(D9, EM) Train Until You Succeed! (Open)

[Seppun Yuzu]

The rain wasn't the obstacle, it is the fuel. It inspires Yuzu's hatred for being here. He cuts every single drain drop, and the sporadic tear, that appears. Training is the only way to mask away how shameful his display has been so far.

"Unnaceptable!" He grits his teeth, slashing the invisible enemies surrounding him.

[Suzume Senseki]

The rain wasn't the obstacle, it is the fuel. It inspires Yuzu's hatred for being here. He cuts every single drain drop, and the sporadic tear, that appears. Training is the only way to mask away how shameful his display has been so far.

"Unnaceptable!" He grits his teeth, slashing the invisible enemies surrounding him.

A man in brown-drab simple garments walks slowly and calmly through the walls, a simple straw hat his only protection from the rain. Seeing the young man seemingly slashing furiously at the rain, he stops, lest he might disturb or startle him, and, from some meters away, bows politely.

After some time of silence, when there is some pause between the slashes, he bows again, equally politely.

"Morning is a good time for training, ne, Seppun-sama", he says simply with a calm smile.

[Seppun Yuzu]

The Seppun takes a moment to understand if the samurai nearby meant a threat. Recognizing it wasn't the case, Yuzu sheathes his sword back into the saya, and provides a bow. "Good morning. Indeed the best time for training."

[Suzume Senseki]

The Seppun takes a moment to understand if the samurai nearby meant a threat. Recognizing it wasn't the case, Yuzu sheathes his sword back into the saya, and provides a bow. "Good morning. Indeed the best time for training."

Th still bent Sparrow nods, keeping his head well below the Seppun's.

"I... think this is not the first time I see you training so intently around the Kyuden, Seppun-sama?" Another quick nod. "Ah, sumimasen! I don't think this humble one has properly introduced oneself - I'm Suzume Senseki, from the Sparrow."

[Seppun Yuzu]

Th still bent Sparrow nods, keeping his head well below the Seppun's.

"I... think this is not the first time I see you training so intently around the Kyuden, Seppun-sama?" Another quick nod. "Ah, sumimasen! I don't think this humble one has properly introduced oneself - I'm Suzume Senseki, from the Sparrow."

Very satisfied with the Suzume's decorum, the young Imperial waves for his to approach, and offers a wrapped onigiri, "I am Seppun Yuzu. Governor of Chisei. Care to share Inari-kami's blessings with me?"

[Suzume Senseki]

Very satisfied with the Suzume's decorum, the young Imperial waves for his to approach, and offers a wrapped onigiri, "I am Seppun Yuzu. Governor of Chisei. Care to share Inari-kami's blessings with me?"

"Oh!", the Sparrow exclaims, bowing lower still. "A governor! Pleased to meet you, Seppun-sama... and thank you very much for your kind offer", he says, shaking his head slightly. "This one wouldn't want to impose, but I'll be happy to share the meal if you wouldn't mind", he says, getting a small onigiri with turnip of his own from his sleeve. "Seppun-sama's diligence in training is inspiring", he adds with a nod.

[Seppun Yuzu]

"Oh!", the Sparrow exclaims, bowing lower still. "A governor! Pleased to meet you, Seppun-sama... and thank you very much for your kind offer", he says, shaking his head slightly. "This one wouldn't want to impose, but I'll be happy to share the meal if you wouldn't mind", he says, getting a small onigiri with turnip of his own from his sleeve. "Seppun-sama's diligence in training is inspiring", he adds with a nod.

He nods again, and retracts the gentle offer, now that the Sparrow showed he had some. With a quick, “Itadakimasu!” he takes a morsel.

There’s another bow, and the boy says, after chewing, “It is the least I can do to serve better, now that I am far from the office proper. It is good though, that so many of the Minor Clans are present. A good sign for the future.”


- -
Showing the Soarrow the Governor of Chisei is a balanced and dutiful person to strengthen the bonds of the minor clans with the Imperials. Blessed lineage. | TN: 2 | Success: 3 / Opportunity: 0 / Strife: 1

+2 Goal

[Suzume Senseki]

He nods again, and retracts the gentle offer, now that the Sparrow showed he had some. With a quick, “Itadakimasu!” he takes a morsel.

There’s another bow, and the boy says, after chewing, “It is the least I can do to serve better, now that I am far from the office proper. It is good though, that so many of the Minor Clans are present. A good sign for the future.”

"Itadakimasu!", the Sparrow says as well, and happily takes a morsel of his own food. The boy's words get a smile from him. "I'm glad Seppun-sama thinks so. We strive our best to do our lot, as little or as simple as that may be.", he adds with a thankful voice.

After another bite and some time of silence, he nods to the boy again. "My great-uncle used to tell my sister and I a story when we were little. I... believe it was meant to make us understand our importance even as children, but... in some ways, it might fit for the place of the Minor Clans in the Empire, too."

He goes on to tell a story of a family of voles that spent their days collecting seeds and plants, and how a group of wild dogs threatened day after day, telling them they were only good as food, and that the forest wouldn't even ever miss them if they were all devoured. The voles kept doing their daily work day after day, putting up with the threats as best they could, but when one of them went missing, it was too much, and they decided to leave the forest. The group of dogs appeared before them as they were running away, laughing and bullying them, chasing and hunting some of them as they tried to leave the forest to make a living elsewhere. Another two of the voles disappeared during the escape, but they managed to go.

During the first month, the dogs barked and barked laughing. The second month came, and they still laughed, but slowly the understorey of the forest seemed to get thinner. Another two months went by, and the barks started to sound worried, some plants all but disappearing from the forest, other species of prey slowly making their way out. Some more months, and the barking changed to painful howling, then to yapping, as the forest changed and changed, one then another species of plant becoming rarer and rarer, and finally disappearing. When hares and pikas had also become rare, a young dog of the pack went outside the forest, howling and howling to call the voles... and eventually convinced the family to come back - but it would be years before the forest returned to its former self.

"It's... quite a long and sad story, I guess", he said, apologetically. "But well... it can help us put things in perspective, I guess. Even for the smallest of us... or even when we think what we're doing may not be important or good enough, ne?", he adds with a smile.

OOC:
D9 EM - Agenda Vs Seppun Yuzu - Earth/ Performance TN 2 | TN: 2 | Success: 0 / Opportunity: 2 / Strife: 0

Using to remove 2 strife from Yuzu (if it matters!). Sorry for the delay in posting this!

[Seppun Yuzu]

-snip-

Yuzu doesn't really get the reasoning behind the long story, but he listens attentively as they go munching on their riceballs. Once both food and the story are finished, the boy provides another bow and mentions, "I should go back to training. If Suzume-san would like to spar. I would be available."

[Suzume Senseki]

Yuzu doesn't really get the reasoning behind the long story, but he listens attentively as they go munching on their riceballs. Once both food and the story are finished, the boy provides another bow and mentions, "I should go back to training. If Suzume-san would like to spar. I would be available."

"If Seppun-sama wouldn't mind. It would be an honour to have the chance to learn a bit from your style." He says, bowing slightly again. "Is it the famed Seppun Miharu you trained with, Seppun-sama?"