[Day 5, Early Afternoon] A Slight Change of Pace (Open)

[Susaki Tanabe]

as opposed to a reserved snot Tanabe gave a full bellied laugh at the Shiba's response "Well Shiba-sama, you don't mince words do you? I like that!" he declared loudly.

his voice returned to a more regular volume, for him any way "I'll admit I wasn't thrilled when I was told I would have to watch Usogawa-sama at a miai. I thought these things were pretty useless and kind of a waste of time and like you said I had no idea what to do here, a sumai ring rules are simple straight forward, being a yojimbo just have to keep my eyes sharp and protect Usogawa-sama, again, simple. But a miai? a place where i was supposed to meet my spouse?" he shook his head a little chuckling "That sounded like a nightmare."

he looked over his shoulder briefly his happy, playful smile softening "but honestly, i think its growing on me."

[Shiba Raizo]

Raizo chuckled.

"Ah, but did you impress her at some event, or did you simply meet her around the Kyuden? I've also.... met someone, but I've found the miai getting in the damn way ever since."

[Suzume Senseki]

Her attention is drawn instantly to the Sparrow with a couple of quick blinks at the shift. She bows. "Same, Suzume-san...well, with the good to see you. Not surprised to find you here." She plucks a reasonable representation of a naginata from the rack. "But yes, the Kuni train to fight. We are often in places where it's a necessity."

With a glance and a nod to the open spot she'd been looking at, she asks, "I was planning to run through kata, but my head's a bit busy for solitary focus. Would you be interested in sparring a bit?"

He smiles somewhat awkwardly at her jest, but doesn't directly answer to it other than with a weak grin.

"Well, it shouldn't be surprising, really", he finally says after a while. "Some joint practice would be nice!". A look at the practice weapon rack. "So... Kuni-sama usually wields polearms, then? I might learn a few things from you, then... staves are the closest I've trained to with any frequency"

He then looks at his bokken again and takes a step back, then nods to a free place where they could try their sparring bout. "Well, I could see how much of a disadvantage I end up in against a polearm with a sword instead... let's see."

[Kuni Yasu]

He smiles somewhat awkwardly at her jest, but doesn't directly answer to it other than with a weak grin.

"Well, it shouldn't be surprising, really", he finally says after a while. "Some joint practice would be nice!". A look at the practice weapon rack. "So... Kuni-sama usually wields polearms, then? I might learn a few things from you, then... staves are the closest I've trained to with any frequency"

He then looks at his bokken again and takes a step back, then nods to a free place where they could try their sparring bout. "Well, I could see how much of a disadvantage I end up in against a polearm with a sword instead... let's see."

"Less disadvantage than you might expect in here. Kind of different in a crush of people fighting." She heads to the indicated bit of space in the halls wide expanse of mats. "The reach is good, but I expect you've got more training and that goes a long way."

"Found anything...or anyone?...interesting in the past few days, Suzume-san?"

[Suzume Senseki]

"Less disadvantage than you might expect in here. Kind of different in a crush of people fighting." She heads to the indicated bit of space in the halls wide expanse of mats. "The reach is good, but I expect you've got more training and that goes a long way."

"Found anything...or anyone?...interesting in the past few days, Suzume-san?"

He nods. "Un, that would make sense. Can't say I've been in crowded fights often... but I suppose it could be a larger advantage in them."

He sets himself some 10 feet away from her and bows... then with a slight grin he answers mid-bow.

"Well... I've found a few interesting places. The Aokami forest, for one. It's... similar to some of the woods close to home and in the Kitsune lands, but still... different. And... I get the feeling there's something else there? But then it could be just a feeling. And... the gardens and the temple. I quite like them."

As he sets himself straight and raises his bokken in a somewhat defensive position, he gives her a weak grin again. "...maybe this was not the main point of your question, though? It's... you know, nature calls me. More than..."

An awkward smile. "Ah... not like... you know..."

He falls quiet and the smile widens, as does the awkwardness. The stance is kept, and he readies himself for their bout...

OOC:
D5 EA - Fluffy training. Earth/ Melee, TN 2 | TN: 2 | Success: 2 / Opportunity: 3 / Strife: 2

2 / 3 / 2
tank
EDIT: 1 used for Earthy showing off instead after Discord chat

[Kuni Yasu]

He nods. "Un, that would make sense. Can't say I've been in crowded fights often... but I suppose it could be a larger advantage in them."

He sets himself some 10 feet away from her and bows... then with a slight grin he answers mid-bow.

"Well... I've found a few interesting places. The Aokami forest, for one. It's... similar to some of the woods close to home and in the Kitsune lands, but still... different. And... I get the feeling there's something else there? But then it could be just a feeling. And... the gardens and the temple. I quite like them."

As he sets himself straight and raises his bokken in a somewhat defensive position, he gives her a weak grin again. "...maybe this was not the main point of your question, though? It's... you know, nature calls me. More than..."

An awkward smile. "Ah... not like... you know..."

He falls quiet and the smile widens, as does the awkwardness. The stance is kept, and he readies himself for their bout...

"I should spend more time in the woods. We have nothing so lush in Kuni lands" She smiles quizzically as the Sparrow trails off. "More comfortable away from so many people?" She knew a few Crab like that, mostly Hiruma...who could survive being a Crab like that.

"I haven't seen the Sparrow's style before, so I expect to learn something as well." After a respectful bow, she takes her stance as well, feet planted solidly the long pole with its bamboo 'blade' lowered between them where it has room to knock an attack out of the way.

___________
And gooo!

D5 (slightly late) sparring roll | TN: 2 | Success: 2 / Opportunity: 1 / Strife: 0


matched outcome with base success and an opportunity to show off.

[Suzume Senseki]

"I should spend more time in the woods. We have nothing so lush in Kuni lands" She smiles quizzically as the Sparrow trails off. "More comfortable away from so many people?" She knew a few Crab like that, mostly Hiruma...who could survive being a Crab like that.

"I haven't seen the Sparrow's style before, so I expect to learn something as well." After a respectful bow, she takes her stance as well, feet planted solidly the long pole with its bamboo 'blade' lowered between them where it has room to knock an attack out of the way.

___________
And gooo!

matched outcome with base success and an opportunity to show off.

"I guess!", he says as he waits for them to begin. "Not really used to many people around, I guess. Grew in a small village and all... And most often keeping my hands busy at that."

He takes a while to notice the phrasing... when he does, he decides just smiling and returning the respectful bow is better than trying to mend it.

His stance is also grounded, sword pointing down at Yasu's knee, and he barely moves his feet as he watches her movements. When he does move, it is slowly and carefully, trying to find a way to get closer to her and find an opening in her solid guard - but he's clearly prioritising not letting his guard open to her as well.

"As I said to a Moto lady just the other day... I guess our style is simple, as much else in our lands." A smile as he tries to step closer. "Hopefully effective, too", he adds with a smile. "The Kuni... you have a martial style of your own?"

[Susaki Tanabe]

Raizo chuckled.

"Ah, but did you impress her at some event, or did you simply meet her around the Kyuden? I've also.... met someone, but I've found the miai getting in the damn way ever since."

Tanabe chuckled and nodded "point taken Shiba-sama though I don't think I've seen anyone wow people at the events enough to make a possible suitor swoon."

The comment about the miai getting in the way definitely got him think about his own experiences "Yes many chances to find interesting people but also a lot of competition. And we don't even get to choose ourselves. I guess my opinion on the whole thing will depend on the outcome."

[Shiba Raizo]

Tanabe chuckled and nodded "point taken Shiba-sama though I don't think I've seen anyone wow people at the events enough to make a possible suitor swoon."

The comment about the miai getting in the way definitely got him think about his own experiences "Yes many chances to find interesting people but also a lot of competition. And we don't even get to choose ourselves. I guess my opinion on the whole thing will depend on the outcome."

"That's the rub, isn't it? Whatever bonds we might forge could well go nowhere. Which means all of us are off-balance for the foreseeable future."

[Kuni Yasu]

"I guess!", he says as he waits for them to begin. "Not really used to many people around, I guess. Grew in a small village and all... And most often keeping my hands busy at that."

He takes a while to notice the phrasing... when he does, he decides just smiling and returning the respectful bow is better than trying to mend it.

His stance is also grounded, sword pointing down at Yasu's knee, and he barely moves his feet as he watches her movements. When he does move, it is slowly and carefully, trying to find a way to get closer to her and find an opening in her solid guard - but he's clearly prioritising not letting his guard open to her as well.

"As I said to a Moto lady just the other day... I guess our style is simple, as much else in our lands." A smile as he tries to step closer. "Hopefully effective, too", he adds with a smile. "The Kuni... you have a martial style of your own?"

Yasu sees the movement, sidestepping with a relatively small movement to deflect his bokken with the shaft of her weapon, lunging through the opened space with a shout. She doesn't expect to connect, having barely felt out the Sparrow's defenses, and shifts back into a more guarded stance before coming forward with a low sweep aimed just below the knees.

"Hmm, not as such. We work from master to apprentice. So I'll share a style with my sensei's other apprentices, but another Kuni will probably have a rather different one, favor a different weapon, and so on."

The conversation lends itself to remaining somewhat cautious in style as well. It take more focus, and breath, to trade rapid blows.