[D2, LE] Rematch

[Bayushi Jiro]

Having heard from...sources...that his guest carried his own board with him everywhere, Jiro waited patiently in his new haunt for the rematch of the season: Go Show-down 2: Have You Got the Stones for This? Or at least, that was the working title. Jiro was looking forward to this, as the Iuchi had been not just a good opponent, but a rather charming person in their brief interactions. He could stand to learn a little more about this lad from the West.

[Iuchi Prashant]

After being done with the day's activities for the Topaz Championship, Prash stopped by at his room to get his go set and made his way to the Tea House where Jiro would be waiting for him. They had been talking about this rematch since the last day in Hirosaka, and it had been mentioned in the few letters they had exchanged during the year as well, and now it was finally time for it.

He smiled as he remembered his last match with the Scorpion, and the few other times they had talked in person there. Jiro sounded... Well, like a scorpion, at times, he thought, grinning a bit as he walked. But he seemed like an interesting person, too. And while his mind kept ... going back to someone else... whenever he thought of this, he couldn't help remembering the Bayushi's handsome face, and charming movements. It was a... Sly charm, maybe, but charming it was nonetheless, he thought, giggling a bit as he came upon the door to the tea house.

He was definitely looking forward to this game.

As he entered, he looked around for Jiro, making his way to him and bowing respectfully with a warm smile on his lips. "Bayushi Jiro-san. I'm happy to see you again.", he said, gently, as he got the gaming set from his obi to place it on the table.

[Bayushi Jiro]

Jiro rose to return the bow with his customary grace, a smile of genuine warmth on his lips. "And I you, Iuchi-san. I have rather been looking forward to this game and to your company. I must register a touch of disappointment, however. You see, I have been practicing my...what is it called...handshake?...for this occasion."

[Iuchi Prashant]

The Iuchi shows a warm smile at the Scorpions' comment. "Oh! I didn't expect that, Bayushi-san! It is not so often others receive our customs with such respect", he says, then extends his hand at him. "But it is always welcomed when it happens", he says.

"Might this one ask how have you found Tsuma and the championship so far, Bayushi-san"?, he says after the greeting is done with

[Bayushi Jiro]

Jiro smiled and took the Iuchi's hand in his own. His grasp was gentle, not the strong grip of a Shinjo, but he pumped the hand in his twice before clasping the joined hands with his left. "I think it a good custom, Iuchi-san. It allows us to get closer to our acquaintances. The symbolism is not the same as a bow, but it is welcoming...almost intimate."

He then released the hands to take his seat again, his eyes twinkling.

"As for Tsuma, I think it a lovely village, and the tournament an interesting challenge. I do marvel at the changes a year has brought out in some of our former cohort, though , don't you?"

[Iuchi Prashant]

The Iuchi's grip is somewhat firmer than Jiro might expect from the Unicorn's looks, but not overly strong, and along with his warm smile and a gentle touch with his left hand on their joined hands conveys a clearly welcoming feeling.

"I think I'd never considered it in this light, Bayushi-san", he says as they release their hands. "But I like the way you describe it", he says, warmly. "I guess closeness, openness... and trust are important to a travelling people like us", he says, thoughtfully, his eyes closing for a moment, then settling on Jiro's for a while before drifting again. "Even if trust can be hard... we learn to strive to earn it from others, and to build our trust in those we call comrades as well", he says with a gentle smile as he looks into the Scorpions' eyes for a moment again.

He then starts opening the go set and getting some things arranged for their game. "Tsuma is a charming place indeed! And.. it is of course calmer than larger settlements, but it is still very different from the lands and the lifestyle I'm more used to back home. It is a nice change of pace, though!"

Separating the two sets of stones, he places both in front of Jiro and gestures for him to choose black or white. The black set of stones has one stone with a slightly different colour, which on close inspection reveals itself to be not crafted like the others, but a natural stone, although one with a beautiful sheen.

"But you're right! It is really surprising how much some of us have changed in a year!" He thinks about Qiang and what happened in the Sumai match earlier, keeping silent for a moment, but refrains from commenting on that directly. "I suppose growth and maturing are expected, of course... But some have grown to be almost unrecognisable, in looks and actions..."

He then looks at the Bayushi again, smiling. "While some have blossomed to even better versions of themselves."

[Bayushi Jiro]

Jiro selects black when bidden, and his cheeks rise in a rather fetching blush at the implication of his own blossoming.

"Iuchi-san is a fine observer, I see, and has become a master of conversation. I find myself in agreement with every word that has passed your lips." And if his eyes slid from Prashant's gaze to land on those lips for just a moment, who would object?

He placed the first stone on the right-hand side of the board, nearer to him than to the center, but takes a moment to compliment him on his set.

"This is a lovely board, Iuchi-san. And this stone is unusual...is there a story behind it?"

[Iuchi Prashant]

The Iuchi blushes slightly at Jiro's words, looking away and lowering his head slightly with a slight smile on the corner of his mouth.

"Bayushi-san is too kind, but one can't help feeling happy when one's complimented at something by a true master of it", he says in a gentle, but clearly happy tone.

He looks at the stone Jiro placed for a moment, and looks at the scorpion as if assessing something in him before placing his first stone - between the centre of the board and his own side, but closer to the centre than Jiro's.

"It is a fine board, isn't it", he then says, smiling and looking at Jiro again. "I was quite honoured to receive it from Ikoma-sensei", he says happily. "And... there is. It is part of our story at Hirosaka, in fact. Part of the story of a friendship", he answers, smiling warmly. "It is... simpler than the rest of the set, in a way, but I feel it complements it nicely. It's become something like a lucky stone, you might say."

[Bayushi Jiro]

"Ikoma-sensei must have treasured you as a student to bestow such a remarkable gift. That the stone should signify a friendship is intriguing, of course, but I hesitate to dispel the mystery by asking its story in a vulgar way."

He took up the lucky stone and placed it next to Prashant's.

"If I asked you what you look for in a friend, would that be too direct? Would I need to find another path to the identity of the one connected to this stone?"

[Iuchi Prashant]

The Unicorn looks at the stone for some time, as if thinking, before making his next move.

"I think Ikoma-sensei was happy to see his lessons - and the tournament where we first played, of course - have a significant impact", he says, smiling.

He finally places the second stone, some distance from the two others, towards his left - and Jiro's right.

"This is an interesting question you asked, Bayushi-san!", he then says, looking up a bit, seeming thoughtful but happy. "As Bayushi-san may know, we Iuchi focus on Earth magic, so I won't be one to take offence at directness", he says, smiling.

"The one behind the stone is one who has proved a friend time and again, and who stood besides me and other friends even at risk to himself. Had an... early hard experience because of that, too, but keeps light-hearted and kind in spite of that", he says, smiling thinking of his friend. His eyes do not show the same sort of dreaminess that Prash sometimes shows lately, though - nor does he blush or show other odd signs... As he sometimes does when Jiro looks at him differently.

"But for your other question... I don't think I've ever given it much thought, not in that way. But... I think you might say I look for 'trust'" - he says the word again, but he feels he must complement it in some way. "But... not so much trust that they will be what I expect, or act as I would want. More... trust that they will be and do what they feel is right". He stops for a moment, looking at Jiro's eyes slightly more seriously, then at the board again "even if it goes against me... As long as they are true to themselves and their path"

He then smiles again, looking at Jiro a bit shyly, but warmly. "I suppose my exchanges with Kitsuki-sensei may have influenced me a bit at times", he chuckles. "I hope I wasn't too cryptical"

He then looks at the board again and asks as he waits for his next move.

"Might this one ask the same about you, Bayushi-san? What do you look for in a friend? And... when do you feel the right word to use with someone is... 'friend'?

[Bayushi Jiro]

"You are not at all cryptic, Iuchi-san. Rather, you seek to be precise in an area that lends itself to imprecision. I find that care for the correctly chosen term to be a sign of virtue, and I hope to earn some of that trust of which you speak in time. There are elements in it that seem to align with my own philosophy, in some ways, though not in all."

He turned his head slightly as he considered the board, choosing to develop the position nearest himself this time.

"As for me, I suppose that I look for someone who values loyalty, not necessarily to me, of course, but to something greater than themselves. And I find that I enjoy the company of clever people. I suppose that makes me seem a little shallow, but I value in a friend someone who can surprise me with a turn of phrase, or with an observation I might not have made myself."

He smiled slightly, glancing up at Prashant. "It helps, of course, if they see something of worth in me as well. As for when the word should be applied...that is trickier. I do not enter into a true friendship lightly, and while there are many who expect the term from me, and I give it to them, there are few that I honor in the truest sense as a friend. I suspect it is a casualty of my birth. Scorpions are trained to be loyal to a fault, and yet many find it quite difficult to put their faith in us. And, of course, our duty requires that we are careful where we place our trust as well. I suppose that I know a friend when I can marry honesty and sincerity for them, and know that they do the same for me."

[Iuchi Prashant]

The Unicorn beams at Jiro's answer. He takes some time to answer, first playing another stone close to the one to Jiro's right side this time.

"I think I see many points where our views agree indeed, Bayushi-san", he says warmly. "And... I don't think you shallow at all! I... do not choose between simple and complex people myself, but I can certainly see how one who challenges or surprises us in some ways is particularly... charming, you could say", he completes in a tone that maybe might be understood as flirty - or maybe just frisky.

He then looks at the Scorpion's face a bit more intently for a moment, as if trying to glimpse something behind his mask. When he lowers his eyes again, they are full of respect, but also... sentimental, maybe?

"Those are wise words, Bayushi-san, and perhaps kinder than I would expect. Loyalty is a very important virtue indeed - in friendship as well as elsewhere. And knowing who to trust is hardly a simple matter"

He looks at the board again, thinking.

"But... what you said last is particularly meaningful to me. Honesty without sincerity, or sicnerity without honesty, may be easier to find, or to do. Marrying honesty and sincerity in one's actions is much harder - and much truer."

[Bayushi Jiro]

"Iuchi-san is kind to associate me with wisdom. I...merely do my best to be worthy of his trust. If my insight is wise in his eyes, then, though it was not my intention to appear so, I can say that I am very pleased."

Jiro kept his eyes downcast in a demure expression. He took the time to place a stone to create an angle to the position nearest his, making it harder to surround.

"The kanji for wisdom is to be part of my adult name. Or rather, it is part of my adult name. I passed my clan's gempukku some months ago. It is something of a tradition for the southern clans to complete the private ceremony as soon as one is ready to perform one's duty, and then send the foremost students to Topaz. Anyway, it is aspirational. I am pleased to have made a start."

"Does Iuchi-san intend to keep his current name? Or have you given thought to an adult one?"

[Iuchi Prashant]

Prash has a happy smile fixed on his face as he hears Jiro and, after some thought, places yet another stone to Jiro's right, getting slightly closer to the stones near the centre of the board.

"That you have, Bayushi-san", he says gently after his move. "I take it you already have a good idea of what your duties after the Topaz Championship will be, then? Or perhaps have even been assigned a position?" His voice shows some curiosity, but also warmness and maybe some admiration.

"I... Have given some thought to an adult name, in fact. It is not something I have discussed much with others, but I intend to honour my family, my training... And the path I believe I start to understand I have before me", he says, his eyes joyful, but reflective.

[Bayushi Jiro]

Jiro kept his eyes on the board as the conversation turned to his duties; it would not do to puff one's self up. So he kept his voice carefully modulated as he explained. "My father is Lord Bayushi's karo, and it has always been my fate to one day take over running Kyuden Bayushi. But he is quite some years away from retirement, and until that time Lord Shoju has taken a personal interest in me and has added me to his entourage as an advisor, officially, but I think my role is mainly to learn."

He glanced upwards to check Prashant's expression, his own expression a cocktail of hope and subtle concern. While he was looking upwards, a black stone found its way to the center position of the board.

"Iuchi-san has given consideration to his future, then? If it is not too familiar to ask, would Iuchi-san be willing to share what path it is that is opening itself up before him?"

[Iuchi Prashant]

The Iuchi's eyes are also on the board as he hears Jiro, then answers. If Jiro looks straight at him, though, he'll see clear signs of admiration as the Scorpion mentions his future duties.

"That is... Remarkable, Bayushi-san!", he says, managing to hide some, but not all of his emotion. "Of course much of our role at this point of our lives is likely to be learning, but... For Bayushi Shojo-ue himself to have shown an interest in you, that is quite a start", he says, smiling and looking up at him for a moment before looking at the board again.

Another stone is placed at Jiro's right side, some space away from the others, starting to develop a pattern towards the centre.

"As for myself... I do not know yet what my duties will be, as or course that will depend on my lords' wishes. But... As Bayushi-san may have noticed, I focus a good deal of my attention on matters of religion, particularly Shinseism. After Hirosaka, I have dedicated more to a balance between body and spirit, and I have improved my knowledge of those gaijin with which Rokugan and the Unicorn sometimes have to deal. So... I have hopes that my lords will at some point see me fit as an academic envoy, or perhaps a counselor on spiritual matters. Although I have been trying to be ready for other duties, if I must perform them."

He then finally looks at the Bayushi directly once more for a moment before looking down again. "That makes me think... The different clans have interesting particularities in their beliefs and relation to Shinseism and the Fortunes, me? Are there any Bayushi-san finds particularly interesting?", he asks, in a charming voice.

[Bayushi Jiro]

Jiro considers that for a moment. "Well...Fortunism is rather the more dominant tradition among my people, though that is not to say they are hostile to Shinsei's teachings like the Lion clan. After all, Shinsei played a very important role in giving our clan its purpose and its methodology. I'm sure you know the famous story of the frog and the scorpion. Ko-no-ha-ma and Sadahako are beloved among the Shosuro, whereas as Natsu-Togumara is revered in Ryoko Owari because of its name of Journey's End City. There is a profound attachment to Daikoku and Inari among the lowborn samurai and the peasant classes. In fact, so reverent are we to Inari-kami that cats are given offensive names to let him know that their attacks on the rats that are associated with him are a source of concern for us. I mean, not so much a concern that we do not keep cats, but...well, traditions are strange."

He frowned...this was coming off rather academic. Maybe Prashant didn't mind? He looked up into Prashant's eyes apologetically. "I am sorry if I am boring you, Iuchi-san. These matters do not allow for much banter, and I am afraid that I can be a little dry when discussing them..."

"...but in my family...I am sad to say that my father doesn't have much time for the Little Teacher. He is all practicality, and the extra time it takes to reason out a parable he finds could be better spent elsewhere. I'm not sure I agree with his outlook on these things, nor do I think his feelings are shared by Bayushi-ue, but since it is my father who directed my course of study...you see the trouble. What I know of Shinsei I learned on my own, or from my mother. As for which of the Fortunes we hold close...Fukurokujin and Saibankan, and of course our ancestor Bayushi-kami himself takes pre-eminence."

On the board, Jiro moves to counter the Iuchi's developing stratagem.

"And personally, I have found my prayers directed more and more toward Benten and Ebisu. The nakodo's visit rather put me in the mind of finding not just stability, but...I don't know, at times it feels too fragile to say out loud."

[Iuchi Prashant]

The Shugenja seems a bit surprised at the depth of Jiro's remarks on the topic, but he actually looks interested, not bored.

Whether part of that interest comes from seeing Jiro's face and mannerisms as he speaks as well as from the words spoken themselves, the Scorpion can try to gather from looking at Prash's grin on the corner of his lips and his bright eyes set on Jiro.

"You worry too much, Bayushi-san! As I said, rituals, beliefs and traditions are I topic I find most interesting. And... I think I see what you mean regarding Shinseism. I suppose different people find different teachings more meaningful, and use different lessons to reflect and guide them on their way.", he says, smiling, then chuckles "I suppose I'm saying that in a way that screams 'Shinseism', though, ne?"

He takes the pause to place another, unassuming stone closer to himself now - although close enough to the centre that it just might be involved in a plan to counter Jiro's encroachment of the centre of the board.

"At any rate, if you do feel like discussing the Teacher's lessons, or meditating on a Koan together, I will be happy for the company", he then says, smiling warmly again.

Jiro's first mention of a Nakodo leaves the Iuchi thinking for a moment - and maybe a slight bit unsettled. When he does speak again, he focuses on other aspect of what Jiro said, and a smile is back to his face as he looks at the Bayushi again.

"From the looks of it, one would think your prayers to Benten are being answered graciously, Bayushi-san", he says in a gentle, playful tone. He then continues. "Ebisu is more of a surprise, although I think I see much sense in it. There's much pleasure and great value to be found in stability and in simplicity, ne? It is for a similar reason I tend to focus much of my prayers to Hotei", he says with a gentle smile as he looks at the board waiting for his next move.

[Bayushi Jiro]

"Stability and simplicity have their pleasures, but I find myself praying more and more for humility. You see, my vices are easily identifiable." He flashed a smile. "And my pride, I feel, needs the help of the Fortunes the most. But I very much appreciate your offer of shared study, Iuchi-san. The Little Teacher's wisdom will be all the sweeter if it comes under your tutelage."

His next move was well on Prashant's side of the board.

"As for my prayers to Benten, I can only say that I am not sure they have been answered yet, but I think that I have reason to hope." He met Prashant's eyes, then for a moment, favoring him with a warm, almost inviting smile.

[Iuchi Prashant]

The Shugenja smiles at Jiro's answer about a future meeting. "We shall meet for that, then", he says.

The Scorpion's next move keeps Prashant looking at the board, and he almost places a stone close to him as well, preparing a defence... But stops himself before releasing the stone, smiling again and placing a stone between the centre and Jiro's side.

"Bayushi-san, it seems to clear to me Benten grants you no shortage of blessings", he says, warmly, looking at Jiro's eyes as he looks at him

His own eyes seem happy and friendly... But for some reason there's some... maybe worry in then. After some time he looks back at the board, as if slightly shy.

"I've heard the area around Tsuma is quite beautiful. Have you already found time to explore a bit around?", he then says, smiling again, perhaps still with some shyness in his eyes.