Shutani Houkiku

-Food: Preserved plums
-Animal: Wolves
-Colour: Green
-Past-time: Napping
-Thing: Being hugged, esp. by Harada
-Saying: "When Heaven's justice fails, we'll have to make do with our own."

-Food: Kaoru's cooking! Oh, you mean other than that?
-Animal: Pet dogs
-Colour: Bright purple
-Past-time: Embroidery
-Thing: Arguing with people

-Name: Tenshotou
-Type: Huge crescent-shaped sword 126cm (4.1 feet) in vertical height, made of hollow aluminium alloy and has a very light bluish, gold taint along the blade. A pair of parallel slits on one end of the sword forms the hilt.
-Attacks:

Ao-Arashi Fubuki (Sword dance)-
Whirl the sword around you defining a personal area, using the momentum of each step to carry the next along. You will remain stationary, protected by the "cocoon" marked out by the sword and anything that comes in contact ends up finely shredded.

Ei-Fu-Ran-Mu (Sword Dance)-
Instead of drawing the enemy around you, like in "Ao-Arashi Fubuki", you herd together the enemy, picking up loose sand or whatever material from the ground as a sort of smoke screen, then running them through one by one as discreetly as possible.

Ten Sho Kiku Sen-
Slicing your opponent up on the left shoulder, left base of neck, top of head, right base of neck and right shoulder in this order, from above.

Yasha-ga-
Ten: Holding the Tenshotou point downwards so that one's forearm fits in the inside curve of the cresent blade, put all your weight on the point of the sword and stab the opponant's skullcap from a height.
Chi: Holding the sword the same way as for the Ten style, duck low and swing the blade out at the opponant's waist level.
San-getsu: Same method of holding as Ten and Chi, make a sudden horizontal slash at the opponant's eye level, capable of splitting the opponant's head into two.
Hane: Bring the sword down for a left to right cross-cut in front of the opponant, jump over the opponant changing the sword into the other hand keeping it behind you, then bring it up right to left upon landing.
Ten.Chi.San.Ba: Using the four attacks above in rapid succession, in order of Ten, Chi, San-getsu and Hane.



*Ryuukansen-
Going beside an opponent with a very powerful swing to the back of the neck with the twist of your whole body. Learnt this from Kenshin.

-Age: 27
-Height: 168cm (5.5 feet)
-Weight: 52kg (114.6 lb)
-Hair Colour: black
-Eye Colour: black
Description:
Kiku is basicly an average looking person, not exactly plain, but not what one would declare a beauty, either. She appears an elegent, refined Japanese lady, but the most attractive aspect of her physical appearance would be the way her personality shines through and animates her otherwise cold and impassive features.

Worldly wise, optimistic and a great listener, she would put down anything on hand to hear you out and offer advise and comfort. Teasing those around her is one of her ways of showing affection and acceptance. Although involved with Harada, she's still a terrible flirt. It could be because nothing amuses her more than the brief, deep blush that tells her she has yet again succeeded. Like most Aquarians, she is eccentric, absent-minded, dramatic, artistic, easy to get along with, but near impossible to understand. She is also extremely stubborn. When disagreeing about something, she would let the other person go on for a bit, carry it by with a light "whatever" and go ahead her way, unless you happen to make a lot of sense, since telling you what she wants to do is really just an act of courtesy.

She grew up in the mountains, her father was a Blacksmith who experimented with different alloys as a hobby and forged her sword, she has no idea who her mother was, Harada Sanosuke of the Shinsengumi is her lover and Himura Kenshin is her best friend in the world. She started out life as a simple mountain-grown girl, doubling as the Mercenary Shutani "Arashi-yasha", but when her father was violently enlisted by the local shogun to forge the ultimate sword and never returned (he could have refused or failed, Houkiku doesn't know), she headed out of the mountain villages, into the cities. Since she couldn't quite support herself running around killing selected people with all the competition in town (Ronins, Shinsengumi, Ishinshishi... you know the lot), Houkiku took up the most available second job, whoring. That's where she met Harada (as a customer, not felow whore ^^;). He of course, didn't know that she was the irritating "Arashi-yasha" (she had been stealing their kills and getting in the Shinsengumi's way) and she wasn't about to let on. He found out eventually, near the end of the revolution era, when she intervened in a fight between him and Himura Battousai (a.k.a Kenshin). Kenshin accidentally wounded her greatly (well, she jumped in the way). Nobody who knew her before heard from her again and Kenshin thought he'd killed her, which just about sums up her life, until he sees her in "Akabeko" one day and gets the shock of his life... ...

**Additional Information:

• She still calls Kenshin by his original name, "Shinta".
• Has a scar running along her ribs on the right from the wound.
• The scar tissue has also caused some restrictions in movements on her right, so she is less agile and quick than before.
• She's moved in across the street from Megumi's clinic and set up a small shop selling needles, thread, textiles and sake.

End of InnocenceMorning. The tiny village came alive with the whispered sounds of yasha, yasha. Everyone was talking about it, the horned demons straight out of their much-loved folktales. Yasha, the royalty of the densly forested mountains, the guardians of the wilderness in this age of non-reverance. Retribution, they said. The neighbouring Shogun had no respect for the Gods or Nature, he has only himself to blame for the terible fate that had befall him. Sanchuu. Mountain Justice.

"Kiku, child," An old lady smiled across her baskets of vegetables. "You have heard?"

"Hai." Was the calm affirmative. A strange light danced in her eyes, but that was all. It would have been unsightly to show any more spirit at the demise of the Lord and Master of the next estate which the village bordered on. It was certain... satisfaction that the old woman did not quite understand; but then, Houkiku was always a stranger child. Comes from being raised single-handedly by a man up in the mountains, that did.

"Twas the yasha," She nodded sagely, determined to engage the girl in further conversation. It was her secret plan to have Shutani marry into her home. Strange she may be, the girl was a good and honourable person, as was her father, and not uncomely. She knew her grandson would take to her in no time. All that remained was for the two young people to meet.

"Hai," Houkiku smiled briefly. "The Arashi-yasha."

"Ne, Kiku-chan," She decided to go for the kill. "You are of marriagable age now, are you not?"

Shutani Houkiku smiled that quiet smile of hers again. "Hai, I believe so."

"Why not come for dinner one day?"

"Perhaps, Eriko-oba." She picked out a few coins from her obi to pay for the purchases.

"My grandson would love to meet you. And with your father gone..." It was an unspoken thing within the village, especially within earshot of the girl. Shutani the blacksmith was recently recruited by the Shogun to forge swords for his minions. Although promised freedom once the task was done, everyone knew that the only part of him that would ever return was his head. If not after, then before. They seeked to protect the innocent child, but what they did not know was just how much of an "innocent" Houkiku really was.

"Whatever."

*The path between civilization and the blacksmith's hut was quiet and scenic. Houkiku pulled off her ribbon and let the crisp morning breeze blow her raven hair about her face. The very thought of an arranged marriage tickled her. Perhaps father really did spoil me, but damned if I'm putting myself into a loveless marriage! She laughed wild and free, yet not without a tinge of sadness. "Father is not coming back, neither am I, o-yama-sama.' She told the mountain that was her friend and home. "There is no living here in this country out-back for a mountain girl. I leave for Kyoto. Wish me luck!" Pretty, perhaps. Strange, definately. here was one who talked to the mountains! I cannot indulge this child in me any more, She thought ruefully. There was no place for that where she was going. It was no way to carry an ideal!

She turned off the well-worn path into a tiny groove. A sacred tree stood tall and majestic there, tied around with a holy rope and some strips of charm paper. On the thickest root she laid down her offering, a simple spread of fruits and vegetables, and glancing quickly around to make sure she was alone, pulled a roll of frayed heavy cotton and square package from under the root. She checked that the pale green patterned kimono and hideous hannyuu mask were where they should be and stuffed the package into her knapsack. Then, pulling aside the top of the cloth bundle, revealing a sturdy crescent-shaped leather shealth. A tap on the bottom pushed a metal point out of the shealth. Under the filtered light it glinted a soft blue and gold; with ruby drops as she cut her palm and added the blood to the offering.

"Grant me the strength, help me, o-yama-sama." And kudoed once, respectfully, and whispered tenderly. "Thank you." Sparing a moment to soak in the warmth of the mountain sun in the shade of the tree one last time, the Storm Demon jumped to her feet, gathered up her things and left her dappled sanctuary and its crisp clean breeze for the shady world of bloody wind and rain.