Visions of Beyond

[Katsumi Viora]

Katsumi gasped softly eyes widening..

"Oh Chizuru-chan please don't cry."

He whispered softly his disposition softening again as his hands twitched slightly..
He frowned looking down brushing a bit of his hair from his face.


"...Don't you think I've tried to get to you?...time and time again I tried and time and time again I failed..father was lenient at first but then he started punishing me..making the villagers snitch on me..even the other family members..It finally escalated into being guarded by one of the family members..I wasn't allowed to leave my room..everything was blocked off heavily..I was even brought my..uh..'food' and my work for the cathedral as an elder.."


He rubbed his forehead.


"...Adrian has become one of the most powerful elders next to father and Adio is learning and gaining more power quickly..he could easily out rival Adrian in due time."


He explained..


"It might be a blessing in disguise..I don't know."


He shook his head.

[Kirin]

Her face hardened. "Is anyone coming to look for you?"

Chizuru turned to face Katsumi. "I wish to..try to fix things, but I don't know how. You don't believe in war and war is not virtuous for anyone. But right now, there is an uneasy peace that can be shattered any day now. War, however, will not come here in this city."

She didn't know what to do anymore. Chizuru idly picked up a rice cake and ate it. The Empress seemed nervous. She was used to having control, but she felt that slipping once again. Her eyes glazed over as she seemed to shut everything out. It was just her in her own thoughts.

I'm the fixer. It's what I do, right? I have to fix the things I messed up. Did I mess this up? It's not like I can just wander off and visit my little colony whenever I want. Should I? Why did things have to get so difficult? I can't do everything. I'm just a human. I wish I could figure something out. What about Katsumi? What can I do? I don't know what to do.

Chizuru blinked. "Stay. Please, stay. I'll make sure that no one harms you."

[Katsumi Viora]

Katsumi idly grabbed one of the rice-cakes and bit into it his fangs seeable for a brief moment yet again..The overwhelming fruity taste hitting him once more he making a bit of a face but not disgusted..just..surprised.
Amber eyes peered back to Chizuru once he swallowed,his chewing/swallowing motions rather strange looking not used to doing such things but he was getting better..He set the rice-cake down and canted his head.


"I have no clue if father will be willing to break his own rules to have the punishment squad find me..As for you...Do what you think is right and what you think will give you the upper hand in the end...You can not and will not please all of your people or those beyond your level..it's completely impossible and will only ware you out in the end."



He stated rather simply..Had he read her thoughts..?...Or had it just been coincidence..?..All of what she had been thinking didn't seem to be answered however..Katsumi wasn't afraid for his well being..Only hers..He himself was not human of course and not as willingly broken.
A thin smile curved pale lips.



"I have no intention of going anywhere.."


He laughed softly..

[Kirin]

"His punishment squad will be sorely outnumbered." Her words were true. She was sure that they could be overpowered as well. Chizuru sighed softly. "I'm more worried about you than you seem to realize. I do not wish to cause harm to your family, but if you wish, I will grant you the full powers of protection as a citizen of this land." She looked over at Katsumi. "It will give you some protection. I know that I cannot execute your father, though. He will just be exiled if you will it to be so." Chizuru played with her next rice cake.

"If you want and you feel comfortable enough, you can stay with Avice, the foreigner Kitsune. She's been doing quite well. She even has her own domain that she is in charge of. It would do you well, since it is hidden and you can learn our customs more. Since it is not out of the kingdom, I can see you at any time. But the castle would be safe. Just be warned that it's actually quite boring here." She laughed softly, but it was the truth. "Too little to do. Too much time to do it."

A soldier knelt. "Your Majesty, Michiba Tadao has arrived and wishes to speak with you."

"Cousin Tadao. He may come to sit with us."

The soldier left the pair and Michiba Tadao was escorted into the room. Tadao was younger than Chizuru. Despite the fact that everyone treated Tadao as someone who was cursed, Tadao was very good-looking. He had the same skin tone and eyes as someone native to the Empire, but he had a head of brown hair and bright green eyes. He was the eldest son of the former daimyo of Michiba. Tadao knelt down, bowing very lowly to Chizuru. He said nothing until Chizuru acknowledged his presence.

"Tadao-san. Come in, sit next to me."

[Katsumi Viora]

Katsumi listened to Chizuru quietly taking everything in that she spoke about..
He canted his head slightly,Raven colored hair shifting to the side as he smiled faintly.


"I've been away for far too long..we have to catch up and I've missed being with you..You may grant me protection
if it eases your mind..I see no harm in it..and I've been stuck in the cathedral for most if not all my adult life Chizuru-chan..I don't mind the quiet life."



He laughed softly,his expression soft as he'd go quiet once more as the solider entered speaking to Chizuru..
His head then moved toward Michiba Tadao's direction..he however did not make eye-contact with the boy,not out of disrespect but rather acceptance..Katsumi was just a regular here..he held no authority over any of these people..
Confusion crossed his mind,his brow furrowing as he turned his head looking at Chizuru..He didn't want to greet the boy in an improper fashion..He also wasn't aware if there was any language boundaries here as well.

[Kirin]

Chizuru gestured briefly with her hand. She instructed a maid to bring her a fan. With a quick glance, she bowed at Tadao and expected Katsumi to do the same. Tadao rose once Chizuru instructed him to do so. A retainer sat outside the shoji, waiting to be allowed in with Tadao's word.

"Katsumi-san, this is Tadao-noh-Michiba. He is the daimyo of the province that shares the family name, Michiba." Chizuru recieved her fan and began to fan herself. "Tadao-san, this is Katsumi-noh-Viora. He comes from the allies of our small colony of Kotoba."

Tadao bowed to Katsumi, though not as deeply as he had bowed to Chizuru. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Katsumi-san. Inabi, come in here with the scrolls."
Tadao was one of the ones vying for the position as Shogun. He was the leader of the opposing faction, thinking that since the Crown has changed hands, the Shogunate should change as well. Hiroyuki-noh-Ryuu is the reigning Shogun. The Shogunate has been descended through the Ryuu clan through two cycles of the Crown, once for the Dragon and once for the Tiger. Tadao was a few years younger than Chizuru, but he was a brilliant tactician and he had strange, foreign magics that protected him. He sought to unite the Empire's armies with the Empire's naval forces.

Chizuru remained neutral and would continue to do so until one man would concede or war would break out. Her only concern was keeping her palace safe and since she would now be considered to be a diety, her interests did not lie in the war for the title of Shogun.

Inabi scrambled in and presented Tadao with the scrolls. With ceremony, Tadao unrolled each scroll and laid them atop one another.

"These are all schematics for ships for the Imperial Naval Forces. They may also be used as trading vessels." Tadao glanced at Katsumi briefly. "Do you have such forces at your home?"

[Katsumi Viora]

Katsumi would rise if needed be for his bow,if not he would give a simple bow of his head to Tadao..He kept a kind disposition about him.


"It's a pleasure to meet you as well."


He said,and then watched as everything unfolded..the scrolls being brought out and things Katsumi had never seen nor heard before being brought up and discussed in certain ways..
Amber eyes were brought back to Tadao..


"..Our territory is large,but our main settlement is in the center of it all..the original family house..the cathedral..and then the villager houses and shops below..there is nothing else that my family built ,so anything beyond the main settlement consists of wilderness and ruins from long ago..We have no sort of Military or ships..and we only trade with trusted people and the people who have brought their goods and set up shop after they have been accepted in by the head elder..my father..We have certain groups set up..such as a punishment squad..scribes..assistants..that sort of thing..but it's all in the family,it's very rare that an outsider,even an outsider married to a family member..is instated into the council..."



He explained.

[Kirin]

"Has it happened before? Someone from outside of the family being instated into the council?" Tadao was curious.

Chizuru made a slight motion with her fan and a maid entered, serving more tea to Chizuru and Tadao. Chizuru's eyes closed halfway. She looked at Tadao and spoke in their native language.

"They are a very close-minded society, much like we were during the end of the Emperor Byakko's reign. They are not a very prosperous society and growth is sort of stagnant. Even building the colony next to the village was a struggle. And we were to blame for their village's maladies."

Tadao made a face. "Is that true, Katsumi-san?" He knew that this was a rude question. "Forgive me for being impolite, but did your clan blame our colony for your village's maladies?" Tadao drank the tea.

"Susumu-chan is now the head of that colony. It is her's to do whatever it is that she wishes." Chizuru responded. She was looking at the schematics, tracing her fingers over the ships.

Tadao asked another question after Katsumi replied to his first two. "Is your village landlocked like our colony?"

[Katsumi Viora]

Katsumi was quiet letting everyone talk and watching what went on around him.
Amber eyes were brought back to the boy as he asked his first question..Katsumi narrowed his eyes slightly and glanced at Chizuru before looking back at him..Before he was given a chance to answer anything a third question had been asked..He sighed,feeling put on the spot.


"My family line has survived for many years without the need for modernization or unnecessary human comforts..Susumu is in the favor of my father considering the two are in love with each-other and she's been given more permission then most outsiders have ever had if I'm not mistaken..Even though my father has allowed some small changes,he is still very uncomfortable and not very trusting of humans or any others suddenly wanting to build on our territory or merely venturing through it and getting a bit too..nosy...
He like many of the others in the council and family are stuck in their old ways..
As far as Landlocked yes..we are,we have a large mountain range nearly spanning the entirety of our territory where the rest is wilderness and other uninhabited terrain..."


He explained and then sighed.


"As far as the problems went,and as I just explained despite my father giving into small changes he did at one point give blame on your colony for our problems..He has since then regretted that however and I do believe he apologized for it too..correct me if I'm wrong..It is my father we're talking about and he is very..eh..high-strung.."


He added,his hands clasped in his lap as he sat calmly his black wings shifting slightly..

[Kirin]

"That will be enough from you about that, Tadao." Chizuru's voice sounded sharp. Her head tilted as she flipped to the next scroll. "How long will these take to build?"

Tadao thought for a moment. "We can have one of these ships built within the year if we begin before the rains come."

"Hmn. I shall like to test one of these. I want to be able to use one of these ships." Her eyes wandered over Tadao's expressionless face.

Tadao bowed. "Hai."

Chizuru smiled girlishly and turned to Katsumi. "Have you ever been on a ship? It's interesting." She folded her hands in her lap.

Tadao looked up at Katsumi. Was he a rival?

[Katsumi Viora]

Katsumi watched seemingly studying everything about what was going on right down to anyone's movements in the room.
Amber eyes shifted down to the scrolls before he looked back up, his head canting slightly..He saw how Chizuru smiled..
Am I going to lose,the only person I've ever loved?
Katsumi's posture straightened as he smirked lightly in a boyish manner at Chizuru,he knew Tadao was watching him and would seemingly ignore him..his attention remained on Chizuru.




"Unfortunately No,I haven't been able to experience such a thing..the only body of water in my family's territory is far too small for anything bigger then a row-boat..I've always wanted to go on a ship but being landlocked has it's drawbacks."



He said,his fingers pressed to his lips as he laughed softly for a moment before his hand fell back to his lap the boyish smirk remaining.


"I do look forward to learning what I can about this land while I'm here..and of course I look forward to catching up with you too,..My dear Chizuru-chan."

[Kirin]

Tadao just sipped his tea idly. He just seemed to put two and two together. Tadao did not think Chizuru was a love interest at all. The fact that they were related by blood made any sort of romantic relationship totally out of the question. Tadao could see that Katsumi seemed to grow jealous, but he had no idea why.

Chizuru's voice grabbed his attention. "Tadao-san makes the loveliest ships. Perhaps he can captain a ship for us while we go on an expedition. Maybe you can come with us, Katsu-chan." Her voice was happy. In fact, this was the first time she had ever referred to Katsumi as "Katsu-chan" anywhere else other than in her imagination. "We will load a ship with our silks and our crystals and go on a trading expedition. It will be fun. I will pilot the ship. Like when I was younger."

Tadao bowed. "It would be an honor, Benevolent Empress."

She nodded briefly. "Along the way, we can go on a tour. It's been a while since I've toured the Empire. I think it would be nice."

Tadao spoke softly. "I am sure that the daimyos would be honored with your presence. It would be good for the people, as well, to see their Empress."

[Katsumi Viora]

Katsumi canted his head as he listened to Chizuru,his expression softened as a normal smile crossed his lips..
Being related by blood,had no boundaries when it came to love in his family,Katsumi had grown up in such a manner he saw no such thing to be strange..


'Katsu-chan'


Katsumi's eyes widened slightly when he heard her say such a thing,he quickly covered the lower half of his face with the big sleeve of his cloak..it obvious he was smiling however..He covering up the rather bad blush that had crossed his cheeks..



"...That was so adorable...I'd be happy to go on an expedition with you Chizuru-chan."


He said,his voice soft as amber eyes stared out at Chizuru calmly...

[Kirin]

Tadao fidgeted slightly. In the native language, he asked Chizuru. "Why do I feel like he is jealous of me? Do I seem like competition to him? I haven't said or done anything."

He better not come between me and the Shogunate.

Tadao bowed. "With your permission, I must leave to prepare my province for your visit."

Chizuru nodded. "Very well. I hope your return safely." She turned, basically ignoring Tadao.

Tadao left, shuffling out of the room with his guard, and leaving the schematics behind. Chizuru rolled up the scrolls and looked over at Katsumi. "Katsumi-san, let's go get you fitted into something comfortable. You should learn to fit in if you are to stay here. Well, fit in as best as you can." She eyed his wings with a smile. Chizuru stood.

The maid returned with two more maids. They cleaned up the tea and the rice cakes. The main maid bowed.

Chizuru nodded her head briefly. "Amaya, please take Katsumi to get him something more comfortable to wear. Put his cloak in safe keeping. You are his personal assistant."

Amaya bowed. "I am honored and I will not fail."

[Katsumi Viora]

Katsumi lowered his hand from his face a faint blush still remaining as a boyish smile crossed his lips he seemed rather happy now..
He'd watch Chizuru as she'd put away the scrolls.

"Katsumi-san, let's go get you fitted into something comfortable. You should learn to fit in if you are to stay here. Well, fit in as best as you can."

Katsumi got a bit flustered,his wings shifting slightly but he'd nod contently..

"Alright Chizuru-chan."

He said softly.
He'd watch the maids enter he was rather surprised that he had been given a personal assistant it was a bit
strange but he didn't mind.
He smiled lightly at Amaya and would follow her to wherever needed be..