L5R - Unity - Chapter 1 - Winter Solstice

[Rain Yupa]

@ Gendo:

Gendo, you'd hurry through the presentation with the Magistrate, who seemed a little upset that you hurried him along rather than give him, someone with an obvious interest in your jitte, due respect.

"Ah, hello, Gendo-san," one of the sisters would say. She would look to Shigemasa showing his bow off to that irritated magistrate from before, then back to Gendo's jitte. "Yes, we're touring right now," she would confirm, looking to her twin.

The other Suzume would frown slightly. "..... we're just passing through," she would say, averting her gaze downward.

"Ah. Gomen, Gendo-san." The first sister would spend another moment or two examining the jitte, before the two would walk on.

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@ Naohiko:

You've been... *ahem* "occupied" for a while, so hold tight while the others catch up!

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@ Kyouya:

You are moderately happy with your stealthy performance, slipping away in the confusion in the kitchen. Kazu follows you, but he doesn't seem to be aware that he had stepped into the spilled stew accidentally with one sandal, and is trailing a trail of soppy right footprints behind him.

That's... that's swell, Kazu-san. Thank you for your contributions. #GetBackInTheKitchen #Men'sWork

Luckily, it seems the Mantis weren't expecting to be followed, and if they were looking for such people, it was likely only a cursory check for those who didn't feel like they should bother trying to be quiet about it.

"Satoko-san, that display was a little much, don't you think?" the man's voice would say from inside a side room, lowering his tone to be quiet.

"I don't-"

"Ssh. Be mindful of your volume," he would say.

"I don't need to be lectured by you, Shohei," Satoko would hiss.

"I'm sorry, Satoko."

"You better be kami-damned sorry. You had one job, Shohei. One. First, Kaichiyo arranges for the Kioko to embarrass me in front of her, and now you tell me you let him get away?!"

"I... don't know how it happened. He didn't seem to be on the lookout for anyone following him. But he headed towards this area of the castle the servants use for storage, I think. I found some items littering the ground on the path I was tracking him. He must have known, and left it as a warning or something."

"PLEASE tell me you didn't wimp out because of some litter..."

"No, but I did look for him and I just couldn't find him. It was like he just vanished. The trail went cold."

"This is all bullshit. No excuses next time, especially after what Kaichiyo did to me tonight. Next time you get the chance, I want you to-

Kazu shifts slightly.

"Ssh! Wait. Did you hear that?"

Kazu grimaces.

Kyouya, what do you do? (You don't necessarily have to give me a roll)

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@ Kaichiyo:

You'd find out later that most of the people you had looked forward to seeing didn't make it because they were too busy with their own presentations, so you didn't see anyone on that list, except for one...

Not long after the four people above would leave, Yoritomo Kiyonobu would be one that would show up. It was on the tail end of things, as the crowd would start to disperse (more people leaving than were entering). Servants were presently cleaning up the spill.

"Ah... Himura-san?" he would say as he looked around the room, unsured. "I thought there would be more than two of you presenting. Wasn't my clanmate part of this competition as well?"

Currently, only yourself and Sawao were still presenting.  

[Glory Sieg]

Kyouya frowned as she listened, trying to piece together what they were talking about. They were tailing someone? But who? She listened as best she could from the distance, nodding as her brain went to work, making sense of their words.

Even Kazu would notice the glare of the green eyes behind her mask. Biting back a curse for her cousin, she stepped back from her post, making her way back to to Kaichiyo.

"You didn't hear anything, Kazu-san," she said softly as they got clear.  

[Raganui Minamoto]

Gendo would just watch em go for a second before returning to dealing with showing off his jitte. Unless anything else happened, he'd gift the jitte to that magistrate he may have insulted a bit earlier. Then it's just a matter of dog walking and getting sleep.  

[Paidi tou Selini]

Kaichiyo was more than happy to socialize as she presented her dish to anyone interested, seeing it as a very nice change of pace from the rest of the day. How much she could avoid that mad Mantis was hard to say, but she would take every moment she could get. Though she was surprised to see another familiar Mantis, both approaching and even talking to her. Thankfully this was a pleasant surprise. She had thought she would need to be the one to initiate conversation with Kiyonobu.

"Oh! Hello again~ Well... there were two others, including your clanmate, but she, um..." she paused and gave a pointed look at the mess the servants were currently working to clean up, "...wasn't happy with Kioko's judgment. I'm not sure where the Scorpion went, but his dish is still on display there."

She pursed her lips together and looked a bit abashed to be saying what she was about to say, but honor demanded she do it, so with a deep breath and a bow, she did so. "I am deeply sorry for the way I treated you earlier. All this business with Satoko's vendetta against me, and her vow to destroy my clan and murder my family... has me a bit on edge. But it was wrong of me to assume you were a part of that just because you're in the same clan. You knew what I was doing and yet you sat patiently through it. I consider that an unpaid favor, and swear I will make it up to you."  

[Rain Yupa]

@ Gendo:

The magistrate's already gone, unfortunately. Maybe another time! Keep the jitte for now.

Nothing would prevent Gendo from going on his dog walk with Setsuna, though as he passed the gathering hall, he would overhear some of the winners in the assorted contests. While Kaichiyo didn't win cooking, she apparently won fishing, and it seems Naohiko and that Kyouya woman won the paper-making.

But otherwise, nothing critical will prevent you from ending your day.

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@ Kyouya:

As the two of you would begin to extract yourselves, there would be the distinct sound of sharpened steel leaving a sheath, and the door would fly open rather abruptly (but still around a corner or two). No footsteps would leave the room quite yet.

Not until Kazu makes another roll to try to salvage the situation! biggrin

... and does so admirably. You hear no footsteps follow you back, and the door, growing more distant, is shut more politely.

Kazu gestures for the two of you to take different paths, and assuming you don't object, heads off (silently) on his own.

What's next, Kyouya?

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@ Kaichiyo:

As you point out Kazu's dish, with him absent, you notice that no one is partaking of his dish anymore, without him around. They've observing it aesthetically, but no one seems brave enough to try it without the chef's steely gaze cloth goading them into doing so.

Kaichiyo, you mention Satoko's vendetta, explaining how it has put a strain on you... and the room goes silent. A lot of fans go up.

"Wait, what was that you just said?" Sawao would speak up, and all eyes were on Kaichiyo for a moment.
"Repeat what you just said, Himura-san." She would walk away from her dish, walking towards you.

For his part, Kiyonobu seemed to go on the defensive, putting his hands up in front of himself and seemed to be taken aback at the spotlight he seemed to accidentally share with you just now.  

[Raganui Minamoto]

@ Dogwalking

Gendo would ask a servant about the magistrate in question.  

[Glory Sieg]

Kyouya nodded to Kazu, returning on her own to the kitchen area to find Kaichiyo where she had been before.  

[Paidi tou Selini]

The little princess blinked in confusion for a moment, before pursing down to an exasperated expression. Sure NOW they could hear. She gave Kiyonobu an apologetic look and stepped to the side to get him at least a little bit out of the spotlight.

"Well, our parents and grandparents have had duels in the past, but yes this does seem like quite an extreme escalation. I only wish for peace, but... well there's a reason I have come here seeking allies. The life of a minor clan founded as we did is a tentative one." she tried to explain, as delicately as she could.  

[Rain Yupa]

@ Gendo:

A servant in a Crane castle would not be difficult to find. After a brief description, the servant would look thoughtful. "I believe the individual you're describing is Doji Akira, samurai-san. If you would like, I can have a message delivered to him from you."

Would you like to send the man a message? It can be verbal or written.

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@ Kyouya:

You start making your way back to the kitchen area, though you come across an interesting... maybe alarming?... sight. Coming from the area, several assorted courtiers seemed to have vacated the kitchen area all at once. They all bore the mon of the Mantis clan.

They didn't seem to be trying to run interference on you or anything, they just seemed like they were leaving of their own accord. Trying to shoulder past them would cost you a few moments of your time, but that's it.

Before you can get back....

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@ Kaichiyo:

Frowning, Sawao would step forward once more. Shaking her head fervently, she would respond, "No, no, no. That won't do. Come with me at once, and we will go speak with Kioko-hime at once. I won't have someone's petty grievance ruining my lady's first winter court."

She turns to guide you away. Do you leave with her, or make your case to the contrary instead?  

[Raganui Minamoto]

He'd get some ink and paper from the man and write a message, trying it carefully to the jitte after it had dried sufficiently. The message would sum up to be an apology for his slightly rude behavior earlier and he would like the magistrate to have the jitte as a gift. No no, really, take it. I insist.

Calligraphy/Awareness - 3k3 (ignore explode dice, originally wrong roll)
17... I hate you dice.  

[Glory Sieg]

Kyouya looked around, frowning behind her mask. "Now where did I leave my little princess toy?" she said, looking around for Kaichiyo. She found her with Sawao, moving up beside the princess.

"Is something amiss? I wasn't gone that long, was I?"  

[Paidi tou Selini]

Kaichiyo gave a worried frown of her own, but if this could be resolved before the crazed woman went overboard it was particularly hard to pass up the opportunity. Not that things weren't already spiraling out of control considering the number of Mantis that had left the room when the conversation started. That, above all else, forced her hand the most. Ultimately, she could only nod solemnly and follow. Though she did perk up a little as Kyouya reappeared. Help from the Scorpion clan could go a long way against people like Satoko, but the coin was dangerous no matter what side it landed.

"I’ve only been here a few days and it’s already come to this…” she lamented by way of explanation. "Thank you for your concern. We’re going to see Lady Kioko to find out if anything can be done about Satoko’s vendetta against the Kraken. I admit I hadn’t expected things to end up this… direct.”  

[Rain Yupa]

@ Kyouya: You can't tell how 'private' the discussion and apparent exiting of Kaichiyo and Sawao is. Do you follow, or remain?

Response confirmed off-guild that Kyouya follows.  

[Rain Yupa]

@ Gendo:

You write your message and the servant obediently takes it, and the jitte, and departs with them. Considering the late hour, you are doubtful you will receive a response by morning.

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@ Kaichiyo and Kyouya:

Sawao leads the way, guiding you as she searches for Kioko, asking assorted Crane for her. Soon, she leads the way up a hall that is a bit grander than ehat you have seen (but only just barely, for the mainlander). The daidoji are more consentrated here, and even Sawao isn't given free reign to enter. She has a guard deliver a message to the princess, before turning to the two of you.

"My apologies, Kioko-hime will come to speak with us presently," she would explain.

After a few minutes, Kioko would indeed make her way towards your location, aparently interrupted in the middle of dressing down, as ahe was down to a single layer of kimono with a silk shawl wrapped around her.

"What is it, Sawao-san?" Kioko would ask, a smile on her lips but irritation bleeding through slightly in her voice. "It wasn't too long ago that I saw you, and you, Kaichiyo-san. It's a bit late in the evening, and the event, to come to me with more dishes."

Stepping forward, Sawao would clutch one hand to her chest. "Kioko-hime, this is serious. I have come under the assumption that some of our guests - namely, the envoys from the Kraken, including Kaichiyo-san - are quite possibly in great danger." Stone-faced, Sawao would turn her body and gesture towards Kaichiyo with her other hand. "She has received death threats from-

"From the Mantis. Yes, I'm aware of the tension between both parties. I'm aghast you've only just learned of it, Sawao," Kioko would respond, her face now an on of boredom.

"K-Kioko-hime!" Sawao would stammer, taking a step back. "I don't think this should be taken so lightly! What if-

"That's why the Daidoji have trained long and hard, so they can remain as vigilant as they are true. Isn't that right?" Kioko would smile up towards one of the Daidoji guards, who nodded and responded with a "Hai, hime".

"The Mantis wouldn't dare," Kioko would respond. Turning towards Kaichiyo, Kioko's eyebrow would raise slightly. "What do you think, Kaichiyo-san?" Extremely briefly, Kioko's gaze would flit to Kyouya and back to Kaichiyo. "Do you truly feel like you are in danger here, in my castle?"

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@ Naohiko:

You arrive in the kitchen area. There looks like there might have been a crowd here before, but it has since dispersed. Some servants are cleaning up what looks like spilled stew off the floor, and are hard at work doing so at that - they fail to notice your entrance. No one else is here.

If you're in a hurry for food though, there's some mighty fine meals that have been left out, and sampled from, but between all of them it would still constitute as a full meal for a single person. The smell of some of it even reminds you of home.  

[Plainsfox]

Naohiko's stomach grumbled as he finally reached the area where they held the cooking event. He could smell Chiyo-chan's cooking through all the savory tastes that lingered in the air. Obviously Kaichiyo was well enough to cook if she made it here and made a meal. Naohiko needn't worry too much about her, it seems. He'd ask a servant how well the event went as he gathered up food to eat.