Meehrwillow
#1
...a collaborative story. yoikes
As fire I rise
Though my bed was warm and snug
I had one grievance.
. . .
. . .
"Fuhahahaha! Come here, come closer—drink!" An imposing woman wrapped her arm around a soldier, squeezing him tightly against her side and pressing a sakazuki as wide as her shoulders against his lips. Laughing the entire time throughout, she tilted the cup gently and watched as the man swallowed its contents in several large gulps, his face growing more flushed with each contraction of his throat. Once the sakazuki was empty and the woman sufficiently satisfied, she let go of her infantryman and allowed him to sit undisturbed, turning to face the entire entourage which had assembled. Crowding together in a large tent, the throng of hardened warriors, veteran archers and first-scarred peasants all huddled around a simple-looking table; stuffing their mouths with porridge and drinking away at entire rivers of sake; celebrating their victory. Even outside the moon-lit tent, huzzahs could be heard far and wide, dozens upon dozens of drunken revelers singing songs and playing rustic instruments. This atmosphere of triumph had been lasting for several days, though none of the men had grown exhausted or tired. For good reason, they wished to celebrate until they could no more.
Downing another oversized sakazuki, the woman slammed her fist against the table and wildly exhaled, her messy hair flowing over and hiding her face from the rest of her companions. In spite of the celebrations having lasted over the course of several days, this was the first time she—as the commander—had given in to the festive mood. Indulging herself on the finest liqour her men could scramble to find, Akatarō could barely keep her head still anymore. She awkwardly weaved her eyes from place to place, calling the shots and humouring the attendees with stories of her house arrest under the orders of her father. Unquestionably hammered as she was, she still had an agenda for the evening in mind, namely making the decision of where to strike while the rest of her clan was still busy; scrambling over Toyosatomimi-ji.
"We should strike at... We should strike... Agh! We should strike at Sohen-jō!" One of the men suggested after due deliberation, slurring his words heavily through his teeth. "That castle's the worst defended all around... Even a particularly determined deer could take it." He mounted his forehead on his fist, propped up against the table. Before any feedback or elaboration could be given, the strength keep lifting his mug had already left him, and he snoozed away—face-first into the wood.
"Bah, nonshenshe!" Another chimed in. "Any garrishon there would be left completely open! It'sh shurrounded by fortsh on all shidesh, think for a... Guh." He had noticed the absence of consciousness in his intellectual rival, stopping instead to gawk at Akatarō for a good while. Making up his uncooperative head on what to say, he raised his cup for a refill before erupting into a questionable speech. "Phooowh! Y'know, Aka-dono, with you I wouldn't fear shieging Hell itshelf—or the Heavensh! Fuheheh... When you firsht came to ush for ashisshtance, we honeshtly thought you were ash inshane ash they shay, but fighting shide-to-shide with an onna-musha like you ish sho much better than the shtoriesh would have you believe. Akahide would've never let ush get sho washted with him, the shnob! Fuheh, but you undershtand the warrior'sh shpirit, showed ush ash much when you humiliated the gokenin at hish home turf! Aphoo! That guy wash actually pretty lucky I shay! Huzzah for the Laughing Oni!"
"Fuhahaha! I still can't believe they're calling me that! Laughing Oni of Yamazaka, huh? What a nice ring it has!" Akatarō shouted over her soldiers, who were busy pelting her with praise and applause. Even more than the sake, she was drunk on the sensation of being revered, but knew to stop the cacophony just before it had a chance to devolve into an unsalvageable circus. Standing up, she brushed away the untamed strands of hair covering her face, addressing her troupe with a large grin plastered over her cheeks. "Rest up well today, men! We're setting out to Yuuzui-jō by break of dawn! They'll probably expect our next move to be an attack on castle Sohen or Momogai in the north, so let's surprise them by heading east instead. With both of Tomonaga's swords at my hip, new followers will be joining us as we march. By the time we arrive, our army should be more than enough to siege a family holiday spot! Fuhaha! Did you know there's sulphur growing in those waters? Learning from Toyosatomimi-ji, that's a far more valuable resource than gold."