Day 2 [Early Evening] Test Your Might

[Soshi Yuuru]

He nodded his thanks, "It was an interesting technique. I'd love another chance to try myself against it now that I have a bit of experience with it."

He then bowed a bit more formally for a greeting, "My name is Soshi Yuuru. It's a pleasure to meet you Iuchi-san."

[Iuchi Saksaha]

"And I am Iuchi Saksaha. It is good to meet you also, Soshi-san." Since he'd bowed first, she has no trouble remembering to do so as well, setting the beads in her hair ticking faintly against one another."

Soshi, Soshi... Right, that was supposed to be a shugenja family, though this one doesn't look much like a priest to her.

"I do not know what tests the Shinjo and Moto have planned for us, but I think it is not impossible that they will give you your wish," she adds, lips quirking as she brushes back a strand of beads that's fallen over her shoulder.

[Soshi Yuuru]

He nodded positively, "Then I hope to perform much better then."

He then tilted his head, "Are you a priestess of your people Iuchi-san?"

[Usagi Tomoe]

Wonder what sort of tests the Iuchi might give then... Tomoe mused, but was happy to watch Yuuru interact with Saksaha. The Unicorn priestess seemed like a good woman who could handle someone like Yuuru, based on her previous encounter with her, so she kept an eye out for possibly helping out there.

[Shinjo Liu Fei]

...

When she saw the pained smile, his scrambling for his mask she seemed to pause and just watch. Standing tall. Handsome as he was that pained smile seemed to grasp all of her attention for a brief moment and he likely could have sworn she was about to frown.

"You did well," she said simply. Remaining where she was she asked, "Did I cause you harm, Bayushi-sama?"

[Iuchi Saksaha]

Wonder what sort of tests the Iuchi might give then... Tomoe mused, but was happy to watch Yuuru interact with Saksaha. The Unicorn priestess seemed like a good woman who could handle someone like Yuuru, based on her previous encounter with her, so she kept an eye out for possibly helping out there.

He nodded positively, "Then I hope to perform much better then."

He then tilted his head, "Are you a priestess of your people Iuchi-san?"

"I am," Saksaha confirms. "As my grandparents were before me. And Soshi-san is a warrior?"

Since Saksaha can't read minds, she misses any potentially ominous implications (handle???) in the Hare's train of thought and carries on innocently chatting with Yuuru, giving half an eye to the scene on the mats. Was that Scorpion about to concede, or was he foolish enough to think he might find another opening?

[Soshi Yuuru]

The Soshi nodded, "Of sorts. I trained at a school for our magistrates, or law-keepers. We deal with those who break the Empire's laws. My father was the same, but my mother is a priestess."

[Bayushi Suteichi]

...

When she saw the pained smile, his scrambling for his mask she seemed to pause and just watch. Standing tall. Handsome as he was that pained smile seemed to grasp all of her attention for a brief moment and he likely could have sworn she was about to frown.

"You did well," she said simply. Remaining where she was she asked, "Did I cause you harm, Bayushi-sama?"

Suteichi stretched and twisted his back.

"Yes. A bit. I rather enjoyed it."

He paced about for a bit then stood before her.

"Again."

[Iuchi Saksaha]

The Soshi nodded, "Of sorts. I trained at a school for our magistrates, or law-keepers. We deal with those who break the Empire's laws. My father was the same, but my mother is a priestess."

"Oh." Saksaha looks a little favorably impressed at this, dark eyes widening a little as she nods slightly. "The law is a respected calling among my people. It was by means of Shinjo's laws that we carried Rokugan with us as we traveled, instead of becoming Ujik-hai or Senpet or Dahabi or..." she trails off and shrugs slightly. "I suppose it plays a different part here at home. But still important."

She also doesn't miss the mention of his mother's profession, filing this fact away for later.

[Shinjo Liu Fei]

Liu Fei looked at him oddly for a moment and then shrugged before dropping down into her stance, "Odd as it is it is far from me to keep you from the things you enjoy," she taunted.

"When you are ready, Bayushi-sama."

[Soshi Yuuru]

He nodded, "Without the law, the Empire ceases to be what it is. From what I've seen so far, I'm impressed with your people's resilience in keeping together what you could while you searched the wilds for that long. I spend a lot of my time in our untamed areas, and find myself occasionally growing detached from civilization the longer I'm out there.... And I've only been doing this for 2 years. For you all to have done this for as long as you have is truly impressive."

He tilted his head slightly, "What is it that a priestess of the Iuchi does for her duties might I ask?"

[Usagi Tomoe]

Tomoe's attention was somewhere between Saksaha and Yuuru's budding conversation, and the bout between the Shinjo woman and the prickly Bayushi.

Is he... enjoying this or something? Taking some pleasure in being beaten about so?

[Bayushi Suteichi]

Liu Fei looked at him oddly for a moment and then shrugged before dropping down into her stance, "Odd as it is it is far from me to keep you from the things you enjoy," she taunted.

"When you are ready, Bayushi-sama."

Suteichi went straight in the two were again locked in a tight grasp. Again, he foolishly played the strength game with her again and like last time it was getting the same result. He met her eyes. To him, there was a beauty behind her fierceness he found quite attractive. There was a moment he threw her a charmed smile. With the slight distraction, he managed to push her back to a stumble. He was tired, quite tired and sweaty to her not having broke a sweat, but he was proud of himself nonetheless.

She's strong. Gifted. I can respect that.

Suteichi bowed to her. "You're good... very....good."

[Iuchi Saksaha]

He nodded, "Without the law, the Empire ceases to be what it is. From what I've seen so far, I'm impressed with your people's resilience in keeping together what you could while you searched the wilds for that long. I spend a lot of my time in our untamed areas, and find myself occasionally growing detached from civilization the longer I'm out there.... And I've only been doing this for 2 years. For you all to have done this for as long as you have is truly impressive."

He tilted his head slightly, "What is it that a priestess of the Iuchi does for her duties might I ask?"

"It is not all wild out there, you know," Saksaha points out. "The world is full of other peoples living in other ways. It was not just civilization we had to hold to, it was our civilization." She shakes her head slightly with a rattle of beads, a wry smile shaping the corners of her mouth. "Some of you people in this land seem to find us so foreign--but we are more like you than most people out there."

She spreads her hands. "What does a priestess of the Iuchi do? I think it must be much like what a priestess of the Soshi does, except that we have no fixed temples to tend. We care for the people's spiritual needs. At times we call on the power of the elements to help them with problems. We store up knowledge about the spirits and other beings, in case it is needed. And sometimes we are bridges between the worlds of spirits and men." She makes a reflexive warding gesture, since these are all things which ought to be spoken of with proper caution and reverence.

[Soshi Yuuru]

"Interesting." Yuuru said with a nod. "I hear that you store these blessings in a kind of enchantment... I am not all that knowledgeable about such things but it seems somewhat different that what I am accustomed to."