Sapphire Ambassadors

After the previous day's competition, the servants spent the evening carefully relocating the more permanent works to the Gallery of Dusk and storing records of the one's that could not be such as cooking and dance. Then the gallery was thoroughly cleaned and blessed. The next day it slowly fills throughout the day as various artists maneuver into their spaces. Some artists arrive early, overseeing peasants maneuvering heavy statuary while certain poets arrived barely ahead of the judges. The artists' spaces have been meticulously arranged according to their art of choice. The most fragrant arts have been spaced as wide apart as possible, so the scent of, say a certain Scorpion's Garlic Gyoza does not intermingle with the scent of the ikebana displays. Those who arts contain a sound component have been staggered, so the judges might clear one catchy song from their minds before listening to an impassioned flute solo. Neutral gray screen are available for the artists whose works should be viewed shielded from the rest, while others bask in the suns rays, visible to all with eyes.

Choudai had a... complicated relationship with Meyo.

He knew it was a cornerstone of a life lived properly. He knew it was essentially the foundation of Bushido. He also knew that it was a luxury his life as a Scorpion Clan samurai had never afforded him. Constant lying, deceit, paranoia, and ruthless expedients to remove obstacles. Choudai was pretty sure he didn't understand Honor the way samurai from other Clans did. He couldn't afford to.

But he thought about his friend, Hiruma Zoido (was a man a friend if every day you spent with him was a lie?), and the picture became clearer.

Zoido had fought beside Choudai against the thing impersonating Nagako after learning the horrible truth. Hiruma Zoido was a good man. A far better man than Choudai would ever be.

I hope you and Mei have as many children as she can stand. I know you Crab have a hard lot, but it's an honorable duty.

He had kept Zoido's example in his mind as he had prepared.

The dish, like the decency of the man who had inspired it, was quite, quite simple- A large serving of white rice. The most perfect he had ever made, fluffy and steaming, in a simple wooden bowl.

"Many speak of how Honor is a complicated thing. I can tell you differently, from the example of a Crab Clan samurai I had the pleasure of knowing once."

He gestured to the bowl.

"Honor needs no adornment. It needs no display. It is either present, or it isn't. You can make a meal without rice. You can even go for days or weeks without it, if you must. Noodles, barley, millet... all can sustain you. But when samurai greet one another, rice is the dish we speak of. Just as Honor is the tenet of Bushido which unifies the entire code."

[D7/EE Event, Craft: Cooking/Intelligence, Void spent for +1k1, Inheritance grants +1k1, 3 called raises to reflect Choudai's Failure of Bushido-Honor Disadvantage, TN 30 | 8k5 ⇒ 32 (TN: 30), 4 Sapphire Points, 4 Amigo Points to Shosuro Otoko]

The young woman made her presentation very simplistic. A katana the symbol of a samurai, the honor of the family that they will always defend, a wakizashi, the one soul that cleanses the stained honor in the ritualistic seppuku, a daisho stand to keep the blades intact, a fox making reverence to the weapons display to show respect to what these blade represent, a nine tailed bigger fox behind the daisho representing the ancestors that the smaller fox honors in set place.

//D7 EE Event Origami Awa 1VP +1k1 2CR TN 25 | 8k4 ⇒ 37 (TN: 25)

Inori paused. She had thought hard about what to paint for today - now that she actually thought she had a chance. It changed things. But, again...Bushido. A Lion should be able to express it.

Somehow. This wasn't easy, even if she did have an idea.

Sweeping brushstrokes. Gray. Dark blues. Under her hands, slowly an image took shape:

A gorge, with a raging river below, rocks and foamy currents and eddies. Steep, craggy sides of volcanic stone, several times higher than a man, with some sparse vegetation. A smudge of green here for a tuft of grass, some flowers, a bit of lichen - and grass on either side of the gorge, with paths leading off the edge on either end.

Overhead - light clouds, with some orange rays of the dawning sun playing over the scene below.

In the middle - a rocky spire, and on it, balanced, a log, and on it two Samurai, not in armour but Kimono - and while neither bore a Clan's insignia, the man one the left side had black hair, worn open flowing over his back, and a powder blue Kimono with Indigo trim. The woman on the right side had a light brown Kimono with yellow trim, her reddish-brown hair worn in a severe topknot.

Both stood, facing each other, equidistant, one hand on the side of their leg as if for a bow, the other hand behind their back holding a dagger. Perfectly balanced, and poised to show courtesy or deal death. To continue on, or to bring down the other and plummet to near-certain death oneself.

Honour was needed to control the Samurai spirit, to be held within oneself and allowed in others. To do otherwise was to invite destruction.

The Matsu nodded, and stepped back from her work.

(mislabeled) Artisan: Painting roll here: TN 25, passed with 33
+3 Sapphire points, dedicated to Shiba Aibou's cause

Hatsuki had to give a lot of thought about what to do with honor. The Crane had done their best to raise her with honor, but her own struggle with them had made her hard-headed and disinterested in much they had to say on the subject. But then, it was honor, so ultimately who was the judge of that?

That's when it came to her.

She came out with a very simple plaster mask with the features of a very generic human face, her makeup kit, and a mirror, which she set up on a stand.

She opened her kit and carefully took out representative colors of the different virtues. Blues and golds for justice, honesty, and sincerity, a soft, light color for compassion, red for duty and courage. Rather than putting them on her own face, she began to apply them to the mask with great care, with even greater exactitude than she had applied to the makeup she put on her own face. She even applied a light powder meant to quickly dry and adhere the pigments more permanently. The look was meant to be a perfect representation of unassailable honor.

She tied it on herself and faced the crowd, bowing as if introducing herself.

Then she turned to the mirror and leaned forward as if to examine her own face in the mirror, bringing up her fingers to the chin as if in thought. With a small twist of her fingers, the mask cracked in half as it was built to, and fell away, leaving just Hatsuki in her normal mask.

She set up the broken mask with the two pieces slightly apart, with it angled as if looking into the mirror.

D7 - Meyo, EE, Fluff Acting roll to play her part | 7k4 ⇒ 14

Her acting wasn't the best, but the makeup on the mask itself got the job done in telling the story she wanted to tell.

You can possibly fool others, but false honor cracks under one's own scrutiny.

D7 - Meyo, EE, Artisan:Makeup/Awareness, Kakita Tech, Void, Kakita loss, 3 raises | 10k5+2 ⇒ 66 (TN: 35)
+4 Sapphire Points, Dedicated to Otoko

Today, Sriyani works as much as possible with the natural light of dusk, adjusting lamps to augment the fading sunlight. She is dressed in the simple attire she’s used throughout the competition when displaying jewelry by wearing it. The comb in her hair mimics the shape of that worn the first day, but carved of warm hinoki Cyprus supporting a carving of Amaterasu’s beneficent form rather than Jizo’s.

She wears a blade at her hip, appearing to be a wakizashi that would match the katana on display for the day of Chugo. When collected in the Gallery of Dusk, the match would be quite obvious.

Again, the blade and tsuba are not made by her, only the adornments, carved, painted, and gilded in matching style. Where the katana’s bore images of a wedding, this bears images later in a samurai’s life--passing blades to heirs on the pommel, tending the previous generations’ graves on the hilt collar. One receives a name, holds it, and passes it along, responsible for the honor that goes with it for only the one lifetime. The moonstone flash of Emma-o’s regard is mirrored in the chips of moonstone inset in decorative scrollwork borders.

Additionally, she wears a collar reminiscent of that first day as well, this one sparse at the top with stone beads of ethereal shades wrapped in flowing, curling wires evoking the shape of clouds classically used in paintings depicting the heavens. The woven wire becomes brassy chain with copper disks stamped with the tenets. It contrasts markedly with the collar it echoes, which grew emptier as it descended. There is also an asymmetry to the placement of the disks, such that they often seem to try overlapping or as if they both are trying to fit in a given place in the pattern that can fit only one of them properly.

In all, the echoes and contrasts of previous days builds a sense of the works as a unified whole, with Compassion and Honor the linchpins woven through a holistic understanding of Bushido, and Duty standing as the most solid distillation of it in action. Tensions between the pieces are also highlighted and brought into focus, light balancing dark and a feeling of the difficulties of navigating sometimes conflicting tenets.

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Day 7 Presentation: Meyo. VP for +1k1, 3 Raises. TN 30 | 8k5 ⇒ 51 (TN: 30)

4 SP dedicated toward Shiba Aibou, and the hope that the Phoenix might host this competition the following year with similarly philosophical themes.

A day just like any other, at least just like any other during this competition. Another day, another canvas presented with a work of art inked into it.

He presented with a sister of the order. Honor was a difficult thing to truly assess in another. It is an internal measure, we can only judge how honorable one seems. How much they visibly adhere to the tenets. So she was chosen rather at random, as it is believed that all samurai embody Honor, at least in concept but more importantly he could not choose someone who merely appeared to be honorable.

Upon her shoulder was another uncommon tattoo, it was a hand mirror. Stylized and well rendered, a faint light simulated reflecting off the mirror. It was a simple mirror, metal encircling glass. A generic but well detailed hand grasped the handle and the observer would be in the position as if they were holding it and would see their reflection in the mirror if it were made of glass.

This one he did not explain, he simply stood by his work and answered any questions on lookers had. He would greet the judges with a bow and allow his work to speak for itself.

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D7 Honor tattoo artisan: Tattooing/awa Inheritance +1k1 3 raises tn 30 | 9k5 ⇒ 37 (TN: 30)

4 sapphire points, 4 points to Otoko

Asano was a fairly simple woman in many ways. While for other days she'd tried to think of a theme, for today's theme of Meyo, she didn't even hesitate.

Working from memory, Asano made a charcoal sketch of her mother as she remembered her when she was younger, a Kakita Artisan of great ability, sense of duty, and compassion for others. If such a person, who held Bushido in such high regard, was not a living breathing symbol of Honor, she wasn't sure what was. Not to mention the way her mother had installed that sense of honor in herself.



Day 7, Mastering Meyo, Drawing/Awareness, TN15, 3 called raises, TN30, VP 1/3 for day 7 for +1k1 | 6k5 ⇒ 44 (TN: 30)
+4 Sapphire Points

Once again, the concept of these virtues were rather different from what most other family here would have picked. There was really only one story the the Tsi's honor, and so Hamada goes out to replicate it.

Gone is the elegant kimono that she has tried to present herself in during the presentations. Instead, she is garbed in rough work clothes. Cut off sleeves show off a surprising amount of developed muscle along her arms. Makeup has been artfully applied to appear as is it is soot accuentuating her features. The charcoal brazier behind her is now a full burn, as hot as she would keep it while forging.

When asked, she has a simple statement.

"The Tsi have been honored by the Emperor. We shall never forget the ways that lead us to such grace."

If it's a bit of an act, it is one that is heartfelt.

_____________

Event of Meyo - Acting/Awareness- 1 raise - VP spent - TN 20 | 6k5 ⇒ 28 (TN: 20)
+2 Sapphire points

Dedicating to Yoritomo

Ever the utilitarian, Kaiu Kunio presents several pieces of fitted armor on mannequins set in a U-shape. In front of each is the name of the intended recipient, the names indicate recipients come from many sorts of Samurai rank. And in the center is a pedestal that simply says, "Honor, like armor, can only be fit to the individual" -Shiba Aibou.

D7, EE Event, Craft:Armorsmithing/Intelligence, 3 raises, Kaiu Void Point, TN 30 | 8k6 ⇒ 41 (TN: 30)
(Pass +4 Sapphire Points, +4 Amigo Points to Shiba Aibou)

Yoshino reverently carries a well groomed bonsai tree into the gallery of town. A furoshiki is tied across her shoulder. The soil in the sturdy pot is moist, suggesting watering not long before. The tree is in a formal, upright style for those who cared for such things. So far none had exhibited bonsai, which Yoshino considered a great shame. They could be found in many Crane gardens, including those founded by Lady Doji herself. None of her ancestors had likely presented a bonsai while covered in magical ink, which drew more glances than she expected, but there was always a first for everything.

The bonsai is neatly seat down on a table. The bag comes next. Then the audience is given a bow. A bamboo mat is removed from the bag and the pot is lifted up to be placed upon it. Yoshino perhaps makes a nod to a few other competitors today as she opts for a presentation today. It is ostensibly a demonstration and talk on caring for bonsai. For those that listen then is a great deal similar to the nature of honour.



"Since the dawn of the Empire bonsai have been cared for. Unlike many pieces of art, which only require a singular exertion of effort, inspiration and ability, they require constant attention and consideration." She gently brushes a hand over the leaves to feel their progress. "That isn't to say that initial effort isn't required, nor inspiration or ability. We celebrate the hardy bonsai tree that survives an icy winter or broken branch, yes, but most young bonsai are frail. Getting them to grow is a challenge. They need an adequate base, fitting soil, ample watering and a balance of light and shade. Somewhere not too cold is best, but somewhere too warm can also be problematic for many."

She paused to tap the thick trunk of the bonsai.

"It stands proudly now, but it was not always this way. It would be easy to ask why bother. The constant expenditure of time and effort. The water and space needed. It would be easy for someone starting bonsai to give up. To tell themselves it is too challenging and laborious. I would seek to persuade them that this dedication, for that is what is necessary, is rewarding in so many ways. You build your own patience and understanding, you beautify the area you live in and you create harmony with the world. I would not argue it is without toil." She indicates the base and soil. "From the good foundation-" then the shape of the plant "-to the inspiration of how you wish to grow your bonsai, such its style and size, to the breed chosen, the best bonsai have much thought put into them."

A pair of pruning scissors is taken out of the bag next. "Once it grows enough the next phase is pruning it. Shaping it to grow how you envision it to grow, rather than merely growing wild and uncared for. It is the application of our will and affirming our decision to grow a bonsai. Not any old miniature tree. This is what turns it into an art, by making it presentable and intentional." She indicates a few spots where the leaves were growing unevenly; some were longer than others and it was beginning to disturb the balance of the bonsai. The longest flaw is cut back, leaves falling to the mat. "As you notice imperfections worsening you need to make time to address them. Seek out the parts that can be improved. Cut away imperfections one snip at a time. The plant will be stronger for it if you truly envision it to grow strong and healthy, and you provide it adequate care and conditions to flourish." She snips away a few further areas of disharmony.

"If you are tending to a bonsai regularly you will be able to observe these issues and address them. You may need to cut off a whole branch or more besides to shape the bonsai how you wish. This one stands upright, which looks deceptively simple yet can be difficult to ensure. Even now you can see it is not without its flaws. There are... parts that I still need to work on. To address. There are parts that will require a great deal of future effort to fix as I did not notice them sooner, such as this slight bend here." She runs her finger down the side of the bonsai where it wasn't fully straight. "Yet I am happy with my progress, for I was ignorant when I started to grow this. I'm still a beginner, but I wish to dare others to try. It is very satisfying to oneself as you achieve each step you decide upon."

There are a few more snips, with Yoshino bending down to check it by eye and to feel along the canopy with a hand. Its form had improved. It looked neater. As if it was standing more proudly and beautifully. She smiled in satisfaction. "Keeping it to this level, and there are many who can reach higher levels than I, is tough. Yet I feel joy now for my efforts and I know I will in future." The trimmed bits were brushed away into the bag like they were never there. "I see myself in this humble tree and I can judge my efforts each time I tend to it."

She stepped back to admire it. It made her feel calmer and more confident. It also made her feel happier with herself. "More importantly for myself and my Lord, when I do so I have time to reflect on my own growth and development. My own decisions and actions. This lets me assess myself and it has steadily grown my confidence. I can not recommend it enough."

Yoshino finishes with a bow. The bag is taken away leaving only the vibrant bonsai for all to study, admire or critique. It merely waited in silence for its next watering.

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D7 EE Event Bonsai/Awareness with 2 raises. Void for +1k1. TN25: 43 = Pass
+3 Sapphire points

Nadeshiko arrives early, dressed as she had been the day before (though this time in sky blue), a rough rolled-up sheet and an umbrella carried under one arm as she carefully brings in her context piece for the day: a pink azalea bonsai. Its buds are fresh and delicate, ready to bloom any day now.

Unrolling the blanket, it’s spread at her feet before her bonsai’s settled at its center. The Crane woman sits down beside her little plant, carefully starting to prune. She’d waited until now to do so – not neglecting the bonsai’s needs, of course, but wanting to show the process as she’d learned from her time at the Academy (as well as wait until the last moment before the buds bloom, knowing doing so would encourage greater growth). Each cut is precise, and, more importantly, thoughtful: her aim is to cultivate the bush until it’s more a small tree, and that requires a keen aesthetic eye and knowledge of what to touch and what to leave. An awkward branch is removed, another snipped to keep only two to the node. Long offshoots are cut short. Larger leaves, too, are trimmed away, and unwanted shoots pruned. Every few minutes she brushes the mess she’s making onto the blanket.

Branches are offered to passerbies who stop to look until the judges make their approach. Nadeshiko bows, gives them both a small smile as she rises from it: “It’s wonderful to see you’ve joined us again, Hyoukasha-dono. Today I present two pieces of art: a poem, and a bonsai tree, an azalea cultivated by Doji Yoi in a planter crafted and painted by the potter Shunso from Odogawa. I dedicate the work to Shosuro Otoko.”

She looks less like a Crane and more a gardener – the woman doesn’t intend to stop until the work is truly finished. Kneeling over the azalea, carefully assessing what next needs attention, Nadeshiko finds patience for herself in its cultivation; they’re kin, her and her little bonsai. That patience lends a comfortable serenity to her voice when she starts her poem:

“From a single seed
A pine* takes root, its branches
Reaching for the sky.
The tree-trunk – the core of growth:
Fear not the cut, but the rot.

We choose who we are.
Prune the branches, feed the roots,
Grow ever upwards –
Those who do not reach Heaven
Still stand above lesser men.

Remain unbowed
To all but the first virtue.
Heed the greatest truths:
There is a wrong way to win.
There is a right way to lose.”

Once again the poem’s given time to take root in the hearts of its creator and its listeners. Perhaps they’ll understand; perhaps they won’t. It doesn’t matter – she loves her little poem and her little azalea. They’re much alike. Turning her bonsai around for one last inspection, she finds there’s nothing more to cut. The scissors are slipped back into her obi before Nadeshiko again speaks.

“This bonsai joined me on the journey here.” She smiles as she regards its sweet pink buds. Now it looks more as it should, though her little bonsai lacks the more refined features one expects. Give it time. “Its cultivator, Doji Yoi-san, wanted a poem to commemorate her firstborn daughter’s gempukku, and in her appreciation gave me this cultivar in thanks.” Gently the woman pats the pot. “We’re lucky; I think we’ll see its blooms before the competition ends.”

That pleases her most.

Day 7 Tournament Event: Artisan: Poetry / Awareness, Avant-garde emphasis. Prodigy for +1k0. Void point spent to gain +1k1. 2 called raises for Sapphire points. TN 30. | 10k4 ⇒ 35 (TN: 30)
+3 Sapphire points: official Sapphire Ambassador.

Dedicated to Shosuro Otoko. +3 Amigo points.

*OOC Note: The Japanese word for pine is ‘matsu’. :3 *Kronk “it’s all coming together” gif*

It is no shock that Moshi Tatsuya is not present for the judging, or indeed any longer than is necessary for him to arrange a circle of origami animals - a crane, a tortoise, a wasp, a fox, a centipede and a mantis - and place a larger, seemingly kneeling mantis, so it hints at bowing toward the circle. A careful if somewhat risque allusion to Yoritomo's Alliance during the Clan War? A fascinating display of humility as Tomodachi had begun lobbying for a student host for the next Sapphire Tournament? A clever take on a certain Mantis' affection for a certain Fox? Perhaps it was all, or none, but it seemed a new day had dawned in Tatsuya's art.

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D7, EE, daily art: TN25 with 2CR. Origami 4, Awr 3, VP for 1k1 | 8k4 ⇒ 35 (TN: 25)

3 Sapphire Points

3 points for "ally" Shiba Aibou

Kakita Mikan was one of the last competitors to arrive in the hall. The painting she presented was certainly different than previous days.

At the bottom of the the painting all of the active clans totem animals were present, both great and minor (though the minor clan animals were smaller than the great clan animals. Each clan animal stood by it's neighbor, holding a bamboo stalk, lifting it high. At the top of their collective bamboo was a blooming chrsanthemum supported by the efforts of the clan animals. The blossoms were spread wide beneath a brilliant sunrise. One could see from the clan animals muscles and expressions, it was not an easy burden, but one they bore with nary a slip or shiver.

Time-warps be damned, Utemaro listens to the judges. He sighs ever so slightly, then nods, and turns to the competitors.

"Dear friends," he says, "today's victors are Kitsune Shizenko and Doji Yoshino."

He pauses, draws a breath.

"Thank you for your works, all, and we look forward to tomorrow's--the final submissions for this contest."

He bows.