The great hall has been cleared of well...everything leaving behind a rather large space. In the middle of it stands the mighty Shika Zang holding a kemari ball.
"So!" booms the bearded man, once the group has assembled. "I am Shika Zang! To those who have heard of me, it should come as no surprise that kemari is my fourth favorite thing to do! Aesthetically, it's all about striking that balance between your courtly duties and your martial ones! But it's also very good pragmatically: it keeps the courtiers from getting too fat, and the bushi from tripping over their fancy kimonos!"
He kicks the ball back and forth for a moment.
"And of course, if you don't think that the secret to a good marriage is the ability to keep things in the air....well, I guess none of you HAVE married yet, but take it from a veteran, it's important! So, let's see how you all do!" he proclaims kicking the ball to the next person.
Rules:
Players make TN 2 Fitness checks until they have scored a total of 4 momentum points or more. You earn one momentum point for a successful roll, and 1 additional momentum point for each bonus success. You may choose which approach you wish to make. However, each check they make must take a different approach than the last fitness check they made in kemari. It is acceptable to alternate between two approaches, so Fire/Fire is not acceptable, but Fire/Water/Fire works.
Mercy Rule: At any point, you may give up on playing kemari without reaching 4 momentum. You lose one point of honor, and one point of glory for invoking the mercy rule, and are automatically placed at the bottom of the bottom tier.
Scoring priority:
Fewest number of rolls to hit four momentum.
Most opportunities spent on showing off.
Highest number of approaches employed.
Most bonuses successes on a single roll.
Highest Status.
Highest Glory.
Highest Honor.
Re: (D3, MM) Love is in the Air (Event)
Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2021 7:44 am
by Susaki Tadasu
When the ball is kicked off by Shika Zang, it may have perhaps been surprising to see the one-armed Otter, Susaki Tadasu adroitly slips in and catches the ball on the edge of his foot, rolling it across the top from the momentum of the Deer's kick before passing to himself in the air and catching the ball at the crown of his head, knocking it up into the air once more. A few more small hops keeping the ball perfectly above him as it bounces before he purposefully slides back and knocks the ball off of his heel to the next person in line, hoping they can keep up!
---- D3 MM [Love is in the Air] Water/Fitness | TN: 2 | Success: 4 / Opportunity: 1 / Strife: 4
2 rolls to hit 4 momentum.
1 Opportunities spent showing off.
2 approaches employed.
2 bonus successes on a single roll.
Status 22.
Glory 34.
Honor 23.
Re: (D3, MM) Love is in the Air (Event)
Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2021 8:00 am
by Asahina Soyokaze
Soyokaze catches the ball Susaki Tadasu passed and balanced it for a moment on the toe of his left foot. Kicking it up into the air over and behind himself he catches it again on the heel of his right foot before twisting and rotating his leg so that the ball smoothly swept back in front of him, now resting on the top of his foot. He repeated the act twice more the ball serenely flowing back over his head, behind and around in a manner that was reminiscent of dancer or a monk. Once the ball was gone his serenity faded and he looked on the verge of passing out.
1 rolls to hit 4 momentum.
1 approaches employed.
3 bonus successes on a single roll.
Honor: 67
Glory: 47
Status: 38
Re: (D3, MM) Love is in the Air (Event)
Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2021 8:31 am
by Moto Mitsuki
In the east, people play kemari. In the west, people play tepük. And Mitsuki was a child of both tradition.
At first, she started slow, calmly juggling the ball from one knee to another, watching the other competitors, unsure if the exercise was about dexterity or poise, and keeping the two balanced.
After a few instants though, her reflexes kicked in and she just started showing off like a cool kid in the courtyard, her dignity as a samurai more kept in check by the rigidity of her makeup and the obfuscating quality of her clothing than per her actual behavior.
Four (technically five) momentum achieved in 2 rolls, 1 opportunity to show off, 2 distinct approaches, 3 bonus on a single roll.
+6 strife (not compromised, thanks Unicorn high Water)
Re: (D3, MM) Love is in the Air (Event)
Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2021 8:53 am
by Kaikoga Koi
To say Koi was skilled at kicking balls into the air repeatedly was a downright lie. A filthiest of lies. So dishonourable that lie that may a curse be laid upon your land, your honour and your cow.
Koi, this beautiful Moth in an elegant kimono dressed to be in her best outfit with makeup, hair done just especially perfect today. Koi put effort into her appearance today, Koi even had worn her favourite accessories and when the event was revealed to her it was as if a Kami came down and shat on her.
She was dumbstruck. Dumbfounded. Outrageously consumed by the baffling bamboozling instructions she had to take a minute to process that. Koi had to process the information in her head for a good solid ten minutes.
Unfortunately, she only got halfway through that time until she was made to go forward surrounded by at the bushi watching her. However, this wasn't the worst stage she had performed at, and it's not going to stop her now!
Koi might not be good at sports, nor was she good at this. Not in a million years will she ever be good at this but she tried. She tried and with each try Koi felt her soul break apart and burn in to ashes at her ability to do this performance.
Tackling this with water didnt work even when she hoped for beginners luck, fire nearly helped on the second attempt by the third she had a good solid understanding of the sport by using water and got halfway through it.
Next few attempts were not so eventful at progression but boy did she throw herself into it, taking up an almost pantomime aspect of it trying to make people laugh. She knew that they knew she wasn't good at this, but after the ball fumbled away and she playfully couldnt find it it was at that she found the joy in it to make people have a good time.
By the kami, she tried.
By the time Koi had finished her back was hurting her, her feet were hurting her, she felt muggy and swampy in locations and she just wanted to sit down and just get pissing drunk.
Total Momentum: 4.
Strife gained total 5
Strife negated total: 5
Opportunity used for effect: 4
Total attempts: 9
Honor: 45
Glory: 40
Status: 28
Re: (D3, MM) Love is in the Air (Event)
Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2021 10:13 am
by Asahina Bo
Bo breathed a, rather audible, sigh of relief when he saw it was kemari and not some artistic or more courtly endeavor. He wasn't the best at kemari but it was at least something he understood. Smooth, fluid movements... and a massive landing surface... made completing the task easy even if he was not the stand out star of the show.
4 Momentum (of course it's the last roll not the first one), 4 Strife
Scoring:
3 rolls to hit 4+ Momentum
3 Opportunities to show off
2 Approaches employed
3 bonus successes on a single roll
35 Status
39 Glory
66 Honor
7 Strife gained)
Re: (D3, MM) Love is in the Air (Event)
Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2021 10:20 am
by Shiba Raizo
Well, it's official. The Deer are terminally insane.
But he had to admit, despite having never played kemari, he was glad he wouldn't have to talk about shit he didn't care about again.
So he went at it with a certain placid competence at first, making a great show of being utterly unflappable, then shifting up to a more fluid approach with a dose of... unaccustomed panache, then back again and generally finding the exercise... pretty simple.
No idea how that helps determine my suitability as a suitor, but it was actually kinda fun.
3 rolls to hit 4
3 opportunities spent to show off
2 approaches employed (Earth and Water, GO MUDMAN GO!)
1 excess success as maximum.
5 strife gained]
Re: (D3, MM) Love is in the Air (Event)
Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2021 11:06 am
by Aimi
Sometimes I wonder at all this love of analogy and metaphor. Keeping balls in the air is just fun, but... well, if he says so.
When it comes to Aimi's turn to perform, it is clear to most watching that she has never done this before... and yet, somehow, she entirely fails to fail. She is stoic and vibrant and graceful and precise by turns, each element in harmony, and though there is little skill to her movements she does not drop the ball.
When she kicks it onto the next contestant, her breathing is heavy and her eyes sparkle with delight, but she remains just about in control.
---
Note - Aimi starts with one strife, her composure is eight
She has two void points available, she spends both in this
D3 MM Playing Kemari, Fitness (Earth) | TN: 2 | Success: 2 / Opportunity: 1 / Strife: 2
Roll One - 1 momentum point gained, 1 opportunity spent showing off
Even More Kemari, Fitness (Water) with void | TN: 2 | Success: 2 / Opportunity: 1 / Strife: 2
Roll Three - 1 momentum point gained (total of three), one opportunity spent showing off
Again with the Kemari, Fitness (Air) | TN: 2 | Success: 2 / Opportunity: 0 / Strife: 0
Roll Four - 1 momentum point gained (total of four), 0 opportunity
Total Summary
Rolls Required - Four
Opportunity for Showing off - Four
Approaches Employed - Four
Re: (D3, MM) Love is in the Air (Event)
Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2021 11:38 am
by Kasuga Yoshi
"Kemari?" Yoshi has to resist his jaw dropping in surprise. He had a few ideas, guesses really, about what was going to be the event today. This was not one one them.
Still, even if he wasn't particularly good, the game the surprisingly popular in Slow Tide Harbor, as it was something even the poorest children and gaijin could play.
Might as well give it my all
Yoshi was never the fastest or the strongest, but the way everyone played was to look fancy, with fakes, dekes and theater over actually athletic skill. Not that Yoshi wasn't drenched with sweat at the end, but he does manage a few theatrical flourishes, balancing the ball on his chest before cradling it with his feet.
Number of Rolls: 1
Opportunity to show off: 2
Approach # used: 1
Single number of bonus successes on a roll: 3
Re: (D3, MM) Love is in the Air (Event)
Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2021 11:45 am
by Kitsu Murato
Murato was not made for this sort of thing. Yet again. It was as though they were intentionally testing him on the things he was worst at. At least this time it was something that could be at least a little fun. He was never good at physical games but he did enjoy them. Which was evidenced by his very enthusiastic, if awkward play style. He seemed to spend as much time on the floor, either because he reached too far and toppled himself, or because he threw himself there on purpose to get the ball into the air. He was certainly not skilled at this, but his passion was readily on display.
