[D7LE] It's a Trap. Get an Axe

[Funegao no Hirame]

Well! Hirame couldn't call this day fun. But it had certainly been productive. There was an energetic spring to his step as he stepped into the shared lodgings.

Sure, he hadn't done great at the test, but he hadn't expected to. What mattered is that he was learning. Yes, definitely getting better at things, Hirame thought as he slid open the door to his room. He'd learned something about patience, and calm-

What the everloving FUCK?!?!

From outside the room, listeners might hear a wordless exclamation, clearly startled. Then a brief patter of footsteps, followed by a series of very heavy thumps.

[Kakita Yuji]

Kakita Yuji was having a late tea at the House of the Laughing Carp, mulling over his last conversation with Kasumi and the one with Natsuko. There just had to be a way to get Kasumi to believe in her own artistic abilities, her own self worth. She was so stubborn, but surely if they just kept talking, it was inevitable that she'd come to agree with him.

So he was walking over to where the Mantis were quartered when he overheard an odd exclamation and what sounded like running about. Being a member of the hosting clan, he decided to check it out.

He rapped on the doorframe.

"Mantis-san? Everything ok in there?" he asked.

[Funegao no Hirame]

There was a brief pause, and total silence.

Then, more footsteps from within, and the door slid open. Hirame was standing there, jaw clenched, holding a boat oar.

"Uh, Kakita-san." He said, blinking. "What's up?"

[Kakita Yuji]

There was a brief pause, and total silence.

Then, more footsteps from within, and the door slid open. Hirame was standing there, jaw clenched, holding a boat oar.

"Uh, Kakita-san." He said, blinking. "What's up?"

Yuji bowed....though he did realize that it did put him in perfect range for a klonking with the oar.

"Ah, my apologizes, Mantis-san. I was just passing by after tea and I thought I heard something strange. So I thought as a memberf of the host clan I should check to make sure everything was going well with your....."

He glanced at the oar again.

".....late evening boat maintenance?"

[Funegao no Hirame]

Hirame blinked, and then looked at the oar in his hand. "Oh! Right. This. I was..." He scratched his head. "Uhhhh... I was..." Absolutely nothing came to mind.

Another moment, and Hirame cleared his throat. "I was startled by something. It's very difficult to explain. It's all handled now, regardless. Ummm... would you like to come in? I can get you some more tea. Or a snack!" Hirame nodded, playing host as best he knew.

[Kakita Yuji]

Hirame blinked, and then looked at the oar in his hand. "Oh! Right. This. I was..." He scratched his head. "Uhhhh... I was..." Absolutely nothing came to mind.

Another moment, and Hirame cleared his throat. "I was startled by something. It's very difficult to explain. It's all handled now, regardless. Ummm... would you like to come in? I can get you some more tea. Or a snack!" Hirame nodded, playing host as best he knew.

Yuji nodded.

"That would be pleasant indeed, Mantis-san, if it's not too much of an imposition." he replied, curious as to what had startled the Mantis.

[Funegao no Hirame]

Smiling, eyes just a little wild, Hirame stepped aside, pulling the oar out of the way.

The inside of the Mantis quarters was quite clean and tidy. And mostly empty; there were only two Mantis there, after all. One door was slightly ajar, the futon within heavily indented near the head, as though it had been struck by some solid object, and there was some debris scattered near it...

Hirame slid the door shut, leaning the oar against the post next to it. "I enjoyed myself at the Crane party yesterday. Quite a bit different from the parties I'm used to. But yeah, fun activities."

[Kakita Yuji]

Smiling, eyes just a little wild, Hirame stepped aside, pulling the oar out of the way.

The inside of the Mantis quarters was quite clean and tidy. And mostly empty; there were only two Mantis there, after all. One door was slightly ajar, the futon within heavily indented near the head, as though it had been struck by some solid object, and there was some debris scattered near it...

Hirame slid the door shut, leaning the oar against the post next to it. "I enjoyed myself at the Crane party yesterday. Quite a bit different from the parties I'm used to. But yeah, fun activities."

Yuji smiled a bit.

"Ah well, it was somewhat different in general. There were several reasons for that. We wanted to give our guests a chance to explore some of the Academy that they had perhaps not done yet, and perhaps do some activities that were simply the sort of fun that we shall probably have to put away as adults. Sake and Sadane rather than running in the rain. Not that adults can't enjoy storytelling, painting and kite flying....but it will be different. So one last memory of doing it as a child before we take up our swords and become a bunch of fully serious adults, ne?" he explained.

[Funegao no Hirame]

"Please..." Hirame said, gesturing with open palm to a table, even as he went puttering about the room, rustling through the supplies that had been given to them.

"Yeah, it's funny. I don't think that it's just our name that will be changing." He lifted up a teapot, frowned, gave it a little shake, and then shrugged. "So, was this a taste of what growing up in the Crane is like?"

[Kakita Yuji]

"Please..." Hirame said, gesturing with open palm to a table, even as he went puttering about the room, rustling through the supplies that had been given to them.

"Yeah, it's funny. I don't think that it's just our name that will be changing." He lifted up a teapot, frowned, gave it a little shake, and then shrugged. "So, was this a taste of what growing up in the Crane is like?"

Yuji considered both question and questioner.

"Hm, well everyone is slightly different of course. It's not like one or even four 'standard' Crane upbringings." he said. "But you are surrounded by art, beauty and culture at least in and around the towns and cities. But I can't imagine even the most rural Crane not taking in the majestic lands about them and failing to try and capture it in a piece of art. You are encourage to add your own contributions as well, and so the tradition is passed down."

He paused a moment.

"Have you felt similarly inspired in your short stay here, Mantis-san?"

[Funegao no Hirame]

Yuji considered both question and questioner.

"Hm, well everyone is slightly different of course. It's not like one or even four 'standard' Crane upbringings." he said. "But you are surrounded by art, beauty and culture at least in and around the towns and cities. But I can't imagine even the most rural Crane not taking in the majestic lands about them and failing to try and capture it in a piece of art. You are encourage to add your own contributions as well, and so the tradition is passed down."

He paused a moment.

"Have you felt similarly inspired in your short stay here, Mantis-san?"

"I have, in fact." Hirame said. Moving back to the table, he set down the teapot, along with a pair of cups. "It's a little cold, I'm afraid." He said, pouring some tea into one and sliding it over to Yuji before going back for more supplies.

"The painting yesterday had that effect on me, somewhat. After a disastrous attempt at art the day before. Quite disastrous." Hirame grimaced. "But yesterday, I found myself trying to reach my emotional side, rather than my... other side." Evil doll side? "Trying to paint what I felt. It went rather better."

He smiled. "But this tournament has been good for inspiration. Not necessarily artistic; just generally speaking."

[Kakita Yuji]

"I have, in fact." Hirame said. Moving back to the table, he set down the teapot, along with a pair of cups. "It's a little cold, I'm afraid." He said, pouring some tea into one and sliding it over to Yuji before going back for more supplies.

"The painting yesterday had that effect on me, somewhat. After a disastrous attempt at art the day before. Quite disastrous." Hirame grimaced. "But yesterday, I found myself trying to reach my emotional side, rather than my... other side." Evil doll side? "Trying to paint what I felt. It went rather better."

He smiled. "But this tournament has been good for inspiration. Not necessarily artistic; just generally speaking."

Yuji smiled.

"Then it is functioning as intended. The topaz champion is supposed to inspire everyone to be their best self. I would very much be interested in seeing some of your paintings, Mantis-san, when you are comfortable sharing them." he offered sincerely.

[Funegao no Hirame]

Hirame's eyebrows went up. "Would you like to see the painting I did yesterday? I think it came out rather well, actually."

He brought out a plate with a few rice balls placed a bit haphazardly on it, setting it on the table. Well, at least he was trying!

[Kakita Yuji]

Hirame's eyebrows went up. "Would you like to see the painting I did yesterday? I think it came out rather well, actually."

He brought out a plate with a few rice balls placed a bit haphazardly on it, setting it on the table. Well, at least he was trying!

Yuji was perfectly fine with the refreshments offered. It would not do to shame the Mantis over their honest efforts.

"Ah, of course, Mantis-san, I would be delighted to see your painting from yesterday."

[Funegao no Hirame]

Smiling, Hirame vanished into his room, but only for a moment. He came out carrying a rolled up canvas. Unrolling it revealed a scene of a ship on the ocean. A young boy (it appeared) was looking over the side, and a young dolphin was dancing out of the water up towards him. It was painted with bold, vibrant colors, lots of strong reds and blues, attempting to convey the impressions of things more than the realities.

"This is a memory I have from when I was a kid. I mean, a small kid." Hirame chuckled. "There was a family of dolphins, and the little one seemed really interested in me." He shrugged. "I was trying to paint more emotional content. I think it turned out pretty well." By non-Crane standards, it was great. By Crane standards, it was probably okay.

[Kakita Yuji]

Smiling, Hirame vanished into his room, but only for a moment. He came out carrying a rolled up canvas. Unrolling it revealed a scene of a ship on the ocean. A young boy (it appeared) was looking over the side, and a young dolphin was dancing out of the water up towards him. It was painted with bold, vibrant colors, lots of strong reds and blues, attempting to convey the impressions of things more than the realities.

"This is a memory I have from when I was a kid. I mean, a small kid." Hirame chuckled. "There was a family of dolphins, and the little one seemed really interested in me." He shrugged. "I was trying to paint more emotional content. I think it turned out pretty well." By non-Crane standards, it was great. By Crane standards, it was probably okay.

Yuji considered it for quite some time.

"That's quite good, Mantis-san. And you only took up painting these last few days?" he asked, clearly interested.

[Funegao no Hirame]

"Well, yes and no." Hirame said, making a face. "Painting like this, yes. But brushwork, no. We don't paint the whole ship, but we do paint parts of it, and I've done some of that. And then it needs to be resealed from time to time, and some of that's done with mops, but some of it's done with brushes.

Hirame shrugged. "It sucks, but at least it got me some practice with brushes, I guess."