L5R - Unity - Chapter 1 - Winter Solstice

[Paidi tou Selini]

Kaichiyo tried to quell the look of pity that rose up in her, thinking that might come off as equally disrespectful. His reaction showed the situation for how desperate it was, emotional for him, but strangely detached for her. After all, he was still a stranger from practically another world, regardless of blood claims.

"Hm. I was hoping you wouldn't find it distasteful, though I understand very well why you do. I suppose I was hoping to appeal to your Kitsuki sensibilities, difficult as that is with a lifetime of injustices laid out before you. But as I said, this is... complicated. Much of your story contradicts what I've been raised to believe, but much of it is entirely plausible. As Samurai with opposing words, we would be at odds, but as Kitsuki, we believe in evidence. I would very much like to see proof of your claims before I act upon them. I presumed you didn't have any, or you would have presented it to me already, so it leaves us in the awkward position of needing to wait until I can either speak to your Daimyo directly or - or perhaps ideally and - confront my mother about her role in all this." she explained, trying her best to be delicate about things, as emotional as he was. Though she made sure to put her full intentions into clarity before he could get too upset over the impartial nature of her initial response.

"As for worthiness, I have no doubts on yours. I see no reason why this legacy would be any less yours than it is mine. The passions of word and deed are what grandfather admired most, so your drive to learn it alone is worthiness enough to me. Though, you take an awfully accusatory tone for the level of control I have over the situation. I am as yet still a novice in the style, hardly in a position to teach it. Ideally I can mediate with my mother on your behalf to see you get a proper tutor. Less ideally... I don't know... you may have to hold out quite some time, until I gain more control of the clan, or more experience in the techniques. I won't know the full extent of the situation until I speak with her."  

[Plainsfox]

Naohiko backed up a little.He was just a little minor clan bushi in a court that wanted him dead. Naohiko couldn't change that. Sighs. Alright. "Err...aumm….if it's OK with Usagi-san, then sure. I don't see the harm."


OOC:
Willpower/Etiquette 4k2 w/ 2 dice to handle results
Raises: 0
Results: 10  

[Rain Yupa]

@ Naohiko:

Shohei's Intimidate roll: 17

"Ichi?" Shohei would say, turning his gaze towards the Hare.

"Why are you here, Shohei? I know you've been following Naohiko-san around," Ichi would say bluntly. She'd point at him from across the room with her bokken as she threw out her accusation.

"As I said, I was in the area. Why is that so hard to believe?" Shohei asked innocently, shrugging as he forced a smile.

"I don't believe you! I think you came out here to attack Naohiko! If you so much and trytomakeamoveonhimsohelpmeI'llshowyouathingor- Ichi started, her face growing serious.

Shohei stepped aside, and a woman Naohiko saw on the first day stepped to the doorway, while he leaned on the frame. Another Yoritomo. Ichi stopped dead in her tracks, lowering her bokken.

"He was escorting me," she would say, smiling the same sort of twisted smile Shohei had. She would turn her head and toss her ponytail over her shoulder, her hands tucked in her fine kimono's sleeves.

"O-oh. Hi, Natsumi..." Ichi would say meekly.

"Dear brother Shohei has to follow me around everywhere, and I feel sooooo bad about how boring that must be," Natsumi would say, obviously faking a sympathetic tone. She would lift one hand and place it to her forehead for dramatic effect. "He saw someone was sparring in the Dojo, and he simply begged to watch. He's practically impossible when he gets that way, I just had to relent. He has to crack so many skulls, I figure he's deserving of a treat and should get to watch someone else do it for a change."

"You're the best sister ever," Shohei would respond, leaning his head to one side and allowing a pair of pops.

"I try," Natsumi would say, looking over and up at Shohei, smiling sweetly.

"So, Ichi? Naohiko said he'd defer to your judgment. Is it okay if I watch the two of you fight?" Shohei would repeat his original question.

"I... I think... it was his idea... wanted... private fight..." Ichi would say nervously.

"Would you like me to ask?" Natsumi would interrupt.

"N-no ma'am. It's... it's okay..." Ichi would relent.

"See? Everything's fine!" Shohei would say to Naohiko, shouldering past him and forcing room for his sister to enter.

Naohiko, if you allow him that measure, they will move to the far end of the dojo. Natsumi would sit demurely upon her knees, while Shohei would lie back near the wall. He'd brace his upper back to it, lifting one knee up and crossing his leg in the air over it.

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

@ Gendo:

The girl would nod her head. "It's okay. We've never really met. I grew up in the Colonies, same as you. I served the Crane in the Second City until about two years ago." She would smile, and lifted her hands to her cheeks. "It's okay though; Naohiko-sama came for me, and found me right away. I knew he didn't forget me." Her cheeks would flush slightly and she closed her eyes, smiling to herself.

Gendo, she threw you a landline. You can re-attempt that Raw Intelligence roll to see if you remember any of those field trips where you were dragged to the mainland, only for your fathers to go off and take care of business and Naohiko immediately ditching you to run off with some peasant girl. Was it the same girl several times, or several girls over time?

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@ Kaichiyo:

"Of course. I find it... odd... you cite the Kitsuki Method, but I do have my genealogy scroll in my chambers. I did not bring it here because I hadn't anticipated you... not knowing of me." Senzo would make a face of distaste, presumably at himself for not bringing it.

"The tutor method would be difficult. I don't think I would be able to get permission to leave the Empire for the Colonies. They've been trying to arrange for my marriage for two years now, and I think they sense my intent to learn Himura's style and want to make sure I stay. For the reasons you indicated before, a tutor coming here would be equally difficult..." he would start, though he would look down and hold his chin thoughtfully with one hand. "Unless..." He would pause.

"Unless you can earn enough glory using the style to make learning it desirable here." He would look pained, wincing as he narrowed his eyes. "But that may take years... Ugh..."

He would seemingly force himself to backtrack mentally. "This might be too far in advance to plan precisely. But if you are willing to do what you can to get me the opportunity to learn Hiten Mitsurugi, then I can do what I can to support you." He would offer a slight smile, though it seemed forced, as if he was unaccustomed to using those facial muscles.

"Besides, you've passed your gempukku. You can technically inherit the clan now. You never know when that might happen."

BOOOOOM-krrrsshhhh!

After that ill-timed foreshadowing thunder-strike-like-sound, there would be a brief moment of silence.

"Urako-san! You startled me and made me drop this go set! The pieces went everywhere! Why do you even have such a large taiko drum with you??"

"Hee hee hee~"

"Wha- don't run away! Please help me pick this up! Oh, bother..."

"Oro?" Senzo would mutter to himself, lifting a palm to cover one eye. "I'm starting to think everyone at this court is insane."  

[Plainsfox]

The Kraken bushi gave Yoritomo Natsumi a bow and made no objections to the Mantis seating themselves. He would then bow to Ichi and take his stance and waited for the Hare to make her move. On other matters, Naohiko would be sure to treat the Hare better in the future. She seemed a loyal friend. Friends were what the clan needed.


On the other hand, Shohei seemed more Natsumi's pet than her brother. He had something brewing in his head to deal with those two. It still perturbed him that he didn't notice the fricking giant Mantis following him around


OOC:
Initiative: 5k3+5 w/ 3 dice rolled to handle explosions
Results: 36  

[Raganui Minamoto]

He just stared at her a second before rubbing his face. "So you're that girl." Well this certainly put a wrench into plans. But whether he should burst her proverbial bubble now or not, he didn't know. "Care to explain what he the plans you've made with him are? I'd like to know what I'm going to need to do in relation to them."  

[Paidi tou Selini]

"Oh Kami, right!? I'm so glad I'm not the only one to say that." she agreed with his concluding statement emphatically, hand on heart and sword after the startling noise - still not over the whole assassination attempt. She took a breath and tried to work her way backwards across the conversation topics. "Let us hope for both our sakes that it does not happen soon. I can think of one other woman adept in our style, but as yet mother is still the only one who knows all of Himura's techniques. Losing her would mean the loss of the highest level forms that could well be unrecoverable. Barring that, yes, I will investigate any way we might be able to overcome this barrier and get you the knowledge of your birthright. It is the least I could do. If all else fails, learning how to teach it is my responsibility as heir. It may take some time, but I will eventually be capable of tutoring you myself."

"As for the Kitsuki Method, is it truly so odd? As I said, I value my heritage. Himura incorporated certain aspects of it into our style, and even without that, every Kitsuki I have ever spoken with espoused their desire to see it become the primary method by which Truth is determined and Justice meted out. They were all more than happy to explain it to me, and I always eager to learn. At the end of the day you of all people have the key to understanding me more than anyone else. Most of the time the impetus behind my motivations can be summed up with one single question. What would Himura do?"  

[Rain Yupa]

@ Naohiko:

Rules on Bokken:
DR: 0k2
Special rules: Armor penalty is doubled against bokken damage.

Ichi's initiative is 17. She casts a few worried glances at the Mantis, before taking up a fighting stance. She seems distracted, and you get the first move. Her stance is Defense Stance. Remember, you are supposed to declare your stance before Round 1 of a skirmish, and starting on each of your turns Round 2 on.

(Just a quick post; the true post will happen after Round 1).  

[Plainsfox]

Naohiko would test the waters a little and put the Mantis out of his mind for now. He would let out his breath as he swung his bokken towards Ichi's, hoping to ride down the bokken's blade and tag the Hare's arm.

OOC: Roger >< Sorry about that.
Stance: Attack
First nine dice 6k3 w/3 to handle explosion (Emphasis turns the 1 into a 5)
Results: 24
Damage: 3k2 w/ 2 dice to handle explosions (next five dice)
Results 10
Naohiko's TN is: 20  

[Rain Yupa]

@ Naohiko:

You lunge forward in your impatience to attack, catching Ichi by surprise. She lets out a quiet panicked squeak as she barely evades the blow, the wooden weapon narrowly missing her.

She backs up a couple steps, focusing on Naohiko since she had declared Defense Stance. This will remain until her initiative next round when she declares a new stance.

Naohiko, it's your turn.

"Wow, he's wasting no time," Shohei would comment to Natsumi.

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@ Gendo:

The girl would look at Gendo, blinking several times. "I'm... sorry, Gen- Himura-san. I, ah... I wouldn't be so bold as to make plans with a samurai, you are above my station," she would say, and seemingly be put on edge. She would sit there for a few moments, studying Gendo.

She would then speak up again. "Is... is Naohiko-sama due back soon? You said something about a spar?"

If you think you might want to get something out of her, you may want to be rolling investigation [interrogation] rolls, Gendo. Or you can just roleplay it out and see what you get.

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@ Kaichiyo:

Senzo would frown. "I'll have to take what you say under heavy consideration. While it makes sense to want to master the full style before teaching it to others, from the perspective of both you and a sensei, most samurai never master the styles they try to learn in their lifetime, and those that do, it often takes years... decades. I'm uncomfortable with the idea of waiting my entire life for a possible eventuality that might never happen, to say the least."

He would shift in place while he sat. "I'd like to think that this was an introductory meeting, to test the waters with each other. Please reconsider my proposal of trying to earn as much glory to your name and to the style as you can, and see if it can catch the attentions of the upper echelons of the Dragon clan. If you were to propose some sort of joint effort between Kraken and Dragon once that happens, then that might open up more opportunities earlier. After we both put some thought into each other's offers, then we can meet again and discuss things further."  

[Plainsfox]

The Kraken backed off a bit and drew into a more guarded posture. He was a bit surprised that Ichi was taken so aback. Strike with no thought was a principle of the Himura school that really resonated with Naohiko and he heard it originated with the Dragon schools. The Kraken bushi didn't think it was unknown amongst other schools. Indeed, many thought Naohiko fully embraced this philosophy and did everything with no thought. Ah well. He learned a bit about Ichi from this and that she could dodge about maybe as well as Naohiko thought he could. Let's see what Ichi was like on the offense now.



OOC:
Stance: Defense

Armor TN: 26  

[Paidi tou Selini]

"Hm?" she queried at first, tilting her head in confusion. It took a few moments to work out the misunderstanding. "Oh! No no, those were two separate thoughts. Haruka as yet remains the only master of our style, Stop. If all other options fail us, it is not out of the realm of possibility that over the course of my training I will become capable of teaching you myself, Stop. Isako-san has yet to fully master it and yet is more or less my generation's unofficial sensei."

Still, she couldn't help but grin at his conclusion, nodding her agreement. "Ah, haven't you heard? Not a week on the mainland and I've already single-handedly cut down a maho-tsukai assassin. Glory is a shining mast fast approaching on the horizon, dear cousin. And that is an excellent idea on what to do with it. Empress Iweko was our patron and safety net both, but we do not curry nearly so much favor with her Divine predecessor. The Kraken are in desperate need of allies, so I'd already intended to seek connections within our parent Clan, 'lest another Great Clan do what they do best to defenseless minor clans."

"Mm, but you're quite right. This will require a lot more thought and planning. Unfortunate circumstances of not knowing you when I absolutely should have aside, it was a pleasure meeting you. I could never truly make up for all you've endured, but whatever happens between our families, you'll always have an ally in me." she concluded with a bow, gathering up her weapons in preparation to leave, before pausing. "Oh. One more thing. Mirumoto Otsune and I were hoping to engage each other in a friendly duel, but she was concerned about something you'd told her. Just a spirited contest between enthusiasts of the art, mind, you have my word there will be no conditions, so if you could reassure her I would be grateful."  

[Raganui Minamoto]

"I have no idea when he plans to return. If it is just one round, he should return sometime within the hour. If they go more, then it could be awhile yet. Not to mention if they gather a crowd and it turns into some miniature event." He shrugged his shoulders, frowning. She certainly had plans, but whether Naohiko actually knew what he was getting into or not was another thing entirely. Perhaps it would be best to discuss this with Kaichiyo-hime.  

[Rain Yupa]

@ Naohiko:

Pacing around you slightly as you took to the defensive, Ichi would keep casting concerned glances at the Mantis, before focusing finally on Naohiko.
"R-right. Here I come." Ichi would say, her expression becoming sterner.

Attack Stance

She would step forward quickly, swinging her bokken quickly in a downward slant, a blow easily sidestepped or parried. She would bounce back on the balls of her feet, ready for an incoming riposte.

Naohiko, you're up.

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

@ Gendo:

"... I see," the girl would say, looking a bit forlorn for a few moments. Then she bowed her head respectfully. "I... I guess I'll return to my duties, then. I'm sorry for troubling you, Himura-sama."

She would get up and move to back up to the door, if left unhindered.

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

@ Kaichiyo:

"....." Senzo would resting seriousface you at first, before responding, "... why do you have maho tsukai assassins coming after you?"

After that moment passed, he would address the second matter. "Oh, that's what else," he would say, snapping his fingers as the realization hit him. "You have my apologies about the matter. Not knowing anything about you besides your existence, I had to base any assumptions I had on what I've heard of your mother's behavior from my mother, and was concerned you might use Otsune-san's overeager obsessiveness with dueling as an opportunity to, ah... settle things between us. I had requested my clanmates to abstain from engaging in such duels until I could meet you in person, just in case."

Senzo would frown. "I'm sorry if that sounds farfetched at all, but... Otsune really likes dueling. It's hard to put into words without knowing her closely enough to understand. She's found herself in compromising situations in her enthusiasm, quickly agreeing to things she should not."

He would force a smile, as much as his expression would allow. "For what it's worth, I trust you now enough to feel that it won't be an issue." The smile would fade. "Not so much that chap I had to endure that Shogi match with, though."  

[Plainsfox]

Naohiko would use the momentum of the attack to reverse their position with regards to the two Mantis so that he accurately assess the two siblings.....or at least see if this Natsumi was something to look at. The Kraken swordsman would then take a swipe at Ichi, more or less to keep her on her toes. He would say more, but he kept fighting back this urge to sneeze.


OOC:
Stance: Attack
Agility/Kenjutsu 6k3 w/ 3 dice to handle explosions (first nine)
Results: 12
Damage: 3k2 w/ 2 dice to handle explosions
Results 10  

[Rain Yupa]

@ Naohiko:

12 misses Ichi's Armor TN.

Ichi would nimbly avoid the clumsy swing and evade to the right. Naohiko, as you backed off to try to get a look at the Mantis, you would see that Shohei was watching you (you specifically) very intently, as if trying to gauge your capabilities. Natsumi on the other hand seemed bored. She wasn't bad-looking, but she wasn't DANGEROUSLY not-bad-looking, if you know what I mean. She was in a winter kimono so it was kind of hard to gauge her figuWHACK!

Attack stance

Ichi rolls a 27 to hit, 5 damage.

Your diverted attention gets you a bokken to a rib. Good news that it wasn't one of the floaty ones.