Sapphire Ambassadors

Choudai entered the dojo with a bit of almost sleep-walking reflexive motions, as if he wasn't fully sure where he was on a conscious level.

Selecting a bokken, he started going through his forms, with the same lack of conscious thought.

The interesting thing, to a seasoned observer, was that he combined fairly advanced training in terms of maneuver with much more limited skill at the basics of kenjutsu, something akin to a sparrow with the talons of a hawk.

As he went through his rote forms, his mind raced.

She's here, and just being around her makes me feel alive in a way I haven't since the damn war.

Things mattered again, and that was... not ideal, in some ways.

She's pregnant. It's mine.

Despite everything, he grinned, even in the midst of his mechanistic practice.

The child is OURS.

His dreams of the night before, the memories of Naishou, had woken him in a foul humor, but after seeing her over breakfast...

Baysuhi Choudai felt awake again for the first time in quite a while.

Yoshi was taking advantage of being away from the monastery and slept in a little so he wasn't to the dojo for his daily exercises until part way through the morning.

He entered the dojo with the proper respects and noticed another there who seemed to be going through the motions but was in a good mood about it. He observed the other for a few moments before moving to a place in the dojo and starting with some light stretching to limber up.

Like many Togashi he was bare chested and sported a tattoo of both Crane and ki-rin across his skin.

Choudai went through his routine, finished up with no more demonstration of any particular skill at kenjutsu than he'd shown all along, and, still a bit abstracted in the momentous news his day had kicked off with, turned.

And blinked.

A half-naked tattooed weirdo with creepy eyes was in the dojo as well.

One of those Dragon monks?

Fortunes forgive me, I really hope he doesn't speak in pointlessly cryptic riddles...

"Er... good morning, samurai-san. This one is Bayushi Choudai. Has Inari-no-kami blessed you today?"

The man was finishing going through a set of complicated stretches contorting his body into odd angles and strange shapes.

He ended in a lotus position his dull silvery colored eyes looked up at the man.

"Good morning. I have eaten, thank you." Came the simple reply, the voice was smooth and pleasant to ear as the monk spoke "This one is Togashi Yoshiaki and I hope Inari has also blessed you this day."

"The Fortune has been most forthcoming."

Yes, clearly a dangerous lunatic.

But aren't we all?

Still, what do I follow up with?

"I presume Togashi-san is a recent arrival?"

Yoshiaki nodded folding his hands over his legs "I arrived a few days ago. The journey from the mountain was long but I am excited to compete in the tournament." Despite his words his tone remained ever constant, measured.

He unfolded his legs and rose, quite tall. Not quite the legendary height of a great Hida hero but still taller than most "and what of you Bayushi-san? Have you been in town long?"

"About three days."

He gave a slight chuckle.

"The Scorpion lands are less of a... journey, of course."

Yoshaiki gave him a small smile "Well I am glad your journey was swift. Unless you like being on the road, then I am sorry it was so short." He replied.

"Are you also here for the tournament Bayushi-san?"

No, I'm actually here to conduct a one-man military invasion and burn Kyuden Doji to the ground.

He kept a straight face as best he could.

"I am certainly not here to instruct the Crane in the art of the sword, Togashi-san. It seems my culinary aptitude has been deemed worthy of interest."

Yoshiaki nodded "one can never be sure until they are, even if an answer seems obvious it is best to confirm."

His eyebrows perked up a bit though "So your art is cooking then? That is actually quite fascinating. I love unusual arts and must admit I did not even think cooking could be a form of art. I look forward to seeing your demonstration of its Mastery." His, up until now, calm expression was finally colored with a touch of excitement.

"Oh, my grandmother was a Master. I merely aspire to mastery. Still, I will do my best. Fortunately, the Crane have both excellent kitchens and excellent sources of more traditional ingredients. Exotic fare is, of course, my problem to prepare if I'm so inclined..."

"Interesting, would you be willing to discuss how your food is art? You were in the middle of practicing something it seemed. I would not want to take you away with a lengthy discussion if you were simply making a polite introduction."

How is it NOT art, you mountain barbarian?!

"Oh, merely practicing my kenjutsu forms, and I have done with those for the day. As far a cuisine as art... Togashi-san has no doubt heard a poem that evokes a mood, a memory, or a sensation? Or perhaps seen a painting that captures a moment, and, again, evokes a mood or sense of memory?"

I'm not sure the Dragon perform plays, a logical script might make too much sense for them...

"One may do the same with food. In fact, if one knows enough, I have found that scent and taste are stronger triggers for memory than sight or sound, and the right display can convey as many messages as ikebana."

"Ahhhhh" He said after a few moments of consideration "so it is an art where you not only have aesthetics to work with but additional pathways of taste and scent."

He nodded a few times "The food at the monastery is mostly simply for nutrition so what you are talking about sounds very interesting. It must take so much knowledge and skill to do, to have to use so many different things that all work together."

"Makes me glad I only have to stick to visuals." He said with a chuckle.

"It is a challenge, but all the more rewarding to get it right. Besides."

The Scorpion smiled.

"I could hardly neglect my Grandmother's lessons, could I?"

A woman steps in, pauses briefly as she lets out a sharp little "ah" before bowing. "Apologies, I'd not meant to disturb." Even as she straightens up her eyes don't open. Her clan's not immediately obvious as she's wearing a plain baby pink gi paired with deep magenta hakama. Her hair's black though, and pulled back in an incredibly thick chignon held in place by a white handkerchief and tattered blue ribbon.

"Quite all right, Doji-san, Togashi-san and I aren't using the dojo as intended anyhow..."

He bowed as was appropriate.

"This one is Bayushi Choudai. My conversational partner is Togashi Yoshiaki."

And yes, he's not wearing a shirt.

She doesn't seem to notice the monk's half-nudity, or perhaps it is meaningless to her; but the woman does stand a little straighter at Choudai knowing her family name. "Ah," The woman breathes in before relaxing again. "A pleasure to meet you both. Doji Nadeshiko." And with that she smiles. "Well, please don't let my presence hinder you." Her head turns, eyes briefly, barely opening before closing just as quickly when they stop on the dojo's place of honor. It gets a bow as well.

Bayushi Choudai wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 06, 2022 6:20 am

"It is a challenge, but all the more rewarding to get it right. Besides."

The Scorpion smiled.

"I could hardly neglect my Grandmother's lessons, could I?"

"I am certain you honor her with your dedication." He replied with a small smile of his own.

Doji Nadeshiko wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 06, 2022 6:53 am

She doesn't seem to notice the monk's half-nudity, or perhaps it is meaningless to her; but the woman does stand a little straighter at Choudai knowing her family name. "Ah," The woman breathes in before relaxing again. "A pleasure to meet you both. Doji Nadeshiko." And with that she smiles. "Well, please don't let my presence hinder you." Her head turns, eyes briefly, barely opening before closing just as quickly when they stop on the dojo's place of honor. It gets a bow as well.

Yoshiaki bowed to the newcomer "Well met Doji-san. We were just discussing art, if anything we hope to not be in your way if are intending to actually work your forms." He says with a little smile.

"Oh?" She perks at the mention of art, stopping halfway through her first step towards the back wall for a bokken. "That sounds like the perfect conversation, considering the circumstances. I'm sorry I interrupted." Nadeshiko hums a moment before turning their way -- they have her attention. "Would you consider it rude if I asked what you both practice as your art forms? I, ah, myself," She hides her mouth with her sleeve, "I dabble in poetry of a sort."