Rising Tide 1B: Two Samurai

The two warriors would come at night and find Aori Castle bathed in golden electric light. They would see its walls, as black as its more famous cousin, the Okayama Castle, long before they found the end of the winding road to the front entrance.

In ancient times, these walls and the moat surrounding them had repelled untold invaders. In more contemporary years, however, stone parapets did little to keep out determined, ever-wandering, ever-impudent tourists. A new wall inherited the role of turning back philistine trespassers: a high chain fence, topped with razor wire. Most of this protective edifice had been planted in the surrounding forest, so as to impede the feudal magnificence of the site as little as possible, but it was unavoidable that it would cover the front entrance.

The time was 19:50. The guests would soon arrive. Katsuko Himura waited for them, sitting in front of the chain-link gate on a steel chair, dressed in a pure white robe and an ivory mask. The Mistress of the castle had given her very specific directions for procedures when the two Champions of Japan arrived, but she had to admit. She felt nervous. What if she forgot a line? Or stumbled somewhere in the presentation? The chain fence did little to help her settle into a feudal aesthetic--even if a low-lit castle and a sandy courtyard were behind her gate.

What if she did forget her line? Well, then the Lady would have her fired and blackballed from the entire service industry. So, don't forget the lines.

She waited at the front gate, looking on into the night like a statue.

At 19:55, just before the time she was given, Saikawa Saigo stepped in front of a gate, dressed in a Formal, black Kimono. Her red hair was done in a traditional Samurai knot and at her side she was wearing a Katana and Wakizashi, only replicas, due to the laws that took away the birthright of her family. When the woman stepped in front of Katsuko, she gave her a slight bow before adressing her.

"I have been invited to this place, so I may fight for the honor of my Country. My Name is Saigo Saikawa" Saikawa said, using the formal Japanese way of using her family name first. She then looked over the ancient castle, a slight smile on her usually stern face, waiting if anyone else was going to arrive or if she was the only one.

As the time reached 20:00, the second of the invitee's arrived. In a sense, Isa Kubota was the very opposite of the traditionally garbed Saikawa, though she looked to be of similar height and weight to the crimson haired samurai. Isa's attire was rooted firmly in the modern aesthetic, dark grey, almost black denim jeans along with a white and green jacket. Only a few details marked her as one of the invited, and not some random individual who'd just wandered in. First was her proud bearing and defiant, ever challenging jade eyes. The second.... the red hachimaki, the traditional samurai headband, that she wore.

She approached both women, giving proper bows. A slight bow to Katsuko, whom she took for essentially a servant or go-between. The second, deeper bow, one meant for addressing a fellow warrior, she gave to Saikawa, before announcing herself. "My name is Kubota Isa, summoned as a true daughter of Japan to defend our nations honor, and so I have come."