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

[Raganui Minamoto]

6k2

26.

extra for splode  

[Agent Sinistra]

@ Go Competition:

Rain Yupa

"It's fine, sweetie, it's fine." Toyoko would respond, watching some of the beginning moves Kyumi were making. Her response would be the methodical countering and capturing on any territories Kyumi would get a foothold in. {Games: Go of 13 vs TN 5}

"Still, though. There's something about those Crane men. They can be so... so... how should I put this?" she trailed off, tapping her fingernails rhythmically against the board several times in succession. "Easy on the eyes, I suppose." She would grin almost sinisterly, if it didn't seem that she was having too much fun with the conversation.

"Well... Some of them are rather good looking..." Kyumi would own up, as she considered her next move. When she glanced up and saw Toyoko's... grin? The Lioness wasn't sure exactly how to take that look; on one hand, it still, technically, was a grin. On the other hand... Whatever thoughts that happened to be going through the Phoenix woman's head had to be far from innocent.

"Exactly where are you trying to take this conversation?" She asked quietly, as she attempted to feign nonchalance. She made her move on the board, and regardless of how good or bad her play might be, it's obvious that she's more than a little distracted by the conversation.

((4k3, 17 vs TN 10; 1/3 failures))  

[Keith Valken Lionheart]

Seichiro's vision was getting blurry. That last strike really did a number on him, but he wasn't about to go down without a fight. He mustered up all his remaining energy into one last strike.

((Spend Void point to negate 10 wounds, bringing me back to hurt. Full Attack, both raises used to lower TN by -10, 6k3+3 to attack))  

[Keith Valken Lionheart]

Exploding dice  

[Keith Valken Lionheart]

7k2+2 damage  

[Raganui Minamoto]

And now the Crane is down for the count, KOed.  

[Rain Yupa]

Rain Yupa

@ Martial Duels:

And with that, the semi-final round would be over. Only two warriors would be left: The heavily fortified Kaiu Kagae, and the dedicated warrior Matsu Seichiro!

With neither samurai seriously injured in his last match, it would be set to take place immediately! Kakita Zanzen would be assisted off of the fighting area to receive medical treatment, and the two warriors may engage one another when they are ready!

 

[Rain Yupa]

@ Go Competition:

"Why? What exactly are you implying, missy?" Toyoko would ask sternly, placing her hands on her hips and giving Kyumi a mean glare.

Then she would like right back up and chuckle to herself. "Oh, fine, fine. Truth be told, I'm a skilled Shugenja, but there has been no arrangement for marriage for me yet." She would beckon Kyumi closer with a finger, and whisper over the gaming board. "I'm kind of scouting for a husband while I'm down here. It's the reason I volunteered to come."

Toyoko was Kyumi's age, so it definitely seemed like the Phoenix girl felt like she could relate to Kyumi in that regard. "Though sometimes, I feel Benten has turned a blind eye to me, while miserable people like Sumi are married off so easily," she would confess, pouting.

"Oh! It's my move!" she would realize, and play her own stones. {Games: Go check of 17 vs TN 10.}  

[Agent Sinistra]

@ Go Competition:

Rain Yupa

"Why? What exactly are you implying, missy?" Toyoko would ask sternly, placing her hands on her hips and giving Kyumi a mean glare.

Then she would like right back up and chuckle to herself. "Oh, fine, fine. Truth be told, I'm a skilled Shugenja, but there has been no arrangement for marriage for me yet." She would beckon Kyumi closer with a finger, and whisper over the gaming board. "I'm kind of scouting for a husband while I'm down here. It's the reason I volunteered to come."

Toyoko was Kyumi's age, so it definitely seemed like the Phoenix girl felt like she could relate to Kyumi in that regard. "Though sometimes, I feel Benten has turned a blind eye to me, while miserable people like Sumi are married off so easily," she would confess, pouting.

"Oh! It's my move!" she would realize, and play her own stones. {Games: Go check of 17 vs TN 10.}

Kyumi answered back in a whisper, with a sheepish look, "I'm here for similar reasons... My last engagement was broken off some time ago, and since then... Well, there haven't been any other... leads." This was followed by a momentary pause. "Asako-san is married?" The words were tinged by a thinly veiled tone of disbelief. Kyumi hadn't been able to resist asking, for while she wasn't entirely interested in her last opponent... The Lioness would have thought that, if she were indeed married, her husband would make her take better care of herself.

As the two women began to talk, Kyumi quickly found her own interest in the match waning. Her playing strategy had turned more into making random moves on the board and hoping that it might work rather than anything more legitimate.


((4k3, 30 vs TN 15, 1/3 Failures))  

[Rain Yupa]

@ Behind the Scenes:

As Denbe would watch the final duo pair up for the final match, a bald-headed tattooed warrior would kneel beside him, bandaged up from the wounds HE received earlier. Kneeling beside the twice-injured Hare, he would speak plainly. "I know how you feel. It should be me up there, dueling the second best warrior here and taking the victory for myself. Instead? I get floored in the first round."

Letting out a dejected sigh, Mirumoto Sozen would add as an afterthought, "You can tell which ones were ready for this and which weren't. It kills you to see things end up this way, doesn't it, Ujina?"

--------------------

As Kojiro would awaken from his extended rest, he would see not a single soul in the tent, save himself. Giving up on company, he would take to reading to pass the time.

It couldn't have been more than a single page, however, before Shosuro Naizen's brooding form, crouched on Kojiro's cot and observing the Bayushi from over his shoulder, would alert him that he had been mistaken.  

[Rain Yupa]

@ Go Competition:

And with that, Sumi would look over from the other table, her ears probably burning. She would glance at the other two shugenja through her bifocals, holding a white stone in her hand hesitantly. Kenichi would look up and follow her gaze, then redden slightly and avert his attention back to the game via force of will.

"Ssshhhh!" Toyoko sternly hushed Kyumi, making gradual downward gestures with her flat palm to symbolize keeping the volume down.

{Games: Go check of 16 vs TN 15}

After a few moves, Sumi would return to her own game.

"Yes, though honestly, her and her husband are positively miserable for one another. Though I don't know either very well, I've never heard of one ever having anything nice to say about the other."

"Flower arranging? Really? I never would have guessed!" she suddenly said loudly, laughing as if amused by some joke. {Deceit of 10 to attempt to throw off suspicion from herself and Kyumi}  

[Keith Valken Lionheart]

Seichiro stepped off the arena, though he didn't stray too far, as all he wanted was for the Shugenja to heal him. Once that was done, he hopped back on the arena, waiting the final opponent he had to face.  

[Plainsfox]

@ The Scorpion Tent

Kojiro cursed inwardly as he failed to notice the Shosuro behind him. "Good evening, Lord Naizen. Had I known we were starved for reading material, I would've brought some of my wife's pillowbooks. She writes well enough, and although the content seems to be aimed for giggling noblewomen, they can be enlightening."

Kojiro thought back to the Naizen's match. "After Lord Shiba defeated Lord Bayushi, Lord Bayushi declared to Shinsei that he could swim. Can you swim, Lord Naizen?"

The Bayushi shrugged. "As for myself, I could not swim. I might have done better to mimic Lord Tangen and shouted nonsense about bitter lies and the like. Perhaps that would have staved off my defeat by the Matsu."  

[Agent Sinistra]

@ Go Competition:

Rain Yupa

And with that, Sumi would look over from the other table, her ears probably burning. She would glance at the other two shugenja through her bifocals, holding a white stone in her hand hesitantly. Kenichi would look up and follow her gaze, then redden slightly and avert his attention back to the game via force of will.

"Ssshhhh!" Toyoko sternly hushed Kyumi, making gradual downward gestures with her flat palm to symbolize keeping the volume down.

{Games: Go check of 16 vs TN 15}

After a few moves, Sumi would return to her own game.

"Yes, though honestly, her and her husband are positively miserable for one another. Though I don't know either very well, I've never heard of one ever having anything nice to say about the other."

"Flower arranging? Really? I never would have guessed!" she suddenly said loudly, laughing as if amused by some joke. {Deceit of 10 to attempt to throw off suspicion from herself and Kyumi}

It took all of Kyumi's willpower to keep from physically wincing when she felt the looks of the others on her. Apparently, she'd said that much louder than she thought she had.

She played along with Toyoko's ruse, saying something along the lines of "You wouldn't be the first to say that." as she quickly made her move on the board.

This was followed by her whispering back to Toyoko, even quieter than before to compensate for her earlier loudness, "That's... Too bad." The looks she had earned had been more than enough incentive for her to try to switch over to a more pleasent topic. "Aside from Asahina-san, have you seen anyone else that you like?"

(( 4k3, 27 vs 20; 1/3 failures))  

[Rain Yupa]

@ Go Competition:

"I'm playing against Kenichi next. Makoto didn't do it much for me. He's a bit obsessive, in my humble opinion. Besides that, I haven't had the opportunity to look yet."

{Games: Go check of 14 vs TN 20, Failure 1/3}

It seems like Toyoko had diverted all attention away from the game, placing her pieces in areas that would be easily captured, and held no strategic advantage for her.

"Why? Is there someone I should know about?" she would ask, her eyes lighting up.