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  Crimson Tea Pavilion, Near The Palace The streets near the Palace are bustling with the usual samurai, merchants, and workers that fill the streets around every Winter Court. The Crimson Tea Pavilion sits somewhere in the middle, not far from Minor Clan housing, and every so often you see another Clan's retinue push their way through the crowds. The ronin got the furthest housing, and some are even just staying at hotels elsewhere in the city, so they're stopping at cafes and stalls nearby to fill up on good before the trek. Security looks tight (Thanks, Bakami), but apparently it isn't, which is what brings you here... Kozue Luckily, Karaoke is just down the street. Also luckily(?), Kozue gets the feeling she's being watched...  ??? A small group of these guys seem to be tailing her with the air of ronin seeking out a lone target. Hmm... We're back! Looks like you found the guys Bakami is looking for (and Kei, hopefully). What are you going to do? You can scope them out, try and set up a perfect situation for Kozue to lead them into, or just jump them out in the street and hope for the best.
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Jul 24, 2016 16:06
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| # ? Apr 20, 2024 02:11 |
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 Kozue walks along, thumbing on her pocket scribe as if she didn't have a care in the world. Well, she certainly seems to care about the scribe, at least. pre:being followed where u want these guys
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Jul 25, 2016 01:58
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 [Oh, already?] Misuko's already in the Pavillon by the time she gets Kozue's message. [I hope they're not creepy fan types and more robber types. Though that would be bad too.] Hopefully the other bushi are in place? Misuko is not exactly going to do well in fending ronin off. Mitama fucked around with this message at 18:28 on Jul 30, 2016 |
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Jul 25, 2016 13:24
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 Ujina Risuta checked his communication device eagerly, expecting something of note. He was not disappointed! The Hare samurai replied quickly, has he still moved to the last point of interest. pre:Am near previously discussed meeting point. Need to find a good place to 'investigate' these unknowns. Should we do this at the meeting point or somewhere further out?
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Jul 25, 2016 17:33
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 [I say we ambush them on the way. There's a stairwell at the end of a corridor here], she sends a map with the spot. [It's a short cut but not used very much. Good place for us to stop them, regardless of what we decided to do with them.] Kaihime is headed in that direction - even if they decide on another plan, it is a shortcut after all. In the meantime, she messages Kei as well. [Kei-san, can you trail them and scope them out for us?]
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Jul 25, 2016 23:47
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pre:you guys have my back yeah im good at stabs but kinda alone here
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Jul 29, 2016 15:26
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 Kaihime gets a message! [ Kei-chan is doing that already, geez. Oneesama wanted Kei-chan's E X P L I C I T help on this matter, so! I'm on my A game. My S game even! Have you played many games? S, that's the highest rank! It stands for, 'so cool, Kei-chan!' Yes, every game has me programmed in it! N E WAYS. Already on it. ] Stealth: 9d10o10k3 28 Somewhere behind the ronin, Kasuga Kei advances, pistol in hand, yet kept under her robes, eyes silently memorizing everything she can about this potential would-be mugger while keeping out of their sight.
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Aug 15, 2016 05:28
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The three samurai look like ronin to Kei. They have an odd gait for people trying to move steathily, at least until she scopes them out a little more and realises she's mostly looking at metal. These guys are either robots or heavily cyberized. They look a little cheap and mass-produced, and are probably relying on their numbers to take Kozue down quickly. ... which makes it a little awkward for them when they finally step out to confront her and find themselves trapped in a stairwell with the rest of you. . . . Your plan is solid and Kei rolled well enough, so I'll let you fine folks get a free hit in! There are three ronin here (A, B, and C); if you're attacking, each has 18 Armor TN and 3 Reduction. End this fight before it begins for a bonus!
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Aug 19, 2016 16:52
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Kaihime stops on the stairs, hand on the hilt of her sword. "Pleased to meet you. I am Marumaru Kaihime. Have you lost your way?" She speaks in a fairly pleasant voice, but her stance makes it clear that the wrong answer will have consequences. Initiative: 5d10o10k3 18 I'll let someone better at talking than fighting try to avoid a fight.
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Aug 21, 2016 01:37
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"Indeed. A rather unfitting place to wander at such a time, I might say. I am Ujina Risuta, honour demands that I inquire to whom I am speaking with." is what the Hare samurai would say, his stance too belying being ready for whatever tricks these wave men might possess. However his inquiry was merely a distraction of sorts, him trying to gauge them up rather than deal with them in any seriousness... unless what their reply is grants some greater insight, of course, however all the while the Ujina kept his eyes and ears alerted to anything that might indicate anything that he might find noteworthy about the dishonourable assassins that disgraced these streets with their presence. Investigation/Perception: 6d10o10k3 25 Additionally he would keep his wits about him in a much more lower fashion, after all such lowlifes would no doubt take violence as their first recourse, and might find simple pleasantries are offensive to their ears. Initiative: 5d10o10k3 32
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Aug 21, 2016 21:47
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Kozue stops where she is, and as the others make their subtle intimations of violence. Then, there's a blur as her hand reaches for her sword, and it lashes out at the nearest ronin. There's a clicking sound as it returns to its sheath partially, then there's a burst of sparks and coolant as one of the ronin's arm comes loose just above the wrist. Well, hopefully they're not wired for pain. Looking over her shoulder at them, she looks at them with a half-lidded expression. Well, so much for "discreet". "You wanted to meet me?" She smiles wryly. "Well, that's how a samurai says 'hello' in a dark alley!" ... might want to have her lay off the jidaigeki for a bit in the future. Initiative is a 46, and the roll to resist Overconfident is an 18. Pft, she can take these guys by herself if she needs to! Spending a simple action to activate The World Is Empty, then throwing down with two raises on Kenjutsu to do a called shot and remove the nearest one's right arm at the forearm with a 35 on the attack and do 23. TN to be hit bumps up by +6.
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Aug 24, 2016 01:32
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Oh. Misuko was thinking about joining in the intimidation, but it looks like they're going to be the aggressive magistrate types this time. "You shouldn't be too rough on them, Kohaku-san, we need them talking. Surely they would rather do that will all their arms intact?" I really should consider combat skills at some point. Initiative, (17 9 7 6, 5 3 2) = 39. Courtier, (17 11 9 7, 6 4 2 1 1 1) = 44.
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Aug 27, 2016 05:38
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Initiative: 6d10o10k3 34 Kei chooses this time to step out of the darkness. "Oh, I'm sure it doesn't need to come to that. Surely, now that they know a Kasuga like myself is involved, they will release their weapons and talk earnestly. They know our reputation. And if none of them do, well. One example can teach many students." Intimidate: 10d10o10k4 24 The most pathetic intimidation roll possible given just how much I threw down.
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Sep 8, 2016 04:14
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The ronin are surprised when Kozue turns and cuts one of their arms off. One of the others quickly reaches for his sword, but when the other samurai step out of the shadows, one of the others stops them. "Enough. It's over," that one says in a buzzing electronic voice. The other ronin hold, defeated. . . . Between all your rolls, you did well enough to capture the cyber-ronin! It's up to you what to do now; you're free to interrogate them, but you're also well within your rights to execute them and search their bodies for information.
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Sep 8, 2016 04:43
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Kozue looks a little defeated at Misuko. "Well... they don't need their arms for that...", she says a little defensively, and sighs. Dreams of a dramatic confrontation are shelved... for now, anyway. She looks to the cyberai with one less cyber-arm, and rubs the back of her neck. "So... um... what's up? Did you want to talk or something?"
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Sep 8, 2016 21:30
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Risuta seems almost... disappointed as he looks over the assembled rabble. "Hmph. Petty troubleshooters, rebuilt for action but not a true threat to us." he mutters to the others, quietly. "Who sent you? Do you want Kohaku-san dead?" he inquired fiercely, his voice steely and forceful, his eyes flickering between the cyborgs, his body language telling that he was still ready for battle.
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Sep 9, 2016 13:47
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I'm going to go ahead and abstract this! You press the situation out of the ronin!
When you press for more, you get a Vermilion Dragon Insignia their leader was carrying. They're pretty sure they're not the only agents out tonight, but this is enough information for Bakami to send out her own samurai to deal with it. I won't make you repeat this scene with more ronin before your mission is done, don't worry.  You also learn a little about the ronin themselves, which mostly serves to tell you what kind of people the Vermilion Dragon are:
... And that's basically the story. "Well," Hachi folds his arms. "That's all we have, I think. Whatever comes next, make it quick." What do you do next? As magistrates, you are well within your rights to execute them for their crimes at this point. You can also turn them over to local law enforcement; if you know Toku Bakami, she'll execute them in public but go soft on the former samurai and offer him seppuku.
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Sep 9, 2016 15:58
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"We should surrender them to the local authorities." Misuko pipes in first, continuing a stratagem where she would rather not play witness to any more decapitations (though the fallen cyber arm makes her only a little queasy). "We'll need to report to the governor about this syndicate straight away."
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Sep 9, 2016 16:29
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 Kei smiles and nods even as she finishes sending the information to the anonymous source that is most assuredly not Kasuga Haruhi, her "oneesama." "We have done our good deed for the day! Kei-chan agrees that we should send them to Toku-sama. But! The news, of this Syndicate! It is disturbing, ne, ne? Trying to take identities so they can get into clan holdings, maybe even the Winter Court! It is good Rokugan has brave defenders such as ourselves~" ProfessorCirno fucked around with this message at 03:06 on Sep 10, 2016 |
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Sep 9, 2016 22:19
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Kaihime contacts Bakami while the others question the ronin. [ Captured some ronin working for Vermilion Dragon Syndicate. Definitely looking to mug some samurai. What do you want us to do with them? ] "Nice work everyone." She glances at the ronin. "Well, not you obviously."
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Sep 9, 2016 23:12
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"That's kind of rough.", Kozue admits sincerely, "Couldn't there be something else they could do, like help us get information on-" With that, she trails off as she locks up, her eyes wide, and checks her pocket scribe. "Oh. Oh no! I'm late!" She actually holds up a hand flatly in apology and bows to her peers, and then more oddly to the ronin. "I'm supposed to be meeting the Imperial Herald! Excuse me!" With that, she grabs the blade at her belt, and hurries off. Well. You can't underestimate the power of karaoke to some people.
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Sep 11, 2016 18:31
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[ Aha! ] Bakami replies. [ That's good news! We've stopped a few incidents but this is the first arrest I've heard of. Well done! There's a station you can take them to at the edge of the Pavilion. I'll send coordinates. ] (Kei gets a similar message from Definitely Not Kasuga Haruhi: [ Aha! Interesting, ne? Where did you say they were being taken? I'd love to watch justice be meted out to these ruffians. ] . . . With the ronin apprehended and the Syndicate uncovered, your job is done for now. Time for the important part...  ... That karaoke night you invited the Imperial Herald to. There's a nice karaoke place called Senbonzakura by the Pavilion. When you finish with the ronin and head over there, Iesada is waiting... with Imperial Herald Suisei, some of her retinue, and few younger Miya. She was fashionably late, but you were busy too so it evens out. "Fortune and kindness to you!" Suisei grins. "We just arrived. I took the liberty of booking extra rooms for some of my companions, so we're not too cramped." Also so Suisei can dump the ones who are only coming for the sake of following her into another room where they can chat, probably. "Shall we?" . . . It's time for a Winter Court event: Karaoke! Here's the deal: Each of you has a chance to make friends and impress your guest with your karaoke skills. Choose a skill you think is appropriate and roll; you're trying to beat 20. Here are some suggestions, though they're not the only skills you can roll and you can do what you like:
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Sep 12, 2016 15:14
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Misuko takes a few moments to absorb the situation, how the stars have seemingly aligned in cosmic harmony for this very moment. And then, somehow, she produces her own portable microphone from her robes, flipping and twirling it around like a knife artist. "I would empathize again that I am honored that you have invited us, Miya-sama." She says, smiling. "It's a rare moment for an Ibis to showcase her talent with the Imperial Herald." And she's so giddy to show off her own branded microphone, too. If you don't promote your own products once in a while, what's the point? "So!" Misuko searches for an old, pop track in the karaoke machine. "I'd like to get us started with this." And she rocks it. Doing two Raises to bring it up to TN 30 and rolling Perform (Song): 10:24 PM <Krysmbot> Trix, (25 11 8 8 8 6 6, 5 3 1) = 72 Mitama fucked around with this message at 04:16 on Sep 13, 2016 |
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Sep 13, 2016 03:57
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"That was amazing Misuko-san," Kaihime applauds with the rest. She knew the Ibis was good, but not that good. Which poses a bit of a problem - it's an impossible act to follow. Kaihime looks around the room at the important persons here, and realizes what she needs to do. The fact that she's an atrocious singer might work to her favor for once - instead of comparing themselves to Misuko and feel wanting, they'll just get to enjoy what the singer did, and compare themselves favorably to the Crow. Kaihime takes the next turn, metaphorically falling on her sword for the good of the Empire. Though not for the good of the ears of those present. Etiquette + Void: 7d10o10k4 22
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Sep 13, 2016 17:14
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Void Points: 3/4 Kozue's not great at singing. Or drinking. Or singing drunk. But she can pick some friggin' songs. "Matsu Heart?" "Doki Doki Doji?" "Ogre Side of Me?" Of course, making innocuous comments that lead to gossip is a good start to any court, and Kozue plays the part of the relative but clumsy innocent, bringing up things wiser courtiers would never dare to mention. And yet, it doesn't come out as deliberate, but rather like somebody that has no idea where her words are leading. Sometimes those compliments she makes for those not in earshot seem like the might not actually be compliments. Still, she comes across as so naive and bumble-tongued a lot of it can be attributed to youth. And sake. And that Carp mon. But it's a great excuse to follow her lead once the drink is flowing. There's also some part where there are several sake bottles settled across the table where she mimes a kami wondering why only lions show up to a certain temple. "I get why Crabs don't show up, because I used to be an oni, but the Isawa used to call on my sibs all the time!" Political! Controversial! But kinda funny. And thankfully, there are no Phoenix in eashot to curse her, literally or metaphorically. So, spending a Void Point on a Courtier roll with 4 raises for 55, which is a thing. Alien Rope Burn fucked around with this message at 02:42 on Sep 14, 2016 |
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Sep 14, 2016 02:39
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Although Risuta had some skill at singing, song-writing, and even playing the guitar - karaoke was usually not his thing (unless he had been drinking a significant amount) but he quickly realised that a literal pop star is going to be hard to beat. On the other hand feeding others' egos and having a good time were much more easily within Risuta's grasp. Plus less people would object to him leaving a few too many empty bottles of sake around then. Risuta tried to act graciously (between drinks) and act as a proper member of the audience, appreciable and keenly taking interest! Sincerity/Awareness: 6d10o10k3 24 And good enough is good enough, especially when sake is involved!
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Sep 14, 2016 18:00
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Kei seems to have taken this as a challenge. She has a look of sheer determination on her face as she queues up a particularly well loved song, known for it's singer's ethereal voice. Not from Misuko, the usual target of her mischievousness. No, from Kaihime. Etiquette to sing as horribly as possible: 7d10o10k4 29 What comes out of Kei could not even generously be called singing. For a brief moment, Kei is the founding ancestor and sole member of the Cat minor clan. When she turns back to the others, she has the most pleased look she can on her face, and even gives herself a small fist pump. "I've gotten better since last time!"
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Sep 16, 2016 12:14
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Suisei is smiling and laughing by the end. Even the samurai she dragged with her are having a good time! "Oh, I needed that! Thank you. Let me know if you're doing this again, will you?" Now those are some successes! Check the OOC thread and we can sort out what you get. Once you're done, Suisei's people give you a ride to your lodgings. The first day seems to have gone well! Hopefully the rest are just as good. Next up... . . .  Winter Court 2nd Day of the Dog, 3122 As you arrive for the Court's second day, you note that Imperial Chancellor Doji Higurashi is already on the Dais. Right now she's deep in conversation with Cicada Clan Champion Ikari Takeo and the Emerald Champion, but at the appointed time they disappear into the background and she turns to address the crowd. "My friends, it is my pleasant duty to announce that this second day of the Imperial Court... is now in session. May your efforts here be both honorable and fruitful." "Today we shall be entertaining petitions from the Imperial Families. First, we have announcements." Higurashi nods to a nearby Miya, opens an AR window with a flick of her hands, confirms that it indeed says what she already knew, and snaps it closed again. "Today we have one announcement. I present to you the Monkey Clan Champion, Toku Kamina." Toku Kamina is a muscled, jolly fellow, the sort who needs his kimonos specially tailored to fit his shoulders. You can see a resemblance to his daughter Toku Bakami behind the wild hair though. "My friends! Lords of the Clans Great and Minor, servants of the Imperial Houses, our ronin brethren... on behalf of the Monkey I'd like to say it's an honour to host the Winter Court in our fair city." "But more importantly... it's my great pleasure to announce that the Minor Clan Alliance intends to celebrate this Court by hosting some contests for your entertainment. Every week one Minor Clan will sponsor a contest, with prizes presented by the Minor Clan. The Monkey Clan is first, so I thought we'd start simple with an iaijutsu tournament. Duels will take place in the garden at the midpoint of Hoshi's Promenade, and our benevolent Imperial Chancellor has agreed to observe. We'll reveal the prize before the penultimate round," he adds with a wink. "I believe everyone has received their invitations already?" He glances at a Miya, who nods. "Good! You know what to do, then. Competitors should be registered before dinner, and the first round will be tonight. I hope you see you there!" . . . Each Clan received their invitations in advance, and most have already chosen competitors. Suisei mentioned this whole thing last night, so Kaihime, Kozue, and Risuta are already registered too. (There are a lot of Minor Clan samurai here, and the tournament board is appropriately large.) By midday the tournament board is almost full, and the alcoves, balconies, and side-chambers of the Court are abuzz with rumours and gossip. Courtiers are already placing their bets. This is going to be interesting...  ROUND 1 This Monkey Challenge is going to take up most of the first week of the Court. I've split it into two sections: the Contest itself, and the Spectators who sponsor specific samurai, make bets, and try to influence events. For each section, I will list the duels you're participating in, any other duels of interest, and persons of interest behind the scenes. Decide what you're doing, make rolls if you have to, and then we'll figure out your duels. Depending on how this round goes, different persons of interest might pop up next time. Depending on what (and how) you do, you may receive an advantage or weaken one of the other fighters. Because Suisei has already told you about the tournament, you start knowing some info on your opponents and roughly how skilled they are: I'll say they're Good if they're about an equal match for you, Average if they're worse than you, and Great if they're better than you. For the record, here is your goal: if you make sure a Minor Clan samurai places in at least the top three, you will get a reward. It doesn't actually have to be you, but you'll get a bonus depending on how well you place.  Some shrewd samurai are already trying to wring as much as they can out of the Monkey Challenge, whether it's for political purposes or just for profit. Here are a few of them: Bayushi Iwao: An old man and Winter Court veteran who seems to spend most of his time playing mahjong in the side-chambers. The man likes his bets, but he's got a low-key rivalry going on with a Dragonfly courtier and seems to be getting involved just to screw with him. Iwao is definitely going to try and fix this tournament, but don't say that out loud. It's rude. Kakita Komatsu: Rather than participate, Komatsu has been chosen by the Crane to select their fighters and assess the opposition so the Crane can work out how best to exploit the tournament for political gain. Ostensibly Komatsu is passing on her findings to Kakita Mikimoto, a minor courtier looking for a chance to prove himself, but he pretty much just does whatever she recommends. Tonbo Shigeru: Dragonfly courtier and sponsor of several Minor Clan samurai. Shigeru's talents as a courtier and strategist seem completely wasted on the Dragonfly, but serve him well in his probably-pointless battle with Bayushi Iwao. Shigeru likes risky but profitable bets, and prefers to consult an excitable monk named Togashi Hei before taking action. Yasuki Kenji: A good-natured merchant lord who arranged the Crab entries. He seems to be playing it safe: he's sponsored a few reasonable-seeming fighters and makes modest wagers on sure bets. He is spending a lot of time on observing and researching the entrants, though.  Here are your first matchups, plus a couple others of interest. Bets made by the sponsors above are mentioned in italics. All duels are to first blood, and there are healers on hand to fix anything that happens. Kohaku Kozue vs. Daidoji Yuzuriha [Good] Yuzuriha is a little small for a Crane duelist, but if she has a true flaw it's her vanity. The Daidoji has been preening herself as much as it's socially acceptable to do so, and she has an easy job as a yojimbo to the minor courtier Kakita Mikimoto so she has a lot of time for that. She's learned tricks to use her stature to her advantage, and she's got a decent win rate on Kettōhon. Tonbo Shigeru and Yasuki Kenji bet on Kohaku Kozue. Bayushi Iwao and Kakita Komatsu bet on Daidoji Yuzuriha. Marumaru Kaihime vs. Tsuruchi Ryuzaki [Good] Mitsu is a skilled but aging Tsuruchi magistrate who never really went in for the bow. His fighting style prioritizes precision and speed over power, and he earned a bit of a reputation in his early years for striking first and asking questions later. Outside duels, he's a kind if quiet man who's developed a thing for philosophy. Kakita Komatsu and Tonbo Shigeru bet on Marumaru Kaihime. Bayushi Iwao and Yasuki Kenji bet on Tsuruchi Ryuzaki. Ujina Risuta vs. Hamaguri Sho [Good] Sho is a Clam Clan samurai and yojimbo to their visiting Champion. He showed with a sweet pompadour that he seems to like, but a lot of courtiers are giggling at him behind his back. He hasn't noticed yet. Sho knows how to handle the blade and carries himself with the confidence of a man who has a sweet hairdo. Bayushi Iwao and Kakita Komatsu bet on Ujina Risuta. Tonbo Shigeru bets on Hamaguri Sho. Yasuki Kenji abstains. Shiba Suzaku [Great] vs. Anzu [???] This one's going to be funny: Shiba Suzaku, skilled duelist, former Topaz Champion, and yojimbo to the Master of Fire, versus some ronin woman. Few have heard of her, she's not on Kettōhon, and she's sporting a few nano-bandages from some unexplained incident last night, so most of the spectators are here to watch a high-status Great Clan samurai wipe the floor with someone. Bayushi Iwao, Kakita Komatsu, and Tonbo Shigeru bet on Shiba Suzaku. Yasuki Kenji bets on Anzu. Matsu (Koritome) Konoha [Great] vs. Hiruma Daigo [Great] Matsu Konoha is an honorable but brash woman and yojimbo to the head of the Ikoma delegation, while Hiruma Daigo is a cool-tempered if uncreative man serving as a yojimbo to one of the Kaiu's scientists. Both have a disadvantage: Konoha is new to Winter Court and sporting a fresh new pair of cyber-eyes she's still adjusting to, while Daigo is still adjusting to the climate and cycles of this world and is relying on Kaiu medication to speed up the process. Whoever wins, one of you will have to face them next round. Tonbo Shigeru bets on Matsu Konoha. Bayushi Iwao and Yasuki Kenji bet on Hiruma Daigo. Kakita Komatsu abstains. Ettin fucked around with this message at 03:33 on Nov 2, 2016 |
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Sep 19, 2016 05:36
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Void Points: 4/4 Kozue has… well… calling them goals is probably being a bit too hoity-toity. I mean, she doesn’t seem to plan farther than the next meal. But let’s go over likely events. The ideal situation is to assess the opposition tactically. The reality is that she’ll get distracted by somebody - Hamaguri Sho’s pompadour or Togashi Hei’s laugh are good candidates - though given the odds (with her involve) it’s just as likely that she ends up trying to pal around with Kakita Mikimoto for a half-hour without even realizing he’s connected to Yuzuriha. She’s standing right there, Kozue. She'll probably have lunch with some of her crew and meet with her clan to cover rumors and gossip. Then, there's extensive prayers at a local temple, an early dinner of ōryōki, and other tiresome stuff to purify her for the upcoming duel, or at least bore her to the point where having a trained Crane samurai swing sharpened steel at her might seem pointedly preferable. Of course, "purification" also has the side effect of "remove our duellist from the court to check for and prevent sabotage", too. Mostly, it's her fidgeting a lot. Her blessing for the day from her rank 3 technique will be Jurojin. Let’s make a Awareness / Courtier in the morning with 2 raises to do some last-minute rumor-fishing 34, and a Void/Meditation thematically with 2 raises, with a 28... which won't make it, so let's do a luck reroll for a... 29, which wasn't meant to be.
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Sep 29, 2016 23:30
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Ujina Risuta found the atmosphere of this tournament fascinating. But he of all people knew that some preparation might be necessary, although these kinds of circumstances do not particularly resonate with his fighting style, the other aspects of this event did resonate fairly well with the nature of the Hare. With that in mind Risuta would make sure he was well fed and watered (but not drunk, at the least he would promise himself congratulatory drinks (just not too many) if he wins, and commiseratory drinks for if he loses) before his round. At least the pressure would not be on for him so much for this round, as much as it would do him and his arguments better by winning, especially against some fool in a pompadour - the Alliance would benefit if a Minor Clan samurai made it into the top three regardless, and since he was due to face another Minor Clan samurai this wouldn't exactly be a turning point - at least based on his own skills. Still, his Hare Clan tendencies still were quite heavily working upon him, and he would seek to check with his comrades to see if there are any rumours or suspicions of note about any of the duellists involved - especially the one he would be facing in the first round, not that he would hope that any Alliance members would stoop to such low methods, at the least as a magistrate he has some clout if that were the case. Plus, winning by default should someone be disqualified for whatever reason has its own benefits, being better rested for later rounds and confident that the kami are giving you their blessings via serendipity is always a plus. Regardless, Risuta appreciates having more people bet on him than his opponent! Always a confidence-booster, that. Not sure what I would need to roll to accomplish this, if anything. Risuta isn't doing more
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Oct 8, 2016 03:12
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Misuko enjoys the art of the duel, though she also finds herself at a loss on what to do here. She doesn't see any Ibis fighters this round and her dueling companions might find it insulting to her need her help against their competitors. She might flaunt about her time with the Herald with the other samurai, work out some favors and a way to get a one-on-one conversation with the Chancellor. Or learn about the Crab's sudden interest in competing on her turf. She doesn't know if Yasuki Kenji knows, but it might be a good idea to look into this guy anyway. Why is a Crab merchant known for sure bets betting against some former champion and super duelist? He either knows a lot of things or pulls a lot of strings. Either one would help find her answers. So she heads to the arena to make some small talk. A small bet for the ronin would surely get his attention and open the conversation. Courter: Trix, (16 9 7 7, 6 6 5 4 3 1) = 39
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Oct 30, 2016 15:37
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Kaihime doesn't really do anything special to prepare for her duel. She excuses it by explaining some Crow nonsense about how a samurai must always be ready to fight at a moments notice anyways and additional practice would interfere with the balance she's already achieved. Its not entirely clear how serious she is and how much is an excuse to keep her free time clear to enjoy the ancillary events around the Winter Court. She does instruct Kei to put all the money the Turtle is holding on her behalf onto Anzu, because she 'has a feeling about this one.' Otherwise, she mostly is busy doing small errands for Bakami, in particular making sure Tsugumi arrives at the correct locations (often this means finding wherever the Octopus champion ended up instead and walking them over to the right place).
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Oct 31, 2016 01:43
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Kei is a busy little tortoise. There is an art to proper sabotage. Enough to throw things off. Not so much as to alert and bring about suspicion. She didn't want them thinking someone was out to get them. They had to lose, of course - but not so bad that they would lose face. After all, this wasn't personal. Yuzuriha was an easy one, and probably the one Kei enjoyed the most. Showoffs. Hmph! It's not that she HATED the Crane, they just tended to be on very opposite ends of the Tortoise - and yet their damned Daidoji still managed to get in the way from time to time! Well, this one wasn't going to get off as easy as the rest of her clan always did! It was simple, really. Yuzuriha prided herself on her vanity, her fashion, her charm. And of course, she was used to using her shortness to get away with things - Kei understood. But that meant Kei knew exactly how to mess her up. Clothing was always so difficult for someone who's "fun sized." A quick trip around, and now Kei has clothing in all of Yuzuriha's favorite styles - only normal person sized. While she's there, she even takes a few of Yuzuriha's favorite ornaments and hides them - around the room, of course. She can still find them! If she spends valuable time LOOKING. Which in turn means she'll miss the clothing being too large. Or vice versa, whatever, point is, she's not gonna get all gussied up like usual. Stealth: 9d10o10k3 20 Next up was the boring wasp. Philisophical, huh? After putting her ear to the ground, Kei gets a neat list of his favorite philosophers. All that's left to do is spread a few absolutely outrageous rumors about them - nothing anyone would ever REALLY believe, but gosh do they love talking about it. Now that wasp is going to be so preoccupied with trying to squash or ignore the rumors, he won't have time to focus! Courtier: 7d10o10k4 30 Lastly, the one with the big pay off. That hair is so ridiculous! The only way it could be even more ridiculous is if it's bright pink! And so, after collecting a bit of dye, that's precisely what it's going to be - so long as Sho uses his hair spray. And of course he will! Slight of Hand: 7d10o10k3 34 Kei sits herself in the stands nearest Bayushi Iwao. If there's anyone here who's going to be just as much of a filthy cheat as she is, it's him. Best to keep an eye out. For the first round, she puts her money in (naturally) her three allies - and a bit in the mysterious Anzu as well, alongside Kaihime's money. Sometimes it's fun to bet on things you haven't fixed to ensure you'll win! But only sometimes.
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Oct 31, 2016 14:52
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Alright! Posting the results of your rolls first, then I'll try and work out the actual iaijutsu stuff and make a follow-up post. Future posts on my part should be faster and shorter, though I'm at a con for most of the next week. Everyone dueling should check Kei's result! Kozue hangs out with the Kakita for a while. Mikimoto is a well-trained courtier who's obviously pretty smart, but he doesn't have much actual court experience and seems to be letting Komatsu tell him what to do a lot. The other courtiers are starting to notice! Oh, and Bayushi Iwao has been seen talking to the Kaiu delegation. Supposedly the Scorpion and the Crab are negotiating a deal, but considering he's betting on Hiruma Daigo, a yojimbo with the Kaiu delegation, the timing is definitely weird... Kozue can encourage Mikimoto to assert himself. He'll probably be fine, and the Crane are less likely to meddle in the tournament. Also, Iwao might be up to something shady? If you follow this lead you risk annoying the Scorpion, but you'll get the Dragon's ear if you help Tonbo Shigeru beat his rival. Or you can help Iwao to get the Scorpion's ear. Yasuki Kenji likes to wander around, but he's always willing to chat and laugh with those he bumps into. When Misuko finds him he's trying to catch the attention of a group of Crane who are clearly snubbing him as politely as they can. Kenji's willing to talk about Crab music: "Ah, yes! You know the Kano? A vassal family of ours, artisans? I hear they have a young lady named Bunjaku who's very good at motivating the troops. She's been popular with visiting courtiers so we thought we'd bring her along, you know, surprise the Crane a little." He winks. "Not a problem for you, I hope! If it is don't tell her I said anything." The Crab brought Yasuki (Kano) Bunjaku to compete with the Crane, but the Crab aren't exactly subtle. If they have to step over Misuko show up the Crane, they will. On the upside, getting favor from a Crane Chancellor is an uphill battle for them. As for Anzu: "Ah, the ronin? I've heard of her. I hear she's a second-generation ronin, though I can't figure out who her parents were for the life of me. She's a sword-for-hire round Hiruma space. If she's here she's caught someone's interest, you know? Any ronin good enough to stand out on a Crab world sounds like a safe bet to me. ... She eats like an ogre, though." Kenji totally brought Anzu here and is maintaining plausible deniability. Who knows why! "You like swords, by the way? I'm a bit of a collector, myself. I'm looking for a Crane sword to complete my Great Clan collection, but my Minor Clan Alliance set has plenty of holes. If there's anything the Ibis needs from the Crab..." As stated earlier, these three had about the same Iaijutsu skill as their PC opponents. Thanks to Kei though, they're unprepared for their duel and suffer disadvantages: Yuzuriha is hilariously easy to manipulate, and watching her run around in a panic trying to find smol-duelist-sized clothes is hilarious. Eventually she gets things sorted out with the Daidoji, but she only has time to preen over her hair in a mirror and can't find any of her dueling accessories. She turns up to her duel looking extremely grumpy instead of cool and mysterious. Yuzuriha's Iaijutsu rolls are effectively 1k0 lower. Ryuzaki hears outrageous new rumors that some of his fave philosophers fraternized with aliens, got drunk and sired children on distant worlds, became ronin, etc. He spends most of the morning overhearing courtiers talking about it and trapping them in lectures on what those philosophers were really like, and has to be pried away by the other Mantis before he is late. When he shows up, he's got a lot on his mind. Ryuzaki's rolls are 0k1 lower. Sho's hair turns bright pink, and even he knows that's ridiculous. He manages to excuse himself to try and fix his precious hair, but the best he can do in time is making the pink less bright. He shows up a little self-conscious and extremely out of focus. Sho's rolls are 0k1 lower, and Risuta is considered to automatically succeed the Assessment stage by 10.s Ettin fucked around with this message at 13:39 on Nov 1, 2016 |
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Nov 1, 2016 13:18
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Alright! I ran through the duels over IRC and, uh, long story short you guys had a lot of exploding dice.  I'll describe how the duels went and post some new stuff! I'll try to keep it short, since I'd like to move on this month, so I'll probably just do 1-2 more rounds and decide how the rest of the tournament goes from there.Kohaku Kozue vs. Daidoji Yuzuriha Both duelists are quick, but Kozue is quicker. As Yuzuriha draws her sword, Kozue makes a blink-and-you-miss-it strike that cuts down the top of her tsukamaki, slices her hand, and ends the duel in an instant. Yuzuriha doesn't look pleased, but at least her hair is fine; she sheathes her sword, gives Kozue a grudging nod of respect, and leaves to get her hand fixed. Kozue is declared the winner. Marumaru Kaihime vs. Tsuruchi Ryuzaki Both duelists spend a few moments studying each other before making their strike, and Kaihime is slightly faster, landing a superficial cut as Ryuzaki swings. There's nothing fancy to this duel, but it's a solid display of technique. Ryuzaki bows to Kaihime and compliments her skill before leaving to corner the courtiers again. Ujina Risuta vs. Hamaguri Sho This one is just unfair. Sho doesn't seem ready at all, and by the time his sword comes out of its scabbard Risuta is already striking him with a blow that sends him sprawling to the ground. The audience cheers Risuta as his opponent is placed on a stretcher and carted away as politely as possible. Shiba Suzaku vs. Anzu The audience is clearly expecting Suzaku to end the duel in an instant, but instead the Shiba and Anzu spend a few moments studying each other. Then a few more. Just as the tension nears breaking point, the samurai explode into motion. Suzaku looks like he's about to get her, but Anzu is ready for him: she lunges upward, uses her arm to block his, then plunges her sword downward into the foot Suzaku shifted forward to strike. It's unconventional to say the least, but it works. Shiba is surprised when the ronin impales his foot, but to his credit he merely flinches. He simply waits as Anzu frees him, bows as best he can, and limps away as the audience boggles. Matsu (Koritome) Konoha vs. Hiruma Daigo Daigo guesses that Konoha is faster, and he's right; he shifts immediately into a defensive stance and barely blocks her first strike. They trade a couple more blows, but Daigo manages to turn his next parry into a swift strike that slashes her shoulder just in time. It seems pretty legit. Kei notices Iwao smile a little, though. The next round happens the following day. Tonbo Shigeru and Bayushi Iwao: These two both lost three and won two, so they're pretty much even. Iwao spends a lot more time hovering around the duelists and people connected to them, and Kozue is pretty sure he's looking for ways to interfere in the duels. Meanwhile, Shigeru's friend Togashi Hei meets with a few duelists and engages them in pleasant conversation before Shigeru makes his votes. Hei also meets with Kei, for some reason. (Hei might be on to her!) Yasuki Kenji: Kenji mostly won, so he celebrates with a few drinks and gets back to work. He seems to be keeping his distance from Anzu, who can usually be found talking to the other ronin or or inhaling noodles at the Crimson Tea Pavilion. Instead, he tries to talk to the Crane and gets rebuffed again. Kakita Komatsu: The Crane mostly broke even, which is better than losing but not by much. Also, one of their own is out of the tournament and they suspect foul play! Komatsu tells Mikimoto what bets to place and goes to watch over Doji Shizuka, just in case. ROUND 2 Round 2 of 3! Here are your fights, plus one more of interest. [Great] means they have their own stats and advantages and will pose a challenge to you. Kohaku Kozue vs. Shinjo Izumo [Great] Izumo is a Shinjo bushi. He usually fights on the back of his strange feathery lizard Mushan, but his ancient Shinjo sword techniques are nothing to sneeze at. Something about the way he shows up to duels riding a freaking dinosaur is pretty intimidating, even if he has to keep it stabled most of the time. Bayushi Iwao and Kakita Komatsu bet on Kozue. Yasuki Kenji and Tonbo Shigeru bet on Shinjo Izumo. Marumaru Kaihime vs. Bayushi Hayashi [Great] Hayashi was trained as a Toku bushi, but he's dedicated to serving the Scorpion Clan. His Kettōhon profile suggests he's calm, skilled, and used to the odds being stacked against him. You haven't actually seen him fight though—his previous opponent pulled out at the last minute after she fell ill. His sponsor Shosuro Moguru was on the other end of the palace the entire time, of course... Tonbo Shigeru, Yasuki Kenji, and Kakita Komatsu bet on Kaihime. Bayushi Iwao bets on Bayushi Hayashi. Ujina Risuta vs. Hiruma Daigo [Great] Daigo is Risuta's next opponent. As you saw from his last fight, his need for Kaiu medication hasn't dulled his iaijutsu skills much. He seems to be in surprisingly good shape, actually. Tonbo Shigeru and Kakita Komatsu bet on Risuta. Bayushi Iwao and Yasuki Kenji bet on Hiruma Daigo. Anzu [Superb] vs. Doji Shizuka [Superb] Doji Shizuka is a Crane warrior-poet, a master of the blade and word. Everyone was looking forward to watching her go against Shiba Suzaku, but this duel should be just as interesting. Whoever wins will go on to face a PC next round and could easily place in the top 3. Tonbo Shigeru bets on Anzu. Yasuki Kenji and Kakita Komatsu bet on Doji Shizuka. Bayushi Iwao abstains. Seppun Kamui [Superb] vs. Ichiro Moeka [Great] Kamui is the yojimbo of one of the Otomo and a calm, powerful veteran duelist, while Moeka is a young and rude Badger who will probably gain great glory once she learns to bite her tongue. This one's worth noting for other reasons, though: Misuko and Kei both receive secret orders to interfere with the fight to aid the plans of their own Clans. Misuko is asked to help ensure Kamui's victory by Toki Ozora, a mid-rank Ibis courtier who doesn't care for her music; he just believes in using every tool he has available, and assumes Misuko will try because she'll lose favour if she doesn't. Kei is asked to even the odds for Moeka by Kasuga Yuzu, who is probably the slimiest person at Winter Court but technically outranks Kei. He is seriously the worst, even by Tortoise standards. Whoever wins will be fighting one of the PCs. Tonbo Shigeru abstains. Bayushi Iwao bets on Seppun Kamui. Kakita Komatsu and Yasuki Kenji bet on Ichiro Moeka. Ettin fucked around with this message at 08:54 on Nov 2, 2016 |
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Nov 2, 2016 08:49
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Void Points: 2/4 Kozue really, between Iwao and Shigeru, doesn't seem to have a clue. The idea of playing tiles with Iwao, well, that's very Carp. At the same time, she's already been hanging out with Hei, and now that he's onto a mystery, she's curious about that! That being said, the whole matter with Iwao's dealings keeps her attention divided. Still, if somebody's messing with the tournament, she'd like to know about it! The duel goes easily, though, and Kozue has a broad smile that doesn't vanish for awhile. The Crane - Carp rivalry may be more in the Carp's eyes than in reality, but it's still a point of pride. "Let's get steak to celebrate!", she'll proclaim to Kaihime and Risuta cheerfully, but that just may be her natural reaction to her ritual diet for the rest of the day. Gruel, porridge, and pickled vegetables may purify the spirit, but they also purify the urge for steak.
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Nov 4, 2016 04:05
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This time the gamblers seemed less certain, which is fair enough - even though he did almost kill the Clam Clan duellist. But facing a great clan samurai should certainly be a challenge, even if it is from a less duel-focused family like the Hiruma. Risuta appreciates that Daigo has to use Kaiu medication in order to acclimate himself more rapidly to this world's clime, and is hoping this will give him an advantage. However his performance in his last duel does seem to indicate that although he might not necessarily be the fastest, he might well be able to provide a more stalwart defence against a first blow. Still, if the fight proceeds beyond the opening strikes, at the least Risuta has the advantage that he can employ his Hare techniques to a better extent, the opening strikes in an iaijutsu duel leave no room for the madcap acrobatics and manoeuvrability that the Hare are known for. Still, Risuta would keep an eye out for anything relevant that he can otherwise discern from Hiruma Daigo, their history, affiliations, and fighting style that he might be able to use to his advantage. However, being an active participant in this tournament he had also better make sure that he is appropriately prepared in mind, body, and soul in order to be able to deal with the tribulations that might assault in him the near future. Plus he promised himself a few more drinks at the end of all this if he wins. Hell, maybe even try out that new place he'd seen the other day, see if their kare raisu stands up to scrutiny.
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Nov 5, 2016 13:42
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Kaihime immediately seeks out Kei. Before the Turtle can even tell her how much she's won, she pulls another few koku out of a pocket. "Kei-san, put it all on Anzu again. And I found a few koku in this coat that I hadn't worn recently, so put that on her too. Thank you for taking care of me." At Kozue's suggestion, she nods. "Well, I might get steak, but a good dinner is in order! Um, can someone spot me? I gave my last coins to Kei just now..." Kaihime considers meeting with her opponent, but it doesn't seem proper. So instead she checks in with her fellow magistrates to see if any of them need help with their tasks, and then checks with Bakami. Lastly she calls Tsugumi to see if she's gotten lost.
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Nov 7, 2016 02:10
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Misuko spends most of the day considering the Crab's offer. And she realizes, if she's going to impress this merchant with a sword, then the sword must match the favor she needs from him. She heads back to the ship and spends the rest of the day rifling through the stuff at her cabin, a pocket mess of sound equipment, unfinished drafts, and secret memorabilia. Finally, she pulls it out under her bed: the sword of late actor Toki Takeshi, star of well-known tokustasu shows like Devil Mask Turbo Neo and Gunz vs Swordz: The Duel. "This is going to hurt me. In a personal sense." She sighs, then calls up her manager. "Yukari-sama, I'll need you to send something on my behalf to Yasuki Kenji. Favor for a favor. I think he can help us get closer to the Chancellor."
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Nov 19, 2016 13:14
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Kei eyes the Dragon. They were almost always trouble...but this one's easy to fool. After a bit of talking, she knows exactly how to play it. Kei makes sure her eyes are as wide and innocent as she can. "Hey, Togashi-san, I need help maybe, and you! Can help me! See, I'm cheering my friends on, because I think friendship is the most important thing in the world, and just...gosh, I just care about them so much! But, I'm scared! I've been looking at Bayushi-san over there, and I'm not sure I like how he keeps looking at my good friend Marumaru-chan. You've heard the rumors about the Bayushi, haven't you? And the last person to challenge Marumaru-chan's duelist ended up so sick, and so many people thought it was, you know. Bad things. Do you think you could help me keep an eye on Bayushi-san, Hei-chan? For the sake of Kei-chan? For the sake of friendship?" Sincerity (deceit): 7d10o10k4 46 She even had a lip wibble in there. By the kami, she was good at this. And all technically without telling a single lie, at that! Eat your heart out, Doji. Kei then heads off to make her own bets. She splits the money between Kozue, not just to make sure she took at least a little bit of a loss (to throw off suspicion), but also because, frankly, dinosaurs were cool. Kaihime and Risuta get all her money in their brackets, of course ("Because, they're my friends!" Barf). Anzu gets her next bet (and she makes sure to put in Keihime's money, of course, of course), and lastly bets on Kamui - though not a lot. Losing to get ahead was fine, so long as you didn't lose too much. Now to even the odds. She wasn't TOO worried about Kaihime. That's what Kei is for, after all. And beside, she wanted to see how she'd do WITHOUT her helping. Not that it mattered - she was pegging on Anzu sweeping in the end. But Risuta, that she could help with. "Acclimation medicine?" Drugs, for sure. But that's ok. Kei-chan is here to bring balance. And she'd have to set things up to put Kamui at a disadvantage, too. Oh, the troubles she has! First was Hiruma. By now, Kei was an expert at sneaking into rooms. This time, her goal was simple: steal the medicine. If it IS just medicine, he's PROBABLY fine not taking it for a bit! But if it's what she thought it was, then not having his very important pills could throw him off and force HIM to fight fair. How fun! Stealth: 9d10o10k3 27 The second fight would be harder. Of course she'd do her duty. Of course! Of course. But Yuzu was still gonna sweat a little. Because he's the worst! The worst. Also, Kei just plain didn't like the way Iwao was acting. These were her matches to play with, not his. And, Hei could always use more reason to find him suspicious. So...a forgery! Left in Seppun-san's room? Wonderful! Kei was familiar with most Scorpion chops (part of the biz, you know) and it wasn't too hard to get a simple letter together. A simple read gives a message: Iwao wants Seppun-san to strike low, because he has money riding on this, and Seppun-san owes him! And that he knows about the meeting! And if Seppun-san didn't remember, that's ok - Iwao has evidence anyways! That was the fun thing about fake blackmail. You didn't HAVE to actually say you knew anything. Just put it in threatening quotation marks and let their imagination do everything! Either way, Seppun-san should be shaken, and given false advice. Maybe even shaken enough to report this? Stealth: 7d10o10k3 20 The best thing about forgeries is that, even if they don't hold under scrutiny, it's still suspicious enough to make people get nervous. So long as it didn't lead back to her, everything was fine! All that's left to do now is watch! Kei takes a seat, this time near the Yasuki. He knows something about Anzu. Maybe he'll give something away?
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Dec 9, 2016 16:30
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