Mitsuba: Japanese parsley.
Gunsen: War fans.
Spoilers: Masamune's route
Mai
A cold shiver and a weight settling on the back of her thighs stir her back to the world of the living. Groaning low, a sheen of sweat is all over her face, feeling hot and cold and tired and restless altogether.
Shogetsu continues with his soft snoring, undisturbed and comfortable after taking his usual spot on her futon. Regardless, his companionable presence doesn't seem to soothe her the way it used to be.
Her room looks exactly the same as how she's left it—the pretty katana lying on its rack, her desk filled with sketches, a new inkstone looking like waiting for her to be used. Even the incense is the exact one she's fond of, and still.
So much feels different.
I thought I'd made myself a place in here, but is that really it?
"—No, absolutely not! You're forbidden to come in here," A stern voice can be heard right past her door, muffled yet close enough for her to overhear, if accidentally. "Don't you think you've caused enough damage already?"
"Are you kidding me, Hideyoshi? She's the one who protected an enemy ninja—"
"And she will deal with the consequences of her actions accordingly, to Lord Nobunaga himself."
More rustling steps seem to approach near her room, and Mai manages to duck her head under the sheets; the heated discussion and unwanted noises coming from outside more annoying than the fever heat or aching limbs.
"I was just doing my job!"
"Injuring the Oda Princess is not your job, Masamune." Even with her eyes shut, she can picture Hideyoshi's fuming face, though frankly she wishes they would argue literally anywhere but outside her room. "Now leave. I don't want to see you near her."
A beat goes, and she can't help holding her breath.
"Fine." Masamune seems to give up pretty easily, all things considered—considering what, exactly?—huffing loudly. "At least let Kojuro come over…"
At the prospect of a visit, Mai turns around and away from the door, a cool cloth falling off her forehead in the process. Not in the mood for any sort of visit, she shuts her eyes, hoping beyond hope something else would come up and be left alone.
In the end, she doesn't get to find out if Kojuro visited her or not, her daze drifting her off to sleep at the spare of a moment of tranquility.
"Achoo!"
While it's good to have been prompted awake from a nightmare, it's just annoying to find herself bedridden for goodness knows how long. Taking a seat, her body feels sore, adding up to her growing frustration.
First I am attacked by a crazy samurai, and now I happen to catch a cold? This is just pathetic.
Oddly so, her furry companion seems to be nowhere to be found, and a slight creak on the shoji doors leading to the veranda casts a silvery light into her dim light room, deeming it the evening. Fortunately, her fans are still at arm's reach, although there's a necklace resting in a wooden box next to Dawn and Dusk.
Wariness takes over her, but she picks it up anyway. It's pretty, and looks way too expensive for something she'd use. Must I suppose this is some kind of 'get well' gift?
It suddenly strikes her Masamune might have left it, in a manner of apology. Although he doesn't seem like the sort of person who'd get trinkets and gifts to apologize; he's more straightforward than to do it. Actually, this smells like Nobunaga's…
Nevermind the latter, her thoughts keep going to Masamune, and her memories of him are tangled up in pain, hurt, and frustration, wanting to brush them away as fast as they come to her mind. What am I thinking? I don't even know who he is anymore. But if he thinks his unpredictable nature will catch me off guard again, he's got another thing coming.
In a good timing, though, someone else comes in unannounced. "Oh, you're awake."
"Ieyasu," Her sight isn't perfect but his blonde locks can't pass unnoticed, "What are you doing here?"
He scurries inside carrying a bowl on a tray. "Nobunaga requested me to nurse you back to health." He says as if it's obvious. "You've been causing problems for everyone, you know." Without allowing her to comment back on it, he plops himself down next to her futon, "There was a big stir over your disappearance. You've been unconscious for a day, too."
Mai blinks, a tad bit confused, trying to recall what day it is but failing to do so. "I'm truly sorry about that," She mumbles, fidgeting with her blankets in an attempt to do something with her hands, "Have you been taking care of me so far?"
"I'm just doing what I'm told and nothing more." He detaches himself from showing a resemblance of kindness as fast as she's seen him do in the past month. In his language, she takes that as a yes though. "I had this foisted off on me in the hallway. Eat it, if you think you're up for it."
Moodily, he sets down the tray next to her pillow. It looks just as good as it smells—meaning, there's a chance it might not have any of Ieyasu's bitter medicine on it, which is encouraging. It's a bowl of rice porridge, sprinkled with bits of mitsuba all over, steaming hot and enticingly sweet to the smell.
Her growing appetite is what somewhat appeases her miserable mood. "Thank you, Ieyasu." Mai cracks up a smile for the first time in—days? A week? It's not like she can recall anyway.
"Whatever. I didn't make it." He dismisses that, glancing away.
Asking no more and wasting no time, she digs into the bowl, the porridge leaving a pleasantly soothing flavor in her mouth. Damn, this is so good, it feels I haven't eaten anything nicer in years! The warmth of the dish fills her, and having a little in her stomach helps wonders to ease her worries.
"Does it hurt?" Ieyasu asks out of the blue.
"What?" After following his eyes, she realizes he's talking about the gash in her arm, wrapped up with some bandages. "Not really. I haven't looked at it but I think Shogetsu might probably have done worse than this."
Her light joke doesn't amuse him in the slightest, however. "You're lucky to be alive." He frowns hard.
She sighs, shoulders slumping down. "No need to remind me…"
Although that doesn't stop Ieyasu from speaking his mind. "Masamune would have never come back empty-handed after having discovered an enemy ninja's whereabouts."
Looking up at him, he avoids her gaze by busying himself with changing her bandages, stoic as ever. Is Masamune going to get in trouble because of that? She can't help ponder on, before giving herself a mental slap. Agh, why am I even worrying about it? I wasn't going to let him hurt Sasuke anyway.
However, what if he had actually gone through with his threat, and killed her instead?
"You actually thought having her hostage could stop me? I'm ready to take both of you down!"
In truth, he went way more than easy on her, and seemed to be quite aware of that. But in the end, Masamune did attack her and she really could have died right there—at an inconspicuous inn, alone in the dark, 500 years in the past.
Her stomach goes cold, knotting up at the mere thought.
"And you warned me…" She bites her lower lip, losing her appetite already.
"Yeah. Now like it did any good though," Ieyasu huffs while wrapping her arm with a new set of bandages. And as it seems, she probably might have to eat her previous assumptions; the sight of browns and reds dirtying the old clothes deeming her wound more gruesome than she'd thought. Fortunately, it barely stings a bit, leaving her to think she must have had it disinfected and cured while she was out cold.
"But… what were you really trying to tell me there?" As hard as it comes to be trying to get something out of him, she has to try prodding again somehow.
"You've figured it out, haven't you?" After a pause, Ieyasu finally looks down at her, calm and collected. "The thing about Masamune is that he doesn't stop, for anything or anyone. That's what makes him the scary and ruthless daimyo he is." He certainly has a point after what she's endured that dreadful night, and nothing she'd said made any difference whatsoever. "You can't stop him from living the way he wants, or doing his duty."
The latter comes as no surprise. She's already seen firsthand how differently he strikes from the rest of his allies. "But… I mean why? What truly motivates him?" The same question keeps nagging at her over and over in a way she can't possibly shake it off by now.
There's a piece of this puzzle I'm missing. Just who is Date Masamune?
Ieyasu sighs, as if he's not looking forward to taking up the subject. "Masamune lives by an unshakeable set of principles, and he'll stick to them, even if that means other people are swept up in his actions." He says plainly, "Sometimes that attracts people. Others stay with him because they just got caught up in his antics."
That is, all in all, a pretty good summary of her experiences with him, to be frank. But Masamune's inspired me too, respected my views even. I didn't just like him because he dragged me around until I did.
A hard frown shows in Ieyasu's face, scolding her before even saying anything. "I know what you're thinking right now, but being a member of his entourage won't spare you." He adds with a narrowing of his emerald eyes, "He doesn't hesitate to sacrifice anything for a mission. May that be the lives of others, or his own."
Mai feels taken aback by all that. That makes him sound like he's heartless and unreasonable, but even in her conflicts, she's seen and witnessed Masamune caring for the people close to him. Sometimes, even going out of his way to just provide a helping hand—like giving her horseback riding lessons himself, instead of just calling another guy like most busy people like him would do. And that's just one of the many examples of it.
"Masamune lives by this code of ideal leader. He puts that above all else in the world. It's not like he doesn't care about people's lives, just that his ideals take precedence." Ieyasu continues, the tone of his voice unchanging, "He made up his mind a long time ago about what he wants and what it'll take to get it, mostly from himself. And he won't hesitate to make as many sacrifices as necessary to achieve it."
"Let me guess. He found something worth killing for?" She assumes. Although, if Masamune decided that a long time ago, what kind of life has he led, exactly?
Gathering what he told her about his past, it plainly seems as if he's decided to somewhat detach himself from every personal wish to become the person his people needed to follow. And even when that's pretty honorable of him and all, there still clearly seems to be something else she's not seeing.
"What could have happened to him to set himself up that path?" She can't help thinking aloud.
Could it have been after the death of his would-be bride? After losing his eye? People have gone astray for way less than that, at least in her time. Her own grandmother had become almost an entirely different person after the passing of her husband.
"I don't know." For the first time in the evening, Ieyasu sounds genuine. "I can't possibly understand what makes a man capable of shooting his own father."
Her neck cranes up to Ieyasu in an instant, eyes about to bulge out of its sockets. What have I just heard?
"Masamune shot his father!?"
But just then, Masamune's former strong assurance that he'd even be able to kill his own blood leaps to the front of her mind.
"You'd kill your friends, your family… for your job?"
"Of course I would!"
Ieyasu gapes at her, looking horrified, as if he'd just realized he said something he shouldn't. "Anyway, you're weak, and Masamune's going to be bad for you. You're liable to get crushed under his principles until there's nothing left." Recovering quickly and with that cold assessment, he gets to his feet. "I honestly don't know what happened between you two. But if my words are hitting the mark, then consider starting keeping your distance from him."
And just like that—exactly the way he has her accustomed to—Ieyasu leaves her room without letting her have the last word.
Frustrated, she plops down onto the futon, but the abrupt motion makes her dizzy and instantly regretting it. However—and truth be told—she can also attribute the spinning of her head to one certain guy who keeps plaguing her thoughts no matter how much she tries not to.
"I can't possibly understand what makes a man capable of shooting his own father."
The same line remains in her mind for most of the evening, until exhaustion takes a hold of her once more.
A curt knock on the door prompts her awake the next day, groaning low as the morning light washing over her room blinds her for a split second. "Ugh, come in," Rubbing her eyes, Mai isn't prepared for a fuzzy friend to pounce over her.
"Oh, shoot! Don't be so harsh on the Princess, you meanie!"
The newcomer scurries into the room, attempting to push the ever-playful Shogetsu off her—with little to no avail, that is. "I'm so sorry about that, Mai. This cub needs to learn how to behave!"
Despite the abrupt awakening, she can't help cracking up a smile at the sight of a worried Hideyoshi trying to get a good hold of a tiger cub. "It's okay. At this point, I think it's his way to say hello. And I missed you too, little buddy!" Bumping his wet nose against her cheek, Shogetsu appears to be agreeing to that. "Good morning to you, Hideyoshi,"
After a brief session of pats, strokes, coos and compliments, the tiger finally calms down, taking his usual spot on the side of the futon and plopping his big head heavily over her thighs. At this, Hideyoshi also seems to let down his guard a bit, apparently not sensing further immediate danger.
"You seem to be the only one who can manage to tame this beast," Snorting in amusement, he walks back to the door to retrieve a tray he's apparently left over, "Brought some tea and breakfast. Do you feel like it?"
"Yes, please. And thank you!"
With much better spirits than the night before—probably due to the newcomer— she eagerly takes a seat and accepts the cup from Hideyoshi with a smile. "I'm very glad to see you all recovered," He smiles back before sipping on his tea, "We were worried sick about you. Did you like the necklace?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, it's beautiful," She pats the side of the bed where the box still lies over, "Was it from you? You shouldn't have to…"
"Always so modest," He dismisses that with a flick of his wrist, nonchalant. The sunlight reflecting against his profile then surprisingly makes her realize why he's so popular with the ladies—it's not just his friendly personality, seems like. "And no, I couldn't possibly have gotten that. In fact, it's a present from Lord Nobunaga."
She tilts her head in thought, the pieces of the puzzle coming together. That explains how expensive and ostensive it looks like and, consequently, how that couldn't have come from Masamune. A slight sense of relief floods through her—at the very least, there's that thing about him she's certain of.
"Well, I'll make sure to thank him next time I go to his tenshu," Mai affirms, her gaze unconsciously dropping to her pair of fans next to her futon, "He's been giving me so many gifts, though. I don't really know what to make of it,"
Hideyoshi goes pensive for a moment, "What's there to make of? Milord Nobunaga is very thoughtful and a sharp observant." He says matter-of-factly, "If you ask me, I think it's clear as day why he's rewarded you, or given you tokens of his appreciation."
"Let me guess. It's because I've been working very hard?"
"Not just that. You've earned your place in here, and most importantly, our trust," He says with confidence, his words truly genuine.
Coming from a man such as the one who's been so skeptical of her from the very beginning, it's a deeply moving statement. And after that comment, it becomes more reassuring to have decided to stay in Azuchi and not travel along with Sasuke.
Most of her life has gone through hopping around place after place, town after town. From Sendai with her grandma, to a small town with her father Haru, to the pursuing of her career in Kyoto, truth is, deep down, she'd always longed for a resemblance of a place to call home.
With half of her family scattered across continents—like her mother and aunts in the Americas—starting a family of her own hasn't actually been within her expectations of life. But to settle down, to belong somewhere, to have at least somebody expecting her to come home to, that could be called the one true wish that kept her moving forward.
And perhaps that's exactly why that wild One-eyed Dragon has carved himself a place in her heart; not for his reckless nature, not for his charm, but because—and unbeknownst to even herself—he's managed to give her heart's deepest desire.
Maybe I wasn't so wrong about this place after all?
Hideyoshi relaxes his posture, taking a moment to seemingly ponder about saying what's on his mind. "Speaking of trust…" He begins, humming a little, "Do you, er, want to talk about what happened?"
Mai worries her lower lip for a second. "About Masamune, you mean?"
He nods, "I can certainly banish him from being in the same room as you, Mai. You only need to ask and it can be arranged..."
She scoffs in partial surprise. It's not like she hasn't thought about that, though she simply wasn't expecting to be Hideyoshi to stand on her side—or anyone, for that matter. She's no important person after all.
Getting her bearings, she cast her eyes towards the veranda and onto the sun seeping through the shoji doors. "Truth be told, I do like him. Masamune is the sort of guy I easily get along with. It's just, after this," She makes a vague gesture towards herself, "I don't... really know what to make of him."
A beat. "I see."
"You know him better and way longer than I do." Mai states the obvious, casting a glance at him, "I'd like to know, do you trust Masamune as a friend or just as an ally?" And then she quickly adds, "If, um, you don't mind my asking, of course."
Hideyoshi shakes his head, procuring himself a cup of tea and apparently mulling over her question. "There are very few people in this world which I know for a fact would never turn their backs on me. I can even count them with my hand," He says softly, "Lord Nobunaga and Mitsunari aside, there's my wife, Yoshiko, an old dear friend of mine, Maeda Toshiie… and there's Masamune."
Mai arches a curious brow at that, giving him a moment to sip on his tea. "I don't only consider him a valuable ally of Lord Nobunaga and the Oda forces, but a man of his word. Someone who would never stab me on the back and, should I fail on my goals and purposes in life, would tell me how and when I did so straight to my face without hesitation," His eyes fix on her face, honest and reassuring, "He may be stubborn and reckless, and gets on my nerves more often than not, but he's the first to be there when someone needs a helping hand, and never fails to do his job," He scoffs after that, "Despite me disagreeing on his unconventional methods, that's for sure..."
She hums low at that, taking his words to heart. Never thought he'd have Masamune in such high regards. Not like I can forget so easily how much he fumes when he comes in late to their meetings. Yet truth be told, his words bring a sense of clarity to her head—because that person sounds like the Date Masamune she's come to know and acquaint with.
Shogetsu releases a long purr, stretching before snuggling closer to her leg, and Hideyoshi slightly startles at that, as if remembering the cub's presence all along. "If you're looking for my opinion, Mai—and I can't believe for a start I'm about to say this—I actually think Masamune… is good for you." He points out with a thoughtful nod.
Her two brows arch at that now, and yes, she's surprised to hear that from the ever worrier Hideyoshi of all people. "You think so?" She wonders, trying for him to elaborate.
"I know so. You know he's been making you these 'get well' meals all along?" Her eyes go wide at that, and Hideyoshi chuckles low, shooting her a small smile. "And there's this pet of his who doesn't seem to leave your side when he's not around, and the way you've sharpened and walk with your head a little higher after he took you under his wing, working harder and smiling more often." His smile turns knowing for a moment, "I'm aware I'm not a sharp observant such as Mitsuhide, but I still have my two eyes."
Bringing her cup onto the tray, Mai buries her hands on Shogetsu's soft fur, growing pensive. "Funny that Ieyasu doesn't seem to share your views on that..." She says to her lap, biting the inside of her cheek to keep herself from scowling.
"I believe that's Ieyasu's way to worry about you," He points out, not dismissing his colleague but not agreeing either, "And regardless, you don't have to forgive and forget right now. I'm just saying, if you end up truly wanting to know Masamune after you recover, you should ask him yourself, don't you think?"
On that, she sighs deeply, unequivocally agreeing.
Without appearing to have anything else to say, Hideyoshi rises, bringing the tray along with him. "I'll leave you to it, Mai. Rest well." He shoots her another soft smile and a nod, seeing himself out.
A long breath rushes out of her lungs after being left alone with Shogetsu, still stroking the fur on his neck, almost in a therapeutic way. He's right, I don't have to forgive and forget right now. And besides, I still have Shogetsu with me.
Curling some more onto the tiger, he doesn't seem to mind her long strokes onto his neck and belly, purring louder and tucking her thigh closer to him with a big paw, deeply relaxed.
And so she relaxes too.
A week later, she's more than ready to get back to her duties, too fidgety to keep in her room for any longer than strictly necessary. At first it was nice to just draw and sketch to her heart's content but it's only so much until she can put a stop to her restless mind and body.
Besides, there's also the fact everyone insisted so much for her to rest and recuperate—with Mitsunari helping as much as to come to her room himself with his books and parchments so he wouldn't skip breakfast—she couldn't bring herself to say no.
That morning, she finds Nobunaga on his tenshu going about his business, stacks of parchments on his desk and a new inkstone to compensate. There doesn't seem to be anything different or out of place in his room from a week ago, and for some reason that brings some relief to her. At least nothing has changed. I can work with that.
Mai greets him with an apologetic bow after slipping inside, "I'm sorry for my absence."
"Don't be. Your job isn't vital enough that anyone was troubled by your being gone." He deadpans, barely looking up from his letters, "Why else would I have given you this position? Just keep working hard from now on."
She stares blankly at him, forcing herself to close her mouth. He's definitely the worst boss she's ever had, by a long margin. Detached and cold as always. Took me just a couple days to forget how much of a jerk he can be. I don't even get a hello?
And so, sighing, she takes a seat to resume her work and deliver her previously requested report of the last week's incident vocally, mostly to fill in possible blanks. However, it takes a fleeting glance at her obi for Nobunaga to switch his stoic features and bring her his full attention, looking up from her report.
"I must say, I'm impressed at your improvement." He says.
"My improvement?" She wonders, frowning.
"Yes, with your gunsen." He nods in the general direction of her fans, Dusk and Dawn, tucked into her kimono. "It's no small feat to stand your ground against a veteran samurai such as Masamune."
Oh, so that's what got his attention. Although he's not precisely wrong with his statement, she notices she wasn't entirely ready to hear the name of the man she's been trying to wrap her head around all week that early in the morning.
"I… wouldn't say that." A blush creeps up her cheeks without helping it, "I frankly don't know how I'd been able to do that. I was just trying not to be sliced up by a katana."
However, where she was waiting for a critique or a negative assessment of her actions—to which she'd frankly understand, given the situation being that a fake Princess and lowly person such as her has gotten into a fight against a renowned daimyo, and is no stranger to the fact that literally anyone else would get a punishment for such a thing—instead, Nobunaga grins proudly, excitedly even.
"I would say our dance is bearing some results. Keep holding onto such instincts and you shall do fine here, Mai." He smiles, as if the mere prospect of a battle thrills him, the anticipation of another night of fan dancing clear in his eyes.
I can't even be surprised at this point. Do they even have the concept of 'Peace' in their dictionary? Probably that's something as foreign as the measure of time in this era.
"Thanks, I guess—"
She can't go on as, in the next moment, they're interrupted by footsteps approaching his tenshu, a servant wearing the Oda sigil on his robes entering unannounced. "Milord, I have an urgent report!"
Nobunaga perks up at that. "What is it?"
"People of Uesugi's Nokizaru force were reported in the northeastern forest." The vassal explains, stiff on his spot. "The enemy numbered over ten men, battled with a group of four or five of ours. Half of them were slain, and we managed to capture some alive."
Mai's blood runs cold. And now Kenshin's deploying his troops? Is this what Sasuke was trying to tell me? She grows heavily alarmed by the threat of war, yet Nobunaga remains impassive, listening intently to the vassal's report.
"And our casualties?"
"Several of our men suffered injuries. They were from Date's unit, stationed in the forest."
Her eyes grow wide, realizing far too well who those people might be.
Yojiro and his scouts!
Her heart lurches as their happy faces appear on the forefront of her mind, as well as the face of their leader, sharing them a meal made by his own hands. The mere thought of anything happening to them makes her throat close.
Masamune goes to see them frequently. Could it be...?
Without a second thought, she rushes to the tenshu's balcony, paying no mind to the other inhabitants in the room, looking in the direction of the forest. There's really nothing much to be seen, except for a gust of smoke coming from the trees. Her dread gets into a fight with the memories of him slashing his sword at her, vicious and resolute—of him having her as his enemy.
She purses her lips tight, keeping the threat of tears at bay and taking a couple of deep breaths to collect herself. Because the truth is, no matter how much at odds she would be with Masamune right now, the idea of something happening to him is simply unbearable.
Fortunately, a pair of sandals approaches in her direction to pull her out of the conflict she's making with herself.
"I have prepared a meeting. Come, let's meet the others."
*In Britney's voice* It's been a while... I know I shouldn't have kept you waiting... but I'm here now.