Dance eternal [D1, EE open]

[Tassu]

A masked man stood seemingly alone in the dojo, wearing traditional hakama and gi as he danced across the smooth wooden floor, weaving a series or smooth blows and parries as he stepped back and forth, cutting down imaginary enemies left and right even as he kept himself 'safe'. Yet the man was not truly alone as two figures observed him from the shadows, their eyes keen on him. The lone swordsman wore an elaborate mempo - marking him as one of the Scorpion nobles that ruled over the city. Meanwhile, the two shadowy figures wore only veils. "Ha!" The nobleman yelled as he brought his bokken down one more time, the vicious blow stopping inches from the floor.

[Kuni Koyuki]

Koyuki, apparent by the weapon resting on her thigh perhaps, was in the process of heading down into the basement for target practice. That was, when she had caught the sound of the lone swordsman present in the dojo. It was enough to catch her attention.

Entering into the dojo, she slowly went through the steps of seeing her sidearm off her thigh leaving the gunbelt empty. Sparing a casual glance off toward the center of the room where the swordsman finished his final with a distinctive "Hah" she slipped the firearm into a waiting receptacle so that it might await her return. Rest followed suit until she was appropriately unarmed for entering the dojo more properly. Finding a place to watch much alike the two veiled figures hiding amongst the shadows.

[Yoritomo Seika]

Seika is less subtle.

"Nice moves."

She's not quite in the practice room, more like in the doorway, leaning a shoulder casually against the door frame. She's casually dressed, with no obvious indicators of rank apart from an intricately carved white jade amulet hanging at her throat on a platinum chain. Her sidearm is on her hip, but the battery pack isn't; the silvery cylinder is in her hand, waiting to be loaded when she got down to the shooting range.

She must have been walking along the passage between practice rooms a bit later than Koyuki, and, like the Crab, found her attention caught by the sound of action and the movements in here.

[Bayushi Mineichi]

Pair of eyes trace the Kuni, then snap to the Yoritomo, the man bobbing his head to acknowledge her words. "Ladies." he murmurs, swinging his bokken to the side, whisking away the imaginary blood before 'cleaning' the hardwood with the hem of his gi - movements that one might make with a shinken looking rather clumsy with a wooden sword. Some habits died hard. "You came to practice?" Mineichi asked, taking a step back as if to beckon them both in. He made no introductions, possibly because he figured that none were necessary quite yet. "Or just to ogle?" Gleaming eyes betrayed the smile his mempo hid.

[Yoritomo Seika]

"Both-and?" Seika's chuckle is a little sheepish but mostly unembarrassed as she twirls the radiant power pack between her fingers. "I was heading down to shoot and it looked like something was going on in here."

She glances toward Koyuki, the quiet Crab watcher she hadn't fully noticed until the Scorpion lord acknowledged both women together.

[Kuni Koyuki]

Following the snap, Koyuki took her own moment to appraise Seika. So that when the other woman turned, Seika would find all eyes upon her. It was certainly far easier to notice Seika given that demeanor of hers, attractive in its way. Unfurling her crossed arms she steps forward from the side as to place herself more on display for the comfort of the conversation. Turning her attention to the man at the center of the room, in multiple senses.

"I had come for the shooting range as well, when I gave in to curiosity. To ogle," she says, with a little snap of the word. "At least, that was my intention."

[Bayushi Mineichi]

"Both-and?" Seika's chuckle is a little sheepish but mostly unembarrassed as she twirls the radiant power pack between her fingers. "I was heading down to shoot and it looked like something was going on in here."

She glances toward Koyuki, the quiet Crab watcher she hadn't fully noticed until the Scorpion lord acknowledged both women together.

An eyebrow rose, the two figures shuffling in the shadows, a careless chuckle echoing in the dojo. Seika and Koyuki could see Mineichi frown for a moment. "How sincere of you..." The quiet begged a question. "Just practicing. Nothing more." he added, almost as an explanation.

Following the snap, Koyuki took her own moment to appraise Seika. So that when the other woman turned, Seika would find all eyes upon her. It was certainly far easier to notice Seika given that demeanor of hers, attractive in its way. Unfurling her crossed arms she steps forward from the side as to place herself more on display for the comfort of the conversation. Turning her attention to the man at the center of the room, in multiple senses.

"I had come for the shooting range as well, when I gave in to curiosity. To ogle," she says, with a little snap of the word. "At least, that was my intention."

"Fair enough, Kuni-san." While there was no simple way of telling which clan a casual visitor was from, there was no mistaking to the face paint. "Rest assured, I am of flesh and blood." There was a hint of mischief in his voice, Mineichi dropping his hands at his side, standing now very much at ease, even if he was still holding his bokken. "There's no need to banish me." Dark brown eyes turned to Seika, the man tilting his head to the side. "I assume she is no ghost either."

[Yoritomo Seika]

"Nope, not a ghost." Seika taps the knuckles of her free hand against the carved wooden doorframe as proof of corporeality. "Almost transit-lagged enough to feel like one, but that's not really the same."

[Bayushi Mineichi]

"No, I wouldn't think so." the ornate mempo hid an another soft smile, his eyes making his expression somewhat readable still. "First time here then...?" the same question hung in the air, Mineichi trying to leave room for the samurai to introduce herself.

[Kuni Koyuki]

"Perceptions can be deceptive," she's says, a smirk teasing out onto her expression for merely a second before settling to neutral. "Assumptions can be dangerous. However, should the worst come to pass and we be beset upon by nefarious ghosts of all types I am certain between the three of us we might scare them off in turn," she raises her hands up in a mock representation of a monster for but a moment.

Giving way to a brief and politely concealed grimace as she settles, she focuses herself to Mineichi first and bows. Ensuring, as she suspected, to make it properly reverential of his station. Lest anything she said prior be taken as uncouth, "Kuni Koyuki, at your service," and turns to Seika in turn.

[Bayushi Mineichi]

Mineichi's eyes darkened as Koyuki mentioned ghosts, his stance changing ever so slightly*. "If Kuni-san says so." he murmured, looking a little disturbed. "One is but a servant of law." Mineichi shuffled where he stood, seeking to center himself. "Bayushi Mineichi." the lord magistrate replied in return, bobbing his head once more. Chances were that the two had seen his face plastered on the wall earlier, the Scorpion propaganda using his face to remind the commoners of the virtues of obedience.



___________
* Raw Perception against TN 20 please!

[Kuni Koyuki]

"A pleasure to formally make your acquaintance, Bayushi-sama," she says, an additional dip of her head upon his own return.

Day 1, EE | Raw Perception vs TN 20 | 3k3 ⇒ 13 (TN: 20)

[Yoritomo Seika]

Seika's brows quirk upward. She hadn't realized she was in such illustrious company, though now that she's heard the name, she is able to put two and two together with the stern anti-contraband posters she'd seen in the landing terminal earlier.

"An honor to meet you, Bayushi-sama and Kuni-san," she says, opting for the honorific for Mineichi in deference to his duty posting. She straightens from her semi-slouch in the doorway and pockets the power pack, then drops a shallow but polite bow.

"I'm Yoritomo Seika. Watanabe Properties, Flarenet division management." Her bold-painted lips quirk. "Yeah, first time. When I'm getting used to a new gravity well and atmospheric conditions and all that, this's one of the things that usually helps."

---

D1 EE--Perception vs. TN 20, ha ha | 2k2 ⇒ 17 (TN: 20)

lolnope!

[Bayushi Mineichi]

"I suppose I could see that." While they could not see him grinning, his tone was warm enough to let them know that the tense moment had passed. "Welcome then, Yoritomo-san, Kuni-san. I hope you enjoy my city." There was a hint of pride in his voice. "It's place like no other, that's for sure." With billions of people crammed in a small place, it was also filthy and loud place as the two had undoubtedly noticed.

"So, did you want to spar?" The magistrate asked, his eyes drifting from the Crab to the Mantis. A rack of practice weapons stood against the wall. It was an invitation of sorts, the magistrate curiously eyeing the unlikely duo.

[Kuni Koyuki]

"I have made myself quite comfortable here in my time," she says, and for what it was worth it was not even slightly a lie. For a long time, she always felt more comfortable when she could spot the dangers. Laying awake in the middle of the night frequently when she couldn't. Stepping forward toward the practice weapons once she pauses to look to Seika, giving her the benefit of the initiative.

"I would not leave an invitation from Bayushi Mineichi unaccepted. Could use the practice, it has been longer than I would like to admit," she says.

[Yoritomo Seika]

"Sure, I could have a go, if you like winning a lot. I do know which end to hold," Seika says cheerily. "I'm much better with a gun. We make those."

Unlike her hand-forged wakizashi, the trusty sidearm at her side had rolled off the dear old machine assembly line of a Watanabe subsidiary. Quality and thrift!

"It looks like Kuni-san might be an actual challenge, though." She glances in Koyuki's direction, curious what faux-weapon the Crab will pick.

[Kuni Koyuki]

It was nigh impossible not to spare a glance at Seika with that cheery tone, it was certainly different than what she was used to. Wasn't quite sure if she liked it or not yet though. A debate for another day, at a time more appropriate. Seeing the initiative granted to her Koyuki walks to the wall and takes time examining the various assortment but without much surprise quickly settles upon a self-same bokken, as to match that which was already in play. With the wooden stick in hand she approached the edge of the mat once more, gave out a few aimless swings to test the weight of the thing, and then crossed hand over hand at her waist. Looking toward Mineichi for further direction.

[Bayushi Mineichi]

"Sure, I could have a go, if you like winning a lot. I do know which end to hold," Seika says cheerily. "I'm much better with a gun. We make those."

"Oh, I thought that might be the case." Mineichi bobbed his softly. "Nothing wrong with recognizing the facts." Admitting another's superiority was honorable after all, even if magistrate could not help but to wonder if the Yoritomo was playing some sort 4D-shogi. Managing the province and past experienced had left him with a streak of paranoia that now showed in the way he looked at Seika. In Ryoko Owari, the walls had ears, the streets spoke a language of their own and sometimes, sometimes the shadows had lives of their own.

"I would not leave an invitation from Bayushi Mineichi unaccepted. Could use the practice, it has been longer than I would like to admit," she says.

"Hmm, how about that, Kuni-san? Would you spar with Yoritomo-san here?" he asked, tucking his bokken under his armpit. While never having been one to gamble, Mineichi would have put his money on the Kuni, had he had to make a bet.

[Kuni Koyuki]

"Happily, if Yoritomo-sama would accept me," she says. Dipping her head first to Mineichi she turns her gaze upon Seika.

[Yoritomo Seika]

"Oh, if that's how you want to do it? Sure, whatever." Seika shrugs good-naturedly. "It's been a while since I got popped with a bokken. Grandmama would be so pleased to know I was practicing." As she speaks, she unsnaps the clasps of her gun belt and slings it onto the rack nearest her.

With a slightly sardonic We who are about to get bopped salute you nod in Mineichi's direction, she snags a bokken at random and strolls to the center of the room.

"Ready when you are, Kuni-san." Painted lips quirking, she bows to Koyuki.