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Ashes in the Breeze (Japanese Inspired 5e in-character) (nsfw)

The man's fist caught Jihi in the jaw. It wasn't as severe as the cut to her arm, fortunately, but it still hurt. Jihi didn't like the way this fight was going; she wasn't much of a fighter, but she thought she'd at least be fast enough to make it hard for attackers to hit her. Apparently she'd overestimated her skills.

Thankfully, Hanako had some surprises, too. Jihi would have to ask her about that later, but for the moment, Jihi used the opening caused by Hanako's attack to swing the nunchaku at his solar plexus. At the same time, she pulled her other nunchaku free, giving it a few whirls before swinging it as well.

Attacking with main nunchaku: 12
Damage with main nunchaku, if the above attack hits: 3​
Sneak attack damage, if the above attack hits: 6​
Attacking with off-hand nunchaku: 8

If her first attack knocks the man out, she'll swing the nunchaku at the man with the knife; if not, she'll swing at the first man. Either way, it probably doesn't matter, because I doubt either one's AC is 8 or less.
 
Jihi’s nunchaku whipped around and cracked sharply against the man’s chest. It was enough to knock the wind out of him and turn his brain off for a bit. “Uuufff!” He grunted as the air exited his lungs before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he flew backwards onto the ground.

The man with the knife runs up to Jihi and immediately slashes at her. But with the leathers she wore the cut wasn’t enough to go through.

knife guy rolled a 12 to hit.

Hanako watches at the man goes down and Jihi is attacked by the knife wielding man. She steps around Jihi and raises her hands. A sheet of flame fans out in front of her and douses the man with fire just missing Jihi. The man let’s put a yelp of pain but not much else as he’s burned to death.

Hanako casts burning hands on the knife guy and deals 12 damage.

Hanako turns to Jihi panting. She’s clearly shaken but perhaps much more calm than she should be for someone who doesn’t seem like a fighter.
 
Jihi turns in time to see the man's knife coming, but not in time to stop it. The blade slides across her leather, leaving a bright line across the material but not penetrating. She shifts her weight to her back foot, spinning the nunchaku in her hands, but Hanako is faster. Jihi recoils from the heat as the sheet of fire envelops the man.

Jihi watches in shock for a moment, then turns to Hanako. "No!" she says. "Don't kill him!"

She drops the nunchaku, the summons her oni magic. They can't douse flames, but they can dim them, and she hopes reducing the blaze will give him a chance. Concentrating to maintain the effect, she points at the gourd of sake. "Toss that on him!" she shouts to Hanako. There's not enough alcohol for it to burn, so it may as well be water on the flame.

Trusting Hanako to follow her instructions, Jihi pushes the man to the ground and tried to smother the flame with her hands and body as possible. Her half-oni form is resistant, though not immune, to fire. Once the flames are out, she renders what aid she's able, though she's no expert in medicine.

Medicine roll to save the man: natural 20! Clutch!
 
Hanako watches Jihi as she goes down with the man. She can hear her order her to grab the gourd full of sake. Lowering her hands she hesitates before finally trudging over l, picking up the gourd and dumping the contents of the liquid onto the man. Despite Hanako’s slow acting time, Jihi is able to suppress the flames that caught on his clothing and body.

Jihi then can go to work on him quickly. The man’s breathing is shallow and threatens to stop. Hanako stands and watches before finally piping up. “Why are you saving him?” She asks flatly. “You know what they were going to do us. He tried to kill us.”

Due to Jihi’s quick thinking and reaction. She’s able to stabilize the man. Though his breathing is a bit ragged he has a strong pulse despite being unconscious.
 
Once she's finally satisfied the man is stabilized, Jihi leans back into a sitting position on the ground. She gives a long sigh of relief, pushing her hat back to hang behind her head before she runs a hand through her hair. Despite Hanako's question, Jihi is silent for several long seconds, then reaches for the sake gourd. She puts it to her mouth and tips it upward, trying to get even a few drops of alcohol, but it doesn't help.

She thumps the gourd into the ground beside her and takes a deep breath before looking up at Hanako. "Yes. Those men were going to rape us or rob us or both. He would would have killed us with that knife.

"But, they live here." She points down in the direction of Ninama. "The people here know them. The people here probably know these men are bad people, but if we killed them, the people here wouldn't know why. We'd just be yōkai that came into town and killed some of the locals. We'd have to run away from Ninama and never come back. They might even send people after us."

Jihi smiles. It's a little forced, but the sentiment is there. "But since they're alive, they won't want to tell anyone what happened, because people would learn what they tried to do to us. Sometimes living men keep better secrets than dead ones. You see?"

Jihi doesn't mention the other reason for it - that when she thought the man had died, despite everything he had done and would have done, she was overwhelmed by fear and regret. That she couldn't handle killing him, even to save herself, even to save Hanako. How can she explain that? Jihi knows it doesn't really make sense, even to herself; how can she possibly justify it to Hanako?

Jihi sighs again. She reaches out for her nunchaku where she dropped them. "I'm sorry I trusted them, Hanako. I didn't want to put you in danger."
 
Hanako stared down at Jihi a moment as she started talking. Then turned her gaze away and folded her arms. Before finally muttering under her breath after Jihi finished her explanation or perhaps to Hanako, her excuse. But finally heaved a huge sigh. “Fine.”

The sun was setting. The last moments of orange glow casting through the trees and bathing the scene of what had transpired. Hanako gave the scene a look over before quietly slinking over to the pot and peering into it. She crinkled her nose before padding over to the hut. The door was left wide open and she peered in before disappearing inside.

Three men were strewn about the area. Each one unconscious but still breathing. Blood spattered the ground where Jihi had been cut. The burned man had dropped the knife. The pot simmered idly over the dying fire. The man in green still had rice porridge all over his face and huge bruise formed on his cheek.
 
Jihi sat on the ground and watched Hanako enter the hut. She tucked her nunchaku away, then drew her knees up to her chest and sighed. Hanako didn't seem happy, and Jihi couldn't blame her. Looking down at her arm, she clamped her hand over the cut until the bleeding stopped. It would need a bandage, but it could have been a lot worse.

Standing, she peered into the porridge pot as Hanako had. She was hungry, but she didn't really want to eat whatever gruel these men kept. She considered putting out the fire, but decided against it. It wouldn't hurt anything. Instead, she followed Hanako, walking to the hut and stepping inside.

Curiously, she looked around the inside of the hut for a moment before looking at Hanako. "You don't want to stay here, do you?" she asked. She smiled again, this one genuine. "Let's go down to Ninama. I'll bet there's a place with a stage. I already have an idea for a show."
 
Inside the hut it was pretty dirty and cluttered. The tatami was unkempt and stained with spots. There were pots and containers strewn about and three unmade futons sat around a fire pit at the center.

As Jihi entered she’d find Hanako digging around in some pots. Occasionally pulling a piece of farming junk out and tossing it aside before moving on. She paused as Jihi suggested they go down to town. “What if the men wake up? They could go to town and tell everyone that we assaulted them.”

Turning back she continued to root around in their belongings. Finally, she pulled out a clay pot and opened the lid. Turning it over upside down 3 Sho’s worth of coins fell out onto the tatami. Hanako looked back up at Jihi. “Let’s go shopping.” She gave her a smirk.
 
Jihi grimaced and shoved a couple pots out of her way with her foot. Maybe she's not good at making her futon either, and a few of her things back home might have the occasional stain - it can be hard to replace things sometimes - but this place was filthy. Not to mention messy. How do they even live like this?

"If they tell people we assaulted them, we'll say they tried to assault us," Jihi said. "The people in town will know what kind of men these are and they'll probably believe us. That's why we didn't kill them - because they won't want everyone to know what they did."

She picked up the coins and dropped them back into the pot. "But, we lose that if we rob them."

She knelt on the tatami next to Hanako, then grinned and pulled out her coin purse. She shook it, jangling the coins inside. "We don't need their money to go shopping. What should we do first?"
 
Hanako watched as Jihi returned to the coins to the pot. Looking up at her, Hanako let out a huff. “Fine.” She relented. Taking the pot she returned it to where it say before she had started to dig through the junk. But as she turns her body slightly to the side she very clearly but subtly takes a single coin. Likely trying to keep it hidden from Jihi.

Hanako then promptly stands up. “I’m hungry! Let’s find something to eat, I wanna eat some human food.” Then unless Jihi stops her, she goes to march out the front door.
 
"Good idea, I'm starving," Jihi said, grinning up at Hanako as she walked away. As soon as the kitsune was out the door, Jihi pulled one of the same coin from her purse and placed it in the pot, careful not to drop the coin far enough to make noise.

As she left the hut, Jihi moves to the hill that overlooked the village. If she could see a safe way down the incline, she took it; otherwise, she looked for a way around. When she eventually entered Ninama, she looked for a likely tavern and guided Hanako towards it. "I have an idea for a show, too. Let's talk about it while we eat."

What coin did Hanako take? I'll update Jihi's character sheet with the coin she put in the pot.
 
Hanako exited the hit with Jihi not far behind, she seemed oblivious that Jihi replaced the coin she stole. Outside the men still lay on the ground in piles but they were still breathing.

The sunset cast a lovely amber glow through the trees and onto the hillside. The incline was relatively steep and the grass might make it a bit slippery so there was risk of them loosing their footing and tumbling down the hill. But very conveniently there was a rough dirt path skirting the trees down the incline. Presumably the men had made this to make trips into town easier and quicker.

The town was just a bit larger than Horozawa and Kugi. There were a lot more shops along the edge of the main road. The street was halfway between bustling and dead with farmers and commoners. Standing on the opposite side of the road was the swordsman that Jihi had spotted earlier.

As he scans the street his eyes pass over the pair before he does a double take. Locking his eyes on Hanako and Jihi he closes the distance.

“What are you doing?” He questions, his hand drops to his side and rests on his sword as he looks down his nose at the pair.

Hanako doesn’t react at first, merely looking at Jihi to see how she might answer.

Hanako had taken 1 Sho coin.
 
Jihi's hand absent-mindedly moved to the wound on her arm as she descended the dirt path. It wouldn't kill her, but it still hurt. She'd feel better after a night's sleep, hopefully in a decent inn. Her head turned from side to side as she stepped onto the main road, taking it all in. To some, it may not have been impressive, but it was still the largest town Jihi had ever seen. She had just expected it to be more...different than anything she'd seen before.

The swordsman's words broke her concentration. She looked over at him, then down at the sword under his hand. Her smile disappeared, but then reappeared a moment later.

"We are travelers, sir!" Jihi said with a nod, then tipped her hat back until it fell to hang from the back of her neck. "We have come to your town rest our feet and fill our bellies. Can you direct us to a place that serves travelers? Perhaps one with a stage? We hope to leave your town with happy memories of us."

Persuasion check on the swordsman: 9

Oof!
 
The swords man narrowed his eyes at the pair. “I don’t know what cave you two crawled out of but we don’t appreciate beings like you two walking around just anywhere.”

Hanako let out a scoff and takes a step back as she waves her hand below her waist. It nonchalant but the swordsman furrows his brow and looks at her suspiciously. “I know your kind.” He stares at her. “Trying to cast trickery on me but it won’t work.”

Turning his gaze back to Jihi, he adjusts his hand to grip his sword. “I can’t allow you two causing trouble with whatever you’re trying to do. Come with me.”

Hanako tries to cast Charm Person.
 
Jihi's smile disappeared, replaced with an annoyed frown. What is wrong with the people in this town? At least the men she'd met before were friendly, even if it was fake. She saw movement in her peripheral vision and glanced over quickly enough to see Hanako's hand movements. Magic...probably. She wasn't an expert, but she was capable of some of it herself, and the book Mita-san had given her described many more movements associated with magical spells.

Mita-san... she thought. He and his partner had been victims of his neighbour's mistrust of yōkai. Well, really victims of his romantic jealousy, but the mistrust didn't help. As bad as this swordsman was being, he wasn't that bad yet, and Jihi did not want to push him to that point.

She looked back at the man and sighed, but nodded. "Okay. Sir. We'll come with you. Where are we going?"

I'll talk to him, she thought as she followed the man. I'll show him he has nothing to fear from us, and then we'll be on our way.

I hope the whole town isn't like this.
 
At first as soon as Jihi opened her mouth to answer the man’s grip tightened on the sword. But relaxed as soon as she agreed to come with. A look of disappointment flashed across his face before he narrowed his eyes at her. “Follow me close, you stray away and I’ll cut you open.”

With that the man pivoted and started marching down the street. Every so often he would check behind him to make sure Jihi and Hanako were following. Hanako looked at Jihi and gave her an eye roll. Putting her hand against Jihi’s ear she whispered. “So should we beat him up too? He obviously thinks we’re monsters.”
 
It was a tempting offer, but Jihi held up her palm at Hanako and shook her head subtly. Leaning over and placing her lips next to Hanako's ear, she whispered, "Not unless he attacks us."

She was seriously rethinking her plans to stay in this town. Even if she could convince this swordsman that they meant no harm, that would only last until the bandits woke up and tried to get help for the man they'd almost killed. They didn't need to fear the consequences of what they'd done; if the rest of the town was anything like this man, they were just waiting for an excuse to hang the two of them. Or even if that wasn't true, they couldn't get service here, and trying to put on a show would be a failure.

Still, maybe she shouldn't tell Hanako that. If she knew they were leaving anyway, she'd probably just go ahead and attack the swordsman immediately.
 
The swordsman continued to lead them through the street, turning back every so often to check if they were still following. Any one on the street that they passed would give them a bit of a strange look as they gave them a wide berth. Perhaps because of the fact they were being escorted by the swordsman.

Finally, he led them to the end of a side street where what looked like a temple sat. But this temple looked like it had been remodeled into a sort of house. There was a wide set of steps up to a wrap around porch in front of the main door. On either side of the door was a swordsman dressed like the one they had been led by.

The guards nodded to him as he stepped up the steps then narrowed their eyes at Hanako and Jihi. Their escort slid the front door open and motioned for them to enter. “Inside.” He growled. Light spilled out onto the porch from the open door.
 
It wasn't easy, but Jihi managed to summon up enough positivity to smile pleasantly at the people they passed - anyone that didn't seem overtly hostile, anyway. What little optimism she had evaporated when they reached the house, however. This all felt very familiar: a group of men that clearly mean her and Hanako ill, strongly encouraging them to enter a house with no easy escape.

It was too late to run now. Whatever was waiting through those doors, Jihi had to face it, but perhaps she could improve her odds a little. In any case, she had to do her best to protect Hanako. Before entering, she bowed respectfully to both guards, then stepped out of her sandals.

"Thank you for allowing me inside," she said politely, standing on the threshold, then gestured towards Hanako. "My companion shall wait outside. This is a discussion for adults. You've already seen her youthful indiscretion."
 
As Jihi bowed to the guards on either side of the door, they merely stared at her barely seeming to acknowledge how polite she was trying to be. The swordsman standing nearby clutched the hilt of his sword as she slipped out of her sandals.

Hanako’s head snapped towards Jihi as she spoke about leaving her outside. Her face changing into subtle forms of anger at first, then understanding, then a small frown. The guard looked at Jihi, then at Hanako. “No, she comes too.” He grumbled. “Inside, both of you, now.”

Hanako looked at Jihi then at the man, who was now gripping his sword with intent. She let out a sigh, before stepping inside before Jihi could do anything else to ensure her safety.

If Jihi decided to enter, she’d find the inside brightly lit with plenty of lanterns. Past a small foyer was a hallway that extended to the right and left. Across the hall was a pair of sliding doors. The front door would be closed behind them.
 
Jihi followed Hanako into the building and stepped through the foyer, finding herself into the hallway. She glanced left and right, but wasn't sure what direction to go, or whether to continue on to the doors ahead of her. No doubt the swordsman would growl out his next instructions soon enough.

"Is this the way you treat all guests to your town?" she asked him, looking over her shoulder. The politeness she'd given the guards outside had mostly evaporated now.
 
The swordsman didn’t respond to her, he gave her a sideways glance before pointing towards the door straight across from them. “Go.” He commanded. Hanako glanced at Jihi, then at the swordsman then back towards the front door. Perhaps now after stepping inside she was having second thoughts.

But finally she stepped up to the pair of sliding doors and slid it open. If Jihi complied as well, as soon as the door was open and the pair was close. They’d be gently pushed inside and the door would slide shut behind them after the swordsman followed them in.

The floor was covered in tatami and it was a wide open space. On the opposite end of the room were a set of four pillars in front of a traditional looking Shinto shrine. A thick rope hung from the ceiling with a bell at the top. There was a box for monetary offerings. Hanging up on beams in the ceiling were pictures painted of spirits.

In the middle of the room were three men. One was very rotund, he smoked from a long pipe. The other two looked more rough and swords sat next to them. They were all drinking and chatting. As soon as they’d enter, they would all turn to look at the pair of girls. “Sir, I found these two creatures trying to sneak into town.” The swordsman bowed his head.

“Ohohohoho!” The rotund man chuckled after letting out a puff of smoke. “They don’t look too dangerous. Mischievous perhaps, but they don’t look like they can breath fire…. You can leave, Kaguyama.”

He waved his hand dismissing the swordsman. “You two stay. Chat with me a bit.”
 
Jihi stepped through the doors. The push inside was softer than she'd expected (she'd figured the swordsman would all but knock her off her feet), but still unwelcome, and she struggled to avoid showing her displeasure on her face. If it weren't for the men inside, she wouldn't have bothered, but she needed to make a good impression. At least one person in this town was giving her a chance.

Swallowing her annoyance, she smiled at the rotund man, then bowed. In the process, she tried to improve her odds by giving the man a glance down her jacket, but as with the bandits before, her protective leathers probably impaired the view. "Greetings, sir. I am Jihi, a traveler and entertainer. My companion and I have come to your town for a night's rest and to bring joy to your people."

She sat cross-legged on the tatami across from the rotund man, though in easy view of all three. "I apologize for my traveling clothes. If I knew I'd be meeting a man of importance, I would have worn my nicest kimono."

Persuasion check on the rotund man: 16
 
The door closed with a hard clack! As the swordsman exited, closing the door behind him. The man stared at Jihi as she bowed perhaps actually trying to get a peek. But his face was stoic as she introduced herself. He glanced to the men sitting on either side of him. “The oni is quite well spoken.” He muttered with an impressed look on his face. “Where are you from… Jihi? As you might have noticed this town is cautious of your kind. If you two were less cute I’d have you executed on the spot.”

The man glanced briefly over at Hanako as she sat down next to Jihi. “But perhaps you really could bring some joy to me.” His face twisted into a grin. “My name is Tamatsuki,
Kinzo. You can call me Kinzo, I’m the lord of this little village, mayor, whatever. What sort of entertainment do you do?”
 
"I did notice the town's caution, Kinzo-sama," Jihi said. "I appreciate you not killing us. I am from a small village to the south and they would be very sad to hear I was executed for not being cute enough."

She put a hand to her chest. "I am an actress, and I have taken on an apprentice." She moved her hand to Hanako's shoulder. She gave it a reassuring squeeze, though Jihi wasn't feeling very sure herself. "We had hoped to perform in your town."
 
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