PoT: Translated: Tarnished

[branchandroot]

Fic post from my archive.

Tarnished

Tezuka watches his newest warrior and wonders about him. Drama, I-3

Kaga would be a good place to see Echizen's real mettle. Kunimitsu's mouth tightened.

Echizen's form was beautiful. Deadly.

And wrong.

Comments

[branchandroot]

*snickering* A bit of Momo and Ryouma interaction coming up, yeah.

As for the TezuFuji... they are, in this 'verse, close enough that it could be interpreted that way. Even though I am totally standing by my threat to make Tezuka married and give Fuji a long-standing romance with a courtesan. *evil, evil smile* Wait till you find out who she is.

*hearts*

But yes! I think Inui did see the brightness, but underestimated Ryouma's deadliness. Hence his surprise during their bout, here. *pets Inui* Poor guy. Not used to the surprises. The matches I do hit, I'm trying to keep as close to the tennis version as I can, given the swords.

[lady-readwolf.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm all for Tezuka being married and Fuji and Yumiko having their romance.... I just want my TezuFuji, too. ^_^ Somehow I don't see very much love or affection or even companionship in a Tezuka-marriage, not in this setting. Although, from what I'm coming to understand of Japanese culture, that's not really all that uncommon. Marriage is not about love, after all--that strange, modern Euro-American ideal.

I read a webarticle once about how love has destroyed marriage. It was rather enlightening. I wonder if I saved the address somewhere....


As for the matches... just considering the setting of your story, I think it would be difficult to protray many of them. After all, in a battle, things can get pretty chaotic, ne? The matches would be overlapping and interferring with each other as opponents battle and defend and attack... The ichinen trio, for example... half the time they won't even be on the battle field, right? so all their fanboying would be done before and after the fact... Oh, the drunken celebratory after-parties.... [grins and tries to imagine Ryoma and sake]

Will you be bringing more of Nanjiroh into the story, too? That would be interesting... do the others already know of Nanjiroh's fame and then surprising disappearance? Do they talk about him in legends...only to be confronted with the debauchery of the truth? [glints] hmmm... don't think that last sentence came out right. blah. tired and want to sleep. oh well. [sighs]

Okay, I'll let you get back to writing.

[branchandroot]

I actually took pity on Tezuka and fixed him up with a woman he at least gets along with. They're not romantic or demonstrative or anything, but they are happy. Sanada and his wife are a lot more distant with each other, and from what bunnies have appeared so far, Niou's and Yagyuu's wives spend most of their time with each other.

*sparkles* You read my mind, though! Ichinen and sake and Echizen /will/ be happening!

*considers* I think Nanjirou will be the constantly present absence. It's his shadow that will always be in the stories. Both of his legendary skill and his debauchery *wry*

[lady-readwolf.livejournal.com]

now. seriously. how horrible is it of me to be picturing Niou's wife lusting after Yagyuu and Yagyuu's wife lusting after Niou? What's worse is if they were actually sisters... [is shot]

Sanada's just distant. It would take a strong personality to pull him out of his distancing, and, I don't know. I just don't think there would be many good Japanese girls of the time who would really care to try. Let him go, fight his battles, stay away for days and months on end. And when he returns, fine. She'll make sure his robes are cleaned, that his bath is drawn and meals are served. If he demands it of her, she'll spread her legs and give him release. And if not, then that's all the better. She has better things she'd rather do with her time.

Tezuka's wife... I still maintain that he and Ryuzaki's daughter would make a good couple. That kind of sweet and kind, caring young woman who wants desperately to gain his pleasing. And Tezuka isn't as difficult to draw in, either.

[lady-readwolf.livejournal.com]

question: does anyone really know that Nanjiro has a legitimate kid out there? I'm sure there are plenty of bastards rumored to be his. Maybe even a couple of would bes trying to claim him, but....

[branchandroot]

I expect it's well known locally and less known the further away you get from whatever town Nanjirou settled in. Communications between domains was... problematic at this point in time. But I rather think the domain lord would have kept an eye on any warrior that famous settling down in one of his towns, so I expect the higher-ups of the garrison were made aware of who Ryouma is.