L5R - Cartographers - Crane Lands, Ezura Province

[GustyFox]

—This shugenja doesn't usually indulge into gambling, Soshi-san... especially because it would spoil my lucky. I might need some luck in this.

Chiharu would step further away from the target, waiting for his next shot.

—But maybe Soshi-san could persuade me into another play, if I win... what can you offer?

She was chatting in a friendly mood, in playful manner of the air, perhaps less focused in winning than she should be.  

[Rain Yupa]

"... hm." Mokuami hadn't apparently planned that far ahead, as he walked a few steps behind Chiharu until he caught up.

"Ah!" He would snap his fingers. "How about one favor from Mokuami of the Eight Masks. Scorpion favors are highly coveted, you know."

Ayame, you'd see a frown on Michiko's face, but she said nothing.

"You can cash the favor in for anything you want me to do for you. And I mean, anything," Mokuami added with a wink. "Is it a bet?" he would say, nocking another arrow into his bow.  

[GustyFox]

—Soshi-san sounds generous... and persuasive. I hope the favor doesn't become invalid in case Soshi-san becomes Mokuami of the Nine Masks.

Chiharu would smile once he caught up with her.

—All right, I believe we have a deal. Now, may I have the honor to watch your display of kyuujutsu once more?

They were in position for the next shot.  

[Rain Yupa]

"Well, with your heart on the line, I can't possibly fail now," Mokuami would proclaim. Taking aim, he would not go for the bullseye, simply intending to hit the target.

Result: 20 vs TN 15

The arrow would hit just outside the center, vibrating with the impact.

Chiharu, it's your shot.  

[GustyFox]

Once more she would bow mildly after his shot, moving closer to take position and aim at the center of the target.

Raise for bullseye, TN20, rolled 30  

[Rain Yupa]

Mokuami would smile at Chiharu, telling her "Cuz was right, you are pretty good at this." A TN 15 Perception/Sincerity roll would let anyone know that he was starting to get nervous.

He would take extra time to aim his next shot, trying to trust his instincts a little bit more to pull through (spending a void point for +1k1 to his roll):

25 vs TN 20

Letting the arrow fly, he would connect with the target once more, albeit the side of it.

Chiharu, you're up!  

[GustyFox]

—I'm just a novice practitioner in Kyuujitsu, Soshi-san, but I'm surely learning much from observing your skills.

Again she watched him shot and them took her turn, with slow and broad zen kyuujutsu moves she would aim for the bullseye one last time.
Chiharu was also becoming more serious as the shots get more challenging.

(TN 20 + 5 raise. Rolled 33)  

[Rain Yupa]

"Well, if I were to lose to someone, I'd rather it be you, koibito-san Chiharu... but I would still prefer victory, if at all possible." Bowing his head slightly, he would walk the next set of steps before turning and taking aim with his bow. He would focus, lowering and raising his bow several times as he took his time to aim carefully.

Gritting his teeth, he would close his eyes and loose the arrow.

Void point spent for +1k1. Double-splosion! 37 vs TN 25

With a distant thunk, he would sigh in relief.

Chiharu, you're up.  

[GustyFox]

—Which samurai doesn't prefer the victory? Soshi-san have being nice with me during our friendly competition, there shall be no losers among friends.

Chiharu felt she could try the bullseye once more, but she didn't wanted to push her luck, or rise the tension over Mokuami.
Again she performed her shot with an elegant zen move, letting the arrow fly towards the target.

No raises, TN25 - rolled 45  

[Rain Yupa]

(My apologies for the delay/slow post time, it's been a very chaotic week for me)

Mokuami saw that Chiharu had also made the shot. He would gulp silently.

Walking back the rest of the distance, he lifting one hand over his brow to peer at the target, now at the maximum reliable distance a yumi bow is expected to hit.

He would nock an arrow, inhaling and exhaling. A drop of sweat would run down his forehead, and the Scorpion would lift an arm to wipe it away before readjusting his Crane mask. He does look visibly spent from his efforts ((i.e., out of void points)), before placing both hands back on his weapon. He peered over to where Michiko stood near Ayame, and gave his cousin a forced lighthearted smile and a soft chuckle. Michiko only glared in response.

"Okay, Mokuami, you can do this," he would say to himself, trying to pep himself up as he once more readied his shot. "Do it for her, do it for her, do it for her, do it for her..."

Gritting his teeth, he would let out a kiai shout before loosing his arrow...

Result: 15 vs TN 30

The arrow missed the target by a fairly wide margin, not even hitting the tree and disappearing into the brush.

"DAMNIT!" he immediately shouted in response. Michiko sighed and rested her fingers against her face in frustration. Sugimoto would remain indifferent. "Er... I mean, it's your shot, Chiharu koibi... I mean...Doji-san..."

Chiharu, one more hit will make you the definitive victor!  

[GustyFox]

The sudden shout of Mokuami startled Chiharu, the reaction seemed too unexpected for her.
She remained serious listening the words he said afterards. The shugenja bowed briefly, this time to his proper use of "Doji-san":

—Some failures leads to improvement. It is good that our lives do not rely on this contest. - she would say in a friendly tone.

Chiharu took her position on proper distance from the target. A deep breath, prepared her bow while empting her mind and released the arrow towards the target.

No raises, void spent for +1k1
6k5 aginst TN 30, rolled 32 *phew

This time Chiharu would turn to her companions. Offering a low bow first to Miya Ayame-sama and then to Doji Tsuyoshi.

She would also greet the Soshi.

—I'm thankful for the opportunity to practice, Soshi-san.  

[Paidi tou Selini]

Ayame did her best to hide a smile, nodding her head in return to the bow.

"An impressive display of skill from both. By my authority under our Empress, I do hereby declare Doji Chiharu-san the winner." she concluded, before turning to the other two contestants. "The duel now has my authorization to begin. Let us see if we need to come up with some sort of tie breaker."  

[Rain Yupa]

"I... suppose that's one way of looking at it..." Mokuami would respond, bowing his head in return, though his expression was a bit more off-put. "Thank you for the match, Doji-san..." he would say after she landed her last shot.

Upon Ayame's proclamation, Chiharu's friendly air kami would whirl around her as if enthused by the imperial's words, starting at her feet and encircling her repeatedly until it worked its way up to her hair, before flying off to go play with the weird air-stick thingies its human friend put into that tree.

"Sugimoto, it's up to you. Win this," Michiko instructed the feline-masked bushi. He would nod his head.

"Come," he would say to Tsuyoshi, speaking for the first time in a deep voice. He would turn, not waiting for the Crane to acknowledge him, walking a bit of distance to put some distance between the iaijutsu duel and the imperial. Perhaps a little more distance than what was standard for safety, but not too much more. If Tsuyoshi followed, the man would kneel down, and start unbuckling his armor.  

[Psychofish]

Tsuyoshi returned the bow, smiling quite happily at the triumph of his clanmate. "Masterfully done, Chiharu-san. An admirable performance on your part as well, Bayushi-san." After all, being doubly-pleased by their victory was hardly an excuse for ill manners, and he'd done much better with a bow than Tsuyoshi suspected he might have. And it was fine contest, as much as archery could be, to raise the samurai's spirits. It almost made him forget what was coming next.

He turned to the third Scorpion, offering a nod of- hey, he was already turning away? Determined not to be left too far behind, the Crane took long strides until he could follow at a respectable few-paces behind, rather than looking like he was lagging. He'd pause a moment, watching the other kneel, before realizing that he WAS wearing armor too, and that was supposed to come off before these, wasn't it?

Well then, he'd follow the example and place his own carefully aside, and his other weapon.  

[Rain Yupa]

With his back turned towards the others, Sugimoto would speak lowly so only Tsuyoshi would hear.

"First off, I hold you no ill will, Crane-san. As a former soldier of the Lion, I'd hold you in higher esteem than the Scorpion any day," he'd say. "I find Michiko's attempt to win over your imperial simply to acquire your lodging very distasteful. She doesn't seem to care that your dishonor in this regard would probably end in the three cuts."

Removing his armor now, he'd start with his bracers next. "Even though I'm the last surviving child of my parents, I was traded off to the Scorpion in some sort of arrangement. Centuries of service from my family, struck meaningless. However..."

The last of his immediate armor removed, save for his helmet and lion mask, Sugimoto would begin to pull his arms from his sleeves. His musculature definitely was reminiscent of a Lion soldier, though his torso was apparently spared any battle scars. Despite his deep voice, he was still a young man, Tsuyoshi's age - he probably did not have the opportunity to earn any glory to his name during the Destroyer War.

"However, even though my heart is that of a Lion, I am still a loyal soldier - just to a new lord now. I will do what it takes to attain victory in my service to her. I will not hold back, even to you, Crane-san."

Letting the top half his kimono hang loose over the back of his obi, he would turn to face Tsuyoshi.

And he would bow to him in preparation, not speaking another word.