[D12, LM]The Anger of a Gentle Man (Open but Expecting)

[Asahina Soyokaze]

Soyokaze strode into the dojo with fire in his eyes. He was looking for someone and he didn't know what he would if he found him. Not seeing his target he paced around for a moment before grabbing a bokken. He hadn't held one since he was a child and didn't know what to do with it but he approached a training dummy and began to wail on it, pouring his fury into the thing with reckless abandon. This was not the Asahina of even a few days ago.

[Moto Mitsuki]

Mitsuki was about to leave the premises, now all duels were over and the location was returning to its normal schedule.

Noticing the Asahina, who didn't seem like his normal self, among the people quite eager to train that morning, however changed her plan and she approached instead, still wearing her duel clothes, sweaty and disheveled, but otherwise physically and mentally fine.

"You're a bit late for today's ordeal Asahina-san. You choose your partner better than me though. Your cousin Bo would likely have flattened me if the duel had devolved into melee." she commented playfully.

[Asahina Soyokaze]

At the sound of someone speaking to him ruined on them, the fire still in his eyes, but quickly dropped the bokken and viewed when he saw who it was speaking.

"Moto Mitsuki-sama good morning, I hope Inari had blessed you today. I'm sorry to hear today's event did not have a pleasant result for you, it seems there is nothing Bo-sama cannot do. How have you been?"

By the time he finished talking a harsh edge left his voice and became the soft Crane again.

[Moto Mitsuki]

"Oh, I won according to the judges actually. I'm just not sure how. Cleaner strike? Bonus for style for having used a Sparrow technique? The rules of duel as a sport, with points and all, are very much confusing to me.

Otherwise, I'm fine. Not much worth mentioning since our ballad really. I've managed to somehow stay out of the trouble brewing here and there.

Rumors as it that you did not perform as well as me on that front."

[Asahina Soyokaze]

"Well then I congratulate you on your triumph. I did what I thought was right at the time, I am growing to regret that decision however. Shaming an Imperial is never wise but seemed especially moronic just before the Crane go into a war, the only person who would have benefitted at the time was me and that is selfish. So I conceded. But he continues to be a problem for me and those I care about, I should have let Reina-sama teach him a lesson. So I have come here to vent some frustration and maybe see if this..." He gestured to the dojo in general. "Is something I can learn for myself, I have never had a stomach for violence but I think I want to grow one. Unfortunately I can't swing a sword."

[Moto Mitsuki]

Mitsuki was deeply surprised by the vehemence of the Asahina.

"What exactly is your beef with the Seppun kiddo? I mean, he is insufferable, and I doubt he is as important as he thinks or his family would have married him to an Otomo, a Miya or maybe a high rank Doji instead of 'risking' him here. But seems your hate run far deeper than that."

[Asahina Soyokaze]

"We had an encounter in the baths, I tried to compliment him and he turned it into an insult, then I made the grave error of saying the name of my desired out loud. One thing led to another and when I refused to stop courting her he forced a duel."

He took a deep breath to calm himself. "I have no doubt that Reina-sama would have beaten him but it dawned on me that shaming an Imperial so publicly right before the Crane go to war would help no one but myself, so I conceded. Now I am regretting it. I made something for her, the woman it seems we both seek the hand of, a gift given well before the result of duel now forcing me to stop courting her, and he has taken it from her while making some claims about it's nature and by extension me that if I were Doji trained I could likely turn into a duel to the death."

He picked the bokken back up and squeezed the handle with all the might he could muster. "But I have made many mistakes that have hurt her along the way and she has asked me not to interfere, not yet, but one day I will face him again and I will be the one standing in front of him, not a proxy."

[Moto Mitsuki]

"So... You two have been fighting over... someone? Doesn't that someone get a say in the matter?

The Seppun more or less boasted before me he had offered you an impossible way to 'atone' for the sin of trying to cross him, so I'll say he was very much trying to make the duel happen, knowing it will be a political victory for him anyway.

Honestly, seems like you were played, and that by allowing that failure to keep devouring you, you're still being played."

[Asahina Soyokaze]

"To be honest I wanted the duel as badly as he did, I knew Reina-sama couldn't lose to him and he needs a wakeup call, but in the end I decided to ruin myself instead of others. That should have been the end of it, he has continued this and escalated. As far as her wishes...as I said I have made a lot of mistakes along the way, yet for some reason she has not forsaken me yet and she still trusts me enough to have told me of the boy's theft and it is taking everything I have not to confront him about, but I can't let my emotions control me forever. I must be better if I am to be a husband to anyone."

he glanced around the mostly empty dojo. "Would you be willing to spar with me?"

[Moto Mitsuki]

Please tell me this is not a Scorpion ploy, please tell me this is not a Scorpion ploy.

"Might I ask who's this girl you're all courting before that?

I have been accused of bringing bad luck around me before, but she seems to take it to another level."