Please, Train Me Well [D7, Early Afternoon]

Seppun Horonigai · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 4:03 pm **Posts:** 1054

Horonigai is found seated in front of the dojo's kamiza, trying to meditate while in seiza. She feels her lungs and tries to connect the air she gets to feel every other part of her body as one. Her hands lay over her lap as if she was holding a fragile gift: her thumbs upwards, barely touching each other, with the left hand covering the right on the bottom part.

She chants, "Mokusoooooooooo....."

And tries to feel the Void.

Doji Koushi · **Joined:** Sat Apr 04, 2020 5:22 am **Posts:** 314

A short distance away, at the entrance of the dojo, a Crane bowed formally to the spirit of the place and moved to begin his practice draws among the samurai of the dojo, entirely unaware of the Seppun meditating a few yards away.

Seppun Horonigai · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 4:03 pm **Posts:** 1054

She isn't trained in meditation as much as she would like, so it really doesn't last long. Satisfied with progress, nonetheless, Horonigai lifts herself up and joins others while warming up.

Stretches, squats, push-ups, lunges, plank, crunch, running, and running again. Jumping. At each one of those she counts along from one to ten. Five times each. Nonstop.

Finally, the Seppun sits back in seiza to clean some sweat, and notices the Koushi. She instinctively turns her eyes from him, not to bother his training.

Doji Koushi · **Joined:** Sat Apr 04, 2020 5:22 am **Posts:** 314

100 times: a breath, a flash of steel only just trackable by the human eye, a dissatisfied grimace from the swordsman.

There was no question that he was getting faster, but he was not there yet. When the routine was over, the sword sheathed the final time, he bowed his head for a moment, letting the sweat on his brow drip past his eyes to splash on the floor.

Seppun Horonigai · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 4:03 pm **Posts:** 1054

Horonigai takes her sheathed blade in hand and approaches Koushi. With a polite bow, she greets the the Crane, "Good afternoon, Doji-san. Please, treat me kindly. I'm being rude, but, would consider training iaijutsu with me?"

Doji Koushi · **Joined:** Sat Apr 04, 2020 5:22 am **Posts:** 314

Koushi blinked, momentarily surprised out of his reverie. All-seeing, all-sensing kenshinzen he was not.

"Ah, Seppun-sama…" An instant's pause to process the request. "It would be a great help to my art, I think. Yes, it would be my pleasure." He bowed in thanks.

Seppun Horonigai · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 4:03 pm **Posts:** 1054

"Yosh!" Yes, she smiles to him while cheering.

The Seppun takes a few steps back and bows again, entering her centered stance while waiting for the Crane to do the same.

--
Initiative vs. Koushi - Spar: 5d10o10k3 15
Stance: Center

Doji Koushi · **Joined:** Sat Apr 04, 2020 5:22 am **Posts:** 314

Initiative: 37
Stance: Center

The Crane returned her bow. As he rose from it, he shifted his left foot back. His left hand rested comfortably on his saya while his right rested palm-up over the hilt of his katana in emulation of Kakita's original stance.

He carefully took in his opponent's stance, taking stock of the latent kinetic energy being charged.

Awareness roll=26

[If I should win, I would like to know your Reflexes stat, please.]

Shosuro Kitamaru · **Joined:** Thu Apr 16, 2020 9:12 pm **Posts:** 265

No one noticed, but another figure had entered, bowed in respect to the dojo, removed their sandals, bowed to the others there, selected a bokken and was half way through their routine before they might have been seen.

They did not blend in, wrapped in black, face covered in red with a white fox mask over it...yet somehow they'd escaped notice entirely until now, something in the mind bid others not to look, as if it could be more fortuitous to miss their presence..

When the match started, they stopped practice and silently sat to give regard to those in the spar.

Seppun Horonigai · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 4:03 pm **Posts:** 1054

Doji Koushi wrote:

He carefully took in his opponent's stance, taking stock of the latent kinetic energy being charged.

Horonigai closes her and makes herself silent. She only hears her own heartbeats. Fingers dance in the air, and the girl slowly adjusts her step. The Seppun's eyes open, trying to feel Koushi's Ki.

--
Iaijutsu/Awareness (not TN 26, my bad), TN is not contested, it is TN = 10 + (Opponents Insight Rank * 5) --: 6d10o10k3 24
If there's a success, I would like to know Koushi's Void, please.

Doji Koushi · **Joined:** Sat Apr 04, 2020 5:22 am **Posts:** 314

Focus roll=56

She found it. His ki bloomed. And although he was among the lesser duelists of the Crane, it still filled the chamber with a sense of foreboding. There was a weight to the air as the heavens drew closer, waiting for that instant where life, death, and art commingled and Truth could be revealed.

Shosuro Kitamaru · **Joined:** Thu Apr 16, 2020 9:12 pm **Posts:** 265

Kitamaru sat silently, watching. Stillness was his realm as the two faced each other.

Seppun Horonigai · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 4:03 pm **Posts:** 1054

The truth boomed their existences, as blades are drawn in twin motion. She takes a dash forward, shouting a fearsome, "YEEEEEEhhhhhh!"

She almost misses her target completely, nearly tumbling down her stance. Horonigai corrects the strike as soon as air runs out of her lungs, and the blade stops, pointed to Koushi's throat.

---
Iaijutsu/Void + 1k1 Center +1k1 Void TN 56: 8d10o10k5 56
Iaijutsu/Reflexes + 1k1 Center +1 Raise (Called Shot = No Hit) TN 20?: 7d10o10k4-5 17

(Centre stance gives 1k1+void. The plus 3 will make it a hit. Thanks Togashi Iko)

Doji Koushi · **Joined:** Sat Apr 04, 2020 5:22 am **Posts:** 314

Strike roll=47
[If I had thought about a Called Shot not to hit, I would have done it. That's really boss!]
Damage roll, keeping low=4

Her fierce war-cry is met with silence. Moving at the same instant, Koushi's sword flies from its saya with inhuman speed, flashing between them to nick the forearm of her off-hand.

He smiles at the Seppun. "I would bow, of course, Seppuns-sama, but the prospect of having my head severed does not appeal. You are very skilled, indeed."

Shosuro Kitamaru · **Joined:** Thu Apr 16, 2020 9:12 pm **Posts:** 265

Kitamaru stood, as if summoned by the Emperor and produced a cotton cloth. With a bow the other samurai were approached and the cloth was held out to the Seppun wordlessly, head still bowed.

Seppun Horonigai · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 4:03 pm **Posts:** 1054

Tired from the exercise and busy day, Horonigai cannot pull her off-hand away from the cut. Courteously, she rapidly hides her arm at her back and presses against the kimono not allowing blood to drop on the sacred dojo ground.

She takes the back the blade, sheaths it with one hand, and bows. "I am honored to receive such praise from a Crane. Domou arigatou gozaimashita."

Horonigai bows to the Scorpion that popped up out of nowhere and takes the cloth with her able hand, also thanking, "Arigatou gozaimasu."

Shosuro Kitamaru · **Joined:** Thu Apr 16, 2020 9:12 pm **Posts:** 265

Bow held, two steps back were taken, the Scorpion returned to being seated as if they had not leaped to their feet but a moment earlier.

Doji Koushi · **Joined:** Sat Apr 04, 2020 5:22 am **Posts:** 314

Koushi raises an eyebrow at the deft Scorpion.

"Yes...well, I am only doing my duty," he assured Horonigai. "It is a Crane's solemn charge to commend an artist."

He bowed formally, then turned his head slightly to take in the Shosuro more closely.

"Your opinion...Shosuro-san?"

Shosuro Kitamaru · **Joined:** Thu Apr 16, 2020 9:12 pm **Posts:** 265

"Effort is the herald of mastery", said a voice from behind the fox mask. Kitamaru's head nodded to them both.

Seppun Horonigai · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 4:03 pm **Posts:** 1054

Horonigai tightens the cloth around her injured arm, commenting, "I have much to learn yet. I could have showed a better spectacle. Now that I know where I erred, of course."

Forgetting about the cut, she raises another topic with a smile. "Doji-san is from which Kakita dojo?"

Please, Train Me Well [D7, Early Afternoon]

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