[D5, EA] Bustle and blow (Expecting/Open)

[Shiba Haru]

"Let me see if I can remeber mine... I think it was."

"Blade and brush gather.
Their futures tumble like dice.
Tomorrow is here."

He knew that look on her face, he had seen it on his brothers face and felt in on his own many times.

"It's never done is it? It can always be better in your eyes. While to an amateur like me it looks fantastic."

[Asahina Sakura]

Sakura glanced back up, her expression very much one of a child caught stealing mochi before dinner, and she blushed.
"No... um, no? I suppose not? Oh! Um, Haru-san is too kind..." she flustered.

[Shiba Haru]

"Not at all, I meant ever word. I know well the stresses we put on ourselves, I have worked on my strike until my hands bled and after bandaging i kept training. Perfection of one's art, perfection of self, it can be maddening."

He looks her in the eyes with a fierce passion for what he was saying.

"But when you get it right, it feels like you have touched the heavens for a moment doesn't it?"

[Asahina Sakura]

"It is truly admirable that you are so devoted to your form and to assuring the protection of the Empire," she nodded, meeting his intense gaze with sincere understanding. "I understand... My hands, or fingerpads, um, sometimes it's difficult to tell different shades of red for what they might be," she said. "There are nights I've run from sleep, too busy, um, consumed is the word my mother's used more than once."

But ..."Yes, yes, you've the right of it. The sudden and instant clarity when you finally reach that peak of your ability- be it via paintbrush or weapon- is something worth chasing, despite the pain."

[Shiba Haru]

"I suspect you have no less devotion to your art. You mentioned my brother earlier so I gather you have met, did you two meet here or when he came to Crane lands to study?"

[Asahina Sakura]

"I- um- he- Did he now?" she's visibly confused and shakes her head, "I just met him here in Tsuma for the championship. Now I'm happy to have met both of you."

[Shiba Haru]

'And I am honored to have met you. Yes he came to the academy to study for a brief time and I went to study with the Akodo. It was only a brief time, less than a year so no surprise that you two didn't cross paths before. So do you live here in Kakita lands or in south with your family?"

Haru watched the koi as they lazily swam about, occasionally coming to see if a leaf blown by the wind was food.

[Asahina Sakura]

She tucked rogue locks of windblown white hair behind her ears and set back to work, fixing and darkening certain lines in her sketch, "Oh, yeah, no, I live at home, um, with them, for now.
And you?, um, is it just your parents and your brother? I have three siblings- two brothers and one sister, I have the good fortune of being the youngest," she smirked wryly for a brief moment though her gaze remained on her sketch book in her lap.

[Shiba Haru]

"Yes it's just the four of us, not sure why our parents stopped at two kids but twins run in the family so maybe they didn't want a silly number of identical looking people running around."

He chuckled.

"I mean I should probably thank them for that, Suzume Rin-san is the oldest of twelve and spends as much time raising her siblings as training so that could have been my fate. But you say it is your good fortune that you are the youngest, why is that? Less pressure? I'm older than Jiro by a whole five minutes."

[Asahina Sakura]

"Twins run in your family? That's so interesting?" she seems genuinely interested, and nods ...a bunch. "Are they always identical?"

Sakura then shook her head, "My parents are older, um, my oldest brother is 28? I wouldn't say less pressure, not exactly, more like ...they didn't have the energy to keep me focused? I tend to, um, go wherever the wind takes me, my mother says! And they've been busy for as long as I can remember, being involved with my oldest brother's career and being there for him, um, first. He is the pride and joy of the family," it's unclear if she's bothered by the fact or not.

... "Who is Suzume Rin?"

[Shiba Haru]

"One of our fellows here, a delightful girl a few years younger than you I think. I assume she is some sort of prodigy but she is too humble to admit it.

So were you a bit of a wild child then or just born to the wind? I see a scroll satchel at your side but you seem focused on your art, are you blessed with the gift of the kami AND an artisan?"

[Asahina Sakura]

"Oh! I look forward to meeting her!"

Sakura seems to be just about done, pausing to tap the end of her pencil on paper.
"Ha!" she let out a genuine laugh, "A wild child, hardly." Then her head tilted ever so slightly as she seemed to listen to something. "Okay, well, that was one time..."
And then back to Haru, "I um, I am, uh, that is, I have the honour of being both? I'm not phenomenal... um, at either? though?"

[Shiba Haru]

"The ability to do both seems pretty spectacular to me, especially given how many art forms you are versed in. I can swing a sword, little more to be honest with you. I ride, I can use a bow and I play the koto but beyond that..."

He let the sentence hang a moment.

"I have many interests but few talents."

[Asahina Sakura]

... many interests but few talents.
"You've no idea how much your words resonate, Haru-san," the Crane said with a bit of melancholy, but offered a smile and dip of her head as she closed up her sketchbook and her pencil found its way to being tucked behind one ear again.

[Shiba Haru]

"You aren't going to let me see it?" he said with mock hurt in his voice. "I was trying to not stare and I've missed my chance to gaze upon your talent."

[Asahina Sakura]

"Oh no! Did you... I assumed... I was too focused and I didn't... I wasn't paying attention, I'm so sorry," she flusters as colour touches her cheeks and she quickly flips through pages back to the last. Folding the book open and handing it to the Phoenix for his inspection and interpretation.

[Shiba Haru]

Haru took the notebook and studied it carefully, looking back at the pond several times before making eye contact with Sakura again.

"I think you are more talented at this then you give yourself credit Sakura-san, you even managed to get to sizes of the koi right in proportion to one another. Thank you for letting me see this."

He handed the paper back her, careful not to let the wind ruffle or tear the pages.

[Asahina Sakura]

The book was accepted with a nod of thanks, and closed slowly before Sakura hugged it to her chest once more. "Your praise is too kind, I assure you; there are far more skilled artists than me here at the championship- like your brother," she says quietly, glancing back to the Phoenix with a shy smile.
"You said you play the koto? I'd love to, um, hear it? Hear you? Um. If it's not a bother? Another time?"

[Shiba Haru]

"Oh, well certainly, Jiro and I both play but I can't remember if he even brought his. I would be happy to play for you even if I am not very good at it."

Haru pondered for a moment.

"You know, I am trying to put a bit of a gathering together for the end of this event. Do you have much experience with sake?"

[Asahina Sakura]

"Experience? Um, not a lot? but it's hardly disagreeable..." Sakura's interest is certainly peaked and she tilts her head to Haru with obvious curiosity.