(D9, LM, Open) Filling up a shrine

[Jiyo Ayumu]

"You're teasing, Kinyoubi, but you're keeping your own cards close to your chest. What do you intend to do yourself?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?" She asked, looking to Ayumu.

"Your subject of choice. For the carving.

I'm actually curious which of the Seven has your preference in that particular situation."

[Canary]

"Your subject of choice. For the carving.

I'm actually curious which of the Seven has your preference in that particular situation."

"Oh, yes. At first I was wondering if you were asking more generally," she replied with a small laugh. "I'm going to be carving Fukurokujin."

[Jiyo Ayumu]

"Oh, yes. At first I was wondering if you were asking more generally," she replied with a small laugh. "I'm going to be carving Fukurokujin."

"I was almost expecting a statue of Bishamon modeled after sempai Sora so we might tease him endlessly about that.

I'm also interested in the general answer though. What's your plan in life for the days to come after the expedition?"

[Seppun Dawei]

Dawei nods at his interlocutors' words. He looks, and he sees Shinsei working on one figure; he overhears the comment about another carving Fukurokujin.

With my Hotei, he thinks, that's three of seven.

"Chinsei," he says, "you'd asked me about guidance and experience, yes? Here's a chance for both; Ayumu is right about the rough work. It is needed, and it's a good beginning for getting a feel for the wood. You and he could work on that, perhaps.

"But I know you can see things I cannot, being trained other than I was. What Fortune's form do you see in this?" And he holds up a piece of wood.

"If one shows itself to you, see if your knife cannot release it, perhaps?"

[Seppun Chisei]

"Hmmm." Chisei accepted the piece of wood, his eyebrows going up. "A curious puzzle. On first glance, one piece of wood looks much the same as another to me. It is only on closer study that one begins to notice the differences."

He held the piece up, studying it from another angle. "But do those differences suggest the aspect of one Fortune more than another. Hmmm."

He turned it over in his hands once more. "Perhaps Benten. But I'm not certain. Perhaps I shall give it a try?"

[Seppun Dawei]

Dawei nods, hands Chisei a knife with which to begin. Once it is accepted, he takes out his own knife, holds it as if to carve wood, himself.

"For the larger cuts, I tend to put my thumb on the back of the blade, as well as to use that part of the blade closest to the handle."

He shifts his grip, taking one that looks more like a hand on a writing brush or a pen. "For smaller cuts, the tip of the blade, controlled with the smaller motions of the wrist and fingers.

"But that is how I do it, which may not be how you need to." He shrugs. "It is, though, a good place to start."

[Togashi Saruko]

OOC: Just posting here for reference.

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

Bishamon completed

---------------

D9 LE Artisan: Woodcarving/Awareness. 1 raise. TN 20: 5d10o10k4 34

D9 LE Artisan: Painting/Awareness. 1 raise. TN 20: 5d10o10k4 49

Jurojin completed

[Seppun Chisei]

Dawei nods, hands Chisei a knife with which to begin. Once it is accepted, he takes out his own knife, holds it as if to carve wood, himself.

"For the larger cuts, I tend to put my thumb on the back of the blade, as well as to use that part of the blade closest to the handle."

He shifts his grip, taking one that looks more like a hand on a writing brush or a pen. "For smaller cuts, the tip of the blade, controlled with the smaller motions of the wrist and fingers.

"But that is how I do it, which may not be how you need to." He shrugs. "It is, though, a good place to start."

Frowning gently, Chisei mirrored Dawei's grip. "I think I see..." He worked slowly, cutting away the wood with great care... until eventually he had a vaguely human shape. But not much more than that.

Sighing, Chisei frowned at it. "I fear I have lost my vision. This does not make me think of Benten any more. Perhaps I've cut away too much?" He held the shape up for others to see.

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D9LM, carve Benten, VP for skill, 1CR: 4d10o10k3 15

[Seppun Dawei]

Frowning gently, Chisei mirrored Dawei's grip. "I think I see..." He worked slowly, cutting away the wood with great care... until eventually he had a vaguely human shape. But not much more than that.

Sighing, Chisei frowned at it. "I fear I have lost my vision. This does not make me think of Benten any more. Perhaps I've cut away too much?" He held the shape up for others to see.

Dawei smiles. "It's a good beginning, and not a ruined effort. Perhaps some other lady is in the wood, instead, one whom Benten would show you.

"After all, if you've not done this before, well, many do worse in their first efforts. I did not do so well, my first time. Cut myself rather spectacularly, too, so you're doubly ahead of me."

[Seppun Chisei]

Chisei chuckled softly at that. "Well, I've cut myself many times before, sometimes on purpose, sometimes not." He inclined his head. "But thank you."

He gave Ayumu a vague wave. "Ayumu-san, I'm afraid what was intended as a statue of Benten for your shrine is instead becoming a gift for my wife." Chisei chuckled again. "Although I fear that neither will be impressed with what I end up making." He continued working at the little figure.

[Jiyo Ayumu]

"But that is how I do it, which may not be how you need to." He shrugs. "It is, though, a good place to start."

"I'm personally in that weird place where I first need to unlearn my reflexes at working cloth, as they push me in the wrong direction when working wood. Two materials that don't exactly have the same mechanical properties."

He gave Ayumu a vague wave. "Ayumu-san, I'm afraid what was intended as a statue of Benten for your shrine is instead becoming a gift for my wife." Chisei chuckled again. "Although I fear that neither will be impressed with what I end up making." He continued working at the little figure.

"In a way, it sounds fitting that Benten pushed you into making a gift for your wife."


"As for myself, I feel like I should give it a try at Daikoku. He is not the Fortune I personally feel the closest to. And he is not really fitting the mood of this expedition as it is now.

But he is the seventh and last part of this ensemble, and someone has to do it or the puzzle won't be completed.

Also, if at the moment Daikoku may seem off-topic, if one of the consequences of our little trip is to normalize relationships between the Nezumi and the Empire, material wealth may indeed come out of it in the end."

[Shinsei]

"Oh, yes. At first I was wondering if you were asking more generally," she replied with a small laugh. "I'm going to be carving Fukurokujin."

Shinsei didn't exactly pause in his carving, but there was one rather extended sweep of the blade against the wood as he glanced up from his work. "A fitting choice for a scribe. Fukurokujin does enjoy focusing on scholarly pursuits above all others, after all. At least, most of the time."

[Seppun Dawei]

Dawei nods along with Chisei's words and Ayumu's.

"I have faith you'll make it work, friends. I have faith that we can make it work together."

[Jiyo Ayumu]

Ayumu nodded and immersed himself into his work.

He had no idea what Daikoku would look like. But he had a good idea of the kind of clothes he could wear. And a good idea of the kind of clothes he could wear that would give an impression of wealth without having a complex fold that he didn't have the skill to replicate.

Thus he focused his effort into making a very generic man wearing a robe simple in its design but baggy and thick, suggesting its owner could pay for all that extra fabric.

Not awesome, but recognizable.

(Success / No raise / 22)

[Doji Kaze]

Kaze's arrival was unheralded, quiet. He came with his own knife, and a small smile as he perused the wood. Nervously testing the feel of each of block, brows furrowed.

[Seppun Chisei]

Chisei smiled. "It seems fitting that Daikoku is carved less from drive, and more from necessity. The wise man does not seek wealth, but I will not deny that my life in a more prosperous tribe has given me more opportunities to seek wisdom."

As he worked, Chisei frowned down at the idol he still worked on. The chest was coming out a little... expansive. And pointy. He cleared his throat. "May we see your work, cousin Dawei? I understand you carved Hotei." Focused as he was, Chisei might not have seen the statue even if it was right in front of him.

[Seppun Dawei]

Dawei, for his part, sees Kaze arrive, and a smile spreads across his face.

It takes him a moment to realize Chisei has said anything to him.

"Huh? Oh, yes. I did," and he points out the statue sitting unpainted but soundly carved.

"And there's the inlay piece I was going to see about attaching to the central panel," to which he gestures, in turn.

[Doji Kaze]

Over by the wood, Kaze picks a light-colored block and turns it over in his hands for a moment or two. He glances toward the statues in their various states of completion, and after a moment he drifts to plant himself just across from Dawei and Chisei. He favors Dawei with a private smile, then starts to work, drawing away portions of the block in long, smooth strips.

[Canary]

"I was almost expecting a statue of Bishamon modeled after sempai Sora so we might tease him endlessly about that.

I'm also interested in the general answer though. What's your plan in life for the days to come after the expedition?"

She covered a laugh suddenly, shoulders shaking in mirth enough that she couldn't totally hide a snort. When she composed herself after a few seconds, she answered, "That would be amazing. I hope someone does that. Maybe after I'm done with this."

"As to that... I intend to continue serving Jiyo-san if he'll have me."

Shinsei didn't exactly pause in his carving, but there was one rather extended sweep of the blade against the wood as he glanced up from his work. "A fitting choice for a scribe. Fukurokujin does enjoy focusing on scholarly pursuits above all others, after all. At least, most of the time."

"Most of the time? What does he do the rest of the time?"

[Shinsei]

"Most of the time? What does he do the rest of the time?"

"Oh, I'm no expert," Shinsei says as he sets down an ecpertly carved statue if Ebisu. "But I'm given to understand that he takes a more keen interest in the affairs of mortals then most of the others, besides Benten. I suppose if he isn't in heaven keeping records he off somewhere...meddling."