"The Yagura Castle"
by Furor Scribendi
2008 Scribendi Productions
March 12th
The next day, at the Shogi Club, Suguru had the paper in front of him, sighing endlessly. Hamadi came up to him, looking concerned. "Is it true? Is it? I mean, when I heard about it, I could not believe it! Really?"
"I will not be able to get out of the house at all. I can barely get to the bathroom without them all over me!" Suguru shook his head ruefully.
"We could go for you," offered Kawahara.
"It just wouldn't be the same." Suguru closed his eyes and gave out a body-shuddering sigh. "I am so under the microscope, I can't even sneeze without her asking questions. Minawa is also tailing me, but she is rather obvious about it. Maybe that IS intentional, so she knows I know she's there. In any case, I am too scared to go to the Treasures, for those could be found as well." He left the newspaper open and laid his head on the table. "Everything was so perfect and Shikijo blew it all up." He began to quietly whimper.
Some of the other players looked up and shook their heads in sympathy to his plight. "Poor guy." "What a revolting development." "Better him than me."
"It's Ryuga-sensei," someone whispered. Not looking up, Suguru stayed down as Ryuga came closer to him. When he saw the paper, he was not happy at all.
"What did I say about the newspaper?" Ryuga looked down at Suguru. Suguru lifted his head slightly, pulled the paper out and gave it to Ryuga without looking at him.
"Here, go ahead and take it. It means nothing to me now."
Ryuga stared at him. "Nothing? I will admit that dirty thoughts are bad, but Ms. Asaoka transcends that, a veritable goddess of beauty and grace."
"Yeah, well, convince Mahoro of that."
Ryuga looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"
Staring off into space, Suguru pointed towards the bank of windows. "Go to the window and look out straight ahead, but near the base of the light standard."
Ryuga did as he was asked, and saw a black dot near the base of the light, lurking in the bushes. "Oh, ho. It's Slashie," he commented.
"A defining moment of my youth and I have to watch it sail on by." Suguru lifted up a hand to make a pathetic waving with it. "Bye bye."
Ryuga held the paper in his hands, pondered for a moment and left.
"Do you need any help home, Suguru? I mean, I haven't seen you this down since…since…well, it's been a really long time," offered Hamadi.
"Not even when Mahoro discovered our wall ruse, you were not down for long," said Kawahara, offering support.
"Thanks for all that, but I'll be OK. I know that I will be reminded to go home soon enough, so I might as well do so under my own power." But he still lay there, like a fish on a riverbank. He was helped to his feet, his school supplies given to him and sent on his way, lurching and lumbering.
About a block from school, he called out. "You might as well come out, Slash. I know you're there." Slash sauntered out from the bushes.
"I'm not that obvious, Suguru. Besides, Mahoro ordered me to do this. Personally, I do not care one way or the other on this matter, but I have to obey her wishes."
"And what if I asked you NOT to follow me? I am your master as well."
"Mahoro actually told me not to obey the 'don't follow me' order that you might give on this. I don't see what all the fuss is all about." Slash looked away. He felt this was rather beneath him, to shadow Suguru. First, he had to guard her underwear from the Ninja Panty bandit, then he was a baby sitter for Guri-chan; now this. How low could he go?
Suguru sagged. "And I thought I had this all worked out." He continued walking as Slash kept pace with him and told him a story.
"After the Commander Mis….I mean, after the incident with her commander, there was a wholesale ecchi purge at the base. People were in total fear, as Mahoro was everywhere. She really honed her skills at that point."
Suguru stopped and stared at Slash, who sat and looked up at him. Suguru put his stuff down. "I guess I just don't completely understand her feelings in this," concluded Suguru. "I know you told me all this, up in Hokkaido, but there just seems to be a key component that makes her go wild that I am not seeing.
"When she first cleaned my room and discovered my active stash, I got a lecture like you wouldn't believe. It went on for two hours! And she never repeated herself once! What can I do? It's like she has some kind of radar or sonar or night vision where she can sniff it out every time. Anything new I bring in is pounced on, no matter how well I think I have it hidden. And she is finding it sooner and sooner. The last time was in less than 90 minutes! Plus, I can't hope for some kind of lucky intervention as with the Dark Martial Arts Festival, when I was able to steal away. I feel that I am missing out on something really important in my life that may not happen again and…"
Suguru was then keenly aware that a passerby was staring at the both of them. He looked over at him, as the passerby looked back, quite perplexed.
"Haven't you seen anyone talking to their cat before?" said Suguru. The man looked at Suguru, and then looked at Slash. Slash's eyes glistened, as he had a rather scowling expression. He looked back at Suguru, and again to Slash.
"Meow." It was most unconvincing.
The man shook his head and moved on. Suguru sighed, picked up his stuff and plodded home.
At the house, Slash started to go to the doghouse. "No, Slash," offered Suguru. "You had best come in so you can follow me upstairs and watch me do my homework. Mahoro will want a report from you on all this." He went inside, Slash in disgruntled tow.
"Mahoro, Minewa, I'm home." His voice was flat and dry.
"Oh, Suguru, we'll have a snack for you in just a moment." Mahoro was bright and cheery.
"That's OK; I'll just go upstairs and finish up my homework, if you don't mind." He schlepped upstairs, Slash dragging as well.
"Suguru seems rather down," commented Minawa. "I don't like it when he's not happy."
Mahoro took Minawa over to the couch to speak with her. "I do not like it when he is unhappy, either, but he was engaged in active deception and in regards to his ecchi needs. If he is to grow up to be the same caliber of man as his father, he will need guidance to reach there. WE, both of us, have to offer that guidance for him."
"I…see," said Minawa, not fully understanding things.
That night, Suguru looked at the lovely dinner before him, but it might as well have been cardboard. It probably will taste like it as well, he thought. The doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," said a chipper Mahoro. When she opened the door, she was surprised to see both Ryuga and Shikijo there. "Oh, what brings you both over?"
"We have a matter that we need to speak to Mr. Misato," said Ryuga. MR. Misato? This was a problem. She allowed them in and they went to the table, sitting across from Suguru. He was shocked by their visit. Although used to Shikijo's daily visits, it was never in tandem with Ryuga and rarely Ryuga at all.
Suguru stared blankly. "Ryuga-sensei, Shikijo-sensei. What can I do for you?"
"I'll get right to the point: I would like it if you would loan me one of your Riho Asoaka magazines," said Ryuga. He noticed Shikijo said nothing, so he kicked her under the table.
"Oh, yes. I would like one as well." She rubbed her shin. That really hurt.
Mahoro was livid. "WHAT!??!" Mahoro's hair horns twitched. Minawa hid behind a counter in the kitchen. She knew what it was like when Mahoro detonated. It was yesterday all over again.
Ryuga continued. "I can understand your infatuation with her, so I would be willing to go down and get an autograph for you from her." Another slow response from Shikijo meant another kick to her, this one a bit harder. She winced, but kept on smiling.
"And so would I. Anything for you, Suguru." Shikijo moved around the table to him.
"What is wrong with you two?" Mahoro was getting steamed. "I have been trying for months to instill into him a sense of the importance to treating women with respect and not be filled with lewd thoughts."
Ryuga stood up. "I certainly agree with that. He needs to understand this particular concept about honest human male and female relationships." There was a pause. Ryuga turned to Shikijo with a withering glare.
She piped up, "And I agree with Ryuga. Suguru needs to get the proper caliber of education in these matters, and I would be most willing to give his private lessons in this area." She closed in on Suguru, looming before him. "Wouldn't you like a tutor or a mentor in this area? Get some real hands-on experience?"
"More like a tormentor, coming from you, Shikijo-sensei!" Mahoro stepped in to monitor the situation between the two of them. She almost slipped into combat mode, as she felt she was under assault. Her hair horns were flapping like a bird in flight.
"Personally, I am taking a practical approach." Ryuga held up a hand to halt Mahoro's advance. "This is an item that can only increase in value. In a few years, who knows how much it would be worth? Certainly with colleges as expensive as they are, and getting more so every day, this autographed item could easily pay for a semester, perhaps even a full year, of tuition."
"But he's not going to this book signing! Not at all!" Mahoro crossed her arms.
Ryuga shook his head 'yes'. "I agree. He's not going. I feel that it is inappropriate for him to rub shoulders with such a large group of leering, prancing, males, salivating a river at the thought of Riho. Now, a little part of me wants him to see this, to show how you are NOT to react, but, overall, it's best if he stays away from that spectacle.
"We also need someone to go who has no emotional commitment to the entire incident; a person who will get this done and not be concerned with other external factors that could distract or confuse."
Shikijo stood up and put a hand on Suguru's shoulder. A shiver ran through his body, both from her touch but also what it was they were trying to do. "As the adults, we can afford that 'layer of disinterest'. It's strictly business and nothing more."
"But you are not in any kind of position to do this! This is wrong and improper!" huffed Mahoro. "He needs positive guidance." Minawa slowly stood up from her spot. Perhaps it will not be as bad as last night. At least, there were no beer cans to explode upon people and Mahoro was not as livid as before. "He needs someone who can help his resist these urges, a person who is kind of heart and pure of heart and gentle of heart."
Ryuga looked concerned. "But could we ask a person who is kind of heart and pure of heart and gentle of heart to do this? It would be an affront to their sense of moral being." He turned his back as though lost in this revelation, pondering a great mystery of the universe.
"I know this for a fact!" chimed in Shikijo. "When you took the Hiryu belt from me in the Dark Arts Festival with your attack, I know that you felt like you lost something of yourself in doing so." Shikijo gave a bit of a half-smile as Mahoro shuddered at the memory. She liked watching Mahoro squirm a bit under the hot light of reason. "How much more do YOU wish to lose?" Shikijo asked this with such concern.
Ryuga turned towards Shikijo. "We have to be considerate of her feelings as well. Exposing her to such an ordeal is not the right thing to do."
Shikijo rubbed her chin as she considered this new bit of information. "True. With so much at stake for her, it borders on the cruel to even consider it."
Ryuga nodded. "The best thing is to send in someone else. Or two someone elses. Those who are of a 'lessened stature'? Is that a proper term to use? It seems so demeaning of a term."
"I would prefer 'situational flexible'. I mean, there are times when you need to be open to possibilities to take full advantage of things. You trade a little here to get a lot there."
Mahoro was aghast. "Are you two even listening to what you are saying? You are talking about this as though your virtue was a negotiable commodity. Neither one of you are in any position to lecture me. I know what Suguru needs best. He needs a person of moral fiber and strong character to help him through this time and times of this nature!"
Mahoro started to waggle her finger at the two of them. "This, by definition, excludes the two of you! You are both painfully governed by your emotions. Who is here that can honestly do this properly? Someone who can make the right decision! Someone who will do the right thing! Someone who will think of Suguru only and not of their own personal wants or needs! Who is this person?"
Shikijo looked to Ryuga. "You know, she's right."
Ryuga nodded. "She is absolutely right." He went up to her and began to shake her hand forcefully. "Thank you sincerely for volunteering to do this for him. I know that he will greatly and deeply appreciate this most stunning and marvelous of gestures."
"What? That is…I…" Mahoro was pole-axed by the turn of events, trying to puzzle out how this conclusion was reached.
"You ARE right. I hadn't really honestly considered that only a person who is kind of heart and pure of heart and gentle of heart is fully fit to have this done for Mr. Misato," pushed Shikijo. "For you will do it for all the right reasons!"
Minawa began to clap in support of this. "Big Sister, you are so kind and brave to do this."
"No! I can't! That is…." Mahoro sputtered.
Shikijo looked at Mahoro. "You are not kind of heart?"
"That's….that's not the point. Dirty thoughts are bad."
"And I still agree with that. But these aren't dirty thoughts. These are business thoughts, which are completely different," concluded Ryuga."
"Well, if you put it that way, I guess……" Mahoro wavered with uncertainty, overwhelmed by the rapidity of the unfolding events.
"Then it's settled!" cheered Shikijo, clapping her on the back. "You had best get there early; the lines will be long. Really, really long!" She put an arm about one shoulder and began to putter her about the house, as they started to get things ready for the big day.
Ryuga came up on the other side of her to help things along. "And they could sell out of the book as well. You're going to need a back-up plan."
"I assume that Suguru has the funds to cover all of this, so that is not a consideration to worry about," Shikijo picked up her shopping bag and handed it to her.
Ryuga withdrew his copy of the paper and placed it in the bag. "Here are the directions and all the instruction so you don't get lost. We can't have you wandering aimlessly about Hiryu trying to find this store."
"But… but what if I really don't want to do this?" said Mahoro. They all stopped.
Ryuga looked over to Shikijo. "Didn't she just agree to it?"
"I could have sworn that she said that she felt she was the only one who could do this properly," mulled Shikijo. "Something about moral fiber and doing the right thing."
Minawa came up to them. "Big Sister, you did say you know what Suguru needs best."
"But…that is…I mean…what I am trying to say is…" Mahoro looked into Minawa's eyes. She could not betray that trust that had taken about four months to build up. She closed her eyes, sighed and sagged, her hair horns drooping so low, they nearly touched her shoulders. "OK. I'll do it, I'll do it," she said in a resigned tone. "So, what is this book I am getting?"
Suguru stood up. "I have a better idea. Rather than buying that book there, I know the exact book for you to bring along……………"
MAHORO'S SYSTEMS WILL CEASE TO FUNCTION IN 131 DAYS
End Notes
The title for this piece derives from a strategy in the game of Shogi.
The Yagura castle is considered by many to be the strongest defensive position in shogi. It has a strongly protected king; a well fortified line of pawns; and the bishop, rook, and a pawn all support a later attack by the rook's silver or knight. It is notoriously difficult to break down with a frontal assault, though it is weaker from the side. It is typically used against ibisha or "static rook" openings, which involve advancing the rook's pawn. However, one's opponent may just as easily adopt this defense, giving neither side an advantage.
This was some difficult writing for me, as I have to try and be logical when I am not normally logical. I was debating finding some other source material and doing a bit of a homage (which is a nicer way of saying plagiarism), but I could not find anything even close to what I needed to say.
In the larger scheme of things, she basically had this caliber of debate a month earlier (in the anime) when Grandfather Yuuchiro came to visit around Valentine's Day and both she and he had a "discussion" about the self-same "dirty thoughts are bad" stance.
She fared rather badly, so that told me that she could be buffaloed into doing this, with the proper caliber of "logic" and a verbal force trap. It wasn't until I edited this (working on the 'second draft' so to speak) that I realized that Minawa was the key to ensnaring Mahoro into doing this, to the point where Mahoro could not back out, modify or alter the situation.
The sharp-eyed will have picked up on the two ironic lines in this piece. It wasn't until after I wrote them and was into the editing that I stumbled upon it. Sometimes, in the rush to get the words down, you initially miss those rather delectable aspects of everything and only, when you are going through the editing process do things come full force.
And, as I mentioned, when you go back to do editing and tweaking and all kind of cosmetic touch-ups, the elements finally come together. Stories that I thought I could pound out in a week or ten days have now taken upwards of two months, in some cases. This is not due to the actual ability to make writing time, but that the flow and feel was not there.
The odd thing about this set is that they came after the "Chef" series, but were finished before they were (but I had other concerns in the "Chef" stories as well, which delayed those. Who would have thought that fanfics really needed a higher degree of research?)