[D2 - LA] Swole Hida (Open)

[Bayushi Ijihime]

Ijihime laughed lightly and said, “It is fine, I have come to expect as much from the Crane.”

“No need to apologize Amika-chan, just do what I know you are capable of.”

[Asahina Sanaharu]

"Nothing less than courtesy, a sharp eye, and desires to defend both honor and peace. I'm glad all of those were reached by peaceful methods."

[Bayushi Ijihime]

She said to the Crane, "Who is your sister, Asahina-san, perhaps she is known to me."

[Asahina Sanaharu]

"She is named Asahina Tsuzuo. What would be yours, Bayushi-san?"

[Bayushi Ijihime]

"Bayushi Ijihime, it is a pleasure," she responded.

[Amika]

Now that the two of them were talking to each other, and somewhat ignoring Amika, she decided that maybe it was a good time to continue with her work.

She grabs her brush again, and continues to paint the baselines that would then be used to give life to this piece of art. Amika decided to not go for her normal and specialized style of ink washing. Instead she decided for a more colourful approach for this painting, something more challenging to her, but more vibrant.

As she moved the brush gracefully, flowing like air on a field, the first lines revealed what was her general idea. The mural was on a 3/4 perspective looking from the front. The straight lines of the Kaiu Wall were visible, located about 3/4 to the left of the mural. The 1/4 space that was left was very dark and nebulous, yet amorphous. Probably Amika was trying to portray the 'evils' from beyond the Wall, in the most tasteful way that she thought of, by basically not giving it form, but implying the darkness of it.

As one travels from left to right, the lines become more and more lighter. Two figures were painted in what should had been the skies above the carpenter wall. One was clearly in the shape of a fully armored and armed big man, while the second shape seems to be a rising sun with sun rays.

These were just the baselines, but clearly, Amika knew what she was doing...

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Artisan: Painting/Awareness; Kano-ha style (no emphasis); 5 CR for effect; +1k1 Void; TN40 - 59

[Asahina Sanaharu]

Small talk back and forth, the samurai got entertained for a time whilst she painted at least. When he saw it, she was not only back to painting, but made some considerable progress as well. The theme, though, he considered most distasteful. Who would want to paint a theme like this? Whilst he was no artist, he did learn to criticize art, and could give there some insight. Not that he would go in details that was not his, specially in front of that human scorpion.
"Good technique so far."

[Bayushi Ijihime]

"Amika only does good work," she responded.

[Amika]

She was not listening to them. Amika was totally involved in the painting, completely devoted every single of her attention towards each stroke.

As the wolf finished the base lines, she began to color the mural. She started with the sun. Clearly a reference to Amaterasu-no-kami, the rising sun was a shining as a beacon of hope. While the divine sun was on the background, it was positioned in a way that the rays penetrated in several areas, pushing back the darkness on the left, which seemed to be retreating and dissipating as the purity of the rays destroyed the darkness.

A bit to the side of the divine sun, Hida-no-kami portray began to become 'alive'. Wearing Fukutsu, the deep blue, white and red of the ancestral armor of the Crab protected the massive frame of the Divine Son of Heavens. He looked as a giant guiding his people, while the divine rays of his Mother protected his back. Armed with Chikara on is right arm, and a shining jade tetsubo on his left, the kami was an impossing figure right about the middle of the painting. His right arm armed with Chikara pointed towards the left/front, in a pose that implied that he was commanding his people forward against the darkness, with the rays of the sun reflecting on the blade of the ancestral sword of the Crab clan.

Below his massive frame and a bit forward on the perspective, multitude of samurai can be seen right in front of the Kaiu Wall. The Banners of the Hida, Kaiu, Hiruma, Kuni and Yasuki families can be seen, as well as the mon of the Crab clan itself right on the center...

Amika continues with her painting at a quite astonishing rate, without losing focus. She had mostly finished around seventy percent of the mural more or less...

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59 out of 75 TN
5 Called Raises at this progress.

[Asahina Sanaharu]

"I said and meant technique, Bayushi-san."

[Amika]

Amika seemed to be somewhat exhausted, a sign of her devotion to this work. She finished coloring a few more details, but in general she had completed quite an extensive part of this mural for the Crab clan.

She stopped and watched it a bit from afar to get a better picture of it. '' Hmmm, still lacks a bit of color, maybe a deeper blue for Hida-no-kami, and more definition to his body frame...'' She said to herself, wondering of the work.

She suddenly snapped, as remembered that she was not alone. '' Oh, forgive me Asahina-sama, Bayushi-sama, this one was completely immersed on the mural...'' She bowed to them. One thing was clear from Amika's work, it was quite clean artwork. There was not a single wasted drop of paint below or around the mural, not on her body or clothing. She did her job with almost perfection, except for not finishing it on just one go...

[Bayushi Ijihime]

"I said and meant technique, Bayushi-san."

"I heard you, I chose not to critique that which was self evident. Her technique is all her own, it is why she is my prize," she responded.

[Asahina Sanaharu]

"I said and meant technique, Bayushi-san."

"I heard you, I chose not to critique that which was self evident. Her technique is all her own, it is why she is my prize," she responded.

"She seems young, which means she can learn. Perhaps if there is a shrine of artist monks somewhere. Or if the Asako teached her to read."

[Bayushi Ijihime]

“The Asako? I want her to dazzle the audience not bore them beyond measure,” she said with a polite laugh into her sleeve.

[Amika]

'' Anoo... '' Amika looked confused. Were they fighting between them over her, her artwork, or something else? The wolf painter was not entirely sure of what was going on right now. Her delving into the painting process made her not notice what was going on.

[Asahina Sanaharu]

"I heard that monks there teach to read the low folk interested on it. Few heimin should ask for, anyway. But for ronin, it should be an useful skill to have."

[Bayushi Ijihime]

"I heard that monks there teach to read the low folk interested on it. Few heimin should ask for, anyway. But for ronin, it should be an useful skill to have."

"Are you saying my prize cannot read?" she mused with a smile.

[Asahina Sanaharu]

"It is not a common ability between wolves. Is one wrong to guess a fish can't fly?"

[Bayushi Ijihime]

"And yet flying fish exist, so say the Mantis," she mused.

[Amika]

Amika just watches silent as the two now seem to be debating if she can read or not. Which she can, quite well, almost well enough to be able to write properly High Rokugani. Of course, the wolf decided to not intervene in this debate.

It was certainly not her place to say anything. For now Amika just is there...

[Asahina Sanaharu]

"Because there is a chance this may happen." He swings his head from one side to the other, putting a pause to the bickering at least to see her progress, analyzing the mural.

[Bayushi Ijihime]

"I assure you, my Amika can read and write, how insulting for you to think otherwise," she said sweetly.

"But that is typical Crane, to look down on others and assume the worst of them."

[Asahina Sanaharu]

"If you sully the name of my clan, Bayushi Ijihime-san, I may remind you that both the magistrate and the duelist are also Crane." He bows slightly. He could have called a duel right here, right now for that, but as an Asahina he chose merely to warn.

[Bayushi Ijihime]

"Then you will not mind apologizing to the ronin for assuming her education was worthless, or I shall see the measure of your steel," she responded.

"Should we not meet all with Courtesy, low and high?"

[Asahina Sanaharu]

Apologizing to a ronin. The sacrifices you must make in order to have peace, even in front of a Scorpion just looking to have some jest. But he was never one to assume he would have made less of her education on the first place, and detected as well it was a trick into making him confess this.

"Whilst I did assume that you knew not to read, this was a misattribution based on the fact that most ronin do not. If you do know to read or not, your education, regardless how it was given or how your knowledge acquired, was valuable as you show prime ability with the high art of paint. Know, as I said before, I did never make less of your ability, as I even complimented your technique."

He nods to Amika.

"For a deed not done, unfortunately, there is not a deed to apologize for."