Mono no aware

[Chrysalis]

Hirotada stood up slowly and bowed his head slightly in a gesture of acknowledgement and respect, one that a man in his position could afford.

"Take a seat, please." - he gestured his hand towards the empty seat on the opposite side of his office desk, and eyed Izu as he made himself comfortable, and then took a seat himself.

He grabbed an empty glass, poured a reasonable ammount of liquid from his already open bottle and slided it over to Izu, all in one set of fluid and well-rehearsed motions. He rose his own glass slightly above his head before taking a sip. "To the cause..." - he uttered as he grimaced, savoring the rough aftertaste.

"I'm sure you've already noticed that I have been setting several reforms into motion..." - he paused as he reclined in his leather chair and tented his fingers. - "Reforms, that will hopefully end this era of stagnation and division our order is going through..."

"Trade deals, alliances and pacts...all leading to, what I hope, will be a prosperous age for the order, the final proof of our claim and the effectiveness of the true Kusari way." - he paused and stood up, grabbing his remote and using it to slide down a section of the wall behind him down, allowing the artificial lights of Kyoto's cityscape to light up his otherwise dark and shadowy office.

"The bitterness and lust for vengeance, though justified, has hindered our sense of progress. We cannot let the essence of true Kusari be overshadowed by such traits, instead, we should further nurture the ingenuity, unity and compassion to all things that are, the qualities that defined the age of the now, sleeping Dai Kusari Bakufu..." - he paced left and right as he spoke, ocassionaly glancing over to Izu.

"Regardless..." - he stopped himself from going into an endless monologue, as he usually does, from fear of boring his companion to death - "The time has come, Hatamoto. The time when true Kusari will be reborn here and now. I have decided to end the dissent of the clans once and for all, and proclaim the next Kyoto Bakufu, the sapling that will in time grow to consume and replace the decadent and corrupt Republic, restoring what once was..."

He took a deep breath and sat down into his chair again, returning to his original position, then locking eyes with Izu. - "However, I cannot do it alone. There are those who wish me to fail, those, that for whatever misbeggoten reason continually hinder and sabotage the progress of the dragons from within."

"Unacceptable." - he stated as his expression took on a more serious form. - "To combat them, and make my job easier, I will need personal advisors. Those who would be brave and capable enough to take up the mantle of Daimyo, to stand by my side as utterly loyal blades and compassionate friends...my right and left hands..."

He leaned in closer and narrowed his eyes. - "I want you to be one of them. Decide now, for I will not ask again."

---

The Commune || My Characters || Recruitment