(Day 8, LE) Sweat in the Inner Circle (Open, Expecting)

[Asako Yuki]

Yuki pushed some of her hair back and re-entered her position, when she moved for Butaj this time it was even poorer, he easily sidestepped her and she barely got a hand on him.

Attack: 6

[Moto Butaj]

Butaj isn't taking pity when he relaxes and attacks carelessly, initiating a looser hold. He wants to encourage her to be more assertive. With a stronger opponent one has to take risks. But in the end he fails at exposing himself, fighter instincts prevailing. A shame. She'll have to take it out on him with kenjutsu.

Day 8 - LE - Butaj Wrassles Yuki: Grip Me, Baby - Ag/Jiujutsu (Bariqu), FA: 8d10ro1o10l5 19

Day 8 - LE - Butaj Wrassles Yuki: Throw Me, Baby - Str/Jiujutsu (Bariqu): 5d10ro1o10l3 18

[Asako Yuki]

Yuki grabbed back and for a moment it actually looked like she might manage to topple Butaj for once, but skill and strength beat sheer luck usually and so, once again, Yuki goes down.

Control: 15

Dusting herself off with a smile at Butaj, she speaks. "I will definitely have to practice."

[Moto Butaj]

"Bariqu is a new element for you and at least you now know it's not as easy as it may sometimes look!" He smiles, reaching to her to help her up. "But Butaj knows in the East swordsmanship is respected much more, and Butaj senses Yuki is really good with her blade, so he looks forward to the beating!" He bits his lip but only after they hands separate. "Yuki will have a lot of bariqu practice with Butaj." He smirks playfully.

[Asako Yuki]

Yuki smiled warmly, and with great confidence. "I was best in my class there." She says with a bit of a smirk, then paused. She wanted to bring something up without bringing up everything that happened last night.

"Butaj-san, I..." She paused again. "Last night, you kept switching between using your name and using the word 'I'." Yuki looked puzzled. "Why did you do that?"

[Moto Butaj]

"Hmmm." It is clear he doesn't have ready answer. His brows furrow. "Butaj thinks it was because... of the situation. Where it brought us, close. And Butaj felt he should change something that is safe for him, to take the risk to be closer to you, more genuine. Your were so genuine that there seemed to be no other way... Butaj still struggles with proper forms in the Eastern language. He knows some fancy words but doesn't know which sound nice and which grit on ears. So it may be... and how did Yuki feel about the I in Butaj?" He looks at her with some anxiety that perhaps shouldn't be there but somehow has crept in.

[Asako Yuki]

Yuki smiles, as warm and accepting as ever. "I liked it, and I'm sure with time you'll get better with the little nuances of Rokugani. We can teach each other, neh?"

[Moto Butaj]

"Butaj feels that there can be no better motivation for him to improve than Yuki." He smiles fondly. "So yes... I... would like that, very much, to do things together. Train and ride and everything." He glances at the wooden training weapons. "Hirase told... me... that your family breeds horses, and you've ridden since you were young."

[Asako Yuki]

Yuki giggled a little. "Breeding is a little incorrect. We have two horses. One's an older mare named Hotaru, the other is just a few years old, her name is Manami. Mostly father uses them for sending messages, though many of us took lessons riding them."

[Moto Butaj]

"And does your family live near the plains?" Butaj wonders, rubbing his chin as he goes to retrieve his vest. Bariqu is over, no need to be so topless. "Butaj thinks that maybe if your family likes horses and there is a place to breed them, we could actually try to start a small herd."

[Asako Yuki]

Yuki nodded. "Hai, South of Hopeful Rest City. It's a little hilly there, but it's pleasant enough for horses I think." Yuki smiled at thoughts of their potential life together. "That sounds wonderful, Butaj-san. I hope we have enough land for that." Yuki considered that potential problem.

[Moto Butaj]

"The Phoenix don't have cavalry. Maybe Butaj could prove they should have a bit of it, and then we could be given more land to herd horses? Feed is feed, but they need pastures to graze." He smiles. "Hopeful Rest is such a nice name."

[Asako Yuki]

Yuki smiled and nodded. "Hai, and with Unicorn cavalry, I'm certain someone will see the value of Phoenix cavalry." She paused, looking at the weapon rack as well.

"Speaking of getting used to things, you're going to have to get used to dueling." She moved towards the rack and picked up two boken.

[Moto Butaj]

"The thing Butaj witnessed today on the hill, right? The way that Princess Kitaku was humiliated by?" He frowns at that, waiting to be handed one.

[Asako Yuki]

Yuki frowned a little. Didn't seem like Butaj had much of a good notion on the sacred art of iaijutsu. "I hear Miya-sama was trained by the Kakita, they are generally regarded as the best duelists." She handed Butaj the boken. "It is the way disputes are settled, here in Rokugan. You aren't likely to run into many willing to settle matters with Bariqu outside of Unicorn lands, and it's best to be able to defend yourself."