Game On (D3 LE - VERY OPEN)

[Usagi Tomoe]

Tomoe smiled. "It is hard to get a feeling of it the first times, but it is not the worst move," she chuckled warmly and while she was no expert at Go, she had read EVERYTHING there was to know about it, studied all the games of the highest ranking Go players that had been transferred to paper... and she was smart enough to not overpower Dong-Ha with her familiarity with it, but rather play the game so that he could learn the most from the experience. An instructional game.

An experienced Go player would be proud of her.

"Some would say that the complexity of Go is how fluid it can be, and the number of possibilities a stone can play," she said while playing her stones close to his, allowing him the chances to capture territory.

[Soshi Bantu]

Bantu bows in conceding defeat to Fukawa. The Crane was clearly superior in this field and there was no shame in losing to a superior opponent.

Although his attention was occasionally diverted to the many Go games around the room, he remained nearby in an effort to dissuade any further embarrassing moments.

[Matsu Nintoku]

The Moto's ululation and boast made the Lion roll his eyes and while he would like nothing more than to see the Doji fumble to hide her indignation to Khulun's question he thought it was better to intervene.

"Moto-san." he sighed "Doji-san is a courtier of the Crane. They are more akin to your Ide storytellers and I seriously doubt it is in the duties of a Doji to fight with weapons other than their tongue."

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

Tomoe smiled. "It is hard to get a feeling of it the first times, but it is not the worst move," she chuckled warmly and while she was no expert at Go, she had read EVERYTHING there was to know about it, studied all the games of the highest ranking Go players that had been transferred to paper... and she was smart enough to not overpower Dong-Ha with her familiarity with it, but rather play the game so that he could learn the most from the experience. An instructional game.

An experienced Go player would be proud of her.

"Some would say that the complexity of Go is how fluid it can be, and the number of possibilities a stone can play," she said while playing her stones close to his, allowing him the chances to capture territory.

"Is there a good first move?" Dong-Ha inquired as he placed the next stone.The game seemed so... random. "I trust Usagi-san will tell me if I make an illegal move?" Not that he was even sure such things existed in the game. "Well, there are definately possibilities..." the board was vast and full of empty spots. "So, what Usagi-san does when she is not reading... or writing histories?"

[Doji Fukawa]

The Doji had a response all lined up...and then the stupid Lion roared. Normally, she would have let that slide....but the Unicorn must be rubbing off on her.

She turns to the Matsu, unfolding her fan with a 'Snap!'

"Matsu-san, you honor Natsu-Togumara with your eagerness to educate the Unicorn in our ways." she offers. "And I apologize for monopolizing the conversation for a moment, but in the name of Courtesy, would you please let me finish making my point to Moto-san before you offer your commentary?"

[Usagi Tomoe]

"Is there a good first move?" Dong-Ha inquired as he placed the next stone.The game seemed so... random. "I trust Usagi-san will tell me if I make an illegal move?" Not that he was even sure such things existed in the game. "Well, there are definately possibilities..." the board was vast and full of empty spots. "So, what Usagi-san does when she is not reading... or writing histories?"

"There are some illegal moves," her player vaguely recalled. "I will of course say if you might do one... we are playing this game for you to learn, neh?"

"When I'm not reading or writing?" Tomoe laughed a little at herself over that. "I do admit I enjoy that, even if it is part of my duties, but I like to play music... or at least try to play music on my shamisen. Sometimes I have to fix up the bushi who get hurt, from my training as a healer. Hmm, and exploring the Shinomen is often fun too, even if it can be dangerous sometimes... I never go alone, of course."

"And what about Iuchi-san?"

[Moto Khulun]

The Crane’s snap impressed Khulun, she wants a fan now.

[Matsu Nintoku]

The Lion stared coldly at the Doji. It took all his strength not to roll his eyes at her unfolding of the fan; his mother had always told him that courtiers were nothing more than glorified leeches that enjoyed chastising bushi but would then grovel at their feet when the situation got dark.

"As you wish" he said in a chilly tone, deescalating the situation. He REALLY needed more kumis.

[Moto Khulun]

Khulun hands him a skin and says, “Where you get the fancy fan, Crane? I want one. I like that snap sound!”

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"When I'm not reading or writing?" Tomoe laughed a little at herself over that. "I do admit I enjoy that, even if it is part of my duties, but I like to play music... or at least try to play music on my shamisen. Sometimes I have to fix up the bushi who get hurt, from my training as a healer. Hmm, and exploring the Shinomen is often fun too, even if it can be dangerous sometimes... I never go alone, of course."

"And what about Iuchi-san?"

"Ah, Kakita's instrument remains as popular as ever. You are the second person who mentions the instrument." he answered. "As for myself, I dabble with a flute, though mostly to kill time when traveling. There's only so much you can do comfortably on a horse. I have some books too, but reading on a horse is bit harder..."

"Medicine, eh...I'm also studying under my mother's tutelage to become a healer." Dong-Ha sounded happy to have found some common ground. "Not that know much, as my father's has been intent I focus on the meishodo." he flicked one of the trinkets, leaving it dangling for a moment. "I have also some other tricks in my sleeve." An enigmatic smile flickered on his lips.

[Usagi Tomoe]

"Oho, secretive are we?" the Hare chuckled happily, appriciating a bit of humour.

The meishodo of the Iuchi shugenja were still a mystery to her in many ways, but in a way it also felt rude to ask... even if Tomoe was very very curious.

"Are both your parents priests who use meishodo, or...?" she asked, hoping maybe that could edge more into this mystical thing.

[Doji Fukawa]

Khulun hands him a skin and says, “Where you get the fancy fan, Crane? I want one. I like that snap sound!”

Nope, between the Matsu and the Kumis, it seemed unlikely she was going to regain her point.

She looks briefly at which fan she had on her at the moment. It was of a Crane flying on a starlight night.

"This one? It was painted by Doji Kasumi, I acquired it at one of the shops she was the patron of near Kyuden Doji." she explains.

She glances briefly at the Matsu, and then returns her focus to the Moto.

"You know, Moto-san, while I have seen no shops to speak of in the village, it is a common courtship custom in the Empire to make a gift of one of your fans to one you are courting. That way you can display their fan to show whom you are courting in a clever, rather than boastful fashion."

One more quick glance at the Matsu.

"Perhaps you shall leave this miai with the fan of another?" she suggests.

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"Oho, secretive are we?" the Hare chuckled happily, appriciating a bit of humour.

The meishodo of the Iuchi shugenja were still a mystery to her in many ways, but in a way it also felt rude to ask... even if Tomoe was very very curious.

"Are both your parents priests who use meishodo, or...?" she asked, hoping maybe that could edge more into this mystical thing.

"Not really, I meant it literally." he moved his arm over his arm, trying to pull a trinket from his sleeve, but instead dropped in into his lap. "Err... " He looked up from his lap, blushing. "That didn't work quite the way I expected it to." Blush crept on Dong-Ha's cheeks. So much for impressing her with his tricks.

"Yes, that would be the case!" he was happy to grasp the new topic. "My father is a successor in a long like of meishodo sensei... my mother is practitioner as well, though she specializes in curative magics."

[Moto Khulun]

“Oh?” she smiles brightly and then says, “That is clever, so you mark your lover as yours with a fan! Does Doji-san have many fans she is quite pretty must have many men that want to know her.”

She glances at the Matsu and says, “I have no fan perhaps I give my lover bruises to mark as mine.”

Her joke makes her laugh and then she adds, “I like you Sayyeda Doji, show me more of this fashion.”

[Usagi Tomoe]

"Not really, I meant it literally." he moved his arm over his arm, trying to pull a trinket from his sleeve, but instead dropped in into his lap. "Err... " He looked up from his lap, blushing. "That didn't work quite the way I expected it to." Blush crept on Dong-Ha's cheeks. So much for impressing her with his tricks.

"Yes, that would be the case!" he was happy to grasp the new topic. "My father is a successor in a long like of meishodo sensei... my mother is practitioner as well, though she specializes in curative magics."

Tomoe raised a hand to her lips as she held back a giggle when she saw him blush. She understood he had tried to do something to impress her, but ended up looking... well, rather cute instead.

At least she had offered him a graceful way out of it.

"It sounds like your family is blessed with a strong gift for the path of a priest then, to be an heir to such a long line of shugenja," she nodded. "I am still not sure how these meishodo work though. Are they perhaps a variation on a shugenja's ofuda, as sacred paper might've been difficult to come by in your travels?"

Now she was the one who blushed. "... Uhm, if you don't mind me asking, that is. I wouldn't want to intrude upon sacred secrets of your clan."

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((Guess I took all the good dice earlier for the Go-roll ))