(D4, EA) I don't like this at all! (Open)

[Aimi]

"Ah. Your forgiveness, Seppun-sama," Aimi says dryly, "Why is everyone else hiding around a corner?"

She pauses, and looks at the painting, connecting the dots in her head. "Oh! This would be the one that changed overnight. I heard the servants talking about it," she says thoughtfully, studying it, "Well, if it helps, whatever did this won't be here right now. There's too many people. In my experience, rogue and predatory spirits go for those who wander alone."

[Kitsuki Hajime]

Hajime examines the petals and comes up with the brilliant deduction that...they're flower petals! Just like the one he counted in the portrait the other day....hang on a second....didn't he count those in the portrait the other day? It doesn''t look right, does it? Did some of the petals fall out of the painting?

Hnnn....Hajime did not care for the implications of his discovery, and the insistence that there was spirit involvement only ground his gears. There had to be another explanation. Paintings don't just go for a walk!

"These petals account for those missing from the painting, but..." he looked back up at the work, trying to make sense of the brushwork. Could it be that someone could have re-touched this painting overnight to eliminate the central figure?

Culture/Fire roll to theorize whether a person could possibly have re-painted this painting overnight. | TN: 3 | Success: 2 / Opportunity: 1 / Strife: 1

Using the opportunity to negate the strife.

[Saibankan]

Using the opportunity to negate the strife.

That just didn't seem right to Hajime. You would be able to tell fairly easily if the central figure of the painting was painted over overnight. It simply looked like it had never been there at all.

[Bayushi Mitsu]

"Thank you, shugenja-samas," Bayushi practically prayed, his voice still somewhat shaky but perhaps containing a little relief. He looked from Aimi to Seppun and back, and then glanced at Kitsuki.

"So, if it was a spirit, then it's not around right now. And if it wasn't...then what?" He held up a finger. "They switched the paintings! That's what I would have-" The Scorpion looked at Kitsuki. "I mean, in my experience - which investigatively is not inconsiderable - switching the paintings is a common subterfuge, particularly for thieves. Right?"

Turning to Seppun, he continued. "But in this case, they wanted us to think something supernatural is going on! Yes? To cover up the theft...or...something else? You're sure the spirit is gone?"

With a spin he came to Aimi. "You'll protect us, right?" His gaze tilted towards the envelope, and, seeming to notice it in his hand, Bayushi quickly stuffed it back under the folds of his kimono, above his heart.

(D4, EA) A probably ineffectual agenda push! | TN: 2 | Success: 2 / Opportunity: 1 / Strife: 0

[well okay, just barely successful! using one opportunity to show off with Void!]

[edit: small typo]

[Aimi]

With a spin he came to Aimi. "You'll protect us, right?" His gaze tilted towards the envelope, and, seeming to notice it in his hand, Bayushi quickly stuffed it back under the folds of his kimono, above his heart.

Aimi blinks, somewhat taken aback. A superstitious sort, then? Well, it only makes sense.

"My expertise is in mediating transgressions, Bayushi-sama, be they deliberate or accidental," she says, folding her arms and tucking her hands inside the sleeves of her kimono, "Forests displeased by excessive longing, an ancestor made furious by neglect. A painting displayed in a public area like this... unless anyone here spoke unkind words before the subject within the last day or two, I expect any spiritual ire would be focused on those who made or displayed the work."

She shakes her head. "In matters of outright malevolence... I understand there is at least one of the Kuni in attendance at this miai."

[Seppun Unsei]

"... You do know that I'm an Astrologer right? We are trained to protect people from dangerous supernatural threats..." She said to the Bayushi.

"We however do not have proof that this is anything supernatural in the first place and have no signs of it. The Deer love their performances, so this very well could be some sort of mystery put on by them, with multiple different paintings that they exchange every night. The best way to confirm this is to either look for marks that the painting was moved or see if the Deer are looking into this. If they aren't, at least not very heartedly looking into it, then they know it's not real."

[Bayushi Mitsu]

She shakes her head. "In matters of outright malevolence... I understand there is at least one of the Kuni in attendance at this miai."

"... You do know that I'm an Astrologer right? We are trained to protect people from dangerous supernatural threats..." She said to the Bayushi.

"We however do not have proof that this is anything supernatural in the first place and have no signs of it. The Deer love their performances, so this very well could be some sort of mystery put on by them, with multiple different paintings that they exchange every night. The best way to confirm this is to either look for marks that the painting was moved or see if the Deer are looking into this. If they aren't, at least not very heartedly looking into it, then they know it's not real."

"Yes," Bayushi nodded, then bowed to both of the shugenja. "Yes, of course. I didn't forget. I noted that both of you are honorable shugenja the other day, when we first met. And both of you not only quite interesting in conversation but also possessing of upstanding character from what I have seen. If this is supernatural, you will protect m- us," Bayushi implored, glancing at Kitsuki, then back to the other two. "Right?"

[Bayushi Mitsu]

...

Glancing at the shugenja for a moment, Bayushi stepped cautiously up to the painting, and took a very careful look at the art, the frame, the wall around it, and the flower petals on the floor as well. Making sure there were no guards looking [assuming that's possible], he shifted the painting slightly to take a look behind it.

[Bayushi wants to analyze the scene (Air) using Skulduggery for any hints of the painting being switched or other evidence of mundane subterfuge - putting a TN of 3 as an educated guess]
(D4, EA) Examining the painting for signs of subterfuge - Skulduggery (Air) | TN: 3 | Success: 3 / Opportunity: 0 / Strife: 1


"If someone altered this physically, I'll be able to tell for sure!" Bayushi assured them. "Nothing escapes my eye, or my mind!" He practically scampered around the painting with an almost feverish intensity.

[Saibankan]

...

Glancing at the shugenja for a moment, Bayushi stepped cautiously up to the painting, and took a very careful look at the art, the frame, the wall around it, and the flower petals on the floor as well. Making sure there were no guards looking [assuming that's possible], he shifted the painting slightly to take a look behind it.

[Bayushi wants to analyze the scene (Air) using Skulduggery for any hints of the painting being switched or other evidence of mundane subterfuge - putting a TN of 3 as an educated guess]
(D4, EA) Examining the painting for signs of subterfuge - Skulduggery (Air) | TN: 3 | Success: 3 / Opportunity: 0 / Strife: 1


"If someone altered this physically, I'll be able to tell for sure!" Bayushi assured them. "Nothing escapes my eye, or my mind!" He practically scampered around the painting with an almost feverish intensity.

The painting itself was unaltered.

However....there were subtle differences between it and the other five paintings in the hallway (besides the lack of central figure) Subtle differences in brushstrokes, shading.... It was a fake. A skillful one certainly, but a fake nonetheless.

[Seppun Unsei]

Unsei nodded some. "Yes, yes, of course we will protect you and Kitsuki-san, Bayushi-san. Please do not worry. It isn't as if another painting nearby is going to come alive and eat you." She said sweetly and in a harmless manner... "Granted... if one painting is already doing this, I'm sure it wouldn't be surprising if another one did..."

"Oh well, I'm sure it's absolutely fine!"

What was life without a little light teasing on someone obviously rather superstitious?