(D2, LE) Prelude to Evil

[Kakita Yuji]

"Keitaro…." She shook her head after a moment of thought. "No. The name doesn't sound familiar."

Yuji smiled.

"Ah it's quite an interesting story. A ronin from Lion lands, his sponsorship into the Topaz Championship was a bit of a mystery. Some thought that his father was secretly a man of powerful connections, others assumed it was some sort of Scorpion plot, but regardless he found himself here in Tsuma. Also attending the Topaz Championship that year as a spectator was the Tortoise Clan Kizoku. She had been unable to secure any invitations for her clan to the Topaz Championship that year, so she did the next best thing. She gathered all the ronin in the competition, four that year, and offered them the chance to swear fealty. While the other three rebuffed her offer, due to their own circumstances, Keitaro accepted, taking up the Tortoise mon part way through the tournament." he recounts.

[Shinjo Jingyi]

"That's an interesting twist." The Shinjo grinned, eager to hear more.

[Kakita Yuji]

"That's an interesting twist." The Shinjo grinned, eager to hear more.

Yuji nodded.

"Indeed. Unsurprisingly he does not win the championship. However, he faces off against the eventual victor in the first round of the iaijutsu competition and bows to the superior skill of his opponent rather than draw upon him. When his new lord confronts him about why he did not draw, he explains that rather than wear down the eventual champion for his own pride, he preferred to deepen the bond they shared for opportunities down the road. His lord finds themselves pleased at just how resourceful a talent she has recruited into her clan. Not the topaz champion perhaps, but a worthy follower nonetheless."

[Shinjo Jingyi]

Yuji nodded.

"Indeed. Unsurprisingly he does not win the championship. However, he faces off against the eventual victor in the first round of the iaijutsu competition and bows to the superior skill of his opponent rather than draw upon him. When his new lord confronts him about why he did not draw, he explains that rather than wear down the eventual champion for his own pride, he preferred to deepen the bond they shared for opportunities down the road. His lord finds themselves pleased at just how resourceful a talent she has recruited into her clan. Not the topaz champion perhaps, but a worthy follower nonetheless."

"A fitting end." she nodded approvingly. "Unless there's more?"

[Kakita Yuji]

"A fitting end." she nodded approvingly. "Unless there's more?"

Yuji smiled a bit.

"Well yes and no. That was the end of that story, but life is really just a series of stories. The next story was about how he ended up wed into a very noble Crane house." he admits.

[Shinjo Jingyi]

"A very noble fate." she smiled. "I imagine many stories of past tournaments and their competitors are told abd retold here in Tsuma. I wonder what will be said about us a year from now."

[Kakita Yuji]

"A very noble fate." she smiled. "I imagine many stories of past tournaments and their competitors are told abd retold here in Tsuma. I wonder what will be said about us a year from now."

Yuji smiled a bit.

"Hmmm." he said, before striking a dframatic pose.

"The samurai formerly known as Shinjo Jingyi came to the city of Tsuma alone except for her monkey Odoruhonō, her horse Hayakawa, her hawk Jiyukaze, her hound Aiyama, and her cricket Unmei. So compared to her following now, practically alone. Together they would face and overcome many challenges from Shinjo-san having to do math on a boat, to Odoruhono running off yet again to a tragically one sided romance between Aiyama and one of the judge's legs..."


Yuji had a very serious look on his face, but it was clear this was not to be taken seriously.

[Shinjo Jingyi]

"Aiyama would never!" she gave an exaggerated gasp. "Odoru-kun, on the other hand, almost certainly would if I let him. Of course, all of the monkey's antics were captured in a series of poems collected by the soon to be famous Kakita Yuji."

[Kakita Yuji]

"Aiyama would never!" she gave an exaggerated gasp. "Odoru-kun, on the other hand, almost certainly would if I let him. Of course, all of the monkey's antics were captured in a series of poems collected by the soon to be famous Kakita Yuji."

Yuji nods.

"It was a tough audience after all. At the sound of his poetry, Oduru screeched, Hayakawa snorted, Jiykaze screamed, Aiyama howled, and at the end there was nothing but the quiet chirp of Unmei. Really, without the encouragement and support of the noble Unicorn, he might have given up." he added.

[Shinjo Jingyi]

"Unmei speaks volumes with each chirp." she nodded. "She encourages each of us to be our best self."

[Kakita Yuji]

"Unmei speaks volumes with each chirp." she nodded. "She encourages each of us to be our best self."

Yuji nodded.

"I see, Shinjo-san, I clearly am not fluent in cricket." he admitted. "But what do the rest of your companions encourage in you?"

[Shinjo Jingyi]

Yuji nodded.

"I see, Shinjo-san, I clearly am not fluent in cricket." he admitted. "But what do the rest of your companions encourage in you?"

"Well, each has traits I admire and hope to improve in myself." she explained after thinking it over. "Hayakawa is a swift and strong horse, but the way he adapts easily to any task is what I admire most. Watching Jiyukase in flight is like watching a beautiful dance with elegant, precise movements. She is a shrewd hunter who I have learned much from. It's Aiyama steadfastness I appreciate the most. Like any good hound, she'll follow a trail as far as she can, relentlessly searching every path."

"Odoruhonō." The monkey chittered when she spoke his name. "He's curious, impulsive, creative, clever and bold. All of which I wish I was more of."

[Kakita Yuji]

"Well, each has traits I admire and hope to improve in myself." she explained after thinking it over. "Hayakawa is a swift and strong horse, but the way he adapts easily to any task is what I admire most. Watching Jiyukase in flight is like watching a beautiful dance with elegant, precise movements. She is a shrewd hunter who I have learned much from. It's Aiyama steadfastness I appreciate the most. Like any good hound, she'll follow a trail as far as she can, relentlessly searching every path."

"Odoruhonō." The monkey chittered when she spoke his name. "He's curious, impulsive, creative, clever and bold. All of which I wish I was more of."

Yuji nods.

"They sound like wonderful companions, Shinjo-san." he offered in compliment. "You are in good company."

[Shinjo Jingyi]

She nodded. "I am fortunate to travel with such good companions. I am even more fortunate to find myself here in Tsuma in the good company of my fellow competitors."

[Kakita Yuji]

She nodded. "I am fortunate to travel with such good companions. I am even more fortunate to find myself here in Tsuma in the good company of my fellow competitors."

Yuji smiled a bit at that.

"I hope you have had a chance to meet many of them, Shinjo-san. It truly is interesting to see them up close and personal. I've read of all the clans, and seen various members pass through for previous Topaz tournaments, but it's really the first chance I've gotten to speak much to a member of the Unicorn."

[Shinjo Jingyi]

Yuji smiled a bit at that.

"I hope you have had a chance to meet many of them, Shinjo-san. It truly is interesting to see them up close and personal. I've read of all the clans, and seen various members pass through for previous Topaz tournaments, but it's really the first chance I've gotten to speak much to a member of the Unicorn."

"Only a few so far." she admitted. "But, there's time to meet more. Have you met anyone interesting, Kakita-sama?"

[Kakita Yuji]

"Only a few so far." she admitted. "But, there's time to meet more. Have you met anyone interesting, Kakita-sama?"

Yuji smiled a bit.

"I'm speaking to the brightest samurai of their generation, Shinjo-san, it's more of a challenge to speak to someone boring." he quipped. "The Phoenix have been friendly, the Mantis energetic, and the rest have been quite pleasant as well."

[Shinjo Jingyi]

She nodded. "That mirrors my own experience. I haven't met anyone I wouldn't like to speak more with, yourself included. I'll have to come up with your poem, though."

[Kakita Yuji]

She nodded. "That mirrors my own experience. I haven't met anyone I wouldn't like to speak more with, yourself included. I'll have to come up with your poem, though."

Yuji offered a small bow.

"I look forward to it, Shinjo-san. But the hour is growing late, I think I will perhaps turn in for the evening." he said, feeling like it was time to bring the conversation to a close.

[Shinjo Jingyi]

[I was certain I had replied to this.]

"Yes, and I should get this one to bed before he tries to run off again." She looked down at the monkey.

"Enjoy the rest of your night, Kakita-sama." she bowed before departing.

/scene