[D14, LA, Open] The Betting Hall

[Cearnach]

In a knee-jerk reaction to the disturbances of last night, the Lion have cracked down on potential nexuses of criminal activity today. As a consequence, the Betting Hall has been shut down and placed under armed guard, much to the consternation of the regulars.

However, in the building next door, a single room has been set aside for an informal gathering of "friends." That these friends are all regular customers of the betting establishment and its manager is entirely beside the point.

It costs 4 zeni to get entrance to the room--that buys you a seat and an understanding that you're in the hands of fate. Drinks and smokes are extra.

[Kasuga Izumi]

Izumi, of course, has lots of friends, and zeni are as nothing to her.

Drinks and smokes are not much more.

Koku await the daring. And there may be more for the particularly skilled.

[Kuni Shiori]

And Shiori was back for the final event. As she walked in, she curiously looked around the gambling hall and wondered what the turnout looked like. Did people run out of koku to bet by this time or were they going to fall further into debt for the last thrill of it all? She supposed she could count herself in their company with her own bet on the line.

Speaking of that, she would eventually find Izumi at her usual spot and approach with a bow. "Good afternoon, Kasuga-sama. How are you doing with your cash bets so far?"

[Kasuga Izumi]

Izumi returns the bow and gestures for Shiori to take a seat.

"Bets are going as I expect," she says. "We're waiting for the final result, of course, but people are eagerly lining up on one side or the other."

She waves a hand, and drinks are served. Taking hers up, she adds "There's also a side-pool going for whether or not the person who drinks from the Cup will make it from the competition range this time."

After a pull at her drink, she continues "There are even some as have laid odds in a five-way pool for what way the wind will blow, but I'm not putting a coin into that one."

[Kuni Shiori]

Shiori would take a seat when given the invitation so that they could watch the remainder of the challenge together. She took an offered drink and took a conservative sip. Admittedly, things were coming down to a wire and while she was confident that Daichi would do well, this slowly faded in time. "...It almost seems like people to make a bet out of anything. Is there a shortage of wagers around here or perhaps the binary outcome isn't enough for them?"

[Kasuga Izumi]

"Oh, there are always things to bet on, Kuni-san," Izumi says. "We're just lucky there aren't more Badger here. They'll bet on most anything; it's something of a compulsion among them, really."

She sips from her drink.

The contest continues, reports coming in of shots missed.

"You know, I think there's going to be some kind of specialist archery school grow up someday, something like how the Kakita and Mirumoto duel."

[Kuni Shiori]

Shiori narrowed an eye when she mentioned the Badger. "I would have thought the need to gamble would be the strongest in the Mantis Clan," she said on the matter. Seeing as their seafaring ways were often tied to courting the Fortunes, she supposed that the same could be said for the Kasuga but she wasn't going to say that directly. "It seems you've made a good amount of winnings from Gusai-dono just yesterday, I guess he has been licking his wounds today?"

She sighed at the missed shots and frowned before shaking her head from the expression. "I'm surprised there isn't already, maybe one that isn't so famous but archery is a necessity in most militaries around the Empire. I know it's not exactly so fine when it comes to facing an opponent face to face, where such things as subtleties of form and the samurai spirit are found but it can't be more different than say, a school that wields the tetsubo more than the katana."

[Kasuga Izumi]

Izumi shrugs.

"It may simply be that there hasn't been so storied a practitioner of kyujutsu as of kenjutsu," she says, "or even of subojutsu. Tales of heroes and the like, you know."

[Kuni Shiori]

"It unfortunately doesn't really lend itself too much romanticism, if I were to hazard to guess the reason. Even without practicing kenjutsu myself, I know there's likely room to talk about a samurai's footwork, technique, parry, and the visible emotions that they go through in either a duel or battle. Someone standing several paces away and getting shot sort of makes it an open-and-closed story. I'm not sure if there are many ones told about shugenja, unless they're doing great feats that only masters can do. I doubt I would get one told about blessing someone with stamina before a challenge, more of a footnote than anything."

[Kasuga Izumi]

"There's more in footnotes than many imagine," Izumi replies. "Fortunes can be made or lost in them."

[Kuni Shiori]

Shiori couldn't help but narrow her eyes at that. "Now I'm imagining sorts of bets that are made based on finding footnotes in libraries where you have scholars combing through texts to find a particular obscure instance of an event."

[Kasuga Izumi]

Izumi chuckles.

"That librarians would compete in such ways seems an absurdity," she says, "but who knows?

"What I was referring to, though, were issues of legalities. Overlooked comments that open space for endeavors otherwise not perceived, or foreclosures of the same that one's opponents neglect or ignore. Footnotes and marginalia, Kuni-san, are more than simply themselves."

[Kuni Shiori]

"I agree fully on that aspect. Some of them could even be the foundations or roots of a much grander structure. I suppose I might be more trying to say that tales aren't often told of them. Not that they need to, of course. Likely more of background history that would fancy historians more than artisans, or gamblers in this case."

[Kasuga Izumi]

"Is a hero of whom none speak still a hero?" Izumi asks.

Her tone suggests there is some personal investment in the question.

[Kuni Shiori]

"I'd say so on the matter," she nodded surely at that. "There might be some bias in my opinion, considering much of what the Crab's duties could be heroic in the same way, in a sense. Not every little deed or act from the wilderness or the borders would see the light of day. Sometimes, you only have to your peers to remember your acts of bravery and little thanks beyond that. Even if not that, I suppose you can find some solace that there is some right done in the realm and the Fortunes would see that."

[Kasuga Izumi]

"Just so," Izumi says.

"I'll hope your Hiruma-san fares well after this," she adds.

[Kuni Shiori]

Shiori watched the remainder of the events of the contest play out. Eventually, it would come down to sudden death and it seemed that Daichi failed to maintain his hold on the contest. Ultimately, he would come in second and would drink from the cup. As Izumi brought up yesterday, this was truly more than just a mere formality it seemed.

She closed her eyes and let out a small sigh at this conclusion and bowed deeply to the Kasuga. "It was quite impressive that Hiruma-sama managed to get as far as he did and challenge Otomo-sama himself. However, it seems ultimately, he has come in second and I have lost my bet, Kasuga-sama."

[Kasuga Izumi]

Izumi nods, and coins vanish.

"Such things happen," she says. "But you've not been unwise with your wagers, which is more than can be said for some."

She drinks.

"There are some as end up in debt for decades, sad to say. And their families pay the price for it."

[Kuni Shiori]

"I have to admit that I haven't done as much research as I might have on the matter. I merely had confidence in my kinsman here and it was hard to overlook his personal military rank as evidence of his skills too. Maybe that method was the simplest, I could only imagine the sort of analysis paralysis a more open-minded gambler might have here." She smirked faintly at that. "That said, I believe I'll be owing you a favour of some standing in the future, Kasuga-sama? Hopefully, sooner than later?"

[Kasuga Izumi]

"I'll keep it in mind," Izumi says.

She takes another drink.

"But I don't know that I need anything at the moment, except maybe another drink getting ready. And that's a paltry thing at which to value your efforts.

"I expect we'll see each other again, though, especially with so much Crab activity coming to the Capital soon."

~~~~~
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