Vardaen wrote:Dinner continues on, and as the main course is being finished Gensai deftly suggests a demonstration of his swordsman ship. Hirawara all but claps at the idea, giddy with excitement. "A most excellent idea Gensai, you are full of delight tonight, yet I don't think we can make this evening all about your skills." Hirawara stands up and scans the room, "Gensai will entertain us with his kenjutsu kata's, but I would challenge any of you to do the same so we might enjoy the differences and debate the virtues of each style. Who will do this?"
Turning his attention over towards the young Crane woman adjacent to Yoshito, Gensai offers a respectful nod in her direction, inwardly quite relieved that the burden of providing a splendid performance will not lie solely upon him. When no one else appears forthcoming in the magistrate's challenge to join in the upcoming display of martial skill, Gensai watches as Hirawara promptly summons his servants with instructions to follow shortly after.Muskrat wrote:Ryoko rises and bows. "I would be honored to show everyone my humble understanding of the techniques of the Daidoji Scouts." She can hardly honorably refuse to show her abilities.
As the Magistrate’s attendants go forth to carry out their assigned tasks with commendable swiftness, Gensai capitalizes on this intermission by preparing himself for the demonstration to come. Slowly standing up from his seat at the table, the shugyōsha casually shrugs off his haori and neatly folds it before handing it off to a passing servant for the duration of his performance. Repeating this process with his kimono as well, Gensai is eventually left wearing only a thickly woven undershirt over his upper torso.Vardaen wrote:He claps his hands at the servants, "Open the east wall to the garden, and retrieve the bokken from my dojo. We will watch from here and our competitors will use the open air of the garden. Light some torches out there too."
The heimin do as they are told, opening the entire eastern wall, sliding panels to the side and removing some from hinges and setting them to the side. Torches and lanterns are lit and the small courtyard area is set and cleared a perfect place for a few kata -- clearly the heimin have set up for this sort of thing in the past.
Prior to entering the courtyard once the makeshift rearrangements have been fully implemented by the heimin attendants, the large man claps his hands together and calmly slips into a meditative stance, clearing his mind of all distracting thoughts for the trial ahead.