Scalded Egos

[Nick]

Suzuko's relationship with the Mizutane clan was a complicated one. Her mother, Fukazawa Mo was apparently friends with, and was owed a favor from Mizutane Oyu, who agreed to take the girl in before the last great war broke out. That was before the Holy City of Towers where she was born ceased to exist, and Oyu had nowhere to send her back to. There was apparently quite a lot of deliberation behind the scenes as to what to do with young Suzuko, and while some thought it fine to officially adopt the girl, a larger majority disliked the idea. A compromise was made in the form of letting her live and learn amongst them, but without the Mizutane name, she was not permitted to learn their secretive elemental iaijutsu.

She got along quite alright with most of her peers, but she was still and outsider at the end of the day, and just enough of the family members deigned to remind her of it that she could never forget. She was supported in many ways, with the clan going so far as to pay someone versed in her country's spear fighting style to teach her, ensuring that she went to Doushikai academy when she was of age, and of course feeding and housing her. Of course, she received a lot of external support as well. Goro pushed her hard to learn and grow stronger, whether she liked it or not, and her natural aptitude for it all landed her a spot test-driving an advanced form of the steam-powered Mules that helped keep the Empire running strong, as well as a spot on the Pilot Program that sent her to so many different countries and exciting new views on life...

She was even nominated for promotion, an opportunity to attend the international Chuunin exams! ...She also hadn't wanted to do that, but that was part of the dangers of having Goro as a teacher. She'd passed though, how exciting! However, upon returning home, rather than being greeted with cheers, she was greeted with a handwritten letter.

Mizutane, Shageki was someone she'd grown up alongside, and at one point she might have even considered a friend, but as they entered into different classes in the academy, and saw each other less and less, growing apart was natural. The letter in hand felt a lot less like growing apart, and more like a direct assault, however. It was formally written, as all duel notifications were, likely by whoever his second was, and claimed that some great offense was taken by her actions, that being promoted before her 'betters' was insulting, and so to maintain honor a duel was requested.

Certainly, Suzuko could have said no, but to do so would be likely to wound the boys pride further, and just as likely would brand her a coward, and in the worst case scenario, make it so that she was no longer welcome in the one place she'd really called home her entire life. She drafted a letter back. As the challenged, it was typical that she got to choose the location and time, and so she picked the one place the two really had in common: The training grounds inside of the Mizutane compound, a small outdoor space surrounded on all sides by buildings with good grass, a single sturdy cherry tree, and space enough for spectators to show up. This also could have been viewed as an insult, but then again, anything could, at this point.

She really wasn't a fan of this.

[Golnax]

Shageki Mizutane was pissed. Irresponsibly, teeth shatteringly, fuck-ass mad, one could say. Why was he so angry? Well, that was simple:

He was an Akibushi, and Suzuko Fukazawa wasn't.

Now, believe it or not, Shageki considered himself to be a pretty reasonable guy. When Suzuko had come to his family when they were still kids, he'd treated her nicely enough! Sure, he kinda bullied her at first, but he learned and stopped! He'd even been cordial to her over the years, as she got special tutors, a personal escort, was selected to pilot a weird puppet suit of armor thing, when she got picked for the Pilot Program, chosen to represent their country (along with some mushroom girl and someone nearly twice their age???) in the latest Chunin Exams: through all of that, he'd been polite. Though each thing was like a weighted sandbag on his, her SENIOR'S, shoulders, he'd quietly endured it, even as it put distance between them. Despite not even being a part of the family, she was getting all of this special treatment!

But passing the exams was the straw that broke the camel's back. His back. Now, she was all of those things, as well as being a higher rank than he was, when he hadn't even been considered for the exams! It was outrageous! Unfair! And he'd had enough. He wanted to prove to his family, to the samurai that had made the decision to push Suzuko through to the exams, and to himself that he was better than her, once and for all! The challenge had been issued. She'd replied. Chosen the training ground at home. Fine by him. The location didn't matter. What mattered was his honor.

Despite how incredibly indignant and irritate Shageki was, you wouldn't have guessed it by looking at his face. He sat, on his knees, hands perfectly placed on top of his thighs with his fingers pointed at each other, elbows pointed out, his sheathed katana laying on the ground in front of his knees. His bright red hakama and tabi socks were all the clothing he was wearing. His wooden sandals sat beside him on the right. He'd chosen to be shirtless for... no particular reason. (No it was not because he'd been working out lately and his back muscles looked good shut up this is a serious duel!) His eyes were closed, his mount deep set in a frown that would put the Mariana Trench to shame. His hair, a muddy brownish-red in color, was pulled back and tied into a formal top knot for the occasion.

Shageki took in a deep breath, puffing his chest up, let it out as steam through his nose slowly. He was waiting for Suzuko to arrive at the southern most part of the training ground, that little courtyard where he, and her, and others, had spent much time playing as children. They weren't children anymore, though. He was 16 (practically a man shut up!) and this duel was a serious matter. He'd been working his body to the bone for a long time now, a testament to his resolve, and it showed in his physique, something that only a real man would have worried about, surely!

Suzuko had better not keep him waiting...

Stats for This BoiShow

CP: 15
END: 20
CON: 20
STR: 20
SPD: 20
WP: 15

[Nick]

The heiress had a lot of preparation to do. She read up on dueling etiquette, practiced with her spear and other weapons, and of course read up on her opponent. The Mizutane were an old family in Tea Country, and Tea's old traditions dictated that many duels were focused on Iaido draws where the winner was determined in a single blow most of the time, but Suzuko was not a swordswoman, holding her to those traditions would be seen as a sign of weakness from her opponent. If he requested such a thing, she had plans to goad him to allow any weapons, but she couldn't be sure that he would fall for such things. It had been a long time since they'd seen each other in more than passing, and so she had no idea how his own training had gone, how strong he'd gotten, if he'd learned more than the basic sword swinging and breathing techniques that she'd been allowed to observe but not participate in...

And, of course, she had to look her best. Her hair, usually a little messy had been brushed to fineness, and two small braids came along the front of her forehead and crossed her temples before tying along the back, and her hair was brought up in a bun behind her, not too dissimilar from a topknot, to keep it out of her face. She wore no makeup, for fear that sweat, or worse, blood, would cause it to smear and get into her eyes. She probably would have preferred to wear her usual travelling outfit in this situation as well, the traditions of a duel dictated more careful finery, a thick battle-ready kimono with matching haori, light and dark blue in color respectively, with white bottoms. The Haori had the Kanji for her home, the Holy City of Towers spread in bold letters across the back, and the Kimono held her samurai's badge of honor right over her heart, proudly marking her as a Fuyubushi. Nobody said she couldn't make subtle insults while maintaining decorum.

She would not keep him waiting despite all this preparation, either. The door from inside would open with a gentle crash of wood on wood, accentuated by a bell tolling the hour of the duel. She had no obvious weapons on her, but held at stomach level in both hands was Fukuro-Kun, legs, arms, and tongue all folded away so he looked as much like a normal backpack as ever, her weapon of choice in all situations. Wordlessly, she walked to the southern edge on the engawa that trailed around the training ground, gingerly got to her knees, set her backpack aside, bowed deeply as if she was entering a dojo, before standing back up, and stepping onto the grass, moving till she was about ten paces away from her opponent, and getting down onto her knees once more, setting her backpack on the ground in front of her.

"Greetings, Shageki-kun." She said, casually, keeping her emotions under control for now as the emotional tethers that tied her to the observers around her slowly reached out to grab onto him as well. "If you wished for a reunion after graduation, I think tea would have sufficed." So even-keeled and professional! ...Though, she couldn't stop a bead of sweat rolling down her temple already, she was much more nervous than she was letting on. This honor duel meant more for her than it could ever possibly mean for Shageki, or at least that's what she thought.

[Golnax]

The raw roil of emotions emanating off of Shageki were practically indecipherable. The moment her empathetic chakra connected with his she could feel the roil raging with him like volcanic ash being hurled into the air as the magma boiled and spat itself up from the mountain top. There was anger, indignation, angst, incredulity, xenophobia, a hint of misogyny, among other things. She probably had a better understand of the minutia of what he was feeling than he did thanks to her ability, but the feelings were all muddied and bleeding into one another. Nothing was clear or obvious, nothing was standing out over each other. He raged, and that was as clear of an emotion as could be perceived from his chakra.

He held his hand up to her as she was speaking, silently commanding her to stop while he kept his back turned to her. The time for words was past them, as far as he was concerned. Slowly, Shageki lowered his arm back down to his lap, took in a deep, chest puffing breath, and let the steam out from his nostrils. He grabbed his katana and stood up, slipping his sandals on and turning to Suzuko, finally looking at her with an expression that utterly radiated "you're beneath me". "I didn't summon you here for a reunion. This is a duel," he said bluntly, genuinely trying to act the part of how he thought an older, mature samurai would behave in this situation. He'd never even seen an honor duel between samurai before, only read about them. How was he supposed to know how these things were supposed to go?

Raising his sword up, he used the pommel to point across the training ground from where he stood, looking to the position where he thought she should be. Even now he was trying to dictate her behavior as he thought it should be. "Take your place and let us begin. The honor of the Mizutane demand that I end this quickly," he gruffly told her, turning away from her and towards where he expected her to just... follow instructions and do as she was told according to proper etiquette and protocol as he saw it while he did the same; bending his knees, spreading his legs, bringing his sheathed katana up to his left hip and slowly bringing his right arm around to grab at the hilt, rotating the blade, sheath and all, outwards so that it was ready to be drawn.

As soon as she got into her place, they could creep towards each other until they were in striking distance, and then this matter would be decided in one, decisive blow...

... that's how it was going to happen, right?

[Nick]

Suzuko allowed him his cranky spat, but did not move from her position kneeled on the ground, even as he stood and entered his battle-ready stance. She would remain silent for far too long, waiting for his impatience to get the better of him, and as soon as he made a move to either draw his weapon or speak up, she would interrupt him this time. "Forgive me, but the last I checked, a Fuyubushi does not take orders from an Akibushi." Sweat began to pour down her temples more rapidly now, looking more like she'd just run a mile than spoken a sentence, her anxiety had no place on the battlefield and yet it was definitely making it hard to maintain her cool in the face of the subtle disrespect being thrown her way.

Slowly, deliberately, she would stand in a way reminiscent of an old man whose joints had all locked into place, stretching her back. Someone in the crowd snickered, though it was unclear if it was at the foolish way she was acting, or if it was at Shageki's expense. Methodically, her movements continued, before she finally bent down to pick up the backpack, slinging it over her shoulders and adjusting the straps, before finally, excrutiatingly, pulling her spear out from her backpack, wrapping the loose end of the bandages around her right wrist, before slamming the butt of the spear against the ground with a powerful thud. Her right hand remained wrapped around the spear, holding it nearly straight up, while her left hand rested behind her back, hand dug into one of the pouches of Fukuro-kun, waiting to decide what to pull out until she needed to.

"You may begin, Shageki-kun." She said, her voice cracking a bit, finally something much more obvious that betrayed her nervousness. She cleared her throat and waited for him to make the first move.