A spring morning and a forgotten autumn

Okane stood behind his desk. His apartment was finished with white leather furniture and nearly transparent glass tables. One in the kitchen with stools next to it and one as a living room coffee table. Both on spiraling ebony legs. The outer design of the corners a soft grey steel. Flowers were spread through out it with a jeweled look. The gas fireplace was cold at the moment but the room was a steady seventy degree's. His bedroom was sealed off behind a wall up some stairs now and out of sight. There was a spot next to the door for shoes. A chandelier hung in each room with a slow rotating set of fan blades above each. The floor was redwood in the kitchen area and a soft white carpet in the living room. The walls a very dark blue. Windows surrounded the entirety of the floor letting in a lot of light and showing off the view over the entire village. The kitchen kept with the theme and had white cabinets with brass handles and all new stainless steel kitchen appliances. A blue marble counter top sat in the center of the kitchen while the table was closer to the windows. There was a bathroom upstairs in his room and a second one down by the living room with a walk in shower in both and brass sinks.

Okane himself was relatively comfortable at the moment. His redwood desk had the seat behind it for himself it had before but for now the other seat had been put in a closet. There were only the two. One large leather seat on his side of the desk he wasn't using and another more simple chair on the other. The big one was a tall backed red leather chair while the one across from it was more like your average black office chair. On the redwood desk was some rather simple things. A computer off to the side. On the left. On the right side of the desk was a series of gears all turning and perpetually turning each other. Somehow not being powered by anything but as a work of engineering keeping the objects in motion with their own weight and force.

Kensai would make his way towards the Stag Emporeum HQ. He would navigate the maze of the building for what may very well be the last time as he would be set to head out for the Land of Iron within the next couple of days. Okane would be sitting right where he had expected to find him; behind his desk relaxing in his leather chair as Kensai would knock twice and then walk in, seating himself across from the man. He was dressed fairly simply today, choosing to forgoe attaching his full getup and instead going wiuth a simple white linen set of robes. He would smile politely and look towards the man whom he had come to consider a friend, and speak.

"Okane, it's good to see you. I know you're a busy man so I'll get to the point. I have been appointed as the Shogun of the Iron Country, and I will be moving there in order to help rebuild it for my people. I would like you to come with me. I will require someone with your expertise in order to help me build. That, of course, not really being my strong suit..."

Okane would glance up with jade eyes as he watched the master of arms enter his apartment and head straight for his desk. Okane watched with an amused smile as the man came and sat down. Having his way of the place but if you were suddenly a shogun, well, strut like your balls smack your knee's when you walk. Okane could understand that. Still he tilted his head and reached into his desk. Pulling out a bottle with a dusty label and an old wax cork. It was an older bottle. Still he would set it on the desk between them and speak. His voice as hypnotic as usual.

"I heard. There are two glasses on the cart over there. Be a dear and pop the sake and pour for us? We should certainly toast to your achievement. As for going with you and helping build, well I would need to make sure affairs are in order here before I committed to somewhere else. However if I am of such high value as to help rebuild a might samurai village. I would want something in return."

Kensai would walk over to the cart that Okane was referencing, pouring the two glasses and bringing them back over. He would nose the sake, the rice wine a lovely scent that would simply make him happy to smell. He would hold the glass very gently in his hand, remembering the encounter with Kara where he shattered it by applying the smallest amount of pressure while not remembering his own strength. He would look the man up and down after he had said he wanted something in return.

"Well I would certainly be indebted to you for your assistance. The Land of Iron will forever be a welcome place to you, that you can consider your home. We will order bulk orders of weapons and armour for you to arm our people, and you will be able to set up your home wherever in the country you wish. You would be first among my equals. Any request you have, it will be yours...within reason. We will not allow our artifacts to be taken by anyone ever again. Other than that, however."

Okane would watch the man do as he was asked. Opening the bottle with little to no effort. Of course such strength was to be expected. Okane would have had to use some tool made with engineering. Something that provided its own power with leverage and physics over simply brute strength. Truth was he had been tired of this heat since he left home by the coast. Just a constant dry heat. Still the land of Iron was covered in snow. He would need to be prepared for the drastic change. Instead he would take the glass handed to him and run it under his nose enjoying the smell of the rice wine. Perfectly made and aged. Kept at a warm temperature as sake should be. Still Okane would allow his lips a small chesire grin. Much like the cat and alice. Only for now Alice was powerful samurai that could likely cut his building in half.

"We can get to what I want. I assure you I don't wish to take anything physical from the land of Iron that doesn't benefit it as well. For now you and I should drink to your new position. From rags to riches indeed. A lost sword in the sand to the Shogun in the snow. Cheers." Okane would carefully raise his glass to clink Kensai's before throwing it back. Drinking it all at once before coughing slightly and rubbing his chest. His own constitution not really formidable.

Kensai would raise the glass and follow suit, drinking the glass in one swig and feeling it roll down his esophagus into his gullet. He would enjoy the taste, though didn't overly feel the effects of the drug aspect of the drink, something that came as a side effect to his impressive physical conditioning. He would listen to Okane's words as he spoke, nodding along in agreement as he pondered what the man could possibly want.

"Well Okane, thank you for the kind words. I look forward to seeing what shall come of this...Now, however, your request? I apologize if I seem quite forward, but I need to continue my preparations, and I will have to make sure whatever you have in mind is taken care of."

Okane would let the drink settle as the feeling of a slight tingle in his throat slowly faded and the taste settled on his tongue. Ahh the taste he enjoyed. He would hum happily to himself a moment before Kensai began to speak. Okane would slowly set down his glass as he listened idly and turned his glass. Looking at his own reflection in it and then Kensai's. Two very different people and yet they got along swimmingly. It made sense that Kensai would come to him for building a civilization. After all the man had known hardship and seclusion. Hunger and exposure to the elements. Okane could imagine the man wouldn't want that for his people. There would be a moment of silence before Okane spoke in return.

"After I settle my affairs here I will come with you of course. I will aid in building as needed and advise you when you see fit. My education and crafts should come in handy. I have only ever grown tired of one thing in my life and that was bowing to others. I want to be on par with even the royalty of this world. What I want is simple. Land to build a palace on and the official title as Prince of Iron. I don't want any claim to any throne but I wish to be royalty. As Shogun, can you make that happen?"

Okane's request certainly wasn't a small one. He wanted to be royalty, which would give Kensai pause and cause him to think over what it would mean for the country. He would create a pyramid with his fingers as he contemplated what he was requesting, and took a good long while to mull it over. The man, of course, had far reaching goals and Kensai had known that, but he had no idea that it would be anything like this. He would have a straight face as he spoke, finally making his decision from an official standpoint.

"As the Shogun of the Land of Iron I am its leader, akin to the Daiymo of these lands...this means that I would have this power. I would consider your proposition and give you the title, so long as what you've said is true. You will not have claim to my lands, that will go to an apprentice. I would add in one stipulation that you may enjoy, however. You will be my consultant, and furthermore, if we decide upon expanding, likely into the Land of Mountains to help the people there become more prosperous, you would be able to lead that nation. You would be a vassal under Iron, but it would give you a greater area of influence, and a true seat in world politics...does this seem agreeable to you?"

Okane would watch the man consider it in silence for a moment. His jade eyes watching as his smile met those almost glowing eyes. He would reach forward and pour them each a glass as the man thought. Setting the bottle back down next to the engineering showmanship on his desk. Quietly he would pick up the glass again and sip from it. Less burn going down this time and more flavor profile to enjoy. Still the powerful man across from him would speak and Okane would glance at him over the top of the glass before lowering it and licking his lips. Hmm he wanted a bowl of cherries right now...ooh cold ones from the fridge. Maybe lightly frosted. Still he would seem to think on it a moment as he looked down at his fingers before they tapped on the wooden desk.

"I aimed high and you offer higher. You certainly know what your consultant wants. I won't ever match you in the world of samurai as I am not nearly as physically practiced. But you will find me to be perhaps your most valued ally. I accept an empty title with possibilities of ruling over a mountain. I will need to spend some time preparing everything for it to run in my absence. Perhaps Kara will come along as well. For now I am in the process of making your order of arrows. I should hopefully be done by the time they are."

Exit thread

Kensai would drink the drink in front of him before speaking once more. "I would recommend requesting that Kara stay here and lead this branch of The Stag. While it would be good to keep my old friend close, I imagine she would understand. Give her the option to come, of course, but request she run things from here. If she decides to stay or not, it is up to her. She would certainly be welcomed in my lands." He would stand from his seat, placing the glass back down on the cart as he did so. He would reach into his sash and pull out a small scroll, a map of the Iron Country on it and the location of the site where Tetsumura would be built.

"As you will be coming separately, here is a map to where we will be. I will be leaving here within the next couple of days. I look forward to seeing you there when you arrive." As Kensai didn't believe in hand shakes he would simply bow and take his leave, walking through the door and back towards his home. He felt bad for having never used the apartment that Okane had provided for him, but he liked his simple life. He would head back to Kara's house to break the news to her as well...

{Exit Thread}

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