Kyuden Shika

They were there, pleasanties exchanged, declarations made. Hikimasu had tried one last time to talk her out of it, but he couldn't really deny her earnestness. This was a battle to be fought, with much on the line, maybe more than she knew.

They had separated for the mid-eve, and he had bathed, prepared, meditated (ok, he really finished The Room Will Go On Without Them, but at least he bathed). He was as ready as he could be. The board was before them, no handicaps, no arrows, no tricks other than gaming skills.

He stared across at his opponent for a long while, reading them for weakness, but they were too much for him. He knew.

Honsestly, if she were any more beautful I doubt I'dremember the rules.

He lowered his mask.

"White or black?"

It hadn't taken too long after the play for Emiko to get ready, and she had only delayed herself to make sure Hikimasu was there first. After the pleasantries, and she kept smiling throughout, they had set up.

"I'll take white" she said, collecting her pieces "ready?"

"After all this talk I had better be", he said, returning her smile. "And let us see, I have the first move, hmm?" He thought about the game, but he kept his real goal quite in mind. He didn't want to short Emiko's victory, what would he do if he won?

His first few plays were quite aggressive. Perhaps she could turn it back on him.

Emiko started a little reserved and defensive, letting Hikimasu come at him and encouraging his aggressive start. Giving him a false sense of being ahead before taking advantage with a few aggressive plays out of nowhere to take some big captures.

"Hmm hmm. Shosuro-sama is using some of my plays from a few days ago?" She asked, looking up at him

"Perhaps not as well", he allowed, still looking the board. He did want to win, but he also didn't. Well, he'd feel bad if he won? No...he wouldn't, you don't feel bad for winning against someone more skilled than you. "Though we'll see how you handle it going forward."

His next few plays had a little damage control, trying to snare her into playing where he wanted her to.

"Though so far, I seem to be a little transparent", he allowed a nervous laugh to escape. "I have no shame to admit I admire your adaptability."

Yeah, likely going to lose, I don't think quiet compliments will quite shake her.

Not that he wouldn't enjoy seeing her very plainly feel something like that from his words.

Emiko smiled at the compliment, dipping her head as she played more conservatively around Hikimasu's defensive plays.

"It's easy when a strategy backfires to go into an overdefensive direction, which just causes to to end up making you more defending more into a corner" she said softly as she took another small win and a few more pieces "one should always look to the bigger picture, instead of just their own situation."

"I see many bigger pictures, perhaps too many", he said and made the only plays left to him. "It may not show much on this board, but I am not blind to what lies ahead. All I can do is my best, though it can be painful at times."

He watches the last of his territory go. "Well, it seems she is Master Mimi for a reason", he said with a bow.

With that Emiko grinned.

"Grand Master Mimi actually" she said with a bow "thank you for the game Shosuro-san, it was fun. I think if you had pressed the aggression after the first loss you would have potentially pinned me back. It was close though."

"You say that, but I spent only a turn honestly trying to shore up defense, you just came at me very swiftly", he returned. Then he picked up the small bag tied with a red silk cord.

"Yet regardless, to the victor go the spoils", he said, smiling. Then he straightened up. "Here is the fan, as promised." He pushed the bag across the table toward her, head down in offering.

It was a long shape within the wrapping, clearly a large fan, made to be quite visible while dancing in a procession, or even at the head of it.

Emiko picked up the bag, looking at it with a curious expression.

"A part of me doesn't want to open it, just to keep it like this. However..." she opened the bag, taking a look inside.