[D2, MA] I Still Say Musubi is Food.

[Shosuro Hikimasu]

"It has a lot of subtlety, seems to ask of you a great deal to truly enjoy it, though superficially it is easy on you", he said and flipped another page.

He moved his mask slightly again to sip his tea.

"Sometimes I wonder", he said looking at the cup, the little dancing foxes looking back at him. "Should I take more time with it? There's only so much left."

[Kaikoga Koi]

Koi mused for a moment looking up at the Tree again trying to think of how to reply to that.

She simply couldnt.

Koi looked at her wood, and a mischievous smile appeared. "After a long day of competing it was the final round of competition to find who was indeed the master swordsman. In a final challenge the three men had to show their prowess and concentration by slicing the finest of targets, a mere fly. The first Samurai steps up to the stage a fly is released."

Bzzzzzzzzzz Bzzzzzzzzz ‘Zing’ Koi moved her hand like she was striking the air.

"With extreme precision the Samurai slices the fly in half, the crowd erupt. The second Samurai fearlessly steps up on stage and another fly is released."

Bzzzzzzzzz Bzzzz ‘Zing Zing!’ Koi did two strikes in the air.

"With two cuts of his sword the second Samurai cuts the fly into not two but four pieces. ‘Amazing!’ Scream the crowd. Such a feat has never been seen before." Koi impersonated the crowd well before continuing.

"The quiet descends for a final time in the stadium as the third Samurai calmly steps on stage, the tension is paramount as the fly is released." She continued.

Bzzzzzz bzzzzzzz ‘zing!’ Bzzzzzz bzzzzz Koi striked once in the air.

"The fly simply flies off, seemingly free from its fate. The crowd are dejected, one man can’t help but disappointedly ask ‘is that it? You couldn’t even kill it!’
The third Samurai raises his finger, ‘Ah yes he may live but that fly shall have no children’." Koi told her joke deadpanning as she finished telling it before laughing warmly, rich and sweet.

[Shosuro Hikimasu]

Letting out a proper chuckle, Hikimasu nodded and sipped his tea, then closed his book and faced Koi.

"A thief breaks into a home and finds a small bag with three koku in it, hidden beneath a floorboard. Before he can make his escape he hears people approach and open the door, the occupant and the landlord. The theif hides under the floorboards, but finds no escape there. Above he heard the landlord demand his rent."

He affected an apologetic tone. '"But things have not gone well, i cannot pay you yet.'

"The landlord laughed. 'Surely you can, i have already given you a week to pay late.'

'But surely you can give a week more!'

'I cannot, 2 koku, let's have it!'

'But my wife and daughter are sick! Show mercy!'

'Well...' the landlord considered.

"Enraged by this farce the theif leaped out from beneath then floor and pointed at the liar. 'Do not fall for this, noble landlord, he lies! He had 3 koku!' And he held the bag up.

The occupant, the city magistrate, stood and pointed back at him. 'And who are you to call me a liar!'

'I'm the theif who stole your money you fool!'

"Rent was paid in blood that month."

[Kaikoga Koi]

The Moth let out a warm laugh, it was a good laugh that flowed smoothly with a slight peak in pitch but it settled deep in her stomach. "Oh, that was a good one." She chortled. "Not heard that one before."

Koi picked up the wooden deer, and lightly began to sand it as she thought before chuckling again. "This one is a little rude but it was my Father's favourite, so I do ask for your kindness in regards to this one."

"Akodo and Shiba were practicing archery in a friendly competition." She explained.

"Akodo stepped up, leant back and fired the arrow 400 metres away straight down the field they were standing in before landing on the target with a mighty thunk." Koi explained, with a smile.

"Akodo confidently smiled at Shiba who glowered at the boastful Lion and picked up the Yumi." Koi said softly. "Shiba took aim and fired the arrow, completely whiffing the shot send it 500 metres far, far to the right into the Mountains."

Koi stopped sanding and smiled. "Shiba raised a brow at Akodo who was continuing to be smug, and raise his hands up high and caused the Kami to move. The Mountain shifted for a river to collect the arrow and swept it down its far bank, into a river where a fish caught the arrow. Suddenly an eagle swooped down, and caught the fish flying high above before Shiba brought a mighty bolt of lightning causing the eagle to drop the fish, and the fish fried by the lightning dropped the arrow."

Koi continued, warmly smiling. "The arrow dropped at a great speed and landed firmly into the target getting a perfect bullseye."

Koi turned to the Shosuro and said in a rather gruff surprisingly masculine voice. "Brother, do you want to do archery or do you want to fuck around all day?"

Koi burst into a rich laughter, that was sweet as honey and perhaps a little perverted humor to the tone.

[Shosuro Hikimasu]

The Scorpion chuckled, softly, seeming to keep it all in but still show his amusement.

"That never gets old", he admitted. "Though there was a Kanōsei play that used that joke very well with Hiruma's son visiting Phoenix lands to try and woo Isawa's daughter. They had an archery contest and it was Isawa who pulled the mountains, summoned lightning and all of that. Those types are popular among the Painted City troupe writers, but they don't get much exposure outside Scorpion lands due to them painting such august characters as silly."

[Kaikoga Koi]

Koi smiled softly, and lightly blew on her Deer carving. "I love the Painted City Troupe, I have never ventured into your Clan's land but I do hearing about other troupes style."

Koi took up a small metal file, and worked on the face with much dedicated focus.

"Your clan lands are the only land my Clan does not have some representation in, and I wouldn't dare compare my clans artisan skills compared to anything remotely compared to the Scorpion's actors." She said pensively.

[Shosuro Hikimasu]

He looked down at her work.

"It's a one thousand year tradition and not all of us are even particularly good at it", he told her. "Lady Kachiko is of the Shosuro line, and as is known the very picture of beauty and elegance, but she didn't train in performing arts especially." He sat back continuing to watch the file smooth carved edges. "And though the Scorpion are known for Kabuki, we write a great deal of Noh for other clans and just about all of us practice Rakugo."

[Kaikoga Koi]

Koi nodded, and smiled warmly. "Aye, but if I was to consider anyone in the grand Empire to be the best actors it would be the Scorpion Clan. Not a day in Rokugan would any clan be anywhere near close, Crane try but their pride distracts them from imperfections in their art even if us Minor clans are to small to notice them."

Koi paused, shook the dust from the file with a small tap and took a more angular tool and worked into a small difficult corner with patiences.

"Kami, I love kabuki acting. My Father was an actor before he passed, and I always wanted to continue on with the style but alas I am considerably to feminine for the style." She chuckled. "So, I focused on Yose and I do enjoy it but I have contemplated learning Bunraku I find the idea of making the dolls charming."

[Shosuro Hikimasu]

"Yose style is nice, but I prefer Rakugo to it...though I suppose that's the Scorpion in me, favoring Kabuki over Noh as well", he chuckled a little nervously.

[Kaikoga Koi]

Koi smiled softly, and mused for a moment. "My Clan are mostly painters and artists. I find that too temperamental for art, koku a dozen, ney. Acting, woodcarving, working hard to perfect a skill that can evolve and change. A good actor can always find work as a stagehand, were as art can become unpopular."

She shrugged, and switched to a knife which with carve strokes worked as a piece of the wood that was uneven, not perfect. "Plus, acting is good for divination it helps set a mind set. Nothing worse divining someone's future like the earth kami, stone faced. No one would take you seriously."