Idolizing (D9, LA. Open)

[Togashi Saruko]

The project to create something sacred that was also artistic greatly intrigued the Saru daimyo, and she had thrown herself fully into the task after picking out some nice pieces of wood.

If she thought less about carving for something useful, and focused instead of making it pretty, she found a good sense of intuition on how to do this woodcarving stuff, and the small knife moved easily in her hands to give shape to a figurine of Bishamon. It seemed the most natural choice, considering the nature of their expedition - they'd need his strength in the days to come.


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D9 LA Artisan: Woodcarving/Awareness. +1k1 Void. 1 raise. TN 20: 6d10o10k5 37

D9 LA Artisan: Painting/Awareness. +1k1 Void. 1 raise. TN 20: 6d10o10k5 32

[Jiyo Ayumu]

Ayumu stood a few steps nearby, carefully carrying a big bag, and stopped to admire the warrior figurine.

"Hello Lady Saruko. Is there a talent you don't have?"

[Togashi Saruko]

"Oh, hello Ayumu!" she looked up from her work, cheerful and friendly as she often was. "There's lots of stuff I can't do, to be honest. But I've found I have a knack for all this... artistic stuff that Lady Doji showed me. I just like making things like this."

Chuckling, she put down the knife for now to dust away cut offs and dust.

"It's a good idea you've come up with here."

[Jiyo Ayumu]

"It's inspired by a talk I had with Lady Reiko. She said it was important we keep Fu-Leng in our prayers. And that made me realize we didn't exactly have a place to pray.

Underestimated the difficulty of the task though. Seppun Dawei has been a lifesaver there. We're lucky to have him with us. As we are lucky to have you."

Slightly embarrassed:

"Actually, if that's not too much to ask... Most of the pieces haven't been painted yet, and you're very good at this..."

[Togashi Saruko]

"Of course! It's no trouble at all to help out." There was no point in letting the paint sit there, after all, even if she was using it for her own projects.

"I can work on them as we travel. Dawei is quite the talented woodcarver, so I'm sure he'll be making some pretty amazing figurines."

[Jiyo Ayumu]

"Thank you very much. And indeed. I think he could have made a career out of this had he wanted to. But I guess this wasn't his calling."

Revealing a small, and very bland, statue of Daikoku:

"I'm nowhere the talent of the both of you, but I did make this one as a token of appreciation. Think you can make it more flashy?"

[Togashi Saruko]

She looked at the figurine, expression thoughtful. "I can give it a try, once I'm finished with this one. I also found some nice wood I'll use for Jurojin... I think we need a bit of strength and good health on this mission."

[Jiyo Ayumu]

"You're a lifesaver. Thanks again. And sure, everything at the right time."

An awkward pause as Ayumu just stands there, gathering his thoughts.

"You know, a lot of us seem unusually nervous today. I'm putting way too much of myself into this little shrine, as if fleeing from something else. Sora is becoming more and more suspicious that the food we have might be corrupted, so much that I worry he'll stop eating all together. I've heard there were several weird scenes at the camp this morning even if I don't know exactly what.

If I may ask, how are you faring yourself?"

[Togashi Saruko]

"I heard something happened by the wagons this morning, but no one has said anything concrete to me..." she cast a glance in the direction for a moment.

"I'm doing well, Ayumu-san, no need to worry about me. I think I'm more concerned for others who seem to be thinking this a pleasure trip more than the dangerous mission it is, but... I suppose I have a better understanding of the dangers of the other realms compared to many others." There was also only so much she could warn people, who in the end were responsible for their own actions.

"There's nothing wrong with finding a brief escape in craftsmanship - it's only natural. Just don't become so lost in it that you lose your focus on the task before us."

[Ryoshun Mai]

Mai decided to help on the project. She sat off to the side carving, as well. Carving an idol of Benten, she looked lost in thought. The knife slipped and nicked her hand as she messed up.

spent void called two raises, orokos said no with a 16 /cry

Taking one damage for flavor

[Jiyo Ayumu]

Mai decided to help on the project. She sat off to the side carving, as well. Carving an idol of Benten, she looked lost in thought. The knife slipped and nicked her hand as she messed up.

spent void called two raises, orokos said no with a 16 /cry

Taking one damage for flavor

"Are you alright milady?"

Looking at the statue between her hand.

"Benten seems to be quite conflicting today. She also refused to show her face in another idol earlier on. Poor Chisei didn't know how to take that."

After pondering the situation a bit:

"At this point, might as well test the limits of this curse myself.

Saruko, could you pose for me maybe? You're the happily married one, and I don't know if I'll be able to get anything done without a reference, but I'm certain I don't have the skill to pull it off without one."

[Ryoshun Mai]

Nursing the bleeding finger, Mai nodded and gritted her teeth, "I'll be fine. Though it is a bit worrisome Benten does not smile upon this mission. Perhaps Lady Nazo would have insight if she were here. I am a simple carver by nature. I am more disappointed task I should have been able to accomplish did not succeed."

She stuck the bloody finger in her mouth a second to remove the excess blood then looked at it to judge the depth.

[Togashi Saruko]

"Eh?"

Saruko blinked as Ayumu asked her to... model?

"S...sure? If you think it would help you? I don't mind."

[Jiyo Ayumu]

"Well, you fit perfectly for what is expected of Benten. In a happy marriage, elegant, talented, and able to swoon your audience with a few words.

But I feel like that lady – I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name – is right, and that it's useless for us to insist. Benten is sending us a message there.

Though, more than a curse, she might be telling us that another has her favor today."

[Togashi Saruko]

"That is quite possible too. One can never force her blessings or favor." She mused as she wondered whom Benten was watching over currently.

[Nozomi]

A figure emerged from the camp and then disappeared a moment later. The sight of the statues devoted to the fortunes was quite visible, and so she faded away, returning about fifteen minutes later, after the Ryoshun had arrived and joined in. When she did, there was a statue of Bayushi resting in her hands. She nodded to those present and put it down with a bit of reverence on the ground. "I take it we're doing some sort of communal worship thing here, while we're here in the first place?" she said, glancing at them and seeing that one was painting at least.

she gave Mai a nod in particular. "Phi. Don't think we've met yet... Ayumu... Sorako. Good to see all of you still alive."

[Jiyo Ayumu]

"Hello Phi.

We're not exactly communing at the moment. More like preparing the tools we will use to pray later on. Those talented ladies have both volunteered to help us craft the missing pieces of our devotion to the Fortunes."

Seeing the statue:

"Is that... Lord Bayushi of the Scorpion?"

[Nozomi]

"It is intended to be, yes," she said as she settled herself, looking over the paintbrushes and the statuaries, not wanting to muck one up with her poor efforts, but feeling an urge to help. It was a good endeavor, however futile in some senses of the word it might have felt in a place like this to have a 'proper shrine.'

"I have attempted to commune with it in the past. It won't do any good in his case. He can't hear a prayer from this far away."

[Jiyo Ayumu]

There were people Ayumu understood, and at least thought he understood.

And then, there was Phi.

He examined the statue carefully:

"Did you make it yourself? I didn't know such effigies of the Kami were going around.

And did you actually get a response from lord Bayushi through that method of communication?"

[Nozomi]

"I had to search for a merchant with one." Nah, she hadn't carved it. She would love to pretend, but this had been made by a professional to some extent. "I'm told they're not common. But no, pray to one of their statues and they will not here. Shinsei and Shinjo were quite clear. To pray before one, you would need to kneel before them here."

A shake of her head and she sighed. "I didn't actually know that until recently. They are gods, after all. I assumed."