sixwordstories | (no subject)

A small price to pay for eternal peace.

They will not let me die at all until it is on their terms.

Hell, I'll kill you.

Try it and my dagger will find a new sheath in your chest.

Yeah, yeah. He waves, dismissively.

So you don't want to die.

There is no honor in that. Seppuku is the ends I wish to claim, that I am forbidden from.

How can they stop you?

Nobody can take away your honor.

I allowed them to take the honor I bore in life, I allowed myself to be dishonored and that is shameful of me; seppuku would grant me honor in death, but they insist upon my living.

My master always taught me that in failure we can seek enlightenment. What is it that crushed your spirit? Are you held prisoner?

I believe that to be true in most circumstances. *pauses* Some time ago my fiance was murdered. I set out to avenge his death, but upon meeting and coming to know his killer ...I couldn't kill him, I couldn't deliver him to the ninjas who would kill him. I confessed and he left.

And now I am a traitor twice over, kept captive to be used as bait.

You speak like someone who thinks highly of honor. What held you back?

Used as bait? Such cowardly actions shouldn't be allowed to take away a person's honor. I wish there was something I could do to help.

Honor is the way of life here, without it I am nothing. *considers* I grew to understand him, I grew to understand that he did not kill my fiance out of any cruelty, out of any grudge or desire to hurt...He was merely a soldier, my fiance merely the enemy. I grew to love him.

I'm afraid all I can do is wait. Enishi, my brother, he will not allow it if he sees.

*thinks for a moment* I don't see anything dishonorable in forgiveness and life.

Your brother is holding you hostage?

The dishonor came when I betrayed his trust by admitting I had been sent to kill him, and in that same breath by betraying the group that hired me.

*little headshake* No, but my brother works for them, just as I do.

Well, what's his view on all this?

And how can you work for the men who deny you your honor?

Whose view?

I don't any longer, really. They expect the man who I was supposed to deliver to them to kill me in revenge for my betrayal and then they will kill him, I suppose.

The man you love.

But... what about your brother? He should protect you!

He was hurt and angry. He left.

My brother is still young, but he has a more respectable ranking. If he learns of what is going on he will report it to the captain.

I am sorry to hear that.

This sounds like it could take forever. Can't you contact him in any way? From what you told me I am quite worried about your safety.

It's better to live honorably.

They took away the honor in life.

Then live without it. It's not the end of the world.

. . .

Honor is everything. There is nothing worse than losing your honor, except perhaps losing your honor and your life.

Oh, please.

Does the West honestly price honor so cheaply?

I, personally, just happen to think that some things hold greater value.

Perhaps in other places, but where I reside honor rules supreme.

And if you dishonor yourself, you just go out and die, leaving the people who depend on you hanging?

If I dishonor myself, those who depend on me are quite better off if I am dead for my dishonor will not rub off on them and my death would wipe the slate clean of my wrongs. Besides that I have no one besides Enishi and he is a man, quite capable.

Why not just try to win your honor back? Or is that too hard?

For a woman it is nearly impossible. A man can win his honor back with hard work and effort, but a woman has no room to do as much. I could flee, and change my name and history, but that is perhaps the extent of it.

Why would it be impossible for a woman? That doesn't make sense.

Because women are subordinate to men, property. Our actions reflect not only on ourselves but on the men who claim guardianship of us and a woman without a guardian is hardly better than a stray dog.

That's bullshit. You shouldn't put up with that. And if anyone tried to pull that kind of thing on my daughter, I would kill him.

It is no such thing, it is just the way things are. The men make a living and provide an income and the women tend the children and the household. The men who have had guardianship over me have all been quite kind.

And when you get one that's not kind, what then? What will you do?

If I live, Enishi would be my guardian until I married and he is very particular about the men who wish my hand.

And of course you'll just marry whoever he says.

Jesus. Look, if you ever get into trouble, look me up. My name's Butler. I'll do whatever I can to help you.

I very much doubt if he would choose anyone at all. He rather likes me to himself.

...Thank you. I am Tomoe; Yukishiro Tomoe. You are very kind.

You're welcome.

People die but there is never any honour in it, of that I am certain.

Death is perhaps the most honorable thing.

No, mademoiselle, surviving death is honourable. Conceding to it is to be defeated.

That is not how things work in my culture, sir.

Perhaps not but I have seen enough death to know that it is not something to be celebrated.