Nameo wa Kiyoshi - Clearing the air

[Rushodan 94]

 [!] Over the past few weeks, a yosei in Oyashi garb had travelled to most of the major population centres, placing up small handwritten documents written with quill and ink wherever he could. The below information can be taken in character and addressed as such.

Nameo wa Kiyoshi,

To my friends, companions and most importantly those who regard me as a 'yokai associator', this letter exists to hopefully clarify some of the events that have taken place when it comes to me acting poorly. For those who still feel some contempt for myself after reading this, there are tabs you can tear off at the bottom of this missive and burn. If there are no longer any tabs, then if necessary, take the entire missive and cast it onto flame. . . if it will help you. I politely request it is left up however, so others may make their own decisions.

 

Starting with the history, many of you know that my adoptive mother is Sermi; murderer of the queen of Haense late Amaya, demon and otherwise evil schemer. Now going by O'zen, a spirt that refuses death. She was not always like this, Iie, long ago she adopted me out of a terrible situation and presented herself as a wholly positive influence on my life. She encouraged me to do better, got me a place in the Ak'vei academy, which eventually allowed me to meet my now-mentor Atsuko. I would have done anything for her, which clouded my judgement for years to come. Back then, hai, I admit that I worked with the Inferi and completed tasks for them. I provided myself with plenty of excuses to mark what I was doing as acceptable. It was not, but hindsight is often clearer.

 

Eventually, I reached a crossroads in my life. I still believed I could 'save' Sermi, but she was not a woman that wished to be saved. I misled myself into believing that if I stayed by her side I could one day rescue her from the clutches of the Inferi. Being the idiot I once was, I fell into the same trap with Naya. I threw myself at the Inferi over and over again, did what I could to try and rescue the above pair from destruction, demo, as the saying goes. . .

You can lead a horse to water, but you can never make it drink.

 

Sermi was drunk on the power the White Cat, Sarryn, provided. I do not blame Sarryn for this, everyone is free to make their own decisions even if they are absolutely terrible. The day came when my mother tried to murder me. I told her that I couldn't do it anymore, that I couldn't exist around her while she was a warlock. The pain and suffering I saw was breaking my heart and ruining the other relationships I was starting to form. Sermi offered me a hug with open arms, told me she understood my decision. . .and then drove my own Tanto into my back. If I had not been wearing armor, I surely would have perished that evening. Sarryn, in disguise, offered to help treat my wound after my mother had been subdued. I thanked the 'stranger', who promptly set me alight with malflame. 

 

I don't know if they took pity in me or decided I wasn't worth killing. . .but Sarryn and Sermi left me there which taught me the most valuable of lessons.

If you love a demon, the only thing the demon will ever love back is the climb for power. They lust over it - there is nothing else they desire. Any affection or care they have for you is false and if you are reading this and thinking to yourself 'well, my inferi is different, they love me' you're an idiot. They will discard you the second you are no longer useful.

 

After this, my then-partner's son tried to assassinate me by shoving me into a drydock. The move was dishonourable and completely unexpected. In fact, I had taken him to one side to say I hoped to be more present for him and his mother. . .the war in Koyo-Kuni was taking its toll and requiring my presence. I was coming back refreshed, with a new positive outlook. That was the one thing he managed to kill that evening.

 

Now, I remain a Retainer of the Ugokoyama Clan, with Ugokoyama Atsuko as my sensei and Ugokoyama Danzen as the clan head. I will serve the Shugo, my clan and Koyo-Kuni within the Ashigaru with hope to repay the mistakes I made in the past. For anyone I have hurt with my foolishness, take this as an official apology. I have cut all ties with anyone with any Yokai relations and hereby present myself as an upstanding citizen. To those that doubt me, I will take any test you wish.

 

For those that still take issue with me and refuse to believe this missive, I'm easy to find. 

 

If you take nothing else from this, at least take the following:

 

Yokai (inferi, frost witches, undead etc) are largely irredeemable. They are not for you to try and show compassion to. They must be kept away from the people of the land, banished from our public spaces and exterminated when the opportunity presents itself. To those demons that wish for redemption and regret their decisions, falling on your own blade would have the most positive of outcomes one could hope for.

 

(Note: Cursed Children do not count for the above - they did not ask for the situation they find themselves in and whilst it is smart to treat them with caution, compassion should keep them on the right path. Treating cursed children poorly simply results in others like Laelia and Sermi going down the wrong path)

 

Concerns, questions, complaints to my bird, arigatou.

 

Signed, Kiyoshi,
Retainer of the Ugokoyama Clan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[!] As promised, there would be eight small parchment tabs a person could tear off and do. . .well. . .whatever they liked with. 

[Karina 555]

[!]
An open letter was sent to the author, as well as attached to the occasional missive. 

“
Ren,
 

You are so close to the truth. You are right; everyone is free to make their own decisions even if they’re terrible. To this, I query; why do you seek to deny your hand in this? Do you think that by throwing my name under the horse that you will be freed of the burden that lay on your mind?

You should know better. 
 

I recall one of the first things I had tasked of you. To investigate, to report. Information that you brought was instrumental to my spread. How easy it was to convince you, to betray those of Kaethul. To keep an eye out, to keep my secrets. 

I recall the time where you tried to kill Naya. She was so close to escaping my clutches, and you managed to pull her back. Your hatred, your failures, led her back to me.

I recall the time where you abandoned your son and the one you loved before that. The ways you pained Juniper when you struck her. When justice finally came to put a blade to your throat, you claim it as dishonorable? You were cruel to her, in ways that even I struggled to accept. 

Do you think all that is so easily forgiven?

It’s a pleasing thing, to think that we may move past our sins. But none forced your hand, Ren. Who can trust you, when at your core; you were offered strength and did not shy away from it? How long is it until another dangles what you wish in front of you, and once more; your morals fail to prevent your ‘fall’.

Much as Laelia, you try to hide and deny your own sin. But I question. All those who have suffered and died as a result of, not just your inaction; but your outright aid to my cause. Do you think they have forgiven what you became, because now you serve tea? Do you remember betraying Amaya for me? 

You can run. You can hide. But even if the world forgets, I will not. You are every bit the same coward and fool I feared you would become. Throwing your responsibility underfoot, and standing tall; as if where you are now is bereft of the pain you caused others. 

At least, I was always honest in telling people that I was a monster. You pretended otherwise, until it came back out and threatened to rip their throat out. Even in this letter you lie, or have you forgotten the conversation we had just finished over bird? I wonder what compels you to state all this now in spite of that. 

Signed,
O’zen'jkastum."
 

[Rushodan 94]

16 minutes ago, Karina said:

[!]
An open letter was sent to the author, as well as attached to the occasional missive. 

“
Ren,
 

You are so close to the truth. You are right; everyone is free to make their own decisions even if they’re terrible. To this, I query; why do you seek to deny your hand in this? Do you think that by throwing my name under the horse that you will be freed of the burden that lay on your mind?

You should know better. 
 

I recall one of the first things I had tasked of you. To investigate, to report. Information that you brought was instrumental to my spread. How easy it was to convince you, to betray those of Kaethul. To keep an eye out, to keep my secrets. 

I recall the time where you tried to kill Naya. She was so close to escaping my clutches, and you managed to pull her back. Your hatred, your failures, led her back to me.

I recall the time where you abandoned your son and the one you loved before that. The ways you pained Juniper when you struck her. When justice finally came to put a blade to your throat, you claim it as dishonorable? You were cruel to her, in ways that even I struggled to accept. 

Do you think all that is so easily forgiven?

It’s a pleasing thing, to think that we may move past our sins. But none forced your hand, Ren. Who can trust you, when at your core; you were offered strength and did not shy away from it? How long is it until another dangles what you wish in front of you, and once more; your morals fail to prevent your ‘fall’.

Much as Laelia, you try to hide and deny your own sin. But I question. All those who have suffered and died as a result of, not just your inaction; but your outright aid to my cause. Do you think they have forgiven what you became, because now you serve tea? Do you remember betraying Amaya for me? 

You can run. You can hide. But even if the world forgets, I will not. You are every bit the same coward and fool I feared you would become. Throwing your responsibility underfoot, and standing tall; as if where you are now is bereft of the pain you caused others. 

At least, I was always honest in telling people that I was a monster. You pretended otherwise, until it came back out and threatened to rip their throat out. Even in this letter you lie, or have you forgotten the conversation we had just finished over bird? I wonder what compels you to state all this now in spite of that. 

Signed,
O’zen'jkastum."
 

 

Kiyoshi briefly scans the attachment, shaking his head. "The deranged words of an undead lunatic still desperately clinging on. . .eventually you will get the message that a, you are a yokai and b, I want nothing to do with you." He leaves it attached, it wasn't his place to prevent open discourse.

[Cheese 2998]

[!]

Attached to several of the missives were copied sketches of graffiti in Lurin, captioned:

"Infernal stalker."

[sam33497 3519]

3 hours ago, Rushodan said:

. I do not blame Sarryn for this, everyone is free to make their own decisions even if they are absolutely terrible.

 

"He would be better off denouncing her. . . Is he trying to avoid making her angry? That doesn't help his case. . ."

Silwyn grumbled. He did not understand the person known as Kiyoshi Renge.

[Rushodan 94]

22 minutes ago, Cheese said:

[!]

Attached to several of the missives were copied sketches of graffiti in Lurin, captioned:

"Infernal stalker."

Kiyoshi finds one of these pictures and blinks several times. He hadn't gone as 'Ren' in years. His official name change was made in Sakura long before he parted ways with Juniper.

"Someone is messing with me again." He sighs.

[Geckonawa 94]

A wood elf would find one of the missives and take one of the slips of parchment from it. She drew a little heart between two doodles of herself and her brother. Pleased with her work, she pinned it back onto the missive hoping that he would find it later.

 

[Rushodan 94]

3 minutes ago, Geckonawa said:

A wood elf would find one of the missives and take one of the slips of parchment from it. She drew a little heart between two doodles of herself and her brother. Pleased with her work, she pinned it back onto the missive hoping that he would find it later.

 

Kiyoshi finds it, and his eyes tear up happily. He loved his Oneesan! The picture is taken and placed into a pocket for safekeeping.

[sapphic_spidy 235]

"Keep my sister's name out of your damn mouth."

 

Sydney doesn't know how he feels about most of this. It's sort of... what would be expected. He's glad Ren or Kiyoshi or whoever he is now isn't working with Sarryn.

 

it's just...

Why bring up Naya, even now? After all this time. 

Can't they just let her rest?

 

 

[xo31 626]

11 hours ago, Karina said:

The ways you pained Juniper when you struck her. When justice finally came to put a blade to your throat, you claim it as dishonorable? You were cruel to her, in ways that even I struggled to accept. 

A half wood-elf, half high-elf, blessed with courage, grimaced at this.

 

"That, is where I knew him from."

"GOD, bless my blade, for my sister knows great sin, and may be irredeemable, yet, she never deserved her trust broken by the ONE person she would've trusted. . . there is few bigger cowardice in this world."

[asoart 105]

"Well well well." He exclaimed as he continued reading carefully "An apology for acting poorly, it seems. I wish an apology would undo all the grief caused by you acting poorly with these rotten piles of bones." William said towards the missive as he took note of things. "At least he will be easy to find"

[ProcaPro 127]

In the city of Petra, a young child gazes up at the missive with squinted eyes. He can barely reach it, barely managing to pull the missive off where it's been posted and to his height. An aging borzoi with him sniffs at the paper as Fynn Bassam Al-Jabir Aldor skims over the paper. He doesn't recognize most of the names, but one sticks out to him. "Naya".

 

He skips his way over to his house, and presents the missive to his father to decipher for him. After all, it's a lot of words for him on its own.

 

@NovumChase

 

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

 

Meanwhile, a 'Ker adjusts her glasses as she reads the missive posted. Several names, she recognizes, all except for the actual maker of the missive. Okerka tears the missive down to add to her growing collection.