"I only met a few ronin in Minkai, but from what I gathered some only turned to that path because they were found wanting on their old ones. Probably because they learned that the lord they were serving was a raving psychopath, or their original lord was slain and they refused to bow to the new one."
Her expression darkens. "There is one other Way I had the misfortune of learning of: the Way of the Cockatrice. Those samurai are the ones who care only for themselves as a matter of principle. They don't handle challenges to their honor--" She snorts derisively. "--or rejection well, from what I saw."
Bloody Tetsuo... couldn't take 'no' for answer, could you?
@ Alara
"While some may have turned to that path due to incompetent lords most of them are bandits, and raiders who only follow their own whim."
As Alara finishes speaking about the Way of the Cockatrice Msamune starts laughing.
"You mean the Way of the 'It's All About Me'? Those people aren't even samurai. Those are fools who think they understand what it means to be a samurai. Even ronin are better than them. Those people only care about themselves, and what they can get for themselves. It's a shame that a Way like that is even allowed to exist."
At your answer to his second question, he gains an even bigger smirk. He takes back the chalkboard and writes: 'Oh? So I'm a target now? I don't know whether to be relieved that you're watching over me or concerned. Knowing that you could be watching me without my knowledge. It could say the wrong things, darling.'
At your question, Piper shrugs and writes: 'Oh, nothing to extent of your abilities, darling. How to fight, how to use magic, how to use every bit of knowledge, how to perform in terms of music, acting, and dancing, and how to, as one of my more eccentric instructors put it, "become social butterflies". Though some bards prefer using melee , become better at magic , or how to use their own music and voice as a weapon . It's an amazing experience to say the least. So much so that I actually want to start my own bardic college someday. Teach others what I've been taught. Guide them to their true potential. Pay it forward, you know?'
Piper listens closely at Masamune's explanation, his wide with curiousity. After you explain the Way of the Dragon, he smiles and writes: 'Well, then. I'm glad to know that we will both be supporting our friends.'
After hearing both Masamune's and Alara's explanation of Ronin, Piper gains a contemplative look and writes: 'So ronin could be criminals, self-centered, have left their lords due to moral issues, or those who show loyalty to their lord even in the lord's death. But most are bandits. Sounds like that would be a path of freedom, a path of Desna's faithful, in a way. Having the ability to follow their own morals and their hearts without be subjected to any established laws. I'm not saying that I approve of banditry. I'm just asking: Are they all bandits? Maybe some did leave incompetent lords. Maybe some relish in their freedoms. Maybe they want to protect others, but don't see the tenants of the other Ways to be of any use to them or their situations.' He then stops and gains an embarrassed blush, smiling sheepishly before writing: 'Sorry about that. I guess I'm just an optimist who sees that there is good in most people.'
At Alara's and Masamune's explanation of the Way of the Cockatrice, his brow furrows and his face darkens. He writes with obvious anger: 'How can such an order exist?! I thought that samurai were supposed to support and aid others. Even Ronin could help others. But an entire Way dedicated to the benefit of yourself?! How selfish can a person be?!'
She leans in close to you, her breath warm in your ear. The words that come next come in a sultry, quiet whisper, each one said with clarity & precision. "Oh, yes. You're my latest target, little songbird. One night... when you think you're alone... when the coldness of your bed becomes too much to bear... you'll awaken to find me above you. And I'll end it all for you, killing you one little bit at a time."
She licks your ear to punctuate her statement, then retreats swiftly, adopting a perfectly innocent expression. To the untrained eye, it's an expression that clearly is NOT one of someone who just did her best to tease her boyfriend the same way he teases her so often.
You know better.
"Well, some of them are formidable enough to get results. More often than not, that's the only reason I see most lords putting up with such a self-centered thug. Most of them pick a fight with something--or someone--much bigger and meaner than them, and get weeded out as a result. The ones who don't get killed off, however..." She shudders. "THEY'RE the ones you really need to watch out for."
At your whisper, Piper loses his smirk, his face becoming even redder. Beads of sweat start to form on his forehead. When you lick his ear, his face becomes completely red, his eyes widening, and he shudders a bit. After a moment of silence, Piper writes on his chalkboard, a hint of nervousness in his eyes. When he hands you the chalkboard, it reads: 'Mé a mharú go mall nó a choimeád te dom? Níl a fhios agam go hionraic má ba chóir dom a bheith eaglach nó nach bhfuil.' His thoughts: 'Damn, I just don't know when to stop, do I? Why am I still pushing her on?'
"Níl aon ghá a bheith eaglach. 'Marú tú mall?' Sin é ach amháin le figiúr de chaint." She steps closer to you, wiping the beads of sweat off your forehead. She leans back into you, whispering again. This time, there is no teasing in her voice... only a promise of warmth and love. "Ach tú a choinneáil te? Is ea. Ba mhaith liom go... go mór."
She pulls you into a warm embrace, pressing herself fully against you, feeling every inch of your body against her own.
So warm... so... beautiful...
As the kiss breaks apart, she has a giddy smile on her face. She can barely muster a breathy "Oh my..."
@Piper
"If you fight a samurai alone then you are doomed. They flourish when they have one target to focus on. Try to kill any mobility they have, and keep them pinned down with arrows. If you have to face them in melee make sure you have someone on hand to heal whoever they are fighting against. If two samurai meet then whichever one can receive the better aid from their allies will probably win."
Probably not the most honorable thing to say, but if it helps my friends then that is what I shall do.
She responds more chastely to the second kiss; perhaps she hasn't had much time to catch her breath yet. There's no shortage of warmth in this one, however.
At the mention of dinner, her eyes light up. "Did you have somewhere specific in mind?"
I should know; you've got me wrapped around your little finger, don't ya?
"Thus, enchantment magic tends to work fairly well against them. Put them to sleep, daze 'em, hold 'em in place, or even turn them against their own allies if you're powerful enough."
Oh gods above I hope he says casual wear I haven't gone on a date in three decades I'm rusty on how this works I don't want to screw this up oh great now my thoughts are babbling spiraling downward nerves wracked am I sweating?
"Well... I guess that settles it, then. Goblins first, Rusty Dragon later." Her ears twitch.
She giggles a bit as you remove your hand from her cheek. She reads what you write next, then gives you a warm smile. "Oh... that's okay. I should have told you before anyhow."
Her smile gives way to a more serious look. "Still, I'd appreciate it if you warned me next time you're going to do that. Because, well..." She trails off, a hint of a grin on her lips. She lets you fill in the blanks.
After a while, he smiles and writes: 'So, then we're agreed. I'll take you out after we're done with the goblins. Think of it as a celebratory meal between just the two of us. And don't worry, love. I'll pay for it.
Well, you DID kinda just lick his ear without warning first...
"Hey, elf ears are super sensitive!" She says defensively. After reading your second message, her face returns to its normal tanned color and she playfully ruffles your hair. "Oh, you don't need to worry so much about teasing me. I can take it."
She leans into you again, her voice dropping to a seductive whisper. "Besides... I actually like it when you tease me like this. Gets me... thinking. You know?" She nuzzles your cheek, taking a slow, deep sniff of your hair as she does so.
She pauses briefly, feeling your warmth against hers a little while longer before continuing. "...but you're right about the ear thing. No double standards between us. So..." She pulls you into a hug, her head resting on your shoulder. Her ear is tantalizingly close to your mouth, its angles & curves inviting exploration...
"...make it count. Make us even."
...
After you part, she's positively ecstatic about going out with you after the goblin affair has been dealt with, and it shows in the grin on her face.
When you pull him into the hug and tell him to lick your ear, his breath hitches for a moment and his blush deepens. 'Should I? ...Screw it. I got myself this deep into it. Might as well go the rest of the way.' He then places one hand on your shoulder and places his other hand on the back of your head. He then gives a few tentative licks at the base of your ear. He then glides his tongue up the bottom of your ear to the tip. He gives the tip a few licks before giving it a slight nibble. He then releases it with a small kiss. He then turns to you, his face alight. He writes: 'There. We're even. We might not want to stall anymore and catch up to the group, love. We do have a job to do.' He then moves ahead until he's about ten feet in front of you. He turns around to look at you. At the sight of your grin, he only grins back and holds up his hand, as if he's asking: Coming?
A sharp intake of breath, combined with her head burying itself in your shoulder is your reward for your first lick--
"mmmhh..."
--as your tongue glides to the tip of her ear, her hands grip your hair and clothes tightly, her blush hot against your cheek--
"Ahh... ohh..."
--as you finish nibbling on the tip of her ear, she gasps--
"yesyesyesyesyesyesyes!"
--but as you finish, she pouts. She's quite disappointed that such a pleasurable distraction can't continue in the face of looming goblin stomping duty.
She stands up, panting. "Yes. Coming. Goblin stomping. All that stuff. Everyone else waiting for us." She says. Her smile returns, and her eyes shine with happiness. "And... thank you for being so understanding. Next time... I'll ask first." She walks over and gives you a quick, chaste peck on the cheek in thanks.
As you lead her back to the rest of the team, you notice that her gait is a bit unsteady for the first few feet, but she soon settles into a familiar rhythm.
When you kiss his cheek, he smiles at you. At your final statement, he resembles a tomato as he writes: 'You're welcome, Alara. I guess I'm just a naturally understanding and accepting person. I guess my father did teach me something through his neglect after all. One more thing, love: You don't have to ask to lick or nibble on my ear. Just know that if you're going to do it... then so will I.' At the last part, you can practically hear the teasing and flirting tone in your head.
He notices the strange gait you have. He gains a concerned look as he releases you hand and writes: 'Alara, are you okay? You're walking a bit funny.' 'Though I think I may know what may have caused it. I didn't mean to do... that.'
As you continue onward, he writes: 'So, is there anything else you want to do on our date, besides dinner?'
Her legs are shaking a bit as she reads your first question. She folds her arms behind her back after she gives you back the chalkboard, still blushing.
"Er, yeah. I'm just fine. Why do you ask?" She replies in an innocent tone of voice.
Hey, he doesn't need to know how close you came to... well...
Walking onward, when the topic of what else to do on your date besides dinner, she looks to the sky briefly in thought.
"Well, I don't really know Sandpoint that well; I've only been in town for a couple of days. Could you... maybe... show me around?" She asks, tentatively.
At your question, he writes: 'I just wanted to make sure you're okay. I didn't go too far, did I?'
At your request to be shown Sandpoint, he grins and stops in his tracks. He bows and, taking your hand, kisses your knuckles. He then writes: 'It would be an honor, my lady.' He then silently chuckles as he continues: 'I haven't been home for 5 years so I don't know what has changed and what hasn't. So, we can explore the town together. Discover new things. Makes the date more fun, right?'
"Actually, some elves would argue that you didn't go far enough." She says. She then bursts out laughing. "No, don't worry. You didn't go too far."
She unfolds her arms. "But seriously... thanks for stopping when you did. I think if you went on any longer, things might have gotten really awkward."
She giggles as you kiss her knuckles, putting her free hand to her mouth. "Sure. Go out to dinner, wander around town, see the sights, and hopefully avoid getting in trouble with the Sheriff."
And maybe later... who knows?
When you give your thanks, he just smiles at you. However, curiosity soon occupies his thoughts. 'I know I might regret this, but I just have to know.' He writes: 'If you don't mind me asking, in what way would it have gotten... awkward?' He flinches at the thought of your possible negative reaction.
At your last statement, he gives a small smile and writes: 'Sounds like fun. But remember, that the Sheriff is my father. And if he catches you doing something... interesting to his son, you might get into more trouble than a normal civilian would get into.' He ends this off with a teasing and... flirtatious? smirk.
After a while, he gains another curious and confused look. He writes: 'Hey, Alara. Do you remember when you said that you like it when I tease you? That it gets you thinking? May I ask what it gets you thinking about?'
...he's not serious, is he?
"May I borrow your chalkboard for a bit?"
Assuming you let her, she takes a piece of chalk and starts writing something down. When she hands the chalkboard back to you, it reads:
'OH GODS! OHGODSOHGODSOHGODSOHGODSYEEEEEESSSSSSS!!!!!'
Beneath it is a stick figure caricature of her with a blissful expression on her face, lying on her back.
"Now imagine *that* happening within earshot of the rest of the party." She says in an utterly dry tone.
Well, I'm not THAT loud, but you get the idea.
The mention of being in potentially more trouble than the average person if the Sheriff catches her fooling around with you causes her to chuckle. "What sort of trouble, may I ask?" She says with the same flirty smirk on your face.
With regards to your final question, she pales at first... then blushes again. "Well, about you, silly. How I can get back at you, how easy it is to joke around with you..." She trails off.
...how much I want to kiss you, how much I want you to lick my ears, how much I want to have you all to myself...
At your question, he gains a flirty, somewhat predatory smirk. He writes: 'Well, my birth father was arrested for attempted murder. But you won't try to kill me, so life imprisonment is out. However, an attractive elven woman... from a foreign country... who only got to town a few days ago... trained in the ninja way... trying to lay with the Sheriff's adopted son... people might start talking. Dad might even have you leave town. But not to worry, if he does, I'll talk to him to having you stay. There might be some conditions. I must be having another one of my idiot moments because nothing's coming to mind. Can you think of anything, love?' As you read, you can pratically hear the flirting voice of Piper (or what you imagine what it would sound like). As you read this, he circles you, eyeing you in the same manner that a predator would eye it's prey. His hand goes to his chin, stroking it.
At your statement of why you like his teasing, he gains a huge grin on his face.
She shifts from foot to foot as you circle her, her blush deepening. She offers a shy smile. "Well... maybe one of those conditions could involve a very... thorough... interrogation by you. Maybe with some rope, and perhaps even a spanking or two." Her confidence gradually creeps back into her voice as she speaks. "I mean, after all, your Dad would want to be sure that I'm not a threat to either the town or you, right? So who better to find out what I'm planning than you?"
Her armor shifts under your grip as she turns to face you. As you kiss her ear, there's a sharp intake of breath, one of her hands reaches the back of your neck, and her other hand comes to rest on your belt--
"I-I-I'd be more than...oh my... happy to." She whispers. You feel her trembling against you.
"Well. You. Keep. Kissing. My. Eammmphmhhrr--" She starts to speak as you kiss her ear again, but is cut off by your lips on hers. Her breathing grows heavier, and her hand tightens its grip on your belt when your hand covers it. She makes no move to remove it however; you get the impression that it was the closest thing on your body that she could hold onto to keep from falling over.
Your affection has rendered her speechless and trembling; she is putty in your hands, and you are the sculptor.
After you're done, you two begin to make your way to the party... again.
As you proceed, Piper hears a fluttering sound and looks up. He sees a bird flying but can't seem to see it well or identify it. 'Songbird or drab? Shelyn... Mother... do you approve of my actions?'
Shelyn sometimes sends messages to her faithful directly by means of a short but precise whispered message in the ear. Songbirds are sacred to the sect; their presence is considered good luck. Her displeasure can manifest in a number of ways, and a brief glimpse of a repellent reflection in a mirror, a lover’s quarrel, a drably-colored bird or one singing off-key, and wilted rose beds are all common signs of her disappointment.
She relents, gently kissing your left ear, then trailing kisses down your jaw before finishing with a soft peck on the lips. "Seriously, Piper, I want this to work. I've had enough of purely physical relationships; those left a hole inside that hasn't yet been filled."
The fact that you're willing to take it slow already means so much to me... maybe this will be better. She gives you a warm, happy smile as you lead her back to the party.
Alara hears the same fluttering sound that you do, and looks up...
"Say, Piper, what's that?"
She points up to where the fluttering came from; perched on the branch of the tree the two of you were under is this bird.
"Is that some kind of songbird?"
At the sight of the blue and yellow bird, Piper's eyes widen. He slowly gains a happy and... relieved? smile. Tears begin welling up in his eyes. He writes: 'Yes, love. That is a songbird. However, to worshippers of Shelyn, it's so much more. It's a sign of good luck. And to see it above us, that must mean Shelyn wants our love to succeed as well. To me, it means... my mother approves as well.' He grasps the holy symbol of Shelyn around his neck. The bird takes flight, Piper following it's motion. He grasps your hand and squeezes gently as the bird disappears through the canopy.
