L5R - Unity - Chapter 1 - Winter Solstice

[Plainsfox]

Naohiko would set the origami kitten on the counter before collecting the dango and setting down the zeni necessary to pay for it. "Thank you. These look lovely. I'm sure I'll be back for more later!"

With that, Naohiko would leave the small shop and begin his search for Moshi Ruri. At the very least, he'll have something to show for their time apart.

OOC:
Perception/Tracking 4k2 w/ 2 dice to handle explosions
Raises called: 1 to narrow his search focus down to Mantis Moshi shugenja
Dice chosen: 17, 19
Results: 36  

[Raganui Minamoto]

Gendo slowly just wipes the snow away, motioning for the monk to continue and if need be, asking his questions again.  

[Paidi tou Selini]

Kaichiyo gave the occasional furtive glance over her shoulder at the brooding Spider as she searched. She didn't regret what she'd done - it had just been a suggestion, after all - but by the way the man was acting one might think she'd committed some horrible offense against him. Much as she liked the idea of him being upset enough with her to stop trying to aim for her hand, this was just too much.

"Are you really so upset with this suggestion? The book will still be there when you return, but this race may not be if we delay any more than we absolutely have to."


[Perception/Investigation (Search) to find a marketplace (or ideally a pottery shop)
Roll 3k2 +2 vs TN20
10 + 8, 1, 4 = 24]  

[Rain Yupa]

The Scavenger Hunt

The Teams
Himura Naohiko & Moshi Ruri - 3 items collected, 0 Banked Raises
Himura Kaichiyo & Daigotsu Shoichi - 3 items collected, 2 Banked Raises, -8 zeni
Himura Gendo & Suzume Kiyo - 1 items collected, 2 Banked Raises
--------------------
(+2)Utaku Bayarma & Shinjo Hideki - 4 items collected
(+2)Tamori Aritomo & Ikoma Tadao - 4 items collected
(+0)Ide Urako & Mirumoto Katsunan - 3 items collected
(+2)Kakita Otsu & Isawa Marihito - 3 items collected
(+1)Kaiu Taniko & Hiruma Shigemasa - 3 items collected
(+0)Ide Seibei & Kuni Sanjiro - 2 items collected
(+2)Kitsuki Senzo & Mirumoto Otsu - 3 items collected
(+0)Suzume Kayoko & Agasha Mai - 1 items collected
(+0)Kakita Mitsuko & Shiba Noburo - 1 items collected
(+1)Daigotsu Josuke & Daigotsu Arisa - 1 items collected
(+0)Bayushi Kojiro & Bayushi Masuyo - 1 items collected
(+1)Yoritomo Mamoru & Yoritomo Katsue - 1 items collected
(+2)Yoritomo Kiyonobu & Daidoji Takahashi - 1 items collected
(-1)Akodo Masaru & Daigotsu Danjuro - 0 items collected
(+2)Matsu Koji & Akodo Tamafune - 0 items collected
(+1)Toku Seiichi & Ide Chieko - 0 items collected
(+2)Shosuro Hyobe & Shoruso Kazu - 0 items collected
(+2)Shosuro Nene & Shosuro Tamiyo - 0 items collected

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

@ Gendo:

The monk would just kind of stare at you, then off to your side, then back to you. "Umm..." she would start. "Well... we can..."

"Oi! Kraken!" a voice called out, before PAF! you are hit with another snowball, this time impacting your shoulder.

"Um... Gendo-san?" Kiyo would say nervously, half-taking cover behind you.

"Look, I don't want to be involved in this," the monk would say, backing off, hands up in the air defensively.

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

@ Kaichiyo:

Daigotsu Shoichi would wave dismissively, shaking his head. "No, no, it's not that," he explained. "I'm just reflecting on what your clanmate said to me. I'm just contemplating how much of this is a test, is all. The marketplace though? It's a good idea, but I wonder how many other teams have already been here." He would look to each side. "I think we had the right idea before..."

"Oh! Himura-san!" a voice would say. Moshi Ruri would approach the two of you, bowing her head. "It's good to see you again, Himura-san. And, ah..." she paused, glancing at the Spider. "... and company."

She looked back at you. "Look, this is going to sound pretty bad, but I kind of lost Naohiko-san. He started muttering something about a biwa then he went into this bizarre waking comotose state. I went to continue on after a few minutes, but when I returned he was gone. I've been on a wild goose chase trying to track him down since." Lowly, she squeaked, "Please don't be mad?"

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

@ Naohiko:

As you approach the marketplace, you see your partner talking with Kaichiyo and that Spider.  

[Raganui Minamoto]

He just sighed, then looked at Kiyo, subtly shifting his bulk between her and the incoming snow. "Yes, Kiyo-san? I'm sorry if you want to continue your story, and this is taking a bit longer than we hoped." He pointedly ignored the snow and the other one yelling at him. Would not be the first time someone attempted to insult him or start a fight somehow. He felt no need to cause trouble. But Fortunes help them if they started using rocks or aiming at the Sparrow.  

[Paidi tou Selini]

Of course he was. She would have hit her head against the nearest wall if it wouldn't have been so embarrassing. She looked about to give the man a thorough tongue lashing, but whether fortunately or unfortunately, even he was interrupted by a very unexpected source.

"O-oh. Hello again, Mantis-san..." she blinked in surprised confusion. But it quickly turned to amusement as she heard the tale. Embarrassing, but funny. "Ah-ha. I'm sorry to hear that. ...huh? No, I'm not mad. He's a big boy. He can take care of himself. I don't know where he would have gone. Perhaps the last place you two were trying to find. If nothing else he'll find his way back to the castle. That, at least, is hard to miss." she explained, glancing over her shoulder to the large structure at the center of the city.

She also proceeded to glance over the Mantis Priestess' shoulder as they continued to talk in quick search of a pottery merchant.  

[Plainsfox]

If Moshi Ruri was on a goose chase trying to find Naohiko, then the Kraken bushi was sent on what seemed to be a goose chase to find her. Fortunately, Mantis shugenja seemed as common as Kraken bushi in a Crane city and queries to travelers had set Naohiko on the Mantis priestess' path and other little things, like geta prints that matched Moshi Ruri's gait sped up his process.

As he finally caught up with Ruri, he saw the Mantis talking to Chiyo-chan and caught his friend's eye as she glanced over the priestess' shoulder and gave a friendly wave. "There you are, Ruri-san! Have you had any luck?" Naohiko bowed politely to Kaichiyo and Shoichi. "Kaichiyo-hime, Shoichi-san. Are you guys enjoying the contest?"  

[Rain Yupa]

The Scavenger Hunt

The Teams
Himura Naohiko & Moshi Ruri - 3 items collected, 0 Banked Raises
Himura Kaichiyo & Daigotsu Shoichi - 3 items collected, 2 Banked Raises, -8 zeni
Himura Gendo & Suzume Kiyo - 1 items collected, 2 Banked Raises
--------------------
(+2)Utaku Bayarma & Shinjo Hideki - 4 items collected
(+2)Tamori Aritomo & Ikoma Tadao - 4 items collected
(+0)Ide Urako & Mirumoto Katsunan - 3 items collected
(+2)Kakita Otsu & Isawa Marihito - 3 items collected
(+1)Kaiu Taniko & Hiruma Shigemasa - 3 items collected
(+0)Ide Seibei & Kuni Sanjiro - 2 items collected
(+2)Kitsuki Senzo & Mirumoto Otsu - 3 items collected
(+0)Suzume Kayoko & Agasha Mai - 1 items collected
(+0)Kakita Mitsuko & Shiba Noburo - 1 items collected
(+1)Daigotsu Josuke & Daigotsu Arisa - 1 items collected
(+0)Bayushi Kojiro & Bayushi Masuyo - 1 items collected
(+1)Yoritomo Mamoru & Yoritomo Katsue - 1 items collected
(+2)Yoritomo Kiyonobu & Daidoji Takahashi - 1 items collected
(-1)Akodo Masaru & Daigotsu Danjuro - 0 items collected
(+2)Matsu Koji & Akodo Tamafune - 0 items collected
(+1)Toku Seiichi & Ide Chieko - 0 items collected
(+2)Shosuro Hyobe & Shoruso Kazu - 0 items collected
(+2)Shosuro Nene & Shosuro Tamiyo - 0 items collected

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

@ Gendo:

Kiyo looks at you with concern. "Why are you just ignoring him?" She would frown at you, before stepping out from behind and speaking out to the culprit. "And why are YOU throwing snow at us? You're a minor clan samurai, just like YEEEEEE-

PAF!

Another snowball would impact against you Gendo as Kiyo takes cover behind you.

"Well," the man Gendo wouldn't even turn to look at would respond, "Two reasons. The first was to get his attention. The rest are because he's a lazy a** who can't be bothered to defend himself, let alone anyone else. Hold on, I need to grab more snow..."

"Seiichi-san," a girl's voice would suddenly say, as she stepped out from around the temple. "Please, give it a rest. None of your plans have worked so far, this one's not going to work either."

Since you're in a not-looking mood, I'll postpone any physical descriptions of these two people!

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

@ Kaichiyo & Naohiko:

"Naohiko-san!" Ruri would exclaim and turning to greet you. "I'm glad you're okay, but what in the heavens was that? If it wasn't lunchtime, I'd swear you suffered from Lord Moon's Madness or something."

The Moshi would wave dismissively, shaking her head. "No, nevermind, it's not important. I tried to find a biwa for you, but I was unable to. I did find this, however." Pulling from the sleeve of her kimono, she would remove a string of alternating blue and white flags. "They have a bunch of these boxed away in preparation for the upcoming New Years. I returned to you right after, but you had wandered off. It would have been easier to re-unite with you if I didn't have to track you all over the city."

"That's all well and good, but I don't need to remind you that we are currently engaged in a race," he would say, parroting what Kaichiyo said to him not too long ago, before he waved his arm to signal for Kaichiyo to move along with him.

"Now, now, Spider-san, there's no need to get your fundoshi in a twist," Ruri would say with a berating tone of voice. "Kaichiyo-san, may I speak to you for a minute? In private?" Ruri would ask.

Kaichiyo, you CAN see a pottery merchant a little ways away, maybe a minute's walk, but all this talking is going on now.  

[Raganui Minamoto]

Gendo would lean down, speaking in a stage whisper to Kiyo. "Simple, I'm not going to give attention to someone who's way to 'get attention' is, instead of just coming forward and being polite enough to just ask for it, to throw what is ultimately something that has yet to be harmful to me while I am in the middle of speaking to someone else."  

[Paidi tou Selini]

"Ah! Naohiko-san! Perfect. Hehe, I suppose I should take comfort in the knowledge that we're not the only ones getting lost in this city."

Ah! Perfect! She made a few sideward steps as Naohiko and his partner reconnected. Thankfully the Mantis wasn't interested in what had happened to her clanmate. This was one situation where honesty was the less appealing option. In the meantime, her goal was in sight! She let out a sweetly melodic giggle as Shoichi parroted her previous advice. Considering her previous encounter with the priestess' clan, she found herself agreeing with the man wholeheartedly, which itself was a bit unsettling.

"Hm? My esteemed partner has a fair point. Is this something that can wait until after the event?" she asked politely, though if the answer was 'no' she would follow the woman wherever she happened to think 'private' was (within reason).  

[Plainsfox]

"So soon? " Naohiko commented. "I remember my uncle saying something about the journey being more important than the destination." The Kraken bushi would merely shrug. "As it stands, Ruri-san and I were of the same mind and both got things that were blue and white. Do you need anything blue and white? I'm sure I could spare this..." Naohiko would offer one of the skewers of blue and white dango to Chiyo-chan and her partner.  

[Rain Yupa]

The Scavenger Hunt

The Teams
Himura Naohiko & Moshi Ruri - 3 items collected, 0 Banked Raises
Himura Kaichiyo & Daigotsu Shoichi - 3 items collected, 2 Banked Raises, -8 zeni
Himura Gendo & Suzume Kiyo - 1 items collected, 2 Banked Raises
--------------------
(+2)Utaku Bayarma & Shinjo Hideki - 4 items collected
(+2)Tamori Aritomo & Ikoma Tadao - 4 items collected
(+0)Ide Urako & Mirumoto Katsunan - 3 items collected
(+2)Kakita Otsu & Isawa Marihito - 3 items collected
(+1)Kaiu Taniko & Hiruma Shigemasa - 3 items collected
(+0)Ide Seibei & Kuni Sanjiro - 2 items collected
(+2)Kitsuki Senzo & Mirumoto Otsu - 3 items collected
(+0)Suzume Kayoko & Agasha Mai - 1 items collected
(+0)Kakita Mitsuko & Shiba Noburo - 1 items collected
(+1)Daigotsu Josuke & Daigotsu Arisa - 1 items collected
(+0)Bayushi Kojiro & Bayushi Masuyo - 1 items collected
(+1)Yoritomo Mamoru & Yoritomo Katsue - 1 items collected
(+2)Yoritomo Kiyonobu & Daidoji Takahashi - 1 items collected
(-1)Akodo Masaru & Daigotsu Danjuro - 0 items collected
(+2)Matsu Koji & Akodo Tamafune - 0 items collected
(+1)Toku Seiichi & Ide Chieko - 0 items collected
(+2)Shosuro Hyobe & Shoruso Kazu - 0 items collected
(+2)Shosuro Nene & Shosuro Tamiyo - 0 items collected

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

@ Gendo:

Kiyo touched her index fingers together meekly as Gendo explained his stance. "I guess... but it's not very heroic that way..."

The girl who appeared that Gendo absolutely would not address nor look at approached the two of you and, while initially hesitant because she was being ignored, would bow. "I apologize on behalf of my dunderheaded partner. He keeps coming up with these schemes for the scavenger hunt, but we haven't gotten anything off of the list because of them. We-

PAF!

"Why did you hit me?!" the girl exclaimed.

"Because I have him on the ropes! Don't give in now!" the man responded.

The monks have left you to your Buke nonsense and continued their chores at this point.

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

@ Kaichiyo and Naohiko:

Ruri would look thoughtful as Naohiko offered his item to the other team. "Can we do that? Is it against the rules?" She looks thoughtful, trying to reflect back upon the instructions.

But as Kaichiyo asked her question, Ruri would turn to face her. "I don't know. Maybe? That's up to you." She would dart her eyes to the side in Shoichi's direction as she answered, but left the kemari ball in Kaichiyo's court.  

[Raganui Minamoto]

Gendo would turn to look at the female. "It's alright. I am Himura Gendo, of the Kraken." He bowed his head slightly to the girl, while still doing his best to ignore the snowball thrower.  

[Plainsfox]

"I suppose we could see if these dango fit under another category. They are as artfully made as any dango skewers I've ever seen. Worse come to worst, we could simply eat them." Naohiko would shrug and place the skewer back with the others. "Whenever you're ready, Ruri-san.  

[Paidi tou Selini]

Kaichiyo shook her head and giggled again. "Legal or not, it's hardly fair to your partner for you to go helping other teams. Enjoy them. I'm just about to pick up that very thing on the list anyway."

To this "Ruri"... well, the look was very hard to miss. "Ah... well, I guess I could spare a minute. Shoichi-san, could I trouble you to look through that stall and see if they have anything in Crane colors, please? A bit of cooperate and we shouldn't lose any time at all~" she chimed cheerily, putting on her best adorable face and sweetly tone in an attempt to avoid insensing the poor man.


[Awareness/Etiquette to avoid seeming like she was pushing Shoichi off
Roll - 4k3, Opposed
9, 2, 5, 4 = 18]