<div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Maseko</div><div class="spoiler_body">Sheet (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=283917) and Description (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=234223.msg11532337#msg11532337)</div></div><hr/><br/>Maseko, still smiling with amusement, nodded at Keitaro's question about the scorpion drowning.  "Yes, that is how the story goes.  As I do<em>not</em>wish to drown, I learned how to swim," she responded, as if taking a parable literally made<em>any</em>sense at all in the world.<br/><br/>But then her face became serious and her smile slimmed a bit. "As for my tetsubo, well, I'm not bushi- that's why I don't wear daisho," she said, gesturing to the lone blade of her wakizashi tucked into her sash.  "However," she explained, "I try to<em>honor</em>bushi by carrying a weapon of war, whose weight reminds me of the burden of duty placed on them.  If I carried a yari, han-kyu or something, the weight wouldn't be the same, and it wouldn't be a good reminder for me."  Her smile blossomed again, that twinkle of inner laughter dancing in her eyes as she continued, "Besides, if the worst should come to pass and all bushi be slain who might protect me, I can honor their sacrifice by sending at least<em>one</em>of the bastards to Jigoku."  She shrugged then, still leaning on the planted warclub, as though to say<em>I don't care whether this is what you expect from Shugenja.</em>The message may have been lost in translation as the motion caused interesting things to happen to her breasts and her vest.  The gentle rain had, by now, begun the process of making the vest damp and it was beginning to cling to her curves ever so slightly.  Fortunately, the black fabric was unlikely to reveal much more than contour without close inspection, even once sodden.  The contours did, however, serve as a reminder that the cool, mountain air was, in fact, cool.<br/><br/>She smiled as Kotone approached the gate and opened her arms in greeting.  "And here is my sister shugenja!  And...  it seems that I<em>shall</em>be the only one among us who will not be travelling armoured after all.  Clearly, my preparations have been inadequate," she said, before shrugging again.  "Well, you can all protect me from the dangers of honorless bandits, and I'll protect you all from the dangers of slippery rocks in streams.  Kotone-san, Liang-san has gone to collect some more food, while we discussed the practicality of armour on the road.  What do you think, sister?"<br/><hr/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">OOC</div><div class="spoiler_body">I should have been more clear about last post- she was not attempting to goad Shiori- merely accept the response and say that she would naturally be willing to do her duty, in a sort of verbal judo.  Of course, she's a bit abrasive because she's not <em>good</em> at verbal judo, so there's that too.  Also, you appear to have handled the abundance of content with aplomb, kck.</div></div>