person and counting out their number on his free hand, "-one priestess, one kunoichi, one-" he smiled disarmingly at Eiji,"-idiot, two children, one handsome bandit, and a demon?"

He looked inquisitively at Setsuna for a second, "A good start at building an army. Which is what we'll need to bring down a Daimyo."

Setsuna slightly raised his eyebrow. "I really have no interest in what you humans want to do to each other or with each other." He smirked then. "But you are an interesting group of humans and I haven't seen anything interesting in decades. I shall join you then."

His red eyes - which were more of a dull brick color now - swept over the group, giving Eiji and Dozo rather appreciative looks and looking intently at Aya, who squirmed a bit beneath his gaze. His smirk grew wider and he lifted a hand to his straw hat, tilting it forwards so that it would cover the upper half of his face.

This might be an enjoyable experience.

"Right.." Dozo muttered under his breath, not really sure if he'd just imagined Setsuna looking him over, or the alcohol was still toying with him.

He'd run into only three demons in his life, out of which two were full demons with the last being a hanyou. Each of the beings had this "feel" about them that just wasn't normal; like Setsuna, they had moved different, spoke different -- they oozed mystery. Idly he wondered if that was just a side-affect of immortality, and after so many years they just became so detached from mortals that they didn't care to fit in any longer.

Not that he fit in amongst mortals either; he'd often been likened to a demon, what with his penchant for violence and quick temper.

"So before we head out-" he started to say, turning to Nanami, as he'd naturally taken her to be the leader type, "-should we bunk down for the night? I've got a room at the tavern -- it's not big enough for everyone, but I don't mind sharing a bed.."

He whistled innocently and looked between the priestess and Aya, a slight smirk tugging at his lips.

Nanami considered this for a moment, then nodded her agreement, "Very well, we shall stay in the tavern for the night. However, if you wish to share your bed then you'll be sharing it with Eiji-san."

She said clearly giving him the cold shoulder. Eiji meanwhile took this chance to wink at Dozo in a teasing manner. He found the reaction's of straight men most amusing when he did things like that.

"Or we could give the bed to the children," Nanami added as an after thought.

Aya spoke up. "Give the bed to the kids! I'm sure they're the most tired of us all."

As if proving her point, Zakuro chose that moment to yawn which he covered with his hand in embarrassment. Aya grinned and giggled a bit before ruffling Zakuro's hair affectionately.

"This little guy hasn't gotten any sleep either, mostly because of his dreams," she said and earned a sharp nudge from an elbow. "Ow..."

Zakuro sighed. It was times like these when he kind of regretted grouping up with Aya. She had a big mouth and didn't really think before speaking. He just hoped that no one would notice her sip up. After all, many kids suffered from bad dreams so the others would probably just think he had been having nightmares instead of horrifying visions.

Dozo was a little put off, but didn't complain; the boy did look exhausted, and he was developing a soft spot for Chiyo. He was curious though where exactly he would sleep -- the floor was not an option.

"Sure sure sure, let's just go.." he muttered as he strolled forward, sword slung over his shoulder.

Nanami followed behind wordlessly with Chiyo walking eagerly beside her. The little girl always loved making new friends. And now she had lots of new friends who were actually going to travel with her. She was absolutely ecstatic.

"Nanami-neechan, thank you so much," Chiyo said smiling happily, knowing the only reason Nanami was going to let them come was because of her, "This will be so much fun!" She proclaimed twirling around a bit.

Nanami smiled tenderly, though in the back of her mind she knew that fun would not be exactly how she would put it. She raised an eyebrow as she asked, "And it wasn't fun before with your nee-chan?"

"Um... I mean it'll be even more fun!" Chiyo corrected herself.

Aya and Zakuro followed while Setsuna hung back, taking up the rear of the group. He was debating on when he would approach Aya and ask her about her lineage. He hasn't had any contact with the demon community in decades and he had only met one hanyou in his lifetime. He was curious as to how powerful they were and what they looked like in their demon forms.

Dozo glanced over his shoulder at the people following and he slowed a bit so he was walking beside Aya's little sidekick. He leaned over a bit nudged the white-haired boy to get his attention.

"Hey psst, little man. What's up?" he asked, flashing the boy a grin, "-what can you tell me about your lovely companion, hmm?"

Zakuro started a bit and looked up at Dozo with a slight confused expression. "Um... shouldn't you ask her instead of me?" he said, a light blush appearing on his cheeks.

Nanami's ear twitched, overhearing what Dozo said. Unbeknown to her, she had the hearing of a bat thanks to the demon blood she got from her father.

"Dozo-san," She said walking up beside him and the younger boy, "If you want to know more about the konoichi, then ask her directly, instead of haggling a poor boy for information."

Eiji raised an eyebrow having only heard murmuring from Dozo and he was walking right beside the shrine maiden. How had she heard him so clearly? Peculiar.

Dozo snorted and clapped Zakuro's shoulder, "Cos' that would make it seem like a was interested-" He stopped talking when Nanami addressed him, and his head tilted slightly in confusion.

How the hell did she hear me? I swore I was whispering..

He eyed the priestess curiously, "How did you do that?"

Zakuro slowly removed Dozo's hand from his shoulder. He thought the guy was a little... odd. Cool and skilled, but odd.

Behind them, Aya was unaware of their conversation for Setsuna had idled up next to her.

"You are a hanyou," he said, stating a fact. Aya looked at him and met his eyes.

"Yes," she said a bit warily.

Setsuna said nothing for a bit before saying, "Do you know how to become a full demon?"

Aya shook her head at that and Setsuna could sense that she was telling the truth. He smirked a little and dipped his head forward, covering his face with his hat again. He fell back, separating from her and earning a curious and confused gaze from Aya.

Weird guy... are all demons like this?

"How did I do what?" Nanami asked, her brows creasing in confusion. She wasn't aware that she did anything.

Eiji meanwhile spoke down to the young girl still walking in the same spot before Nanami had left, "Chiyo-chin, how much do you know about your Nee-chan?"

"Not a lot, she doesn't talk about her past," Chiyo said skipping along the road, "Why do you ask?"

"Hmm, no reason just curious," Eiji said simply. He just knew something was up with that shrine maiden.

Dozo squinted at Nanami, clearly confused, "You heard me whispering? I mean, I'm a little drunk yeah, but-" he shook his head, "-forget it."

He turned and walked past Zakuro, ruffling the boy's hair as he went by. Once he was back at the front of the little group, he tied his sword to his back and rummaged in his pocket for a cigarette.

That chick has something going on with her -- she's no normal priestess, he mused as he put the cigarette between his lips and lit it.

A few years back he'd run into a foreign sailor who'd shown him how to roll tobacco between rice paper and smoke it. Unlike the long pipes that most men used in his country, the foreigner's way of smoking appealed to him. You could carry the sticks with you wherever you wanted, and they didn't get in the way or become burdensome.

Zakuro fell back until he was walking beside Aya, who was looking around the near ruined village.

"Be careful of that drunk swordsman," Zakuro said to his older-sister figure.

Aya looked down at Zakuro. "Hm? Why?"

"Just be careful."

Aya smiled a little, then put a hand around Zakuro's shoulders in a reassuring gesture. "Hey, is the tavern far?" she called out to Dozo who was at the head of the group.

Nanami watched the warrior walk on ahead with her own expression of confusion. She then shrugged it off realizing she forgot to do something in all that ensued after the battle.

She made her way over the konoichi and followed in step beside her, "I want to thank you again for saving Chiyo-chan. If you had not come, I may not have been able to save her myself." She said after she had yelled out to Dozo.

Dozo took a drag on his cigarette and pointed up the hill to one of the only buildings not burning to the ground, "Not far."

He took the steps two at a time and didn't wait for the group as he swept through curtain at the door. He peered around at the room, which was still somewhat intact. His scuffle with the soldier earlier had busted some furniture and put a hole in the side wall, but everything was most superficial damage.

"Dozo-san!" squealed the waitress he'd saved, her eyes lighting up as she entered the room from the kitchen.

Aya smiled at Nanami. "It's no problem. It's my duty as a respectful kunoichi to help those who need it," she said.

She stepped up the stairs and into the tavern, taking note of the damage. But it wasn't bad. At least there was a roof intact.

"Still, I appreciate your help," Nanami said stepping in the tavern and seemed not to take much notice of the damage. Suddenly, Chiyo ran up to her and clung onto her miko robes.

"Nanami-neechan!" She cried out burying her head in the red cloth, "Eiji-san said a scary monster messed up the inn, it's not true is it?"

Nanami's eye twitched slightly as she sent a glare at Eiji who only looked back innocently, "No Chiyo-chan, don't believe the tales of idiots."

Dozo looked over and cocked an eyebrow, "Monster? Haha, I messed up the inn.." he trailed off and turned back to the waitress, "-about which I am sooo sorry."

"Are there any other rooms besides yours Dozo-san?" Aya asked.

"See told you a scary monster messed up the inn," Eiji joked, nodding toward Dozo.

Chiyo pouted, crossing her arms, "Dozo-san isn't a scary monster, he's nice."

Nanami sighed. This did not look good at all. The little girl was practically hero worshiping a scoundrel like Dozo. She was going to have do something about, and do something quick.

Dozo shrugged at Aya and watched as the waitress went back into the kitchen, "No idea, you'll have to ask her."

He untied his sword and propped it against one of the wooden beams holding up the ceiling before sitting down at one of the intact tables. He motioned for the group to join him and put out his cigarette, blowing the last of the smoke into the air.

"Take a load off, people-" he patted the table, "-you deserve it."

Aya sighed and pushed Zakuro towards the table. "I'll go ask, you go sit," she said. Zakuro nodded and watched as Aya disappeared into the kitchen before taking a seat at the table, directly across Dozo.

It felt nice to sit down after a long day.

Setsuna sat down as well but made sure to be a little way away from the group.

Nanami made her way to the table and took a seat with Chiyo sitting down between her and Dozo. The young girl swung her legs under the table, smiling happily.

Eiji meanwhile, made note to sit next to Setsuna. A guy trying to sit off to the side was just asking for company, at least that's how Eiji's logic worked, "So what do you think of these guys?" Eiji asked trying to start some sort of conversation, and maybe get some better insight on his new traveling companions.

Dozo smirked and reached around Chiyo to tap Nanami's shoulder, "Can I order you two something? This place has really good-" he paused and looked at Chiyo, "-have you ever had dango?"