Wherein the PCs get a chance to get used to each other and hobnob a bit.

[Note: There are no "gotchas" in this thread. You just aren't important enough for anyone to care about ... and that's not what this thread is all about anyway.

When you have an approved concept, you can post here at your leisure.]

Soshi Akiko glided across the floor and into Kyuden Otomo. This was the first time she had been invited to any winter court, and this one was the winter court -- the one where the Son of Heaven himself would be attending. Her hair was long and black, flowing naturally down her back somewhat masking the giant Scorpion Mon she wore back there. On the front there was a more subtle Scorpion Mon; on her left and right shoulders was an unusual Mon -- one that most of the attendees had most likely never seen before. [OOC: Int/Lore: Heraldry 30 to recognize the Mon.]

Soshi Yamabushi rarely got to travel around, after all.

Even at home, they tended to stay hidden; better to prevent the Lion from learning their secrets after all. But now she was an Emerald Magistrate ... well, a Karo to a high-ranking one, actually. Technically she was an Emerald Magistrate, but she really didn't get to work on her own. Still, it did give her some experience in this whole thing.

She walked through the opulent gardens at the entrance, hoping to find a small pool of some form. Happening upon one, she looked down, adjusted the veil over her face, and double checked her makeup.

She'd much rather have been standing under a waterfall.

Well, for some reason Oniisama thought this was a good idea ... though why she didn't know. Sure, "a frog in a well cannot see the ocean" -- but what if the frog didn't want to see the ocean? This Scorpion preferred swimming in shallow waters. A place like this ... what was a mountain girl doing in a place like this?

She put on a smile, another part of her mask, and began the process of purposeful meandering.

Neither an expert nor a novice, Kitsu Akio had some experience with Kyuden Otomo.  He had found himself inside of the gates a couple of times before, enough exposure to allow him a favorite garden or two.

Without another immediate appointment, he found himself drawn to a bridge, handrails polished smooth either through craftsmanship or through centuries of use - or both.  The Kitsu's gaze caught the Soshi down the path inspecting the pool, then as if through suggestion his own eyes drifted downward down at a perfect, flat reflection of himself in the water.  Distracted, he only noticed the woman approaching as she neared one end of the bridge.

Wide enough for two typical samurai, but Akio filled the shoes of one and a half.  He'd have to move to allow passage.  While he considered the etiquette of the situation, his eyes caught the mons on the woman's shoulders.

Lore: Heraldry: 56
13:44, Today: Kitsu Akio rolled 56 using 7d10+5, dropping the 3 lowest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of (10+4)14,7,1,(10+9)19,9,9,4.  Lore:Heraldry.

"... Plop!" one of the courtiers walking down the garden path in the direction opposite Kitsu Akio finished some sort of story. But the punchline was well received, his fellows covering their mouths with fans or hands to display their amusement correctly. The little knot of people well dressed, their kimonos weaved with skill and sandals stylishly angled. Crane mons abounded, but on the half-dozen of them were Imperial and Scorpion mons also seen.

Doji Ai walks with them, holding a silk fan in front of her lips. How could she miss the Kitsu on the bridge? It seems the entire group had, standing at the other side. Paused as they, as a group, decided it would be better to find an alternate route than to risk a potentially embarrassing situation so early in the Court. Squeezing six around the big man was ripe for a mishap. But as they turned to continue their tour, Doji Ai peels away.

"Excuse me. There's an introduction I must make. But do keep me up to date on the entire frog situation," she said, causing another round of raised fans as her cohorts turn down another path.

OOC:
16:42, Today: Doji Ai rolled 40 using 10d10+15, keeping the 5 highest rolls, rerolling max.  Lore: Heraldry, two raises.

"How about here?"  the one girl says to the other on an open space by the pond.  It is not really a question.

The girl is dressed gaily, and not at all for court. Her long-sleeved clothing has been divided in between the halves, as if made from two separate kimono. One side is golden with jade-coloured large lattice works enclosed in circles. The other half is a contrasting rosy field. She has no Kamon but the triserpentine pattern of the Otomo on the nape.

The other girl is dressed in the mirror, as if made from the remaining panels of cloth, and identical in appearance otherwise, but for one detail: one caries a wakizashi and the other a set of scrolls.  And though they are dressed as children and carrying balls and battledores and shuttlecocks for children's games, they are not particularly young.

Kamewaharu ignores the courtly on goings but to examine them in brief.  A troll blocking an bridge, a unkempt loner and a gaggle of Crane.  Nothing that will keep her from taking what is due.

"Chiyowaharu, you go first."

---

Otomo Kamewahru rolled 41 using 7d10, dropping the 2 lowest rolls, rerolling max.  Heraldry 30 to recognize the Mon w/ d10s.

The mirror twin smiled and giggled at the thought of actually playing. True, it wouldn't last for long, but it had been so, so long since the twins had a chance to relax and just enjoy themselves. Next to Chiyowaharu stood a small child, no older than five, dressed in the colors of the Otomo. It was probably for the best that she was dressed that way as everything about her said "Crane": her long white hair flowed over snow white skin, and her piercing blue eyes seemed to take in everything all at once.

She raised the shuttlecock, but paused seeing the large figure on the bridge.

"Oh, look Yuki! It's Kitsu Akio-San!" It took Yuki a moment to see where he was, before she looked up. "Why don't you go say hi?"

It would be good practice. After all, they had already met once or twice.

The young child raced over to the bridge, apparently unconcerned about making a scene while Chiyowaharu lifted the shuttlecock. Chiyowaharu stopped, frozen in place as she stared at the "unkempt one". But the pause lasted only a moment before she batted the shuttlecock away and the smile was once again on her face.

"One!"

The child quickly approached Akio, forgetting her manners for a moment. The adopted daughter of Otomo Chiyowaharu would not be one that could be forgotten easily.

"Akio-San!"

Remembering her manners she froze in place and then started again.

"Kitsu Akio-Sama, it is good to see you again. I hope all is well with you and yours ..."

There were very few that could recognize the Mon of a Soshi Yamabushi. It had, after all, been designed to be ignored -- to look almost exactly like the Mon of any other Soshi Shugenja.

Almost.

Of course most would not recognize the subtleties, and even those that did ... well, they new next to nothing of the newcomers. That it was a school, somewhere hidden in the mountains. Practicing dishonorable mountain stuff undoubtedly. That the school itself existed was not a secret -- but how they trained was. [OOC: Those that make the heraldry roll above know all that.]

Akiko looked over and saw others beginning to gather. Not yet ... now was not quite the time.

Akkio began to wander the gardens ...

Shosuro Yumiko trailed slowly after the twins, leaning heavily on her cane--a souvenir from a group of bandits and a too skittery horse some months back. The physicians said it would mend eventually, but Yumiko hadn't noticed it improving any. It was just as well, her limping approach gave her the opportunity to examine the others at this particular social function.

Anyone unfamiliar with her history would see the daughter of a minor court functionary and an actress, promoted above her ability. She wore the red and black silk of the Scorpion well, the cut and style just on the right side of flamboyant. Her mask was a simple sash of black silk over her eyes, giving the impression of a blindfold without obscuring her vision.

Yumiko took note of the slightly awkward Lion--Kitsu Akio, if the child were to be believed. And the Crane flitting away from her circle--she would be one to watch, few had the confidence to separate from their social group without a specific purpose.

And there was Soshi Akiko. Yumiko had the vain hope that whatever Kamewahru had gotten her into wasn't going to involve her. It was a vain hope, she knew. Soshi Akiko being at the same function as these two particular Otomo could not be a coincidence.

Seeing that she had caught the eye of the Yumiko and at least one of the twins, Akiko faced the bridge ... and the daunting task of crossing it. Deciding that discretion was the better part of valor, Akiko gave a small bow and moved to a smaller part of the stream that parted them. A casual leap across the stream revealed that she was was definitely skilled in the type of athletics normally reserved for Dragon Shugenja, and most likely for similar reasons. While not particularly trying to hide from anyone, she nevertheless moved quietly and unobtrusively towards the small group.

Court scenes were not exactly her forte'.

"Two!" Kamewaharu serves the shuttlecock back in a gentle arc.  She smiles readily and giggled as she chases her sisters return.  The game engrosses her, and the Yamabushi's uncourtly river hop goes unobserved.  She plays not to beat her sister, but to keep the shuttlecock aloft. "Don't drop it, Chiyo!"

As a sudden gale whipping turbulent waves from a serene lake, the garden found itself teeming with activity.

As the Crane approached, the Kitsu's features suggested that he was trying to process the joke heard throughout the garden: was he the frog?

Relief came, then, from an unusual place - the arrival of a number of Imperials on the scene.  Typically a matter of stress for the Kitsu, these particular Otomo were at least a known quantity - at least the shugenja, not as much the Captain or her Shosuro attendent.  Yuki's beeline shattered Akio's contemplative mood.

"Yuki-san, have you been practicing?  Or has Otomo-sama kept you too busy with schoolwork?"  The over-sized Lion beamed at the adopted Otomo a moment before remembering.

"Oh, I almost forgot -" a pause as he opened his travel pack, and rummaged for a moment before withdrawing a plain wooden box and presenting it to the smallest Otomo.  "I just came from Kyuden Kakita.  I thought you might like this."

It was a re-gift of sorts, compensation from an artisan for good deeds.  Akio doubted, though that the Otomo would mind.

After greeting his small friend, the Kitsu turned to meet the approaching Doji.  He tried to conjure a snappy greeting, but found himself flummoxed.  He only managed a brief "Hello," an awkward bow and a hurried attempt to move off the bridge, doubting that the Doji was here to introduce herself to him.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:12, Mon 23 Oct 2017.

An inch lower and Ai's bow would have been mocking instead of respectful. But as it was, Ai showed nothing but a perfectly skilled greeting. A bow that showed she was certain the person she was greeting was worthy of respect and admiration.

"Hello, Kitsu-sama. My apologies that I did not better prepare for this moment, but it came more suddenly than I imagined. I had known we would be introduced, and yet still, I find myself unready. What a situation I have created! But, I am Doji Ai. And a little bird told me that we would soon met," the Doji introduced herself with just a hint of mirth that suggested she might, in fact, have planned this greeting just as it was. The only question was for how long.

After the introduction she looks out over the small gathering of samurai. "My, what a fateful day. It would seem my work for the day is quite nearly gathered."

Yumiko allowed herself a brief moment of indulgence to admire the elegance of Doji Ai. She recognized the name from several texts that she hadn't quite gotten around to reading, but she had not associated the name with the image of sartorial excellence that Doji Ai presented. Yumiko was, to tell the truth, a bit awestruck. Possibly she might even have a bit of an infatuation, though Suzu would probably have smacked her upside the head and asked her what she was looking at--either that or Suzu would have already been introducing herself. She was like that sometimes.

Regretfully, Suzu wasn't here--hopefully she hadn't been assigned to Scorpion lands again--and admiring Doji Ai wasn't on Yumiko's list of assigned tasks. The twins seemed occupied and Yuki-chan was in good hands. Doji Ai and Kitsu Akio seemed like they meant no harm--for the moment anyway.

Which left Soshi Akiko.

Of course.

Shosuro Yumiko studied the terrain and shifted slightly to change her direction, one which would intersect with Soshi Akiko's own. It took a bit more planning these days to "accidentally" intercept someone.

"Soshi-dono, how fortunate to find you here," Shosuro Yumiko bowed, reaching into the sleeve of her kimono to retrieve a folded letter, "my sister, Bayushi Momoko, sends her greetings and the next move in your game of shogi."

Shogi wasn't Yumiko's game, but it probably didn't help that Momoko usually beat her--though that was true of most court games. Momoko seemed to like it well enough, but Yumiko preferred the long term planning of Go. She still always lost though.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:09, Tue 24 Oct 2017.

"Three!"

Chi-chan batted the shuttlecock back, apparently paying scant attention to the various newcomers. They were, after all, occupied -- so she had the luxury of focusing on the game. She let out another girlish giggle as she watched the graceful arc that the shuttlecock made, the kind that would make it easier for her sister to hit it back.

There would be very little time for this sort of thing in the future.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

At the mention of homework, little Yuki frowned. "Obaachama is pretty strict about homework. It's almost all I do ... though I hear Kachan had it harder than I do." Her face lit up, however, at the box -- the present it contained.

"Ooo! Thank you very much!"

But then another was present. Which was probably for the best, since Yuki was too young to know proper manners. "Bow and keep quiet" ... her new relatives drilled that into her every time she was in Imperial holdings. The monastery was easier ... the monks didn't care if she played.

Yuki stepped aside for Ai, bowing politely -- and keeping quiet.

Akiko nodded and smiled under her mask. "I only hope I have time to reply. With the 'Monster Riders' coming, I'm sure I will be very busy."

"I was hoping to congratulate the twins, but it seems they are going to be otherwise occupied." She lifted the envelope, searching for a place in her ensemble to place it. Eventually she found a suitable place and straightened her Kimono out.

"Please send your sister my greetings, and tell her I will make sure to give the next move intense consideration."

"Ne? Do you know if anyone has had a chance to ... educate Chiyowaharu-Sama about her place in the Crystal Fortress?"

Doji Ai.

The name rang a bell, though it took him a moment to place it.

"I've had the pleasure of reading some of your work.  It dealt with the Ki-Rin, and the fox.  An exploratory treatise examining the ramifications of re-integration, if I remember correctly."  And he hoped he did.  Akio had read it, but his recollection was poor.  The topics covered were intricate, and the Kitsu's mind was often loud.

"I'm afraid you're a step ahead of me, Doji-sama.  I wasn't aware that we'd be meeting."  Though he could read the she was.  "I came to find Otomo Chiyowaharu," a nod of the head gesturing in the shugenja's direction.  "Do you know her?  If not, I'd be pleased to make the introduction."

His eyes remained on the Doji, content to trust that Yuki had not already run off to make the introduction herself.

"I see you've already forgiven me for the clumsy nature of that particular work. I am afraid that I am no more attuned to the nature of the Unicorn than any other in the Empire. A few thrusts at understanding their traditions is all I could manage. The fragility masked by a bit of wordplay. But I am grateful for your interest," Ai's fan gestures as she talks. Drawing out small kanji through the air, as if she was writing down her own words. The tip moving delicately, the peacock feathers at the other end stroking out the opposite.

"But any introduction you might give would be welcome. I have with me a long list of names and little else- it is quite the predicament!" she adds with a faint promise of smile quickly masked with a motion of her fan. "Perhaps you could start with this little one?"

"This one?" with a gesture toward the four year-old that could never be described as delicate, but rather with the deliberate certainty of an oak limb swaying in a breeze.

Akio didn't have a fan to hide his wry smile behind.  He doubted that the Doji needed introductions, but neither did he mind facilitating them.

"Yuki-san, would you like to introduce yourself?" 'Bow and keep quiet' wasn't a philosophy that the Kitsu subscribed to and he highly doubted that the youngster enjoyed it.