"You do realize, Shizue-chan, that you've already gone through a prologue and the entire first chapter of this story and I still have no idea why you're calling it the 'Silken Championship'."
The words had been softly spoken and held more than a hint of laughter, but seeing as how they seemed to emanate from the empty space three feet behind them, Shizue and Toku were more than a little startled. Doji Shizue, Crane Clan Storyteller, gasped, placing a delicate hand before her mouth and shrinking back from the disembodied voice melodramatically, "The shadows speak!" she murmured to herself, the fear evident in her eyes.
Toku's actions were far more direct. The young Captain of the Imperial Guard leapt quickly to his feet, his eyes flashing back and forth, searching the seemingly empty air, one hand maintaining a white knuckle grip on his sheathed katana. "Come out coward! Decide on whether you'll stand or run regardless, you'll soon meet my blade!"
A figure dressed entirely in a white gi seemed to step sideways out of thin air. Shizue gasped again, her earlier fear now replaced by an ineffable joy. Toku's reaction however was, again, quiet different. With a scream of, "Ninja filth!" the young bushi launched himself forward, his sword moving to free itself from its saya and lop off the intruder's head.
The ninja danced nimbly aside, his hand grabbing Toku's right wrist and slamming the sword back into its sheath before the young samurai could fully draw his blade. An outstretched foot caught Toku's ankle and sent the youth shoulder first into the stairs.
Shizue quickly moved to the fallen warrior and helped him sit up, letting the gasping samurai lean against her shoulder until he could regain the breath stolen by the fall. Once Toku nodded and gestured that he was okay, however, the delicate seeming Doji landed a rather solid blow upon the young man's head.
"Toku, what in Jigoku do you think you're doing?" she asked glaring at the young bushi, "You know very well who Matsu Hiroru is!"
Toku muttered something that might have passed for an apology, rubbing the top of his newly damaged skull. Making his way slowly to his feet, he missed the loving gaze shared by Shizue and Hiroru, one that quickly disappeared as the young samurai turned to glare at the ninja. "How in the name of 'He Who Shall Not Be Named' did you manage to sneak up on us wearing that silly white suit in this completely powder blue stairwell?" Toku demanded.
"You were busy listening to Shizue's story, Toku. And the stairway to the Crane Clan wing of the Imperial Palace isn't completely blue, there's some white in the steps," Hiroru said shrugging nonchalantly.
"Besides," the ninja assassin said smirking arrogantly, "I'm just that good.
Toku blinked staring downwards. The steps were indeed decorated in square tiles, alternating between pure white tiles and a blue and white swirl pattern. Each tile was about the size of his hand. "Look Hiroru," the young bushi said pointing an accusing finger under the other's nose, "I'm not a Kolat, I don't even know what that means, and I don't have a political action, so how did you manage to sneak up on me?"
Hiroru smirked, "I used my other ability," he said, "You know, some of us have more than two."
Toku grimaced, "So, you used your only really useful ability, huh? But I wasn't bowed."
"Hey," retorted Hiroru shoving a finger into the younger man's chest, "At least I have a useful ability! Unlike some," Hiroru finished with a satisfied smirk.
"I do too have a useful ability!" shouted the young bushi, "And stop smirking, may Oni no Tsuburu take you! You can't smirk when you're wearing a mask, you brainless zokujin!"
"You were too bowed, Toku," yelled Hiroru, "You were busy listening to Shizue's story! And who is it that Oni no Tsuburu is always chasing across the battlefield?"
Shizue sighed as the young samurai reached again for his sword, "Okay that's enough," she said with obvious exasperation.
"You," she said pointing at Toku, "Have already unbowed once this turn. You've only got two chi, Toku, so you can't do it again. Now sit down!"
"And as for you," she said turning her attention to the smirking white ninja, "You really can't smirk behind a mask Hiroru, so please stop doing that. Now, sit down."
Hiroru blinked finding himself seated on the steps besides Toku and Shizue. He stared at Shizue, who smiled back pleasantly, "You two aren't the only ones who've got an experienced version now," she explained, looking very pleased with herself.
Hiroru pulled the mask and hood from his face, favoring Shizue with a loving grin. Which Toku once again managed to miss, since he was seated, pouting, a step behind the two lovers. "So, Shizue," Hiroru asked, leaning back against the gold and ivory embossed railings of the staircase, "Why is your story called the 'Silken Championship'?"
Shizue returned Hiroru's grin and reached over to poke Toku, "Stop pouting, Toku," she said. Sighing, as Toku only huddled into a little fetal ball, the young Doji shrugged and continued with her retelling of Togashi Koan's tale.
Doji Shizue found herself deep in conversation with Toturi's first lieutenant- Takuan, Kakita Toshimoko- the Emerald Champion, and the Lady Scorpion- Bayushi Kachiko.
Takuan shook his head, muttering under his breath as they watched the Emperor, Toturi the First, seated at the head of the table. The Son of Heaven-runner up and the Divine Protector of Rokugan sat upon his Jade throne dangling a geisha from either knee. The women giggled, feeding Toturi peeled grapes and slices of ham. The Emperor laughed uproariously, pausing in his feeding only to fondle one girl or the other.
"Well," spoke Kachiko diplomatically, "At least he's stopped drinking sake."
Toku just sat staring at Shizue with something very closely akin to horror.
Shizue paused and squeezed her eyes shut for a quick count of three, when she finally opened her eyes she found Hiroru rifling through his assassination equipment reciting various methods of execution under his breath. Toku remained staring at her as if she'd just told him his mother had been a Bog Hag, his Otaku steed had been turned into dog food, and the book he'd been carrying around for the better part of his life was not a copy of Akodo's 'Leadership', but was instead, Bayushi's 'Lies'.
With a resigned sigh Shizue pointed at Hiroru, "Sit," she commanded. The rogue ninja glared at her, finding himself once again seated besides the still aghast Toku.
"It's a story!" she yelled, finding some mild satisfaction when both Toku and Hiroru jumped in surprise, glad to finally see something other than shock on Toku's features.
"It's just a story," Shizue continued, "And if the two of you continue to keep taking it so literally, I'm going to stop telling it and you can spend the rest of the night sitting on these stairs by yourselves."
Fixing each of the men with a hard glare, Shizue did not stop until both of them had given her a grudging nod. Shaking her head, the young storyteller continued.
Toshimoko grunted sourly, "And I suppose you'll take the credit for that, hmmm, Bayushi-sama?"
Kachiko gave a slight shrug, "I had nothing to do with the poisoning of his drink during that messiness a few years back, Toshimoko-sama."
Takuan eyed Kachiko with obvious disbelief, "That 'messiness', Kachiko-sama, is referred to as the 'Scorpion Clan Coupe' by the rest of the Empire."
Kachiko's eyes widened, a look of surprised innocence gracing her beautiful features, "Really, Takuan-san? I had no idea."
"Look at him," muttered Toshimoko grimly, "He has no shame. At least before we could hide the geisha inside his tent in between battles, but now that he's the Emperor, we can't make him do even that."
"Rather than playing with these filthy Scorpi-um, women," amended Takuan, glancing sideways at Kachiko, who merely raised one single delicate brow questioningly, "He should be out finding himself a wife so that he can continue the imperial line. All of this will have been wasted if we don't have an heir before he dies."
Toshimoko nodded dourly and even Kachiko seemed serious as she sat back, staring darkly into her sake cup. Doji Shizue silently agreed with that grim assessment, but being a rather bubble headed little Crane she sought to lighten the mood with a witty quip.
"Well, we could always have a tournament to see who might be the best bride for the Emperor," the young Crane said brightly, "We could call it the, ummm, how about the 'Silken Championship'! And we could invite the most beautiful and eligible women in the empire to parade around half-naked in front of a bunch of sake guzzling men. I'm sure Toturi would just love that!"
The young girl giggled daintily, holding a delicate hand over her mouth. Her laughter soon subsided, however when she found no one else was joining in, in truth all conversation had ceased and the gaze of the entire room was focused upon her. Even Toturi had stopped fondling his geisha and was now studying her, a thoughtful expression upon his face.
To her horror, she found Kachiko nodding in agreement with the suggestion and muttering quietly under her breath, "It just might work."
Takuan and Toshimoko were huddled together working out the details and soon the entire dining hall had erupted into an outright roar as everyone began shouting suggestions as to who should be a contestant and who should be a judge.
"They should be women of noble birth, of course," shouted Otaku Kamoko, leader of the Otaku Battle maidens.
"Well, that rules you out, now doesn't it," laughed the Lion Clan Champion, Ikoma Tsanuri, venom all too evident in her voice.
"There should be a woman judge, yes?" suggested Kitsuki Yasu, daimyo of the Dragon Clan Kitsuki family, "To provide a female point of view as to a suitable bride?"
"How about Hida O-Ushi," suggested Hiruma Yoshi, "She's about as manly a female as I know."
"O-Ushi can't be a judge," objected Tsanuri, "Yakamo-sama's already presented her as the Crab Clan candidate!"
"What's a matter, Tsanuri?" asked Kamoko, her voice dripping poisoned honey, "Are you afraid that you're not butch enough to get O-Ushi's vote?"
"Hey!" shouted the Lion Clan daimyo, "I'm a Lion! I'm as butch as anyone in here! Well, except for you, you look like a man in your experienced 2 class picture. And Matsu Ketsui, but she doesn't have a card yet. And Hitomi of course."
"No!" Shizue's desperate screams were quickly lost within the chaos of shouted suggestions, insults and curses, "You don't understand! It was a joke! By the Otaku Battle maidens' geisha face paint, it was just a joke!"