Japan, Fall 1876 - Spring 1877

Nathan had managed, by some miracle, to keep some lolling sort of semblance of consciousness as the Samurai took him and Tony back to their stronghold in the mountains of Japan. Through some sort of haze, he watched Katsumoto lop off the head of General Hashigawa. The rest, haze. There were moments, when he almost had enough focus to look to make certain that they hadn't disposed of Tony along the way. The trek might have lasted hours, days, might have lasted weeks. And then, they were hauling him from the back of the horse he'd been loaded onto, threatening him, spitting in his face. Demanding his name.

He didn't give it.

Winter was coming. There would be no escaping whatever settlement they'd been dragged to.

And then, the haze turned to bright white swimming behind his eyes, and then to black.

---

( Coming to with a start... )

---

( The first time Nathan had handled a sword... )

[NFB and NFI for distance and time. Preplayed with not_ironmaiden, who is smarter than I am and understands the glories of e-mail, omg. Large chunks of script lifted from The Last Samurai, and as such, there are spoilers within.]

Japan, Spring 1877

Ah, the theatre. While Nathan had kind of failed at all aspects of it back before his time spent at Fandom, he could certainly appreciate the art of it from his viewpoint in the audience as the members of the village put on a rather entertaining kyōgen performance in the late evening, well after the sun had set.

Winter was now over, and the snow in the village had melted entirely. But Nathan's mind was on the play. Not on the possibility of being released to return to their lives elsewhere. Not on what would be waiting for them outside of the village, in Tokyo or Fandom or beyond. It was on the actors in costume, following one another across the stage.

.... Alright, fine, his attention was on Katsumoto's sister, Taka. She looked particularly attractive when she was laughing at the actors. So sue him.

( Which you would be blind not to notice... )

---

( That was it, then. )

[NFB and NFI for distance and time. Preplayed with not_ironmaiden, who is totes a ninja too, omg. Large chunks of script lifted from The Last Samurai, and as such, there are spoilers within.]