Dark Edge Village

Udo had asked the Unicorn to use some painting supplies, and they had been kind enough to lend him some. He took his materials to the dueling fields, which he'd passed earlier on his way to the shrine.

The area was beautiful in its simplicity, and Udo wanted to capture some of that.

He climbed up the stands to the top row and set out his materials and he began to paint. Udo was not skilled, but he was not trying to create a masterpiece. He wanted to create something that captured the essence of the place. Like all things, he attempted to act without thought, letting the brush moving instinctively across the canvas.

He paused for a moment to look at his work... Not bad. He nodded to himself and continued to work.

Hiroji was wandering the lands after the Archery Event, his mind somewhat bothered by his lack of success in the events. But none the less he tried to calm his mind in the serene wilderness, when he noticed the Dragon. Hiroji gave him a bow and said "Good afternoon" before glancing at his painting.

Udo doesn't look up for a minute, almost like he didn't hear the Crab, but after finishing a few strokes, he stops and looks up.

"Good afternoon, yes."

Hiroji sees a painting of the place they are in with the noonday sun upon it, lighting up the area. It is a fairly accurate representation, but not of any particular skill.

"This one is Togashi Udo. Would you care to join me?"

Hiroji nods. "I am Kaiu Hiroji, and I wold like to join you." He eyes the painting for a moment. "I must confess I am not one for art... But this landscape makes for a good painting." He nods again.

"It is nice. I am not an artist, but it seemed like a good day to try something new."

Udo puts the painting aside. "How are you fairing today, Kaiu-san?"

Hiroji sighs and looks out into the wilderness. "Could be better. My fortune in the Unicorn's challenges has been less than stellar."

"The challenges have been impressive. I found myself stumbling over words yesterday, which is... uncommon for me."

Sensing Hiroji's discomfort, he adds: "But it doesn't seem that many are excelling at them, including the Unicorn themselves. Perhaps the point isn't to win, but rather to show the Unicorn that you want to win."

He gives Udo a slight nervous smile after his comment. "We can only hope so, Togashi-san."

"I met one of your fellow Crab earlier today, Yasuki Tomonaga. He was very kind. It seems the Crab are represented by strong samurai at this miai."

"Have you been meeting those you'd like to meet?"

Hiroji nods. "Yes, Yasuki-san is a good man, I had the honor to travel here with him." He hesitates at Udo's question. "Perhaps... I... I am not sure, I have met a few of the Unicorn women. I have found them to be... Charming..." He appears to be slightly uneasy. "How about you Togashi-san?" He finally says.

"Yes, I have met a number of Unicorn, and I must say they all have their charm. Well..." he thinks better of it and decides not to clarify that maybe not all of them did.

"Many of them seem quite straightforward. It makes understanding the conversation much easier than talking to a courtier."

Hiroji's face relaxes a tad. "I find a straightforward way of conversing and thinking to be a very good quality in anyone." He nods.

"As a monk, I cannot promise full straightforwardness, but I will do what I can."

"I understand the Crab use many different weapons besides katana. What is your weapon of choice, Kaiu-san?"

"I prefer the Masakari, force coupled with a blade, it is my choice." He nods.

Udo's brow furrows. "I don't believe I'm familiar with the weapon... but I did little training outside of my fists. What does it look like?"