With the rains coming down steadily down, the guests of the miai are assembled in the Great Hall. A small arrangement of fresh ikebana have been arranged about the center of the Hall to provide inspiration. Shika Pei Pei greats the assembled guests with a bow.
"The event chosen for today's entertainment is one of poetry. Some of the greatests romances of the Empire have been immortalized in just a few brief syllable, and more than a few discrete romances have begun with just the right words. So today, we shall see whom among you can distill the beauty within into a poem." she announces. While it's hard to imagine someone trying to win over the heart of Pei Pei with a poem, she seems to be quite the serious judge of poetry.
Rules:
Chose 1 path:
A: An original work by me (obviously)
A1: Write an original poem: Fire/Composition at TN 2.
A2: Work out the kinks: Air/Composition at TN 2
A3: Recite.
Recite:
Choose a ring based on your intentions of the poem. Fire to inflame passions, Earth to cool passions, Water for an audience pleaser, Air for a witty/clever/humorous piece, or Void for a more mystical focus. Chosen Ring/Composition at TN 2
B: Let’s go with the classics
B1: Generations of poetry to choose from: Earth/Composition at TN 2.
B2: It’s all about the tone of the speaker: Water/Composition at TN 2.
B3: Recite.
Recite:
Choose a ring based on your intentions of the poem. Fire to inflame passions, Earth to cool passions, Water for an audience pleaser, Air for a witty/clever/humorous piece, or Void for a more mystical focus. Chosen Ring/Composition at TN 2
Scoring priority
Most rolls passed.
Most opportunities used to show off.
Most opportunities used to show off on a single roll.
Most total successes.
Highest Status.
Highest Glory.
Highest Honor.
Except- her mind blanks, at the worst time, and what follows is a period of utter frustration for the Crane. What follows is a period of obvious frustration for the court- aaaargh, what even is this, she can't think of anything-
She sits to one side of the Great Hall, her brow furrowed in thought, until- at last- at last- the Crane rises, and bows before the court, her face smooth.
"Smell of green bamboo,
Seeking your voice I walk
Distracted- I trip!"
It's not her best work, not by a long shot. But- it will have to do.
Re: (D4, MM) Words of Love
Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2021 7:12 am
by Moto Mitsuki
Mitsuki just had the perfect poem, and even knew the right cadence it had to be recited at and all. There was no way the Shika wouldn't be impressed.
Hüh müngün tengeriin yaǰguurtan bolson
Hairhaduud
Hörst altan delhiin tulguur bolson Hairhaduud
Baga gert mini bagana bolson tenger mini
Balchir huuhded mini ölgii bolson tenger mini
Hii tenger bairtanguud
Hiisgelen üülen nüüdeltengüüd
Salhiar elchee hürgeechingüüd...
Yes, it was in traditional Ujik. But come on, it's not like most poetry make sense even when one can understand the words individually. Rhythm and sonority are more important than the meaning.
Soyokaze stepped forward on unsteady legs with the crowd watching him. he had been working on his poetry for days, but in those few steps all the haiku he had written left his memory and he had to create new prose on the spot. His structure and wordplay were adequate, more than adequate, his voice came out like a mousey squeak and he lacked all conviction in his words. When he had finished he lowered his head and left the hall.
Desire can not last
Duty cannot hope to match
What remains is real
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B3: Perform- Also Water- Water for an audience pleaser, Chosen Ring/Composition at TN 2- No successes
Raizo, per the strife rules, will use his Opportunity from the Earth roll to tank 2 Strife for Aimi, assuming she needs it. If she doesn't... we'll entertain other offers.]
Re: (D4, MM) Words of Love
Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2021 10:41 am
by Kaikoga Koi
Koi did not look like a Moth Queen today, she did not look stunning or mind-blowing with her usual elegant kimono, or make up. She looked delicate, and almost refined in a whole different way softly, kinder and totally not because she had forgotten to get dressed the way she normally wanted too. Koi looked focused about something entirely different, she didnt even realise that she had flown into the room before the instructions were given.
She was good at poetry, though really it's not what she wanted to do but she arrived anyway.
Koi stepped up and sat down, she began to write the poem and it came naturally to her.
Though she wrote a pretty good poem, the composition wasn't as good as she wanted so she thought hard for a moment before preforming it.
A storm approaching Spiritedly a Moth seeks Warmth a lantern gives
Once completed Koi bows and leaves the stage, with a mild filled with a lot more shit to deal with.
Hold on, you could just recite any love poem you remember?
That was practically rigging the game in his favour. So many of the people he had fallen with had untold masterpieces waiting in some personal affect, written for their partners or desired partners at one point or another. It was a damn struggle to sort through all of the little wonders he had worked with - picking a generation wasn't hard. He chose one from an Elderly Deer Gentleman he once wrote for, about the same age one would guess Pei-Pei herself was.
This Poem in particular was a daring one in it's delivery, famous for how the young man proposed while traversing Rokugan's rivers on a boat - she jumped onto the boat with him, and together they sailed into the sunset. Conjuring up that mental image... caused some other memories to flood back. But no matter, there was a poem to recite.
"Follow me, to graze-
And I'll enjoy the Twilight
With the Sun beside."
The other half, left unsaid, was also quite charming.
A moment of panic flashed his mind as he considered that might have been the one Shika-sama was proposed to with? If so, he would write a sincere letter of apology for bringing up something so personal.
((LM will be spent enjoying his passion in private.))
- - -
3 rolls passed
3 opportunities used to show off.
2 opportunities used to show off on a single roll.
8 total successes.
Re: (D4, MM) Words of Love
Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2021 11:31 am
by Shika Nesshin
"I think that I shall never see / A thing so lovely as a...knee." No, no, that's not right.
"There once was a man from Venus / With a rocketship for, uh, a wiener." No, no, that's not it, either.
"My uncle, once known to be hardy / Most certainly knew how to party / And get inside shirt / Down robes and up skirt / Of people both demure and tarty." Um. Maybe not?
"Roses are red / Violets are blue / Dammit, I quit / How about you?" Nah.
Nesshin has, at least, the good sense to keep his mouth shut. For once.
2 rolls passed.
3 opportunities used to show off.
2 opportunities used to show off on a single roll.
7 total successes.
22 Status.
40 Glory.
28 Honor.
Compromised.
Re: (D4, MM) Words of Love
Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2021 1:05 pm
by Kitsu Murato
When Murato's turn arrives to perform, he steps up. He looks back through his mind and considers something a bit different from most. "This was written by Ikoma Saekaki-no-Shiryo, a relatively well known and renowned poet of the Lion from a few centuries back. But you will not find it in any of his written works. He shared it with me when I spoke with his spirit a few years back."
At this mention he looks to Yasu with a grin, the conversation probably coming to her mind from their drinking night about a perverted old Ikoma spirit. But fortunately, even if this was the same spirit the particular poem was not the one he had mentioned.
"No night and no day,
only nature's single breath.
The eternal now."
It was somewhat haunting, when one considered the fact that this came from someone facing that eternity. But also beautiful in it's stillness and understanding. Ghost poetry from honored ancestors... Murato does that.