Gerad'd never met Umasaru in his life. He had no reason to think Uma's appearence had anyhing to do with Okesa. The man was a shop keeper, and people came in pretty much all the time.

Gerad also had no way of reading Uma's mind. Instead he took the mans coment as an extraordinarily odd threat against the lives of whatever customers came through the door Uma was pointing at.

Gerad didn't like threats.

"I don't know what you're here for," Gerad said glaring down at the man. Not only was the shop keeper beefy but, as he wasn't asian, he also had quite the hight advantage on Uma. A glare from him could be quite imposing.

"But I suggest you buy something or leave. Now."

Gerad was typically quite polite to his costomer, even the insulting ones. Beinga foreigner ment you had to watch your step, even though he'd lived there for the past 20 years. However, this man was making threats, and Gerad had to assert himself before things got out of hand. He leaned heavily against the counter.

The Streets. In Edokyo. Ya know, the stuff that connects all the buildings and stuff...




------


Ame exits the clinic, glancing around...

After a small walk, the woman finds a decent wall to lean against, retrieves the bottle of alcohal that Sasha gave her, takes a swig.. And goes into deep harsh thoughts... Of, well, Moristune, killing people, and how she's going to get out of fixing a certain doorway...

Shai emerges from the Sake Shop and looks around at the practically deserted street. Beginning to walk down the street he's on, he sees a woman leaning against a wall. Finding her quite attractive, and remembering her from the sake shop earlier, Shai decides to try his luck.

"Hey there!" he says, walking over, "I saw you in the sake shop but we didn't get a chance to talk. I'm Sha Dao Shai. What's your name?"

Deserted the street was.. anyone previously in the area - at notice of the baikokudo standing htere - promply freaked out and left in a flipping panic.

Which made the entrance of Shai into her personal space that much more surprising..

Glancing up at him from her pleasent drinking and attempts to forget what she was previously thinking of. Paused for a long moment, knowing she's seen him before...

But, eh, none of that mattered...

Quietly raising finely bandaged handed, Ame pointed over across the street at a pretty large wanted poster with her face on it on the wall. Over the picture was Amethyst... under it was a pretty nice number for yen to have.

Shai looks at the sign, pauses for a moment, then laughs.

"Well now, I've never met a female wanted criminal before!" he says, smiling and making a mental note to check that off of his 'list of life's fufillments'.

lowering hand, the woman glowered at Shai... Was going to say something along the lines of how if he didn't step back she would ram her sword though his gut and kick him away thereafter... But, didn't get aroudn to it.

The surprise that she did, indeed, meet him before finally hit her compeltely.. Furrowed eyebrows.. "I saw you before.." her hand slowly strayed to sword - trying to ignore the voice in her head to loose it and kill everything in the immediate area... "And you pissed me off..."

couldn't remember exactly what happened, but the fact that he pissed her off on a previous encounter plus her inevitable hatred of everything male eventually led to her unsheathing the tachi sword.

Shai wasnt particularly scared by the sword, but he was slightly taken aback at her comment.

"Pissed you off? We didnt even get to talk! Come now... I think you should at least get to know me before you go off and decide to fight me!" he says, still smiling.

"Nothing to know about you.." the woman started, stepping towards him and getting ready to beat his ass with her sword... "You're a men... All men are bad. And need to die..."

Got into slight stance.. His smile was really pissing her off.. glared darkly for a moment, before rushing forewards with a diagonally downwards (left to right) slash

If one was observant enough, the woman was using her left, mutually injured hand to still hold hte sword. this probably hurt her shitloads, even if she didn't show it. And man is that passion to kill..well.. a man....

Shai drew his sword and, in the blink of an eye, blocked the attack.

"Wait one second here! Not all men are bad!" he said, practically pleading inside that she believed him. He didnt particularly want to get in a fight.

Of course... if that's what she wanted... that's what she'd get.

Pushed against his sword.. And would've been surprised he stopped her attack. But, alas, was too use to battle... However, the fact that Shai did prevent Ame from killing him, the woman got fumingly pissed off...

While grateing her sword against his, it was obvious the woman was far stronger than she looked.

"All men are bad, you, The Moribastard, that Muga freak. The doc at the clinic.. Everyone is bad! Alright?! So get your damn sword outta the way so I can Kill you, dammit!"

*Holy crap... this is one tough cookie!* Shai thought to himself as she grinded her sword against his own.

"Wait a second. How do you know that I'm bad? This is the first time you've even talked to me!" he shoots back, "And I cant allow you to kill me. That wouldn't be very nice!"

With that, he takes one hand of the handle of his sword and attempts to push her backwards. Then, quickly so that her sword would not come down and slice him, he jumps back and gets into a better position of defense.

Hops back slightly in defense to the man's attempted push... Held her sword in a one handed stance... Glanced at the foul piece of filth before her...Glowered.. "If I kill you before you show me that you're bad then I save myself the trouble of having to deal with it... see?"

It was clear that she had everything scripted if not already worked out far before this conversation on Ame's wish to kill every man she sees...

"What of the innocent men who don't deserve such disrespectful treatment? Your blatent attacks on them are enough to make the whole of humanity turn against you! You are fighting a losing battle!" Shai retorts, beginning to get annoyed at her continuous sexist attacks.

stabs the sword in his direction (though nowhere near him) angrilly, "Piss off, you jerk! You aren't around to tell me how my battles turn out dammit!"

Was fumingly pissed.. her recently bandaged left hand giving her a good amount of pain from grasping the sword so tightly..

~Slit out his tongue and jam your sword down his throat to silence the waste of time. And then behead him to make sure he's forever gone. Feast off his blood and - (the rest is cut out for it's graphic nature in words)~ The rabid voice deep within the woman's mind howled brashly.

Placing hand to head briefly, she cursed off a bundle.... Through her fingers the woman's eyes widened to see herself holding the sword. still slightly caked with blood from previous battles where she lost herself and went rampant on the town...

******, this wasn't the time to succumb and go berserk cause of some annoying male jerk telling her how her life is. He doesn't know... She doesn't want to deal with it..

Without warning, the woman takes a step back and, turning abruptly, runs away. Her speed, itself, was something of remarkible feat.. However, wasn't running from Shai anymore.. but from herself.

"Speak and be done, Okesa. Obviously you have nothing to lose by this meeting, but we do."

Okesa simply smiled at the band of cutthroats before him. They certainly did have much to lose, as was evident simply from the obesity of the man who had spoken. Even with their territories dwindling, the yakuza leaders themselves still lived in luxury. Likewise, they had placed themselves in a compromizing position simply by coming to this meeting. Okesa could likely kill atleast one of them before their bodyguards could react.

That was far from his intent however.

"You're all aware how long it's been sence a meeting of this scale has been attempted. Bringing the heads of rival Yakuza clans together generally has no purpose aside from exposing them all. However I do have a great purpose. When this meeting is over, all personal debts and favors still present between us are canceled. I cannot tell you how important to me that is, consitering the recent events."

"We can all see how this benefits you, Gingitsune. Tell us what benefits us."

Okesa smiled again, aware of his precarious position. Any moment they could decide that this was a ruse to bring them all together for the slaughter.

"I'll be brief then. The Mouku clan has gained far too much power. They've been cutting down on your territories, and bringing the law down on your heads as a means of ensuring an unofficial partial amnesty. They're hardly the upstart group they used to be. And now they're being lead by a mad man who, once he's completed his vendetta against me, is bound to unleash his madness upon yourselves. As long as you're divided, you stand no chance against them. However.. if some form of temporary alliance was to develope between yourselves.. something could be done."

The murmuring amoungst the leaders grew louder. All of them had come to the meeting with some idea of what it would be about, so they were all open minded to an extent. However, to come out and say it as Okesa did was potentially a very dangerous thing to do.

"I'll not say who should head this alliance or what you should do." Okesa continued. "You all have the expiriance and intellegence to decide that without my help. Likewise, You can all see whats coming, otherwise you wouldnt have agreed to meeting like this. I'm certain in the face of this danger, you'll be willing to put your egos aside to develope some form of truce."

Okesa smiled wryly.

"I'm also certain that you are intellegent enough to realize the short term advantage of helping the Mouku in this time. So consiter this a reminder: all of you have men planted within each others organizations. If one of you turns traitor, the others will discover it. You'll face the wrath of not one clan, but all the clans. I'd keep that in mind."

"And how do we know that's not precicely what you're planning, Okesa?"

Okesa grimaced.

"It would be foolish of me to try to gain favor with the Mouku's new leader. The only safety I have is in his death. However, as an assurance that I'll not betray anything said here to the Mouku, you may expell me from this meeting now and I won't complain."

"Very good. I think we'll do just that." A few others nodded, and some bodyguards stepped toward Okesa. The gesture was obvious.

"I leave it in your capable hands then. Find me if you need me." Okesa bowed to the yakuza leaders, and left the building. A couple of bodyguards followed him outside to insure that he did infact leave.

They neednt have bothered. Okesa had no desire to stay.

Still running fast away from a problem she could never outrun, the baikokudo, traitor to every piece of filthy land she's stepped across, comes to a point far across the town of Edokyo where she just tires herself out.

The hard running slowled to a pace. The pace eventually dragged to a miserable stop. The woman drops to her knees. Sweat dotted her brow, breathing was hoarse. And still, when she thought the voice was far gone, it rose up behind her and made it's place back in her mind...

~All those around, all the woman, children, All the men.. should die... You should kill them. You have a sword, rip apart their bodies. Tear out their throats, paint the streets with their blood. Do it, you know you can. Go ahead, nothing is stopping~

Finally, Ame broke, she howled out in that of a roar towards nowhere important, "RAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" berserk, though, she did not become. Once she ran out of breath, Amethyst hugged herself and - in the center of the street - went into silence. Those that were once in the vicinity were well away now.

Okesa mentally cursed at himself, as he suddenly remembered to hood himself.

Just like old times... only without any support. It didn't matter what decisions the yakuza made now, they would be made without him. He was cut loose.

He just had to survive long enough for them to beat back the Mokou. He hoped they could pull it off.

Amethsyt took in a shuttering breath. It was almost as if she was crying to herself, except without the tears or reddened face as so naturally added to crying. Almost as if devoid of the emotion in sobbing anymore.

Shivered. The woman stood eventually, however it was after a fairly good while. Swayed slightly as if about ready to fall back over. Though managed a few ongoing steps. The voice inside of her tearing her apart with each and every step. And noone was going to be there to help her. She ran from her only friend, Obsid, leaving her at the clinic. To what? Gather bandits to fight a samurai freak? how was she gunna pull this off now?

continued walked, pretty quiet, hugging self as if cold..

Okesa, now hooded once more, continued walking and happened across.. you guessed it, Amethyst.

Of course.. Out of the thousands of people in the area, she's always the one you run into. Fancy that.

"Hey.. you don't look so good."

Ame slowly came to a stop... Out of all the people that come up to her, a brutal public killer, and state the obvious, it was someone she knew.

didn't completely recognize the voice, mainly in part due to the hood he was wearing. But stood away from him non the less...

When nothing sharp came at her, the woman eventually closed eyes tightly with a hard breath, and turned around. Glanced at him as strong as she could look, even with teh turmoil ripping her apart from the inside-out.

Didn't immediately recognise it was Okesa. Instead, saw him as 'the hooded man that pointed an arrow at her on a previous encounter'... Her brows furrowed, muttered between clentched angry teeth, "it's you.." and getting ready for anything - though trying extremely hard to keep her left, bandaged, hand away from the sword at her side.

"That's what I like about you Amethyst. You're always so...chearfull and happy to see me."

Okesa had about 5000 things on his mind, yakuza, assasins, lunatics that wanted him dead, Obsidian.. but he refused to go on an angst trip. Instead he smiled.

"You'd think one of us would be dead by now," the bard pondered.

There were times like these when little switches went off in teh woman's mind between who was an enemy, an aquaintance, or a friend. Since she had so few friends it was a wonder she had a switch in that direction at all. Anyway, occationally - due to nervious breakdowns or berserkerity - the switches between enemy and good aquaintance are split in even directions about 1 person over simple things. This person was one of those people. And right now she couldn't decide if he was the nice bard that took on a hood, or the hooded man that pointed a poisontipped arrow in attempts to kill her. They were, to her, two completely different people.

Right now, due to his voice, she remained in light that it could be okesa... So, to end this personal suffering over someone else' character, she asks something simple and confused-like while her mind was reeving at her to remove his kidneys.. "do you want to kill me?"

Okesa sighed.

"Haven't we gone through this before? You panic, I try to reassure, we talk, you slay some people and run off.. I could almost swear that there was a time we could meet without going though all those formalities."

muttered darkly, "I could swear that you didn't use to point poisoned arrowed at me..." pretty sure Oke and the hooded guy were the same person now...

shivered again as a thought of very ugly proportunes (concerning the death of Oke, infact) stranged her mind for a bit. Shuttered a moment after before keeping eyes closed... Whispers shorthandedly, "There's a russian drinking fisherman.... doctor.. I think alka... mist.. guy that's........" She found it hard to say the word concerning a man, it bothered her, "helping me control myself more... Alright?"

Keeping eye closed, she started with something else.. "Let's get a drink... alot of drink... I gotta tell you about Moritsune..."

Shai watches as the woman runs away, and realizes that he's added another person to his list of potential enemies. She definetly had a female superiority complex, and that wasn't a good thing.

For the time being, he was extremely tired. He sat down and leaned against a building, placing his sword on the ground to his right. Closing his eyes, he drifts off into a dreamfilled sleep.

"Ah, the arrow... a unique situation to an ever persistant problem. You wanted to kill me and I don't have my flute."

Okesa smiled again.

"Sure, a drink sounds good right now."

Ame furrowed her brow.. "I thought Aki gave you back your flute..." feeling a tad down about that... all the while clentching her injured hand into a fist to keep away the ugly thoughts... Was pretty definiate that this was A hooded Oke standing infront of her and not some other hooded bad evil man-filth.

Opening eyes, she gave a pretty unhappy glance towards him, before walking off to.. oh, let's say the teahouse... Hopeing he'll follow.

Okesa, ever curious, followed Ame to the teahouse.

I wonder what's going on now..

Mika enters the streets and sighs. She looks around, curious about this new city. "....I wonder if there are rich people here..."

She grins. This new city opened up new opportunities for her and her ego.

Okesa wandered the streets again. They were quieter than usual, and Okesa thought he knew why. Moritsune was back. That man was still reguarded by the people with some kind of reverence.. the place weould be a bit quieter for a few days.

Strangely after that strange encounter with Ame, Okesa was feeling much like his regular self. He hadn't felt like this sence.. possibly before Obsidian's kidnapping and Moritsune's subsequent arrival. He was reinvigarated. Okesa grinned and removed the hood from his head. The yakuza assasins were mostly gone anyway and he doubted very mane people would recognize him without his hat (one of the reasons he'd originally picked it in the first place. People remembered the hat instead of his face.)

Okesa also felt a rekindled desire to go after Mugatou and Moritsune. It was different this time though. The burning anger wasn't present anymore. It wasn't about revenge in the same way it had been before.

All in all, it was shaping up to be a good day. Okesa stopped by Gerad's shop to give him an update, but the man wasn't there.

"Ah well.. there's other things I need to do. I had to stop my activities when I went into hiding. If I don't resume before I'm 'officially' rediscovered in Edo, they'll make the connection."

Okesa started whistling as he began casually marking some of the higher security areas in edo as targets for the game. It was good to be back

*slowly walks down the dark streets, occasionally eyeing some of the few other people walking the streets at this hour*

Out from teh teahouse Ame walks. And, after a brief walk, it didn't take her long before a thug walked up and asked for her purse.

"Gimme Yer Yen" the thug demands, banging something like a steal club into fist.

Ame glanced up at him like the baikokudo she was and responded, in the same demanding voice.. "Join my army to take out a ******assed samurai and his slaves..."

The thug looked desperately confused.. Before Ame uppercutted him HARD without warning and sent him flying into a wall nearby...

*glanced to her right as she saw some thuggish man slam into the wall she was walking along. She allowed her eyes to gradually slide to her left, following the man's trajectory and saw the same woman she'd helped in rescuing from several policeman several weeks before*

Slowly followed where the thug went, lifting him by the robe collar with her right hand (which wasn't bandaged like her left was) - a large vein pulsating over her forehead and hand while she talked... "Feh, men.." shook him slightly, "Listen... You're gunna go to a small cave in the mountains over there.... " pointed at hte KuroMts, not not telling him where on it or what cave... "And consider yourself a ******ing bandit from now on, alright?"

Tossed him aside while the guy remained mutually conscious... before turning away, she growled.. "And bring your damn thug brothers.. Feh."

Eventually turned.. and found herself facing Shiyou.. who - due to her drunkedness - wasn't recognizible.. However, she did point to the woman.. To, of course, state the obvious"I know you..."

*sighs and slowly nods, switching her steel bo-staff to her left hand to bring her right hand out in front of her*
Yes... yes you do. I helped you a little while back... now...
*she holds up 3 fingers*
how many fingers am I holding up?

Glances at her.. then glares... Eventually raises and eyebrow.. and finally succumbs to confusion at the supposed aquaintance raises 3 fingers and asks the simple question....

Peered at the fingers for a moment.. before placing a hand to eyes.. "Too many..." Was her answer...

*manages to stifle a soft laugh*
... a bit drunk are you?
*sighs*
you'd have to be to pick fights with little pieces of shit like that...

"drunk.. yeah.." the woman muttered out, rubbing temples slightly before dropping hands.. "but I ain't kicking thug ass cause of that..."

It seriously looked as if she was about to suffer the mother of a hangover. But confused anyway, "I'm making bandits... Though I forgot why..."

Glanced over the woman as if Shiyou would know...

*sees the questioning look but merely shrugs*
don't ask me... damned if I know why you need a band of good-for-nothings...
*pauses a moment*
perhaps it has something to do with that incident with the police?

Pauses... For a second it looked as if she would fall over, but instead walked over to the wall and lent. runs a hand through one of her beings before replying.. "dun-"

However stopped.. it all suddenly came back to her. The threat to the future of Edokyo and the deaths of all of her friends. that's right. "Oh yeah.. I have to take out a general and an army of samurai... Someone else I should know told me to get bandits..."

For a second she nodded to herself.. then got paranoid.. glanced over at Shiyou.. "Don't tell anyone.."