BZPRPG: Kentoku Archipelago

IC: Higashi

"Wow you're pretty ignorant of this stuff."

IC: Chiyo

"I have been told that the phrase 'sheltered aristocrat' has more than a little bit of truth to it."

IC: Higashi

"Aaaah."

IC: Chiyo

Chiyo nodded.

IC: Higashi

"But yeah, don't drink stale water. That's bad."

IC: Chiyo

"Okay."

IC: Higashi

"So, whatup?"

IC: Chiyo

"Mother didn't give me any instructions past the point of 'diplomatic talks with the Ageru Toroshu'; since that objective has been completed, I am directionless, and as such, not much is 'up'."

IC: Higashi

"Wow you're pretty much a puppet."

IC: Chiyo

"... That's what everybody tells me."

IC: Higashi

"Do you have any independent thoughts?"

IC: Chiyo

"I like building wooden models. It's tricky with just one hand, but I've learned to adjust. I have a scale model of the central Imperial Palace in my possession; I am currently working on a scale representation of the markets. I am also drawing up blueprints for a model to the Yukanna; I hope for it to be functional and water resistant when it is done..."

Apparently Chiyo had a passion for this sort of thing.

IC: Higashi

"Wow you're boring."

IC: Chiyo

"How is that boring?"

IC: Higashi

"Sounds like work."

IC: Ichi and Ni

OOC: Open for interaction

IC:

Zyla's attention was caught by the two bantering Dashi.

"Excuse me," she said, walking over to them, "are you two all right?"

-Void

IC: Ichi and Ni

Ni: "Hi person! What's your nam-"

Ichi: "Ni, stay calm. And yeah, we're just moving. Relocation and all."

IC: Viitkha

"We always are, but it's not necessarily a bad thing.  There is scarcely anyone who knows yourself better than yourself," the woman agreed, before pausing for a moment and adding, "Perhaps besides your mother, they have a tendency to be all-seeing."

Viitkha's eyes filled with mirth, even if her face remained mostly static at her own comment.  She returned her inky gaze back Tama, who quite nearly matched herself in height.

"I've yet spar today, tell me, Menti Tama, would you care for a short session?"

IC: Ageru Tamachan (Mahuika Hall)

If there was one thing Tama felt she could appreciate about an honest to Zuto Nui warrior Menti, then, it was their tendency to get straight to the point and not worry too much about rank or formalities. She could finally relax a bit, she felt, and nodded to Viitkha.

"Yes, I'd like that"

IC:

"My name is Zyla," she said with a smile, carefully avoiding bringing up which clan she came from. "Would it be improper of me to inquire as to your destination for relocation?"

-Void

IC: Ichi and Ni

Ichi: "No, it's fine. We're headed for-"

Ni: "Kyū's house!"

Ichi: "... Which is in a small coastal village near the Odaiba-Iki bridge."

IC: Higashi

"So what else you do? Just that?"

IC: Chiyo

"Sometimes I practice my combat abilities in the Yards."

IC: Higashi

"Hmm."

Higashi looked thoughtful.

"You wanna go?"

IC: Chiyo

"To the yards?"

IC: Higashi

"Yeah, and spar."

IC: Chiyo

"Okay."

IC: Higashi

"Right, let's go."

IC: Chiyo

The two of them walked to the yards.

IC: Higashi

"Any ground rules you wanna lay out?" asked Higashi, stretching herself as she took her place in front of her newest opponent. "No weapons, no Menti skills, anything?"

IC: Chiyo

"Hm..."

This Menti wore a Calix, meaning that her reflexes would be very high. She would also have the advantage of having four limbs as opposed to three. She wasn't carrying weapons, but that could mean anything.

"Maybe one round of anything goes to first blood, just to see where we're at."

IC: Higashi

"Right."

Higashi settled into a stance.

"Ready when you are."

[Odaiba, Border of Ageru Land Holdings]

The weather had been less than kind for the past few hours.  A cold drizzle, helped along by a strong wind from the North chilled every member of the caravan who dared venture outside.  Even Myrzu hung his head low, plodding along with such lack of motivation that Hatchi had to snap his reigns every few minutes to keep from getting run over by the lead wagon.

“Hatchi?”

Tyfaed, the caravan’s cheesemaker and mukau master, jogged alongside them, her eyebrows drawn together.

“Yes?”

“Leader, you must call a halt.  I don’t think the animals can go longer without one getting injured, and that includes your bird.  We’ve been going for more than a full pass of the sun, leader, surely there is no danger now?”

Hatchi nodded.  She would have preferred to keep going, but they were all a few minutes from sleeping where they stood.  She had already had far to many cups of strong black tea already, and the strung out feeling when their effect wore off was catching up with her.

“HALT!”  she yelled, loud enough for the entire caravan to hear.

“We’ll camp here for the night,” she said, turning back to Tyfaed.  “Tell everyone to make sure not to stray into the Ageru clan’s land holdings.  I’m going to request passage for the next few days--tell Symrun she’s in charge until I get back.

She motioned to the silent zrupgar, who followed her.

“Time to do some grovelling,” she said, but the attempt at humor hung dead in the moist air.

IC: Viitkha

The Blademaster made her way over to one of the arenas, not bothering to move the training dummies that lined the outer edge of the circle. It created a more enclosed space, and more of a challenge. Viitkha stood. facing Tama, her left hand outstreched as she called upon her weapon.

In moments the purple, hook-bladed psychophysical exotic sword was in her grasp.

”At you ready, Menti Tama.”

IC: Ageru Tamachan (Mahuika Hall)

Tama's own hand manifested a curved blade in orange coloring. The Menti's eyes glimmering as they took in the battlefield and her opponent.

One of the disadvantages of a soulsword was that you didn't want to keep it too close to your own body, unless you wanted to risk getting a nasty burn mark, hence why Tama needed her shield as well. Scimitars weren't designed for parrying.

She raised her weapons and lunged forward, slashing sideways at Viitkha.

IC: Viitkha

Viitkha stepped back lightly with her left foot, resting her weight on the balls of her feet as she pivoted her hips to follow. The movement displayed only the right side of her body to the attack, while shielding the rest of her from it.

Rather than dance out of the way of the somewhat obvious strike, Viitkha elected to parry it to stay in close. She raised her left arm up, both hands gripping her weapon, while keeping her right close to her body. This positioned the blade of her weapon so that it was running down to the ground along her right side, a handsbreath from her body.

Tama's strike connected with the flat of her hooked sword, rather than Viitkha's right side. Instead of continuing the block into the overhead strike that naturally followed, Viitkha pushed Tama's orange scimitar away from her body and brought her weapon around to a horizontal slash across the Menti's midsection.

IC: Chiyo

Chiyo likewise entered her ready stance, hand gurrping the hilt of her machete, ready to draw it on a moment's notice. "Ready."

IC: Ageru Tamachan (Mahuika Hall)

Even as her left hand was knocked away, Tama's shield rose to meet Viitkha's blade, her body twisting after her left arm to present only her left side to Viitkha.

Her shield connected with Viitkha's blade, and Tama followed up by wedging her shield's edge into the hooked protrusion at its end, and then pulling back. She brought her own blade back in a vertical slash as Viitkha's arms were pulled to the side.

IC: Viitkha

”Good improvision!” Viitkha exclaimed, allowing Tama's pull to add to her forward momentum as she slid forward and to the side to avoid the slash, ”Use your enemy's weapon against them.”

Keeping her weapon locked against Tama's shield, Viitkha pulled back against it bringing it forward until it was directly between their bodies.

With that, she pushed her khopesh towards Tama's torso, the stabbng motion unhooking her blade. It wasn't the cleanest way to respond to the Menti's attack, but Viitkha wanted to see how she moved.

IC: Ageru Tamachan (Mahuika Hall)

Tama was pushed back by Viitkha's improvised jab, her feet a frenzy of light toetip steps to avoid making too much distance between them. She quickly planted her feet and charged forward again, slashing at Viitkha from the opposite side.