(Note: There are other events in the other areas of the Academy, posted by other Crane PCs, this is not the single party thread).

Having taken a moment to have dried off a bit, and fetch a fresh box of monaka, Kakita Yuji greeted the curious who came to this particular event.

"In honor of Kisshoten, we are offering this rather simple little children's game. If any of you have siblings like I do, you've competed before to see who can hold their breath the longest underwater, whether it's in the ocean, the river, or a bathhouse. It's just some good clean fun. I'll be here to time your attempts and make sure nothing tragic happens. When you're ready to leave, we have seashell monaka to take with you. I would recommend eating it outside, it's too nice to risk getting soaked.

With that he moved to explain things to latecomers, count people's attempts, and make sure no one drowned.

(Rules: You may make a single Fitness (Earth) check at TN 1 to attempt to hold your breath underwater as long as you can. Everyone who participates receives two pieces of seashell monaka. The person who holds their breath the longest, judged in order of: most successes, Most opportunities, Least Strife, Highest Status, Highest Glory, Highest Honor, First Post, receives four pieces instead. This is a informal event, so feel free to socialize and relax in the baths during your stay.)

Haru entered the pool area eager to see what had been set up for the area.

"Good evening Yuji-san, thank you for hosting such a wonderful event, I hope you are enjoying it as much as the rest of us are. Ah a test of stamina, very good this should be interesting. Guess I will be setting the standard this evening."

Haru wasted no time in putting his head under the water, closed his eyes and let his mind and heart slow.


[D6, EE Crane Party Pool Area]
Fitness/Earth TN1 | TN: 1 | Success: 2 / Opportunity: 1 / Strife: 0


Haru pulled his head up above the surface.
"Bah, not my best effort but hopefully not the worst. So will you be trying Yuji-san? I would be happy to time you."

Shiba Haru wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 25, 2021 7:54 am

Haru entered the pool area eager to see what had been set up for the area.

"Good evening Yuji-san, thank you for hosting such a wonderful event, I hope you are enjoying it as much as the rest of us are. Ah a test of stamina, very good this should be interesting. Guess I will be setting the standard this evening."

Haru wasted no time in putting his head under the water, closed his eyes and let his mind and heart slow.


[D6, EE Crane Party Pool Area]
Fitness/Earth TN1 | TN: 1 | Success: 2 / Opportunity: 1 / Strife: 0


Haru pulled his head up above the surface.
"Bah, not my best effort but hopefully not the worst. So will you be trying Yuji-san? I would be happy to time you."

Yuji bowed at the arrival of the Phoenix.

"Thank you for coming Haru-san. It has been enjoyable I would have liked to have gotten to spend some time with the kite flying and the painting, but I can only be in so many places at once. Hopefully they proceeded well. And perhaps I'll get to see a new painting or kite about."

He watched the Phoenixes attempt counting off the heartbeats and making sure the Phoenix didn't drown himself.

Hirame, for his part, had shown up, waved cheerfully to everyone present, and hopped right into the pool. As a Mantis, he was as comfortable in the water as...

He shot quickly up, coughing. "Uff! Went right up my nose!" He brushed a hand across his face as he coughed, trying to clear his airways as best he could.

Red-faced for more than one reason, he gave a seated bow. "Uh... hello again Kakita-san. Hello-" he did a brief double-take, "-Shiba-san."

Funegao no Hirame wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 25, 2021 6:56 pm

Hirame, for his part, had shown up, waved cheerfully to everyone present, and hopped right into the pool. As a Mantis, he was as comfortable in the water as...

He shot quickly up, coughing. "Uff! Went right up my nose!" He brushed a hand across his face as he coughed, trying to clear his airways as best he could.

Red-faced for more than one reason, he gave a seated bow. "Uh... hello again Kakita-san. Hello-" he did a brief double-take, "-Shiba-san."

Yuji bowed.

"Good evening Mantis-san. I hope you've been enjoying the festivities today." he offered with a polite bow.

Hirame was still coughing a bit. Water up the nose was serious!

"Uh... yeah. I have. Thank you, Kakita-san." Hirame said, his face still a bit red. "The Crane are great hosts."

Another cough as he turned to the Phoenix. "Funegao no Hirame. It's a pleasure to meet you." He said.

Michi approached the pool with a look of resoluteness, glaring down at it's placid surface as if it dared to challenge her.

She turned to Yuji and bowed. "Kakita-san, good evening. I will now take my turn."

And she lowered her kimono properly, then held her hair back, lowering her face into the water for...a while.

When she was through, she dabbed water off her face with a clean cloth and fixed her kimono again.

OOC
D6 Breath Holding, Crane Party. Fitness/Earth, distinction | TN: 1 | Success: 3 / Opportunity: 1 / Strife: 2

I'll take 4 if i can cancel a strife with Akodo tech to gain success/fatigue.

Akodo Michi wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 25, 2021 8:30 pm

Michi approached the pool with a look of resoluteness, glaring down at it's placid surface as if it dared to challenge her.

She turned to Yuji and bowed. "Kakita-san, good evening. I will now take my turn."

And she lowered her kimono properly, then held her hair back, lowering her face into the water for...a while.

When she was through, she dabbed water off her face with a clean cloth and fixed her kimono again.

OOC
D6 Breath Holding, Crane Party. Fitness/Earth, distinction | TN: 1 | Success: 3 / Opportunity: 1 / Strife: 2

I'll take 4 if i can cancel a strife with Akodo tech to gain success/fatigue.

Yuji bowed to the Lion upon her approach, and then observed her unorthodox though highly honorable approach.

"Well done Akodo-san. I hope you have been enjoying the festivities. Don't forget to take your monaka when you eventually go. But feel free to stay and socialize as long as you like." he offered.

Kakita Yuji wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 25, 2021 9:41 pm

Yuji bowed to the Lion upon her approach, and then observed her unorthodox though highly honorable approach.

"Well done Akodo-san. I hope you have been enjoying the festivities. Don't forget to take your monaka when you eventually go. But feel free to stay and socialize as long as you like." he offered.

"My thanks", she said with a nod, drying the tips of her hair that had found water despite her efforts. "This was a good idea, I feel as though many could use this opportunity to relax as the challenges each day increase their value of importance."

Akodo Michi wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 25, 2021 10:19 pm

"My thanks", she said with a nod, drying the tips of her hair that had found water despite her efforts. "This was a good idea, I feel as though many could use this opportunity to relax as the challenges each day increase their value of importance."

Yuji nodded.

"Not to mention that once the tournament is complete, our duties will only increase. While adults are not without times to relax, they certainly have less time for it than children do." he offered. "I'm glad that we could offer this chance to simply have some fun before the tournament is over."

"Is this a popular Crane game, then?" Hirame said, smiling. "Or, kids' game, maybe? I've noticed a bit of a theme with the activities."

Funegao no Hirame wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 26, 2021 2:12 am

"Is this a popular Crane game, then?" Hirame said, smiling. "Or, kids' game, maybe? I've noticed a bit of a theme with the activities."

Yuji nods.

"A kid's game surely." Yuji offered. "But, to be fair, we're all still kids for a few more days. I would have thought that such actiities were common among the Mantis. Are they not?"

After all, they had plenty of water about them....

"Oh, sure." Hirame said. "The swimming, anyway. The painting, not so much."

He shrugged. "But you know, I'm still learning stuff about other clans. What sort of things they do and don't do. This championship has definitely challenged a few assumptions."

Funegao no Hirame wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 26, 2021 2:40 am

"Oh, sure." Hirame said. "The swimming, anyway. The painting, not so much."

He shrugged. "But you know, I'm still learning stuff about other clans. What sort of things they do and don't do. This championship has definitely challenged a few assumptions."

Yuji tilted his head at that.

"Oh? What sort of assumptions, Mantis-san?" he asked, curious if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

Hirame's eyebrows went up. "Assumptions about what other Clans might be like, or the things they might do." He raised on hand, gesturing around. "And if you mean more specifically, I mean assumptions like whether we all played the same sort of games or not."

Funegao no Hirame wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 26, 2021 4:50 am

Hirame's eyebrows went up. "Assumptions about what other Clans might be like, or the things they might do." He raised on hand, gesturing around. "And if you mean more specifically, I mean assumptions like whether we all played the same sort of games or not."

Yuji nods.

"Ah, I see Mantis-san. I must admit, I'm not terribly familiar with the games native to your home. Would you care to share what they're like?" he asks.

Hirame scratched his head, dripping water as he did. "Well... truth be told, I don't remember from back when I was landbound. I remember running and climbing a lot?" He shrugged. "But I don't remember any specifics."

He shook his head, scattering droplets. "Once I was on a ship, well, there's not a whole lot of stuff. So we played the same sorts of games adults played, only simpler. Lots of stuff with dice. One where you all roll a bunch and you try to match sets. Another where you roll, and you can only see other people's dice, not yours, and you try to guess if you have the highest." He smiled sheepishly. "I was never much good at that one, though."

Funegao no Hirame wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 27, 2021 7:14 pm

Hirame scratched his head, dripping water as he did. "Well... truth be told, I don't remember from back when I was landbound. I remember running and climbing a lot?" He shrugged. "But I don't remember any specifics."

He shook his head, scattering droplets. "Once I was on a ship, well, there's not a whole lot of stuff. So we played the same sorts of games adults played, only simpler. Lots of stuff with dice. One where you all roll a bunch and you try to match sets. Another where you roll, and you can only see other people's dice, not yours, and you try to guess if you have the highest." He smiled sheepishly. "I was never much good at that one, though."

Yuji considered that.

"Hmm, I must admit, while I understand the rules of Fortunes and Winds, I really don't see the appeal. With Go and Shogi it is all about strategy and tactics. But with Fortunes and Winds, it's almost purely up to the dice. Where is the satisfaction in rolling better on dice than not?" he asked, as people in a nearby reality swore at dice.

Hirame grinned. "Ah, you see, that's part of the fun of it. No matter what you do, life is unpredictable. You can try to control it, to predict, but stuff still happens. You can't stop it."

He sat up a little. "It's not just about outsmarting another person. It's about putting yourself in fate's hands, and daring it to do what it will!" Hirame grinned fiercely. "Or so we see it. Fortune favors the mortal man, isn't that the saying?"

Funegao no Hirame wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 28, 2021 1:15 am

Hirame grinned. "Ah, you see, that's part of the fun of it. No matter what you do, life is unpredictable. You can try to control it, to predict, but stuff still happens. You can't stop it."

He sat up a little. "It's not just about outsmarting another person. It's about putting yourself in fate's hands, and daring it to do what it will!" Hirame grinned fiercely. "Or so we see it. Fortune favors the mortal man, isn't that the saying?"

Yuji nodded slowly.

"Those are the words of Shinsei, it is true. Of course, I've also heard it said, 'Chance favors the prepared mind." he offered as an intellectual counterpoint.