(D5, LA) A Book Misplaced (Library)

[Kakita Yuji]

There was a book that Yuji had seen the other day in the library, he'd been certain of it. He had meant to look over it, had put it on his list of things to do and yet fate and fortune had conspired against him to rob him of that chance. And so he had returned to....and empty spot on the shelf. The book was not in it's proper place So where was it then?

[Shiba Haru]

Haru sat in a quiet corner, a small stack of books and scrolls stacked around him. At current he was reviewing a number of treaties the Crane had brokered between the Lion and other clans, seeking some insight on how to forge peace with the empires proud warriors when he noticed the movement of someone near him and he looked up.

"Ah good afternoon Kakita Yuji-san, I hope the day finds you well and blessed by Inari. Are you looking for something in particular today?"

[Kakita Yuji]

Haru sat in a quiet corner, a small stack of books and scrolls stacked around him. At current he was reviewing a number of treaties the Crane had brokered between the Lion and other clans, seeking some insight on how to forge peace with the empires proud warriors when he noticed the movement of someone near him and he looked up.

"Ah good afternoon Kakita Yuji-san, I hope the day finds you well and blessed by Inari. Are you looking for something in particular today?"

Yuji bows to the Phoenix.

"Ah good afternoon, Shiba-san." he offered. "I was mostly looking over possbile stories for tomorrow's gathering. There was a particular volume I remember from a couple of years ago. I can't recall the name, but the calligraphy on it was most distinct. But aas, though it was there yesterday, today it is not."

[Shiba Haru]

Yuji bows to the Phoenix.

"Ah good afternoon, Shiba-san." he offered. "I was mostly looking over possbile stories for tomorrow's gathering. There was a particular volume I remember from a couple of years ago. I can't recall the name, but the calligraphy on it was most distinct. But aas, though it was there yesterday, today it is not."

"Please, when will you start calling me Haru." He said with a smile as he stood. "Perhaps it has just been misplaced, I would be happy to help you search for it." He bowed to the Crane.

[Kakita Yuji]

"Please, when will you start calling me Haru." He said with a smile as he stood. "Perhaps it has just been misplaced, I would be happy to help you search for it." He bowed to the Crane.

Yuji bowed.

"As you prefer, Haru-san. I will only bear the name of Yuji for a few more days, but you may certainly address me by that until then, and I would hope with my new name upon the completion of the tournament." he reciprocated. "Your assistance in locating the tome would be appreciated as well."

[Shiba Haru]

Yuji bowed.

"As you prefer, Haru-san. I will only bear the name of Yuji for a few more days, but you may certainly address me by that until then, and I would hope with my new name upon the completion of the tournament." he reciprocated. "Your assistance in locating the tome would be appreciated as well."

"I admire your confidence in passing your gempukku, some of us around here are not so sure. How has your mission to collect poems been going?"

[Kakita Yuji]

"I admire your confidence in passing your gempukku, some of us around here are not so sure. How has your mission to collect poems been going?"

"Well enough although...." Yuji said, trailing off for a moment. "Hm. You know, Haru-san, there seems to be an awful lot of doubt held by our fellow imminent samurai First it was poetry, but now doubting they will pass their gempukku? I really don't understand how someone can travel all the way to Tsuma only to believe they are somehow unworthy of becoming an adult. An invitation to compete is extended across the Empire and senseis send their brightest students here, not to prove that they're worthy of being an adult, but to show that they could be a champion. Our ancestors from time immemorial are watching over us from the Heavens, waiting for us to take up our swords and their names and lead the Empire. It is as sure as the rising of the sun, so why do so many feel that the night is endless?"

[Shiba Haru]

"I know well the emotions you speak of, I have felt them since the first test began. I've had a few discussions with my kin about it and the best answer I can give you is this.

Most of us are unaccustomed to being average.

I haven't sensed many egos here but we have all known on some level that we were better than most if not all of our fellow students. Then we found out we were going to compete in the Topaz Championship and it confirmed the idea that we were potentially great. Then we got here, and saw everyone else and understood that everyone we looked at was the best of the best at something. Then the tests began and only a few of us at a time can considered themselves to have done well.

I should have earned points in the Test of the Body, I should have earned points in the Test of the Wilds. Each day that passes that I don't earn any points increases the chances that I am a failure, an impostor and potentially unfit to be a Samurai. If we aren't the best we must be the worst. Logically I know that isn't true but it doesn't FEEL that way. I am a duelist, it's all I have ever wanted to be and I have spent more time practicing it than I have sleeping. If I don't even make it into the dueling tournament I might as well fall on my bokken.

This is just MY view of things as a bushi. Some here take the opposite view, they don't believe they are special at all and they were invited here by mistake. Some think they are only here to be made fun of, the Crane just trying to belittle them with shows of wealth and luxury. It all boils down to a belief that we are not worthy of being here and it is reinforced by the results of the tests."

[Kakita Yuji]

Yuji listened carefully and let the insult about the Crane slide Invitations to make fun of people, did they look like Scorpion.

"That is then, perhaps, the final lesson for our senseis to teach us, Haru-san: You are not special. Despite your many talents, despite all your hard work, you are not the hero of a play.: destined to overcome all who stand before you."

Yuji examined a book before moving it down one slot into it's proper place.

"Consider a battle. A thousand arrows fired over it's course, one takes the life of an enemy general. Are the other arrows failures? Should only the one have been fired?

Yuji shook his head.

"It is the last notion of childhood that dies upon the battleground of Tsuma. Which is for the best in the end. Can you imagine an army composed only of a thousand chosen heroes'? We are not strong by ourselves, our strength comes from the group. From our ancestors to our comrades to our children, we are strong because of each other. The single twig is broken over one's knee easily, but the bundle does not break."

[Shiba Haru]

"All of that rings true but none of use are a thousand solders, we are but one person and can only fire one arrow at a time. If that one arrow slays the enemy we are a hero, if it fails we may die.

I am only trying to answer your question. Right now I feel like a failure to myself, my parents, my sensei and my clan. This could all change with tomorrow's events and I will continue to work to succeed but as things stand right now my future is nothing but uncertainty and that is stressful. Immensely stressful. If you have moved beyond such concerns I commend you."

[Kakita Yuji]

"All of that rings true but none of use are a thousand solders, we are but one person and can only fire one arrow at a time. If that one arrow slays the enemy we are a hero, if it fails we may die.

I am only trying to answer your question. Right now I feel like a failure to myself, my parents, my sensei and my clan. This could all change with tomorrow's events and I will continue to work to succeed but as things stand right now my future is nothing but uncertainty and that is stressful. Immensely stressful. If you have moved beyond such concerns I commend you."

Yuji laughed softly.

"Ah yes, the boy who trained at the highest Academy in the land, whos family has deep ties to said academy, who comes from the Family that the Academy is named for and that family is known for chasing the ideal of Perfection and was chosen to represent all that in the most prestigious gempukku of the Empire....he's the one whose clearly moved beyond being disappointed." he said self-deprecatingly.

He checked another book. Nope, not that one either.

"As my mother has often said, 'You must live in the moment.' Take today's test for example. I was not thinking about faulty knotwork, I was not pondering what the results of the test were going to be, All that existed was the tranquility of the tea, conversation, and art. And I did well. Well enough to earn recognition from the judge? Sadly, no. Is there something else I could have done to earn his recognition? Possibly, but that moment has passed. And I was content in that moment, just as I seek to be content with my performance in the next moment and the next until there are no more moments in this world."

He looked over to Haru.

"When, not if, you pass your gempukku, you and I and all the other competitors will be taking our place in the Empire as adults. As one of the finest of the Phoenix, you are most assuredly going to go on to do great things. You may or may not get to be the champion, but that does not mean you are not one of the finest samurai of your generation. Which is quite impressive, just that you were chosen to come here. Nothing will take that moment away from you, Haru-san, when your sensei informed you that you were one of the best in the Empire. Focus on that, not who gets to serve as topaz champion for a brief year." he counsels.

[Shiba Haru]

"It would be a lie to say I was not interested in the title."

He placed a hand on the old netsuke he wore.

"It would fulfill an ancestors dream and be of great boon to my immediate family, not to mention the pride I would feel in bringing the Blessed Emperor to Phoenix lands for the winter. But it is not something I NEED, but the idea of not even making it to the dueling tournament when it is what i have worked for my entire life. To come this close and then fail to be able to display my skill and training, to not be able to test myself against my peers would be disheartening.

But you are right, things don't end here even if I do fail at my goal, it just means I will need a stiff drink. To that end, I was chatting with Suzume Rin-san and was curious if you were interested in a night of drinking and rules bending at the end of all this. We won't be "real" adults until we all return home and have our ceremonies so we still have the protection of youth in case something untoward happens. Rin-san has never drank before just like I hadn't. Does that sound like something you would be interested? You, me, Jiro, Natsuko-san, Rin-san probably Kasumi-san and hopefully others like Natsuko-san?"

[Kakita Yuji]

"It would be a lie to say I was not interested in the title."

He placed a hand on the old netsuke he wore.

"It would fulfill an ancestors dream and be of great boon to my immediate family, not to mention the pride I would feel in bringing the Blessed Emperor to Phoenix lands for the winter. But it is not something I NEED, but the idea of not even making it to the dueling tournament when it is what i have worked for my entire life. To come this close and then fail to be able to display my skill and training, to not be able to test myself against my peers would be disheartening.

But you are right, things don't end here even if I do fail at my goal, it just means I will need a stiff drink. To that end, I was chatting with Suzume Rin-san and was curious if you were interested in a night of drinking and rules bending at the end of all this. We won't be "real" adults until we all return home and have our ceremonies so we still have the protection of youth in case something untoward happens. Rin-san has never drank before just like I hadn't. Does that sound like something you would be interested? You, me, Jiro, Natsuko-san, Rin-san probably Kasumi-san and hopefully others like Natsuko-san?"

It was a minor point that Yuji was already home so swear allegiance and traditionally the tournaments held the official swearing of oaths in Tsuma. But it would be boorish to bring it upl

"Of course, Haru-san, I would be happy to." he repoied.

Yuji looked thoughtful.

"Hmmm, at the risk of monopolizing your time, Haru-san, we should also have a practice duel the hour before. You hoped to lock bokken with me sometime, yes? And that would be the most opportune moment to not distract from the pressures of the tests." he offered.

[Shiba Haru]

"I am happy to spend more time with you Yuji-san."

He looked at the Crane with a playful devilish grin.

"Trying to sniff out my stance before the real thing or betting I won't be participating so it's safe to show me yours?"

[Kakita Yuji]

"I am happy to spend more time with you Yuji-san."

He looked at the Crane with a playful devilish grin.

"Trying to sniff out my stance before the real thing or betting I won't be participating so it's safe to show me yours?"

Yuji shook his head.

"I have just a good of chance of not participating in the iaijutsu final as you do, Haru-san." he admitted. "I was hopeful with the Tests of the Wild and Soul. I might still do well in the test of the General and the Test of the Warrior. It's not even impossible I could place in Ancestor or Piety, though I am less certain of what they 'll be like."

A small shrug.

"But even if you are made Topaz champion and I do not even earn the right to participate, I would still like to duel with you. I would hope the same would apply if the reverse were true."

[Shiba Haru]

"It most certainly does Yuji-san." He said with a bow. "I would be honored to cross bokken with you and pray that it never go beyond that. A warm up match will do us both good before the real thing and will make it all the more interesting when we meet in the final match with everything on the line."

[Kakita Yuji]

"It most certainly does Yuji-san." He said with a bow. "I would be honored to cross bokken with you and pray that it never go beyond that. A warm up match will do us both good before the real thing and will make it all the more interesting when we meet in the final match with everything on the line."

Deep down, Yuji had a sneaking suspicion that the pair were going to be demonstrating their skills to the local birds while the finalists battled it out. But Crane training was strong and such thoughts were buried far below the surface.

Instead, he bowed.

"Of course, Haru-san. You truly learn the measure of a person once you face off against them, and it is fortunate that we can do so when no more than bruised flesh and pride is on the line." he returned

[Shiba Haru]

"Just bruised flesh and pride? You don't want to put any other stakes on our bout?" he asked playfully. "I recently had a game of Go with Kasumi-san that had all kinds of stakes attached to it and I'm feeling rather lucky."

[Kakita Yuji]

"Just bruised flesh and pride? You don't want to put any other stakes on our bout?" he asked playfully. "I recently had a game of Go with Kasumi-san that had all kinds of stakes attached to it and I'm feeling rather lucky."

Yuji tilted his head a bit at that. It was a...somewhat odd request.

"Ah well, what did you have in mind, Haru-san?" he asked, unsure where this was going, but willing to hear him out.

[Shiba Haru]

Haru really had no idea why he had said that and had nothing in mind.

"Oh I don't know, we have time to think about that. Don't have to was just wondering if you were the sort to do that sort of thing. So what book are we looking for?"