L5R - Unity - Chapter 1 - Winter Solstice

[Rain Yupa]

@ Naohiko - Nope! Where ever you've seen her before, it escapes you for now. Regardless, she didn't seem to take note of you, so the mystery will have to wait for now.

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Masanori would politely smile, tilting his head to one side. "Oh, no, it looks like you already have everything in order, Himura-san! Doji Sayuri-sama is not present; her daughter, Doji Kioko, is holding court in her stead. The Himura branched off from the Kitsuki, yes? It's very apparent that their astuteness carries on with you. Come, I will present you to Kioko-sama so you may present your gift to her."

And with that, Masanori would turn and cheerfully walk back into the castle.  

[Raganui Minamoto]

Gift? Oh of all the... he completely forgot about that. Then again, he wasn't expecting to actually travel to a Court til he was almost literally pulled from the forge not long before they left, but still...  

[Plainsfox]

Naohiko sighed. He was looking at jewelry made from the amber mined on Megumi Tenpi not one week before they had left for Kyuden Doji. Naohiko must've been busy because he even went so far as to instruct a peasant to inform him of probable prices for the pieces. The Kraken could only hope his skills could carry him through now. Or at least that's what he thought until his hand brushed against a carefully wrapped package. He did buy them then. Naohiko nearly dismissed it a dream amongst hectic preparations  

[PupSage]

Shi stepped forward and bowed to their welcome party, letting his female companion do the talking. He began towards the castle, quoting the Tao as he took his first step, "Every journey begins with a single step. Step well, and your journey will be filled with fortune. Step poorly, and it will be wrought with disaster" He looked at Kaichiyo with cold eyes. "Let us hope that the Kami will guide our steps in the right direction."  

[Paidi tou Selini]

The young heiress returned the smile with a wry grin of her own. "You're quite well informed, Asahina-san. I'm impressed. My grandfather would be honored to know his memory was kept in the hearts of even the venerable Crane."

Gifts. Right. Those were a thing. She'd almost completely forgotten. Luckily she had come prepared. For now she simply needed to follow along and stall long enough to finish those preparations. As well as blink in confused concern at the cold glare being shot her way, not at all understanding what her monastic companion was trying to convey.  

[Rain Yupa]

Masanori would turn his head towards Kaichiyo, smiling and nodding politely. "I'm not magically inclined, so I've taken up the ways of the courtier. I advise Kioko-sama now, and hope to advise her into the future as well. It is prudent of me to be knowledgeable of such things." He turned back towards the path he was leading you, adding after a pause: "Even if I had to look it up just prior to your arrival." His tone carried one of jest, though it was uncertain if it was intended to be one.

Since no one seemed to protest against seeing the Doji princess immediately, it would be where you would be brought.

In the lavishly decorated throne room, adorned with tapestries and art, would stand a very beautiful young woman, who's features were unto a work of art herself. Her long silvery hair flowed down to her waist, and as she turned in her most gorgeous of winter kimonos, you could see her flawless complexion adorned with the light blue highlights and makeup that is typical of a Crane maiden, save for the masterful application thereof.

"Masanori-san!" she would start as she turned away from her servants, who bowed deeply and backed away to carry out tasks given to them. "More guests? Late arrivals, it seems. Would you care to introduce us?" Her voice would carry a similar singsong resonance to it, much like Kaichiyo's does.

"Gladly, Kioko-sama," the Asahina would respond, bowing his head respectfully. He would turn and with a gesture of his right hand, "This are the delegates from the Himura family, the official family of the Minor Clan of the Kraken, from the Colonies. They are lead by Himura Kaichiyo, daughter of the Clan's champion, and her brethren are Naohiko, and Gendo, respectively." His gesture would turn slightly. "And this is Shi, a monk from the Brotherhood of Shinsei, who is their companion."

He would smile to you all, and turn towards the girl, gesturing with his left. "Everyone, this is Doji Kioko, daughter of the great Doji Sayur"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Kioko's hands would ball up next to her cheeks as, with excitement, as she, with rushed footfalls, would charge right at Gendo, stopping short and crouching somewhat, getting a closer look at Setsuna, who was peeking out from Gendo's chest. "She's so CUUTE!" Kioko would squeal, then placing her hands on her cheeks. "Oh, but I really can't..." she would follow-up with, a tone of playful rejection in her voice, wiggling slightly where she stood.

Masanori would just stand there, smiling very awkwardly, yet still pleased at the exchange.  

[Raganui Minamoto]

Gendo followed silently, still holding Setsuna against him for warmth and to make sure the dog didn't get into much trouble. He bowed respectfully as Kioko-sama was introduced and did his best to keep his features schooled at the sudden display, speaking slowly. "Ah, allow me to introduce my friend, Setsuna. I've taken care of him since he was a puppy and he's done a good job with companionship and dealing with pests in return."

Slightly smiling as he spoke, he raised a hand and scratched the dog's chin lightly with a finger.  

[Plainsfox]

Naohiko would bow appropriately to the Crane heiress. Her beauty made the young samurai's heart ache. Especially as he imagined Haruka-sama ruling out anything more than being in the same room with her, and not even that, if it could be avoided. Ah well.....hrrm...maybe, Maybe this was an act of fools or the bold. Little separated the two.


"Setsuna has been a faithful and constant companion to Himura Gendo-san, Lady Doji. Such an animal would be well suited by your side. I'm sure Himura Gendo-san would be more than happy to inform you when Setsuna has sired a litter of acceptable puppies for you. In the mean time, I wonder if the Lady may be satisfied by a humble offering of paper. Although it is only paper, it is sure to evoke Setsuna's spirit and dedication."

With that, Naohiko took the piece of origami paper from his bundle that best matched Setsuna's fur color and then began twisting and folding the paper, gradually guiding the sheet into the form of a dog not unlike Setsuna.

OOC:
Artisan/Origami w/Void for +2k1 (7k4; first 11 rolls 4 to handle explosions)
Two raises called to increase quality
TN: 25
Results: 30

Willpower vs. 20 or dazed
2k2 ( last 3 rolls, last is to handle explosions)
Result: 6  

[Paidi tou Selini]

Whether jest or not, her laugh was genuine, echoing down the hall like a finely-tuned instrument. The man was sharper than he looked. She would need to keep an eye on this one. But then came the counterpoint. For every bit this Asahina held subtlety, his charge seemed to lack it. She couldn't help but notice an uncanny similarity between herself and this woman, which was a definite warning sign. Dangerous, was all she could think. She'd prepared for Cranes to be beautiful; to think that they were any better than Scorpions would be a serious mistake. At least the Scorpions didn't bear a grudge against her for merely existing. But that voice... it brought a subtle blush to the young heiress' cheeks. The chances of enticing this lovely specimen into a duet were slim indeed, but possibly well worth the effort. Oh the music they could make together...

EEEEEEEE?

Oooooh crap. Kaichiyo could only stand aghast as everything started to fall apart right from the start, watching her fellow princess make a bold assumption on the gifts being presented, as well as her own companions likely making the situation worse. Talk about first impressions. Nothing to do but wait and see if the girl would be understanding, or if she was as spoiled as she looked. Swoop in and save the day at the last moment. That was the Himura way~.  

[Rain Yupa]

Naohiko makes his offer, and immediately goes to work on the origami dog. However, he seems to zone out, becoming meticulous on each and every fold, agonizing over every excruciating detail, even to the point where he walks off to the side to better focus. He, for the time being, is unresponsive. Since both raises are called for quality, and none for speed, it will take an hour to complete regardless, as per crafting rules.

"Oh, so you personally raised her... him?" Kioko would say, turning her gaze turning from Setsuna's to Gendo's for the briefest moment, before returning once more. "I really shouldn't, mother would not be happy..." she would muse once more, balling her delicate hands before her mouth, doing one more set of excited wiggles as she voiced what can be described as a repeated voicing of a rejection.

Setsuna would let out a little whine, looking up and licking Gendo on the underside of his chin once.

NAOHIKO DOWN, AND DOES SHI EVEN KNOW SUCH SAMURAI CUSTOMS? WHAT DO YOU DO?  

[Raganui Minamoto]

"Indeed. If you would allow, then, me to present you with a poem." The man shifted slightly, taking a more professional pose, and began speaking lightly.

"Majestic white crane
Gliding silent in the snow
Grand sight to behold"

He bowed lightly after he ended, careful of the held puppy dog.

Artisan: Poetry - 4k3. 3 dice in case of explosions

Final: 23  

[PupSage]

Shi would bow deeply to their host, fully owing the samurai customs of gift giving (Tea Ceremonies on the other hand were an entirely different story, something about having your own cup and denying the sugar thirty seven times), he held the bow for a while and finally rose, saying, "As I am sure you know, those of the brotherhood take a vow of poverty, so while I wish that I could offer you a gift of material nature, I barely have two bu to rub together. And sadly my singing voice sounds akin to that of a drunken alley cat, nor can I fold paper into anything more beautiful than a crumpled ball. However, we have brought food from our homeland and I would be most grateful if you would allow me the honor of blessing the meal." He bowed again. Sometimes it paid to be low on the totem pole. "And if it would please you, I would be more than happy to demonstrate the martial prowess of the Osana-Wo after said meal. If you have not seen it before, it is quite impressive to see the feats of strength that the Kami have blessed us with." He attempted to look sly, but his scarred face never managed to look anything more than pained or creepy.  

[Paidi tou Selini]

Kaichiyo gave a nervous sidelong glance. Naohiko zoned again. One down... Gendo was reciting poetry while the crazed Crane was still eyeing up his puppy, possibly two down. Shi was... she didn't even know what. Three down? Alone in a room of disaster. A perfect time to step in and save the day~ Her mother had taught her well that it was honorable to dismiss such insults, as ignoring a clan emissary, much less the clan champion's heir, in favor of an animal (honestly the impression that Cranes were as honorless as Scorpions was starting to come on strong). If this flighty bird wouldn't give her the attention she deserved, she would simply take it. As politely as she could, given the circumstances.

"My sincerest apologies if there's been a misunderstanding, Doji-san, but Setsuna is not a gift. They would both be simply devastated if they were parted. As you can see, they cannot even be separated for a formal meeting. But I am sure you shan't be disappointed of what we have come prepared to offer."


[Etiquette/Awareness 4k3 = 16]  

[Rain Yupa]

Well, first off, it would seem that Masanori would blanche slightly; apparently, it was not only one Crane who misinterpreted Setsuna's presence.

"Oh. She's... He's not?" Kioko would say, backing up a step and straightening up. She seemed a bit put off for a moment, then saddened, before regaining her composure. "Well, right. Of course. You never presented him, after all," she would point out to all of you, in case you failed to realize your blunder.

Bowing her head to Gendo, she would follow up with an apology. "I'm sorry for any assumptions on my part, as well. Some of the prior arrivals have been somewhat up-front with their presentations, I admit I may have started to become accustomed to it. This is my first time hosting, you see." Kioko would then reward him with a smile. "It was a truly a lovely poem, not unlike that of a peaceful cloud. I thank you for it."

She would turn to Naohiko. "As for-

fold... fold... fold.... fold... fold...

She would turn to Shi. "As for your offer, I think such a thing would be ill suited as a gift. However, during your stay here, we will have many opportunities for the samurai here to test their mettle. Use your skills to be victorious, and that would make for a better gift, I think." Kioko would smile.

Then she would give her full attention to Kaichiyo. "I'm sorry, Himura-san, if I'm foreshadowed by a reputation of avarice; your safe arrival and future participation in this court is gift enough. I need nothing more from the delightfully exotic Kraken Clan."

And Kioko would smile.  

[Raganui Minamoto]

Wait, what? She thought he... and then... Gendo just bowed his head lightly, suppressing his frown as best as he could. So far the Crane princess wasn't exactly making the best impression with him. The apology and acceptance of his poem helped a little though. Oh well, nothing he could do about it here. He just hoped that he'd spend less time at future Courts or that they'd at least give him time to make a proper gift next time.