- Pronouns
- They/Them
...we are a Jedi. o.o
In Thunder's Echo (Legend of the Five Rings Quest)
...we are a Jedi. o.o
- Location
- London, England
So, I was about to call the vote, but it appears we are currently tied - Yasuki Mia and Otomo Kairyu both have eight votes, and Doji Mariko follows with five.
If someone would like to cast a tiebreaker before I get back from dinner, that'd be grand.
If someone would like to cast a tiebreaker before I get back from dinner, that'd be grand.
cokerpilot
Here comes the rain.
- Location
- Canada
[x] Yasuki Mia
- Location
- London, England
And... Vote Called.
Yasuki Mia it is.
Yasuki Mia it is.
- Location
- Australia
[X] Yasuki Mia
2.19 - Meeting Yasuki Mia
- Location
- London, England
As you return to the tournament grounds, having removed your armour and carefully cleaned all of the blood and grime from your equipment and person, you take a moment to glance around at the other attendees. Otomo Kairyu has appeared since you left, apparently only interested in the final rounds of the tournament which will be occurring shortly. Everyone else seems thoroughly absorbed in the action.
As your gaze lands upon the Crab delegation, you see that the second Yojimbo from the Hida family has taken note of you and is signaling you over. It seems as good a place as any to observe the rest of the tournament, and it may allow you to open a dialogue with one of the few delegations you have not yet found a way to approach. Nodding, you head over to join them.
Yasuki Mia turns to look at you as you approach. She is a small woman, especially when compared to her bodyguard, and her attitude is surprisingly casual for a formal court event - she looks almost relaxed, leaning back in her seat and observing everything with an air of lazy disinterest.
"Soshi-san." She nods to you, her voice edged with a drawling rural accent shockingly out of place in the court of a major Clan Family. "That was a fine match. Been a while since Hida-san has been able to get in a good honest scrap with someone."
"Your words are too kind, Yasuki-sama." You say, thrown slightly off balance by her informal manner. "Hida Kinra-san is a fine and honourable warrior."
"Pffgh. He's only like that because he won." The Yasuki waves off your words in negligent dismissal. "He can be a lot meaner if he loses, believe me."
You hesitate, unsure of how to react. Yasuki Mia is not at all what you would have expected of a formally trained diplomat and courtier. Her stance is too casual, her accent marks her out as rural and stereotypically unrefined, and she is actually criticizing her own Yojimbo in front of someone from another Clan. You glance briefly at the rest of her delegation, the Hida and the Kaiu, but both of them have faces as expressionless as the mountain stone.
Fortunately, you are saved from having to answer her by the arrival of a most magnificent distraction. Fierce cheers erupt from a hundred throats as Matsu Ketsui takes to the field, resplendent in a suit of golden armour that shines brightly irrespective of the light, as though a captive sun burns beneath the surface of the metal plates. She wears it well, a mantle of power and authority settling over her like the blessing of the heavens themselves, and you feel your knees turn to water as an almost primal sense of terror washes over you. Fortunately you are already seated, and the feeling passes swiftly.
"The armour of the Golden Samurai." The Kaiu seated to Mia's left says in a voice of awe and wonder, leaning forwards with an almost feverish look in his eyes. "An awakened relic, created by the legendary Kukinjin in the Second Century..."
You glance at him in surprise and a little bit of alarm. For Matsu Ketsui to wear a nemuranai for the final match of nothing more than a tournament is a powerful gesture indeed. It symbolizes the devotion of the Matsu to the sacred art of swordsmanship and their reverence for the deeds of their ancestors, but perhaps more than even that it is a gesture of incredible respect to her opponent.
Bayushi Kimoko stands tall on the other side of the dueling field, a bloody shadow of red and black next to the golden lion set against her. Your superior is smiling and moving her sword through a quick series of movements as she warms up for the bout - it appears she has proven herself victorious against all of the other delegates thus far, and as a reward gets to face the Matsu's own Daimyo in a battle for all to see. That your lord was victorious is not a surprise to you - in a battle to first blood, a skilled Bayushi has a distinct advantage, for all of your training revolves around speed and negating the advantages of your enemy. That this would be the result is something else.
"My, my." Yasuki Mia says in a low voice, studying the two combatants. "That's quite a gesture. I would dearly love to know what prompted it."
She glances sideways at you, but you are far too well trained to give in that easily. Instead you smile politely. "I am sure many would, Yasuki-sama."
On the viewing platform, it falls to Ikoma Genji to announce the next bout. He seems to grimace slightly as he rises to his feet, but you cannot be sure. "Honourable samurai, behold the final battle of this tournament. By prior agreement, the winner Bayushi Kimoko of the Scorpion will face Matsu Ketsui of the Lion in a duel of Kenjutsu. The match will be decided when one samurai can no longer muster the strength to stand."
By your side, Yasuki Mia grins in an almost mischevious fashion. "Very interesting. Soshi-san, care to make a wager? I stake right of first refusal to the Scorpion on one year's output from the Three Hills iron mine, and say that Matsu Ketsui will be victorious."
Respond:
- [ ] Write in
Etiquette 6k3 = 24. Gambling on this sort of contest is a common occurance, but is usually restricted to low ranking samurai and rarely for such stakes. Yasuki Mia is not committing a breach of etiquette, but the Lion would likely find such an action disrespectful of their traditions and their Daimyo.
QM's note - if you choose to accept the wager, you can advance any kind of bet you want. The worst that is likely to happen is that Mia cancels the wager rather than accept the stakes, unless you deliberately offer her something insulting.
As your gaze lands upon the Crab delegation, you see that the second Yojimbo from the Hida family has taken note of you and is signaling you over. It seems as good a place as any to observe the rest of the tournament, and it may allow you to open a dialogue with one of the few delegations you have not yet found a way to approach. Nodding, you head over to join them.
Yasuki Mia turns to look at you as you approach. She is a small woman, especially when compared to her bodyguard, and her attitude is surprisingly casual for a formal court event - she looks almost relaxed, leaning back in her seat and observing everything with an air of lazy disinterest.
"Soshi-san." She nods to you, her voice edged with a drawling rural accent shockingly out of place in the court of a major Clan Family. "That was a fine match. Been a while since Hida-san has been able to get in a good honest scrap with someone."
"Your words are too kind, Yasuki-sama." You say, thrown slightly off balance by her informal manner. "Hida Kinra-san is a fine and honourable warrior."
"Pffgh. He's only like that because he won." The Yasuki waves off your words in negligent dismissal. "He can be a lot meaner if he loses, believe me."
You hesitate, unsure of how to react. Yasuki Mia is not at all what you would have expected of a formally trained diplomat and courtier. Her stance is too casual, her accent marks her out as rural and stereotypically unrefined, and she is actually criticizing her own Yojimbo in front of someone from another Clan. You glance briefly at the rest of her delegation, the Hida and the Kaiu, but both of them have faces as expressionless as the mountain stone.
Fortunately, you are saved from having to answer her by the arrival of a most magnificent distraction. Fierce cheers erupt from a hundred throats as Matsu Ketsui takes to the field, resplendent in a suit of golden armour that shines brightly irrespective of the light, as though a captive sun burns beneath the surface of the metal plates. She wears it well, a mantle of power and authority settling over her like the blessing of the heavens themselves, and you feel your knees turn to water as an almost primal sense of terror washes over you. Fortunately you are already seated, and the feeling passes swiftly.
"The armour of the Golden Samurai." The Kaiu seated to Mia's left says in a voice of awe and wonder, leaning forwards with an almost feverish look in his eyes. "An awakened relic, created by the legendary Kukinjin in the Second Century..."
You glance at him in surprise and a little bit of alarm. For Matsu Ketsui to wear a nemuranai for the final match of nothing more than a tournament is a powerful gesture indeed. It symbolizes the devotion of the Matsu to the sacred art of swordsmanship and their reverence for the deeds of their ancestors, but perhaps more than even that it is a gesture of incredible respect to her opponent.
Bayushi Kimoko stands tall on the other side of the dueling field, a bloody shadow of red and black next to the golden lion set against her. Your superior is smiling and moving her sword through a quick series of movements as she warms up for the bout - it appears she has proven herself victorious against all of the other delegates thus far, and as a reward gets to face the Matsu's own Daimyo in a battle for all to see. That your lord was victorious is not a surprise to you - in a battle to first blood, a skilled Bayushi has a distinct advantage, for all of your training revolves around speed and negating the advantages of your enemy. That this would be the result is something else.
"My, my." Yasuki Mia says in a low voice, studying the two combatants. "That's quite a gesture. I would dearly love to know what prompted it."
She glances sideways at you, but you are far too well trained to give in that easily. Instead you smile politely. "I am sure many would, Yasuki-sama."
On the viewing platform, it falls to Ikoma Genji to announce the next bout. He seems to grimace slightly as he rises to his feet, but you cannot be sure. "Honourable samurai, behold the final battle of this tournament. By prior agreement, the winner Bayushi Kimoko of the Scorpion will face Matsu Ketsui of the Lion in a duel of Kenjutsu. The match will be decided when one samurai can no longer muster the strength to stand."
By your side, Yasuki Mia grins in an almost mischevious fashion. "Very interesting. Soshi-san, care to make a wager? I stake right of first refusal to the Scorpion on one year's output from the Three Hills iron mine, and say that Matsu Ketsui will be victorious."
Respond:
- [ ] Write in
Etiquette 6k3 = 24. Gambling on this sort of contest is a common occurance, but is usually restricted to low ranking samurai and rarely for such stakes. Yasuki Mia is not committing a breach of etiquette, but the Lion would likely find such an action disrespectful of their traditions and their Daimyo.
QM's note - if you choose to accept the wager, you can advance any kind of bet you want. The worst that is likely to happen is that Mia cancels the wager rather than accept the stakes, unless you deliberately offer her something insulting.
- Location
- Canada
Given the Yasuki's focus on commerce, it seems like turning down the bet would be a bad move. Betting against our own boss would also be a bad idea. Unfortunately, I expect the Matsu Diamyo will win this fight, so we're going to be losing this bet. So what can we bet that we can afford to lose, while still being significant enough to show that we're not just blowing this off?
Winged Knight
Still just a crazy man with a wolf on his head
- Location
- Texas
Is it bad of me that I want to make a bet that is essentially flirting with Yasuki Mia? Because I really kind of want to do that.
Dirtnap
Kanmusu Affecionado
Yasuki courtiers are pretty nice. She can teach us the fine art of haggling XD
- Location
- London, England
You go right ahead. I'm not sure how a strategy of 'flirt with every heavily armed and politically connected woman we encounter' will work out in the long term, but I'm sure it'll be hilarious for me...
(Yasuki Mia does not carry a katana, but is accompanied by a Hida and therefore counts as heavily armed by default)
So you are saying that if we want to do this we should become much better at fighting, is that it?
A Nation's Virtue
南國山河南帝居
If we want to marry Matsu Ketsui and become Nimuro's stepfather then this is definitely the way to go.So you are saying that if we want to do this we should become much better at fighting, is that it?
Wade Garrett
Just trying to do the right thing
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
If we want to marry Matsu Ketsui and become Nimuro's stepfather then this is definitely the way to go.
"If"? What the devil is this "If" nonsense?
Sirrocco
Pedantic
I will note that flirting with Yasuki Mia, while potentially worthwhile in its own right, is actively counterproductive to hooking up with Matsu Ketsui. It makes diplomancing Doji Mariko more difficult (and thus makes solving the Crane Question more challenging) and it starts to build us up as someone who flirts with a lot fo people, which really doesn't seem like Matsu Ketsui's style.
For that matter, we've already flirted shamelessly with Doji Mariko. Do we *want* to get a reputation as an inveterate flirt?
Also, @Maugan Ra - an etiquette check. You've already mentioned that going for a dalliance with more than one woman at a time is a poor choice politically. What about just flirting with a number of different women? What would be the implications if it got out (as it inevitably would) that we were flirting with more than one at a time?
I think we *can* afford to skip on this gambling. This is, essentially, Yasuki Mia seeking to drag us down to her level. It's an old scorpion trick. You simply accept that people are going to think poorly of you, you let certain unseemly things get known about you, and then you pull others into joining you on those things. Later on, you can reveal them as having been with you for effectively no damage to yourself, but potentially significant damage to them. You can use that for blackmail or direct attack. In this particular case, she might "let it slip" at the right time or in the right company to damage our position with the Matsu. I'm not exactly part of the "He will be known as the husband of Matsu" squad, but we *have* earned some credit with them, and I don't want to just hand her the ability to discard it. This is entirely aside from the significant chance of losing.
Now if we're *not* going to agree to wager anything, we want to do it in a way that doesn't insult her (can't stand on honor), doesn't declare that we care about the opinions of the Lion, and, preferably, leaves the door open (or opens the door) for further discussion. Throwing in a complement or two couldn't hurt, if we can fit them in edgewise.
Huh. Could we get a Commerce check to see how valuable the thing she's offering is, and what we might have to offer that would be of equivalent value? If we do want to impress her, being able to respond with some commerce skill would be the way to do it (although it is a bit of an honor ding, if we do it openly). Alternately, if using it as a lore check has an honor cost, say that and don't run the check.
For that matter, we've already flirted shamelessly with Doji Mariko. Do we *want* to get a reputation as an inveterate flirt?
Also, @Maugan Ra - an etiquette check. You've already mentioned that going for a dalliance with more than one woman at a time is a poor choice politically. What about just flirting with a number of different women? What would be the implications if it got out (as it inevitably would) that we were flirting with more than one at a time?
I think we *can* afford to skip on this gambling. This is, essentially, Yasuki Mia seeking to drag us down to her level. It's an old scorpion trick. You simply accept that people are going to think poorly of you, you let certain unseemly things get known about you, and then you pull others into joining you on those things. Later on, you can reveal them as having been with you for effectively no damage to yourself, but potentially significant damage to them. You can use that for blackmail or direct attack. In this particular case, she might "let it slip" at the right time or in the right company to damage our position with the Matsu. I'm not exactly part of the "He will be known as the husband of Matsu" squad, but we *have* earned some credit with them, and I don't want to just hand her the ability to discard it. This is entirely aside from the significant chance of losing.
Now if we're *not* going to agree to wager anything, we want to do it in a way that doesn't insult her (can't stand on honor), doesn't declare that we care about the opinions of the Lion, and, preferably, leaves the door open (or opens the door) for further discussion. Throwing in a complement or two couldn't hurt, if we can fit them in edgewise.
Huh. Could we get a Commerce check to see how valuable the thing she's offering is, and what we might have to offer that would be of equivalent value? If we do want to impress her, being able to respond with some commerce skill would be the way to do it (although it is a bit of an honor ding, if we do it openly). Alternately, if using it as a lore check has an honor cost, say that and don't run the check.
Night
Widow Null
- Location
- Hoff
@Maugan Ra: Can we get a lore check on the armour of the Golden Samurai? Before we think about the bet we should probably consider the magic armor that's literally centuries old is probably a significant advantage.
While giving her "leverage" over us without reason to do so is admittedly rather inadvisable, couldn't we also kind of benefit a bit from this?
I mean, ultimately, getting into the Crane's good graces is a pretty big deal for our arrangement with the Ikoma and I doubt we can pull that off without doing something that outs us as not that big a Lion fan.
Now, if knowledge about this wager getting out would also make us appear uncouth or whatever to the Crane, then it really doesn't seem worth it, but I don't think it'd be catastrophic to hurt our Lion rep in order to get an in with the Crab and make the Crane happier and more willing to trust us.
After all, those are the ones we are supposed to cover while the bosslady deals with the Matsu.
I mean, ultimately, getting into the Crane's good graces is a pretty big deal for our arrangement with the Ikoma and I doubt we can pull that off without doing something that outs us as not that big a Lion fan.
Now, if knowledge about this wager getting out would also make us appear uncouth or whatever to the Crane, then it really doesn't seem worth it, but I don't think it'd be catastrophic to hurt our Lion rep in order to get an in with the Crab and make the Crane happier and more willing to trust us.
After all, those are the ones we are supposed to cover while the bosslady deals with the Matsu.
I read this for a second as the Three Stooges Mine. I don't know why.