Jade Legacy [L5R 3eR] - Act 1: Atsumari/Gathering

[Psychofish]

Elsewhere, there was a great deal of ruckus and hullabaloo, but inside the Hare tent, it was quiet. It was up for debate if the sounds would reach Denbe, but if they did, that level of ruckus spoke of trouble that everyone would be into. His interference would be more likely to see him caught up in trouble unintentionally than to see him help. Normally he'd have inspected anyway, but he had other things to do now, and could find out about that in the morning.

As he'd tried to relax he'd grown more and more curious about the suspicions leveled at the monk. While they didn't seem well enough founded for severe reaction, if for some reason he was seen as so untrustworthy, it might just be worth staking out a spot on the grounds to try and see exactly what he did in those mornings.

But first, Denbe had to make sure he could stay awake through the night without collapsing come day and the competitions. And so he gathered his mind, focusing on the task ahead and ordering his thoughts, sitting upright in the dark inside his tent, each hand placed on a knee and eyes firmly shut.

[3k2 Void/Meditation(Fast): 11 vs TN 10+3]  

[Agent Sinistra]

@ Lioness Shenanigans

"Ah! Ide-san?"Kyumi would quickly finish wrapping up her hand in bandages from her medicine kit. When she looked up, her expression was a little surprised that he had finally showed up.

After what had happened earlier, Kyumi'd almost expected for him not to show at all. To some degree, she had hoped that would turn out to be the case, especially after her evening had started to turn to the worst. Still, despite being upset over Omi, Kyumi would do her best to be nice. After all, none of this was actually his fault...

"Well, at least something's going as planned..."
She'd softly murmur under her breath before flashing her latest guest a polite, but somewhat forced looking smile.

"I can pour you some tea, if you like... Though I'd be careful, I burned myself pouring my own cup." She would let out a nervous laugh as she did her best to change her mood so she wouldn't inadvertently take her frustration on Jiro.

It wouldn't be until after she'd made the offer that she noticed the liquid that was inside the jug that he'd brought. "...Unless, of course, you've brought your own drink... That's fine too..." She'd add on, sounding a bit sheepish for not noticing it earlier.

((Rolling Etiquette to keep Kyumi's awkwardness/frustration from being too obvious/irritating. 5k3 = 31;
Looks like the Dice Kami approve of my avy's new look. 8D ))  

[Rain Yupa]

@ Scorpion Shenanigans:

Miruomoto Sozen would step out from his tent, looking upon Kojiro curiously. "Ah, hello Kojiro-san. It's a bit early to be... checking up on us, don't you think? I would have thought you would have waited until morning to speak with us."

"Sozen-san, who is it? Tell them I'm trying to get my beauty sleep, and all these interruptions are going to do horrors for my complexion," a voice would call out from inside the tent, and Sozen would simply roll his eyes in response.  

[Rain Yupa]

@ Hare Shenanigans:

If Denbe wants to see if he would be aware of said ruckus and hullabaloo, give me a TN 15 Perception/Investigation [Notice] roll.

To try to find a good place to stake out the monk, Denbe will need to give me an Agility/Stealth [Ambush] roll. The result sets the TN to be noticed by Kan's Perception/Battle. However, there will be honor loss for making this roll.  

[Rain Yupa]

@ Lioness Shenanigans:

"Oh, this?" Jiro would say, holding up the bottle. "This is a Unicorn drink which I happened to have some of. It's a glass bottle, something from across the Burning Sands, brought back by my ancestors. I brought some shochu because of... well... just in case, I suppose." He would smile politely, placing the bottle upon the table.

"Also, I might add, it's quite a bit... safer, than from scalding hot tea. What has your mind so distracted, Kyumi-san?" he would ask, plopping down next to her, rather than across from her. He did not seem to answer the question about tea preference, which might have been intentional.  

[Psychofish]

Denbe heard nothing. Some good those big ears were.

[4k2 Perception/Investigation(Notice): 10 vs TN 15+3]  

[Rain Yupa]

@ Crane/Lion Shenanigans:

((For the record, you can leave off the -sans unless addressing or in the presence of the individual in question. You needn't use the suffix every single time you use someone's name if you are only referencing them. Another example, is you can leave off the -sama for important individuals that actually have no bearing on you when you are not there. You might always refer to the Kakita daimyo as -sama when outside Crane lands if you felt particular reverence to him, which you might, but you wouldn't refer to the Hida daimyo with the same reverence, unless you were, say, in Kyuden Hida, speaking with those close to her, or possibly only in her actual presence.))

Benjiro seemed to twitch at the explanations. "Yes, Wazuka was the one who came and got me. I was about to ride off to investigate something in a nearby village, so she was lucky to catch me when she did." He would turn to Koan. "And you, what's your story?"

"First off, I didn't try to rape anyone, and I resent any accusations thereof. Isawa Toyoko had joined me this evening for tea, and she was all over me, practically throwing herself at me. It was completely consensual, or it would have been; or, it would have been if her psychotic brother hadn't barged in on us like that. Even then, I took no aggressive actions to cause Sosuke to take violent actions in retaliation against me. The Crane delegation's servants can attest to the first half of my story, and Zanzen-san and Seichiro-san can attest to the latter."

{Benjiro's Investigation [Interrogation] result 27 = vs Koan's Courtier [Manipulation] result = 30}

"I... see..." Benjiro would say in response to Koan, staring him down for a good while before continuing further. "Koan, I'm going to request you stay in your tent for the time being. I will dispatch a Daidoji guard to keep vigilance here, in case Isawa Sosuke tries anything further. I'll send Hyotaru to come patch this up immediately. Come tomorrow morning, your guard will escort you to the competitions. Matsu Seichiro, Kan, please head back to your tent; your presence is no longer required here. Kakita Zanzen, if you can find lodging elsewhere, it might not be a bad idea; however, if you choose to stay here to help aid in Koan's protection, I will permit it."

Just then, Kitsuki Wazuka would come running up, gasping for air and practically collapsing in a heap just outside the tent. She's fast, but keeping up with a horse is a different matter altogether.

"I will speak with the other magistrates about this and see what will come of this." Seppun Benjiro would leave the tent, taking his horse by the reigns and began walking it back - to the stables, rather than to the gate towards Hotaru Mura.  

[Plainsfox]

Rain Yupa

@ Scorpion Shenanigans:

Miruomoto Sozen would step out from his tent, looking upon Kojiro curiously. "Ah, hello Kojiro-san. It's a bit early to be... checking up on us, don't you think? I would have thought you would have waited until morning to speak with us."

"Sozen-san, who is it? Tell them I'm trying to get my beauty sleep, and all these interruptions are going to do horrors for my complexion," a voice would call out from inside the tent, and Sozen would simply roll his eyes in response.

Blurry eyed, Kojiro would shake his head. "Has a Crane come to lodge with you? No. It's not about that.... for some reason, there is a box in front of our tent and it seems to have come from your tent. Is there something going on we should know about?"  

[Rain Yupa]

@ Scorpion Shenanigans:

Sozen seemed legitimately puzzled by this explanation. "Wazuka left with an empty trunk from our tent a little while ago, but to what ends, she would not say. Is it empty?"  

[Plainsfox]

@Scorpion Shenanigans

"I didn't check. I figured it might be placed by someone attempting to test our character or some such." Kojiro shrugged. "With your leave, I'll drag it back here."  

[Agent Sinistra]

@ Lioness Shenanigans

Kyumi looked over at the jug for a moment, as if to inspect it. Then she'd look down into her own cup of tea and would let out a soft sigh. "Let's... Let's just say that since I've left the Shogi competition, my night has started to go downhill and leave it at that."

If Jiro's lack of an answer about the tea was something that she'd noticed, Kyumi didn't didn't show it. Instead, she'd eventually glance over to him to ask, "How about you? How far did you make it in the competition?"  

[Raganui Minamoto]

@Crane/Lion Shenanigans

He nodded, taking a moment to grab a few things. "Perhaps I can find the other one and see where he's been holed up for the nights." With that, he'd leave after the Magistrate did. If he didn't find the other Crane soon, he'd hunker down near some trees for the night.  

[Rain Yupa]

@ Crane Shenanigans:

Kakita Zanzen, roll me a Perception/Investigation [Search] to find your wayward Crane!  

[Rain Yupa]

@ Lioness Shenanigans:

Jiro would frown a bit, before brightening up. "I placed third overall. Not enough to get any points this time. But what's important, is that I won the match that counted most," he said, winking at Kyumi.

"May I?" he asked, gesturing towards the kettle for the hot water for the tea. If Kyumi permitted, he would get his own tea.

"So, tell me, beautiful Kyumi-san... has your night really gone that poorly since the end of the competition? Not one redeeming encounter pleased your heart?" he asked, batting his eyelashes somewhat suggestively towards the Shugenja. {Courtier of 21 with a raise to emphasize that he's curious if his own visit counted as 'downhill'}  

[Rain Yupa]

@ Scorpion Shenanigans:

Kojiro would be able to pull the trunk with only minimal difficulty. He wouldn't be sure how someone like Wazuka was able to get out here without anyone noticing, because it was a solid, weighty trunk, despite it being empty.

"Yep, that's ours alright," Sozen would acknowledge upon Kojiro's return, taking over for the last dozen meters. "I wonder why she left an empty trunk outside your tent. Was she anywhere around when you returned with it?"