(Day 4, LA) Here Comes the Rain Again (Butaj's Yurt)

[Moto Butaj]

"Butaj does it sometimes. They are better cooks and hunters than him." He sits near her and starts to efficiently portion the slab into thinner slices on a plate on his knees. In his hands, the knife makes quick work of it. "Butaj is a warrior, first and foremost. A rider. A wrestler. And an entertainer. Those are the things Butaj does well, the rest not so much."

[Bayushi Hotaru]

"Well, even so! It seems that you're more than just a warrior. That's an impressive list of things that you can lay claim to. To call yourself a 'rider', especially among your peers, must only mean that you're quite extraordinary. I've seen you entertain and you're pretty good! And wrestling...do you use it to compete, among each other? Have you won any tournaments before?"

[Moto Butaj]

"Butaj is a good rider because he is Shinjo-trained and has an excellent horse. Huludai is a marvel. He is rare bay black, strong and rambunctious, just like Butaj." He chuckles, passing the plate of prepared tasty bits to her, alongside the knife. No funny big toothpicks. "Bariqu is a sport practiced freely, but also way to resolve disputes. It is mostly locks and throws. Back in the day when Ujik-hai leaders had a contention they resolved it bloodlessly through bariqu. Lady Shinjo adopted it as a good way because she also forbade blood of kin be spilled among the Unicorn. Butaj is not too ambitious or contentious man, but he likes bariqu anyway, wrestling is good entertainment and a chance to show strength. Here, Butaj has measured up against several samurai, won with Soshi Yuuru and Matsu Yurio, lost with Mizuki of the Mantis. Other matches may come, one is planned with Matsu Nintoku. Nintoku is probably stronger than Butaj, but Butaj is more agile, so it will be an interesting bout!"

[Bayushi Hotaru]

"Oooh..." she murmured in vague understanding at the reveal that Butaj was actually Shinjo-trained. It might have been unlikely that she could have caught hint of that. She merely assumed that Butaj had trained with his own family, as he seemed every way as Moto as his cousin.

She looked down at the knife on the plate that was given to her, is the knife meant for use to stab the meat further in case it's still alive? Reaching for the knife carefully, she did her best to make it into manageable bits to eat and ate with the knife as a utensil, careful to not cut her tongue. "I must have been living under a rock to miss the word of these great conquests of strength! What's that, three matches already? At this rate, you're going to have a match every day you're here. Have you considered seeking out the Crab for challenges?"

[Moto Butaj]

The meat is sliced in a way that doesn't make it difficult for her to stab and chew. "Butaj wasn't exactly shy about his bariqu matches, and no Crab has shown up. Maybe those here are not too keen on wrestling. Too bad. If they marry in, they'll have to catch up!" Butaj laughs. "Every day would be good, but Butaj doubts there will be enough willing competitors."

[Bayushi Hotaru]

She slowly made her way with the meat on her plate, taking small nibbles and bites as they spoke. "That's strange. I thought the Crab were all about pinching and grabbing things. I only ran into a Yasuki here, however, and I don't think he's the type for it. I'm sure you've challenged your peers enough by now...Are you the strongest Unicorn here?"

[Moto Butaj]

Butaj shrugs. "Butaj hasn't wrestled with all others. But he's probably the one who is most dedicated to bariqu."

[Bayushi Hotaru]

She nodded in acceptance at that. "A master at this art, then. Have you considered taking on martial arts in Rokugan? We have something that is used in competitions specifically, like sumo. I wouldn't know much about it, but it is a sacred competition with much tradition and ritual. They even bred generations of people just to the martial art itself."

[Moto Butaj]

"But it sounds a lot not like bariqu." Butaj comments, slightly bemused. "Butaj does not mean to forsake the traditions of the Unicorn. But he would gladly try himself against those sumo."

[Bayushi Hotaru]

Hotaru took a few more small nibbles of her food and smiled faintly. "That could be something! We might even have one in attendance...Either way, people who practice sumo professionally tend to be rather large people. They need a lot of mass in their sport and energy, with all of the pushing and shoving they are doing in the ring."

[Moto Butaj]

Butaj watches himself, his biceps and chest for a while. "Butaj thinks he's well-muscled. More mass would be excessive and quite disfiguring. So it does not entice Butaj to try sumo."

[Bayushi Hotaru]

She eyed Butaj back when he inspected himself and quickly averted her eyes away when she caught herself doing so. Hotaru gave him a sheepish smile as she could only agree with his assessment. "Ah, that's probably the right call! You'll have to start eating a lot at an early age and keep doing so...You might be behind, if you wanted do such a thing."

After another few bites of her plate, she set it down beside her and gave a clap of her hands. "Thank you for sharing your dance and food, Moto-san! I think I'll have to get going before those dark clouds conspire against us, however. I'll be seeing you around the camp, perhaps?"

[Moto Butaj]

He looks at her with a jovial smile, out of his self-conscious moment, then nods. "It was nice to spend some time with Bayushi Hotaru. Butaj sings and plays a lot and speaks loudly, so he won't be hard to notice." She's pretty, so she gets a widening smile, but then he looks up. "Yes, we better bring some things in so they are not drenched. Butaj will check on the stables, horses sometimes panic because of thunders. May the storms be kind to us all."

[Bayushi Hotaru]

Hotaru rose and bowed politely to excuse herself. "Oh, you've been a surprising delight, Moto-san! May the storm be a brief one. Carry the Fortunes and may they bless your path. Have a good night, now!"

With that, she made her wy back to her yurt. Hopefully, her short legs could carry her back to it before the downpour got to her...

/exit!

[Moto Butaj]

While Butaj will get soaked, end end up with the lamb in the tent of Princess Kitaku, where his proud beard will be lost. For now, however, he says his farewells with Hotaru and starts quickly gathering things!

/scene