the-old-tengu

[the-old-tengu]

Yamanushi squinted at the details on the papers.  They were old, battered...  He leafed through them, “I wasn’t aware Akitsubasa had a daughter before she passed, hold on...”  He pulled out a rolling list, flipping through it, “Well, I suppose the ID number is in order...  And your method of payment?”

“By paperwork, I do mean the forms available at the main office.  All six of them filled out with your number of pages, name, address, Tengu ID number, and the method of payment filled out.”  He gave a wry grin, “And how many copies you intend to make.  After you have those, then you can learn about how the press here works.”

[the-old-tengu]

Yuuka Kazami in C5

Emoji challenge || ALWAYS Accepting!! [ No Caps ]

[the-old-tengu]

“By paperwork, I do mean the forms available at the main office.  All six of them filled out with your number of pages, name, address, Tengu ID number, and the method of payment filled out.”  He gave a wry grin, “And how many copies you intend to make.  After you have those, then you can learn about how the press here works.”

@the-old-tengu  (x)

“My press is not just the fastest, it produces the best quality prints at rates nobody can match.”  He’s very proud of that machine of his, “Now then, hopefully you have your paperwork in order, young one, if you wish to see it.” 

“Yes! It’s a collection of stories I’ve been working on for a long time. I’ve been looking forward to the day where everyone might see the fruits of my labour.” She produces a binder of papers, lightly biting her lip as she almost bounces on her heels, rustling those stiff wings of hers. “So, how does the draft go in and the news come out?”

[the-old-tengu]

"Miss Houjuu?" She will find you Nue. Nue shall be got'd! Come out from hiding!

“I’m afraid this is a building of news, not Nue.”  The old man sighs, “Sorry, curse goddess. This is just an old man’s home.”

[the-old-tengu]

"Kenmei! Kenmei! Did you really give that revolution of Daichi's your approval? Is it really true? How did he convince you? Why? Don't you worry that it will hurt your reputation? Did he have some kind of dirt on you? Is it because of his relationship to Reimu?"

“It’s really very simple.  I gave him an unreasonable challenge.  A task he could not feasibly complete.  Also a method of execution, except I didn’t intend to kill him.  He attempted it on my terms until he collapsed.  with his determination, I decided his cause was worthy of my backing.  After all, one stone is all it takes to cause a landslide.”

[the-old-tengu]

A young tengu, what else could they be with those wings that clearly aren't taped to her back, approaches. "Mis-...Honoured Yamanushi! Is it true that your press is the fastest there is?"

“My press is not just the fastest, it produces the best quality prints at rates nobody can match.”  He’s very proud of that machine of his, “Now then, hopefully you have your paperwork in order, young one, if you wish to see it.”

[the-old-tengu]

Know what's unsettling? Turning around and finding your previously empty room suddenly occupied with a masked tengu. He, or maybe she, offered a dusty old bottle before speaking, "we have been lenient in ignoring your odd fascination with the wingless, but if you place your support in some upstart movement, there will be consequences. Please do not stir winds of discontent, Kenmei."

The old man scoffs, taking the bottle, “I’ll take your words into consideration when you’ve earned my respect, upstart.  I’ve got more poms than six of you combined.  Yuutamo actually fought me on my terms, and that’s more than the current Tenma did.”  He gives a wizened old grin, “Would you like to try my challenge?  It’s very simple...”  It’s also considered a cruel method of execution.

[the-old-tengu]

The old man strolled up, knocking the mace away with his staff.  Poor Yuutamo never had a chance...  But tengu fight dirty, he honestly should have known.

He uncorked the sake bottle on his hip and dropped it by the fallen reporter.  “You’ve proven you deserve my support, at least.  So you’ll have it.  Had you hit me with that mace, I would have given you a damn promotion with it.  I can think of no better punishment than to force you to work in the stuffy main building.”  He laughed, “But fine, you have my support.  You ought to tell the hakurou.  They’d like that immensely.”

He leaded over the younger bird, “Do you know why I gave such terms, Daichi Yuutamo?  Because it was hard.  Because the chances you had were so slim you’d have better luck convincing a lunarian the moon was made of cheese.  Oh, I’m sure it could be done...  But the point is that you tried anyways.  You knew and you tried anyways.”

Bringing the Fire Home

[the-old-tengu]

The staff came down, along with a familiar keening as the blade was drawn and used to cut a slash of air under the umbrella’s rim.

“It’s a typical response to something dangerous coming your way when you are too weak to face it.”  The tengu explained, shoving the blade into the umbrella in an attempt to cut it to shreds while the staff was swung for another attack.  He needed to destroy the umbrella in order rid her of her shield against the talismans.  The overall idea was to keep suppressing Yuuka with a flurry of attacks so he could dismantle her defenses.

“Consider it a denial of slaughter.”

“Hmph.  You should earn such things, rather than go for your prize first.”  He might have missed, but he dove down after her, a meteor of feather, muscle and anger.  The staff ahead and another handful of talismans ready.

“It’s high time someone sealed you properly.  I might not be the one to do it, but damn it all if I won’t try!”  The daitengu screeched, firing talismans in a burst towards her.  He didn’t have nearly as many as Reimu would carry, but he had enough.  Just a few…  Just a few needed to hit her, and he could cut that power of hers down to a level he could deal with.

[the-old-tengu]

There was a very loud clang as Yamanushi hit the flying mace with the staff, sending the weapon careening into the tatami while the old man was pushed back.  He advanced after that, “Can you still get up?  How is it?  How is fighting until you can no longer move?”  The blade was pointed at Daichi, “If you can get up and grab that mace, we’ll continue.  If not, I’ll take it you’ve run out of energy to fight.”

Yamanushi had been on the defensive, responding with counters.  He could probably keep going for a good amount of time, “Daichi Yuutamo...  You’re a damn fool, you know?  You never accept a fight under a daitengu’s conditions.  There was no way for you to properly wield that mace, let alone hit me with it.  Your combat skills are so shoddy that a guard trainee would have you beaten in a bloody heap if they fought you.”

Casually, he sheathed the keening blade and leaned on his staff by the mace, “Go on, get up.  How much fight do you have left in that body of yours?”

Bringing the Fire Home

[the-old-tengu]

“How long have you been able to do this with the wind?  It’s not something typical...”  He watched her as he uncorked a nearby bottle of sake, “Most manipulation of that sort requires a fan, and even then, it won’t do that.”

He considered her actions, and the ability to hide the keening when she concentrated.  It might be a very useful skill...

“Actually, practice silencing the blade when you swing it.  That’d be quite the trick.  Everyone imagines a mundane sword and then it turns out to be such a blade.”

Yamanushi squinted at the blade then looked at Nozomu, “No…  you really shouldn’t be able to do that at all.  These blades are meant for fighting karasu tengu, after all, so that keening sound, the reason it’s so frightening is everything in our head telling us to flee.  To the Hakurou, it’s nowhere near as scary…  just a bit annoying.”

“And…  for just how long did you manage to do that, Nozomu?”  He asked that somewhat slowly, “And how did you manage to do that, exactly?”  He rubbed his beard…  He’d heard of something like that before, perhaps it was coincidental, but he wasn’t going to rule out any possibilities.

[the-old-tengu]

“Hmph.  You should earn such things, rather than go for your prize first.”  He might have missed, but he dove down after her, a meteor of feather, muscle and anger.  The staff ahead and another handful of talismans ready.

“It’s high time someone sealed you properly.  I might not be the one to do it, but damn it all if I won’t try!”  The daitengu screeched, firing talismans in a burst towards her.  He didn’t have nearly as many as Reimu would carry, but he had enough.  Just a few...  Just a few needed to hit her, and he could cut that power of hers down to a level he could deal with.

“Tch, you really are a coward.”  He could only hope the evacuation had gone quickly enough.  As it stood, he was only one tengu.  He couldn’t stop the clone, “Not going to give your all?”  The staff was pointed at her as he flapped in the air.

“Because I intend to give mine…”  The sword was slid back into its sheath as he pulled out a handful of talismans, “You’re a very powerful youkai…  and these are very powerful curses.  The sort meant to deal with land gods, or catastrophic youkai…  Like yourself.”  They were of tengu make, so he had nothing to fear from handling them himself, but it was another story for the plant youkai.

“After a few of these, we’ll see how well the blade works!”  With that, he rushed her with the staff, intending to spray talismans on her when she blocked.  If she didn’t, well, a relic to the face was pretty good too.

[the-old-tengu]

“Tch, you really are a coward.”  He could only hope the evacuation had gone quickly enough.  As it stood, he was only one tengu.  He couldn’t stop the clone, “Not going to give your all?”  The staff was pointed at her as he flapped in the air.

“Because I intend to give mine...”  The sword was slid back into its sheath as he pulled out a handful of talismans, “You’re a very powerful youkai...  and these are very powerful curses.  The sort meant to deal with land gods, or catastrophic youkai...  Like yourself.”  They were of tengu make, so he had nothing to fear from handling them himself, but it was another story for the plant youkai.

“After a few of these, we’ll see how well the blade works!”  With that, he rushed her with the staff, intending to spray talismans on her when she blocked.  If she didn’t, well, a relic to the face was pretty good too.

Unfortunately for both Yuukas, Yuuka Kazami has a history of not being the speediest when it came to movement or flight, wheras even the slowest Tengu could outpace most of the fliers in Gensokyo.  It was no wonder when the old man appeared again before the duo, opening with a barrage of slashes from the blade, which, while at a distance, created a swift-moving web of flying air blades of insane sharpness.

“There’s still a ways before the village, why not try the hot springs on the lower path.  I hear they’re wonderful for the body.”  The staff twirled about, “That’s right, I’m a fool.  Which is better than a coward who runs away to slaughter those who can barely defend themselves when face with an old man.  The superior thinking of a craven.”

[the-old-tengu]

Unfortunately for both Yuukas, Yuuka Kazami has a history of not being the speediest when it came to movement or flight, wheras even the slowest Tengu could outpace most of the fliers in Gensokyo.  It was no wonder when the old man appeared again before the duo, opening with a barrage of slashes from the blade, which, while at a distance, created a swift-moving web of flying air blades of insane sharpness.

“There’s still a ways before the village, why not try the hot springs on the lower path.  I hear they’re wonderful for the body.”  The staff twirled about, “That’s right, I’m a fool.  Which is better than a coward who runs away to slaughter those who can barely defend themselves when face with an old man.  The superior thinking of a craven.”

“Because a little girl with powerful weaponry and simplisitic knowledge who uses brute force to solve things is totally a threat to an ancient youkai.”  He was looking younger now, and a grin crossed his face as he didn’t let up on the staff.  “Whereas someone who is a trained spiritualist and warrior is not a threat at all.  You are the most backwards-thinking youkai I know of…”

Something crackled, and the burning of plant matter could be smelled.  Looking down at his legs would reveal a variety of spiritual wards.  How could he have known she was coming?  The answer?  He didn’t.  He had no idea who was coming, only that Daichi had appeared in a panic not long ago, his tuuln echoing his fear.  That meant two things…  One: Daichi had pissed off someone really important, or tow: Daichi was in big trouble with the law.  With the big names either youkai or spiritualists, it pretty much was a good chance what was coming was a powerful youkai.  Anything otherwise would probably attract Kanako’s attention.  He’d prepared accordingly.

Yamanushi kicked off the ground, taking to the air as the mace was unceremoniously dropped.  What came out after was a blade that let out a sharp cry as the wind itself tore at the blade’s edge.  “You wanted me to use a sword?  Very well…”

[the-old-tengu]

“Because a little girl with powerful weaponry and simplisitic knowledge who uses brute force to solve things is totally a threat to an ancient youkai.”  He was looking younger now, and a grin crossed his face as he didn’t let up on the staff.  “Whereas someone who is a trained spiritualist and warrior is not a threat at all.  You are the most backwards-thinking youkai I know of...”

Something crackled, and the burning of plant matter could be smelled.  Looking down at his legs would reveal a variety of spiritual wards.  How could he have known she was coming?  The answer?  He didn’t.  He had no idea who was coming, only that Daichi had appeared in a panic not long ago, his tuuln echoing his fear.  That meant two things...  One: Daichi had pissed off someone really important, or two: Daichi was in big trouble with the law.  With the big names either youkai or spiritualists, it pretty much was a good chance what was coming was a powerful youkai.  Anything otherwise would probably attract Kanako’s attention.  He’d prepared accordingly.

Yamanushi kicked off the ground, taking to the air as the mace was unceremoniously dropped.  What came out after was a blade that let out a sharp cry as the wind itself tore at the blade’s edge.  “You wanted me to use a sword?  Very well...”

“Atta girl.”  Yamanushi whispered as the much longer and quicker shakujou swung to hit her.  The much heavier mace, unwieldy and slow, made for a good distraction.  The staff, on the other hand, wasn’t a simple club of wood and metal spikes…  It was a relic bearing spiritual power, something specialized for inflicting severe damage on youkai.  Close combat was the old man’s forte, after all.

“You can’t lay the blame on me…  You shot first, after all.  I don’t think leaving children as survivors was ever on your agenda.  You would smash a beehive, and curse the bees for fighting back in response?  Is it not the nature of creatures to defend their homes?”  He spoke with a sense of regaining vigor.

[the-old-tengu]

“Atta girl.”  Yamanushi whispered as the much longer and quicker shakujou swung to hit her.  The much heavier mace, unwieldy and slow, made for a good distraction.  The staff, on the other hand, wasn’t a simple club of wood and metal spikes...  It was a relic bearing spiritual power, something specialized for inflicting severe damage on youkai.  Close combat was the old man’s forte, after all.

“You can’t lay the blame on me...  You shot first, after all.  I don’t think leaving children as survivors was ever on your agenda.  You would smash a beehive, and curse the bees for fighting back in response?  Is it not the nature of creatures to defend their homes?”  He spoke with a sense of regaining vigor.

“You-”  The old man didn’t move to block or deflect it.  The village’s main barrier would probably blunt the force overall, Though Yuuka had two major issues with her attack - she was never a speedy youkai, and firing a master spark slowed down the user even more…  She was practically a sitting duck.

Which was precisely why Yamanushi chose to charge at her, mace swinging down.  The village defenses could only take one hit, so he’d have to make it so another never came.

“So that’s how you’ll start it off?  Well, I suppose you don’t include children as your victims if you can’t see them.”

[the-old-tengu]

Yamanushi squinted at the blade then looked at Nozomu, “No...  you really shouldn’t be able to do that at all.  These blades are meant for fighting karasu tengu, after all, so that keening sound, the reason it’s so frightening is everything in our head telling us to flee.  To the Hakurou, it’s nowhere near as scary...  just a bit annoying.”

“And...  for just how long did you manage to do that, Nozomu?”  He asked that somewhat slowly, “And how did you manage to do that, exactly?”  He rubbed his beard...  He’d heard of something like that before, perhaps it was coincidental, but he wasn’t going to rule out any possibilities.

“Something happened?  What exactly happened?”  He tilted his head, curious, “Well, it’s considered dishonorable because Tengu have always been found on the receiving end of nasty surprises.  To hide something from the Wind would be like…  well, in a human sense, concealing a dagger in a shoe.  It’s considered trickery, really.  Not really honorable, but…”

He leaned in, “Between you and me, trickery is common for tengu combat.”