Dark Edge Village

Mirumoto Chou was a flashing whirl.

There were few things the bushi enjoyed more than wielding her blades. There were things she missed almost as much--like watching a field of topless Togashi go through their forms in the dawn light, casting fine and detailed shadows--but nothing topped the joy of her humming katana, her wakizashi a comfortable weight in her off-hand.

She'd have been out doing her morning exercises earlier, but it took her longer to get ready in the unfamiliar confines of her yurt. She hoped to be better at it tomorrow.

Gradually, Chou sheathed her blades and dropped into a dueling stance. She tried to find where Saku sat with her sense, if only to give her something to draw at. The lemur knew better than to be close while she practiced. Chou's fingers tickled the hilt of her katana. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale-

She drew, relishing the hiss. She might never duel again.

Soshi Yuuru walked into the dojo that morning and took a look around the walls. He wasn't ever much of an indoor person, but the times he did enjoy staying indoors were usually in a dojo. The unusual mix of Lion design and makeshift Unicorn decoration caught his attention as something quite different from his own experience. He put his belongings down and tied his kimono's sleeves to be a bit more maneuverable before walking out onto the floor to begin his regiment of training.

Shinjo Liu Yue came to take in the dojo. It was a curiosity to her; most of her training had been on the move due to the Dark Ride. For the moment, she did not train, though she could be practicing with her tetsubo if she so desired. Instead, she was content to watch the others. Though she could have introduced herself, she saw it better to not interrupt their regimens.

Yuuru turned to the two women present and nodded a greeting deciding to break the silence, "Good morning ladies. I hope you've had your rice this morning?"

Chou heard the first visitor enter, then the second. One sounded decidedly heavier than the other. One of them spoke--male, but probably not a Unicorn. Apparently her second voyeur was another woman.

Draw.

"I have, samurai-san, thank you." She smiled to herself for sounding like a peasant.

Sheath. Stand.

"I am Mirumoto Chou."

Another nice bow. Should be, after the footwork she'd just been practicing.

"Ohayou gozaimasu," Yue replied, each syllable exact and precise. Too precise for normal conversation. She gave both of them each a deep bow. "My rice?" She shook her head. "I did eat so do not worry, please."

She paused and then smiled faintly. "Watakushi wa Shinjo Liu Yue desu."

He smiled, which she would never have known and replied, "And I am Soshi Yuuru, it's a pleasure to meet you Mirumoto-san."

He then nodded to the Shinjo, "Good morning to you as well. Interesting dojo you have here..."

Apart from Liu Yue, Liu Fei had entered the Dojo as well but sought quickly to allow herself some time to practice. Stepping off to the side, away from the others gathered here, she found herself with her Naginata in hand. As there was no better way to practice alone than with a true weapon in hand.

Dojo's were not typically Suteichi's place to be yet he would at times be guided there, in one way or another. Seeing who all was there he found a Shinjo samurai-ko working with a naginata.

Shinjo Liu Fei wrote:Apart from Liu Yue, Liu Fei had entered the Dojo as well but sought quickly to allow herself some time to practice. Stepping off to the side, away from the others gathered here, she found herself with her Naginata in hand. As there was no better way to practice alone than with a true weapon in hand.

"Good morning samurai-sama. Might I be in your company as you practice?" Suteichi spoke with a practiced bow.

Glancing over toward the man as he approached Liu Fei she turned just in time as he stopped before her. With her Naginata remaining in a passive position she returned the bow easily.

"As you would like, Samurai-sama," she said, not seeming to be picky about how he wished to define being in her company. Appraising the man for a moment before looking to his mon and, as before, using her tried and true tactic of getting them to reveal themselves.

"I am Shinjo Liu Fei."

Shinjo Liu Fei wrote:Glancing over toward the man as he approached Liu Fei she turned just in time as he stopped before her. With her Naginata remaining in a passive position she returned the bow easily.

"As you would like, Samurai-sama," she said, not seeming to be picky about how he wished to define being in her company. Appraising the man for a moment before looking to his mon and, as before, using her tried and true tactic of getting them to reveal themselves.

"I am Shinjo Liu Fei."

A faint smile offered and polite nod in return. He too appraised her as he spoke, his tone polite and soft.

"An honor to make your acquaintance Shinjo-sama. I am Bayushi Suteichi."

Stepping out onto the mat a bit more she prepared her Naginata and herself a little as they continued to talk.

"An honor to make your acquaintance in turn, Bayushi-sama. Have you come here to practice or watch?" she asked with a clear preference toward his answer being the former.

Suteichi paced a bit, faint smile on his face.

"I have come to learn Shinjo-sama. I can learn by watching and by practicum. I find that doing both can be a benefit. You should learn something new everyday from someone. If you are willing to teach this one something about the weapon, this one is willing to learn."

Chou was slightly anxious about maintaining a safe distance from the others. It was becoming difficult to keep track of where all the voices were coming from, and the last thing she needed was to accidentally cut one of them during her practice. Of course, if they were so unaware as to fall into her blade's path, she wouldn't feel too bad about it. Still, not politic.

The Mirumoto shuffled a little further away from the voices before taking up her stance again. She listened intently to what sounded like an offer to spar.

"It is a pleasure to meet you both, Yuuru-dono, Chou-dono."

Liu Yue made sure to keep her distance from the blind woman's swings. She shot a glance over to her sister and the man before turning back to the Soshi. "It is the first time I have stepped foot in here," she admitted. She paused before giving a small, awkward smile. "I mean to say I do not know much about it."