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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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 Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 12:06 pm
Those who had taken Week 1 of the Clan of Conquest's class might recognize the female seated on the chair in the room; in front of her was a Guzheng. Standing on her left was a horsewoman who was dressed like a servant ghoul holding a Pipa, and on her right stood a horsewoman who looked like she was of the same age as the servant ghoul, but was dressed in clothing that looked more colorful and decorative.
"Welcome. I am Zhang Liulian, but you may address me as Professor Zhang. Traditionally, dancing is an art form reserved for females, but in recent years, even males had taken up this art," She explained, giving you a small smile, "It requires flexibility, a quick reflex... It is not as easy as you think it might be. In fact, it requires years of practice to get dancing down. Here, let my disciple show you." She turned to the ghoul on her right and gave her a nod; immediately, the young ghoul brightened up, moving to the space in front. When Professor Zhang started to play the Guzheng, accompanied by her servant's Pipa, the young ghoul performed a dance so entrancing, it probably kept you captivated.
"Same say that dancing may even lift your spirits and heal your soul... Why don't you find that out for yourself, child?"Quote: Time to dance!-> Roll these in separate posts and RP it out! -> It's more fun with friends. >_> Step 1: Costume : Just describe/post/draw it!-> Keep it CHINESE. -> Not Asian... CHINESE. >| Google it! -> It can be from the Huns as well. As long as CHINA. Step 2: Picking a prop from a "blind box" : 1d41 : Paper fan 2 : Streamers 3 : Nothing 4 : A long strip of thin fabric...? -> Remember to use what you got with the prompt below! Step 3: Now you dance : 1d201 - 6 : You tripped over your costume/foot/flat ground/etc and failed. 7 - 11 : You were a little out of pace with the music, but at least you tried! (1 Horsemen Point!) 12 - 15 : You were one with the music, but... Your dance wasn't exactly that graceful or captivating. In fact, are the Horsewomen giggling at you?! (2 Horsemen Points!) 16 - 20 : You did well for a beginner! It seemed like you had earned a genuine smile from the Horsewomen! (You obtain 3 Horsemen Points!) Horsemen Points - You win 3 horsemen points for completing step 3/ rolling 16 - 20 (after finishing all other steps fully)!
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Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 12:17 pm
Serafina had always enjoyed the art of dance. It was a way to amplify beauty, even where some thought there was none in the first place, a way to accentuate curves and joy and power. Plus, it was usually done in a social activity and that, by itself, was a bonus--but having all eyes on her certainly helped, especially when her typical charm couldn't find a way to leak through.
Whatever the affect on this isle was, it was irritating, in some ways.
She wasn't about to tell Professor Zhang that, though, as she bowed her head respectfully, folding her hands together as a proper woman should. The dance of the discipline was just as captivating as it was suggested, and Serafina had a difficult time tearing her eyes away, to say the least; that was the type of thing she both wanted to do and wanted to watch all day.
Perhaps she would have some luck herself in learning the dance.
She understood that the first step was getting in proper costume--visuals were always important with the aspect of a dance, considering it was a visual art--and so, she went searching, looking for something rather visually stunning. The clansmen of Conquest had a bit of a fashion style different from her own--very obviously based in Halloween--but she loved in nonetheless, facinated by the vivid colours and smooth, long dresses.
Eventually, she settled on a dress the colour of jade green, with sleeves longer than her arms were long, making them sway in the air with a rather dramatic effect. Around her middle was a small, almost corset-like belt, speckled with colours of jade almost reminiscent of stone themselves. This pattern swooped down into an almost floral pattern much like the Lotus the Lotus Pavillion had been littered with, revealing a translucent, mesh pink and jade green material protecting her legs and feet. Her hair had been gathered into a bun of three parts, held together by a red clip flipped with flowers.
(( Description based on this. ))
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Seiana_ZI rolled 1 4-sided dice:
2
Total: 2 (1-4)
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 12:19 pm
Next, she was directed to pick a prop from a blind box. A prop? Perhaps she should have thought more about the length of her dress' sleeves before she had picked such a costume. Serafina didn't dwell on it long, sauntering over to the blind box and sticking her hand in to select her chosen prompt.
After a few moments, she obtained some streamers.
...Well, that would be inconvenient.
Hopefully she didn't make a damned fool of herself. No one to blame it on at the moment...
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Seiana_ZI rolled 1 20-sided dice:
6
Total: 6 (1-20)
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Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 12:22 pm
And now to dance.
Serafina thought she caught the beat of the music loud and clear, in her eardrums and through her feet. The streamers were carefully grasped with both hands, ruining the effect she thought the sleeves had, but nevertheless held proudly.
And she began.
Unfortunately for Serafina, what had started so beautifully, albeit awkwardly, was destined for disaster. She lifted the streamers in the air, swirling them above her head, before bringing them down, attempting the drama of the rivers that had been floating near the Pavillion. That was, perhaps, her first mistake. When the streamers hit the ground, she stepped on one of them, propelling her forward towards the ground.
Her second mistake was, perhaps, not rolling with it or attempting to recover, instead flailing incomphrensibly as she fell towards the ground. This flailing was, perhaps, her worst idea, as the other streamer got caught in her clip, entangling with her hair as she fell face-first, flat on the ground.
Was that a laugh she heard?
Serafina sulked.
...This was embarrassing...
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 12:38 pm
(( Dancing, Day Two! ))
Perhaps it was sheer determination that had Serafina all but storming in the next day, perhaps much to an amused Professor Zhang after the disaster of a fall she had the day prior. She stared her down, watching once again as the disciple of dance pranced in front of her, what with her perfection and beauty that Serafina wanted to obtain for herself.
This time, perhaps, she had learned her lesson about long sleeves, deciding that they were a bad idea when she needed to grasp something. Her costume, this time, reflected that, now having sleeves much shorter, only to the elbows, revealing the rest of her pale, ghoulish arms in an almost dramatic fashion. She still kept with the idea of a dress, however, a deep, vivid red that went down to her ankles--and nearly covered her feet unless she was in motion. The only parts of her dress that weren't red were either white or green, the green parts underneath the dress, dragging out to her elbow to reveal her arm, and the white parts amplifying her neck, her bust, and the curvature of her waist.
On the chest was a design of lotus, perhaps hoping to leech some attention simply by using an object those of the Isle of Conquest seemed to value so much.
That would remain to be seen.
Her hair was once again gathered into a three parted bun, with a clip, this time with the flowering clip containing lotus flowers which matches the dress she wore.
(( Second dress ))
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Seiana_ZI rolled 1 4-sided dice:
2
Total: 2 (1-4)
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Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 12:40 pm
Into the blind box her hand determinedly went, digging around for the item that would amplify her best, treat her best in the dance ...
... only to find those damned streamers again.
Oh damn it.
Nevertheless, Serafina did not shove the object back in the box and pretend she had never picked it up. Instead, she stood tall and proud, back straight, holding a streamer in each hand. She had prepared for this. No longer did she have the ridiculous notion of ridiculously long sleeves. Now she could grasp the streamers fully, and hopefully, that meant that she would not once again be sent tumbling down into the ground.
She hoped.
Serafina waited patiently for the music to start.
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Seiana_ZI rolled 1 20-sided dice:
19
Total: 19 (1-20)
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 12:42 pm
Her determination paid off, this time.
When the music started, so did she, focused and determined not to step on her streamers. Once she got past the initial twirl of them, the initial swirl in the air up and down and all around her, circling around her to point out exactly where she was, perhaps, or to envelop her in some sort of colourful design, she seemed to breathe easier, the set in her shoulders relaxing, rolling out, leaving her simply to her dance along the ground, feet stepping carefully along the floorboards in a way that could almost be described as ...
Graceful.
Much more coordinated than the day before, Serafina moved through the dance, near perfectly on rhythm and even able to add a bit of flair to her step as she got towards the end, letting her feet leave the ground in a small, near-split in the air before landing with a noise perhaps a tad louder than intended, but dramatic nevertheless.
It was difficult to believe that this was the same girl who had decided to fall flat on her face yesterday, and she could have sworn she heard a small cheer when she was finally done, whether it was her imagination patting her on the back or not, panting for air though she barely needed any of it. The ghoul's eyes darted up, seeing a small smile on the face of Professor Zhang. She was ... smiling?
Was she actually smiling?
Serafina couldn't help the smile that cracked her face further, even if it couldn't be seen. She had done it! She had obtained some of that grace and beauty for herself! She had accomplished that! Ha! She could do it, and not fall on her face!
Perhaps she was a little too proud as she left the building.
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Seiana_ZI rolled 1 4-sided dice:
2
Total: 2 (1-4)
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 6:11 pm
What could she say? Serafina liked things that praised her. Perhaps, that was why she was back, after the terror that was the day before, anyway, what with the ridiculous Temple adventures ... well, back in an attempt to come back and cause the Professor to smile once again, perhaps with even more complicated moves than what she had offered before.
This time, she came in costume already.
She had learned, very obviously, that longer sleeves were not for her, and so, she stuck with the mid-length sleeves, deciding that longer was indeed not better, and the style she had decided on now worked much, much better for her particular style of dance... especially if she was given another set of streamers. It seemed her luck that she would be given some, but there was only one way to find, out, hm?
Her bare feet swept across the floor, moving towards the mysterious box to once again pull out an object. The green dress she wore dragged a bit on the ground, covering her feet even when they moved forward, only letting her toes poke out very slightly. Once again, she stuck with the idea of a tie around her middle, almost like a corset, this time in pink with designs reminiscent of the lotus themselves; she wasn't kidding when she said she liked how they appeared, really, she wasn't! The dress itself was fairly simple in design, a jade green with a very pieces of traslucent mesh towards the end of her sleeves and towards the end of the dress itself.
Carefully, she tilted down, careful to not mess up the three-sided bun she had once again decided on. What would she gain today?
...She had to admit she was amused when her hands once again grasped the streamers. Well, perhaps it was instinctual to her, to use these, at this point, and her ghoulish hands were simply drawn to them. Very well. That just meant she was the most practiced with these, and no doubt, her dance would be the most beautiful with things she had the most practice with. Third time was a charm, they always said, mm?~
And off she scampered to center-floor.
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Seiana_ZI rolled 1 20-sided dice:
3
Total: 3 (1-20)
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 6:15 pm
Confidence before the fall, hm?
Perhaps this just wasn't her day, or perhaps her legs were still too sore from yesterday, but either way, this dance wasn't working for her! With a bit of a yelp, she stepped over the dress--perhaps this dress was too long in other ways--and once again, she ended up faceplanting on the floor, within the first few seconds of the song.
How embarrassing.
How could her dancing be so utterly bipolar in its design? She was either excellent or completely horrible, and knowing the latter extreme once again was enough to make her wipe at her eye in embarrassment. Ignoring the professor, she all but scrambled outside of the room, ignoring any second attempts that might have been offered.
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Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 12:51 pm
KUMIKO: While the ceremony of Kodo is a complex one and may take years to master – upwards to 30 being the quoted amount – it seems that the Clan of Conquest has taken it upon themselves to at least bestow a small challenge of observation upon the students in the form of a game that, in theory, is rather simple. One of the younger members of Conquest’s Clan, for the sake of difficulty adjustment, has set up 5 different samples of incense on scentless bamboo squares.
A small demonstration is made as how to smell them – also known as ‘hearing’ the scents, with the square held up to one’s nose and the hand cupped over the square in order to scent it.
With this done, the rest of the explanation is given: Your task is to determine which scents are the same, and which are different! Several scents might match each other, some might not match any of the others. For this task, you are given several different sizes of block.
Using these blocks, you stack them so that a top bar may be put across matching incenses, which will form certain Genji-mon (also called Genji-ko) to denote chapters of the Tale of Genji (a strange tale from the Human World O_O!! )
For example, if the first and the last scents match each other, you would stack your blocks to form the chapter ‘Maboroshi’ (Chapter 41, ‘The Wizard’) with three shorter blocks in the center, and two taller ones on each end with the longer block set across the top of them.
The trickiness comes in that some scents may be very similar to each other, but not the same, and some might be exactly the same just to trick you!
Once you have ‘heard’ each scent and set up your blocks, the individual who set up the challenge will let you know how you did.Mechanics! [ Mechanics: ] You will roll twice for this! In both posts, roll 5d6. In the first post, the dice represent your students ‘guess’ at the scents. Any matching numbers are matching scents! The second post is the Horseman who set up your challenge telling you how you did. However.As there are only 5 blocks, the number 6 is a wildcard! You may alter the number 6 in your roll to be any number of your choosing! How nice! What the numbers are exactly doesn’t matter, it simply matters that numbers repeat in the same places in each roll. Example First Post Invictus rolls 5d6 He gets 33113 That means he guesses that the first two scents and the last one match, as do the third and the fourth one. That means his blocks resemble the chapter ‘Wakana no jo’ (Chapter 34, New Herbs, Part 1). Second Post The Horseman who set up the event rolls 5d6 He gets 44226 This means that because the last number is a 6, it is a wildcard! I can now change this ‘real’ answer’s 6 to a 4, and have the same matching pattern as Invictus had in his guess! Gasp! He got it right! WHY:
You get points based on your accuracy! (SELECT ONLY ONE)
If you 100% match the Horseman’s set up, take 3 points!
If you were one block off of 100%, take 2 points!
If there are multiple matches and you only get one of the two correct, take 2 points!
If you were one off of the second match, take 1 point!
If you matched the wrong pattern, but there was an existing pattern, take 1 point!
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Seiana_ZI rolled 5 6-sided dice:
1, 5, 5, 5, 4
Total: 20 (5-30)
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 12:53 pm
So she had to match up these scents, mm?
This had to be easier than her spastic dancing. The ghoul thought she had a fairly good nose, even if it was partially obstructed by her surgical mask. She closed her eyes, cupping her nose to the first one, and then to the second, the third, the fourth, and the fifth.
...Hm...
And she shuffled them as she thought fit.
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Seiana_ZI rolled 5 6-sided dice:
5, 6, 2, 2, 6
Total: 21 (5-30)
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Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 12:54 pm
((Two wild sixes!
First one: 2
Second one: 4
Pattern match!))
Happily, Serafina moved back, watching as the horseman looked over what she chose. She knew her nose worked, and this had to be right. She watched the horseman as her observed her pattern, and then pushed forth his own, showing her what he had come up with.
The two wildcards he offered made her eyes light up immediately, especially as they changed to match the pattern that she had laid out, albeit with different numbers ... she got it right!
1 5 5 5 4
5 2 2 2 4
Perfect!
Serafina leapt up, before bowing, keeping herself much better contained than she had in her last victory. "Thank you for this opportunity! I hope to play again~"
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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