[LM10] - 1st Round Duels - Observing Rin and Shinko

[Ender]

The stands are set up about the piste, allowing people to watch any of the duels they choose. Akodo Toturi stands at the edge of the dueling piste, speaking with Bayushi Shoju and Kachiko. They share a joke. The trio seem quite comfortable with each other, and genuinely warm in their dealings.

The rest of the Imperial Host is in a position where they could watch any of the duels from any vantage point.

[Isawa Natsuko]

Natsuko pretty much has to settle in to see if her Sparrow friend makes it into the next round. If the heavens are truly on the side of the righteous and honorable, the outcome is clear. She is reasonably certain, however, that her own honor would not really stand in sufficiently for lack of practice or training.

Silent, hood up, she watches the pair, and the ever-unspooling heat-shimmer of shifting fate, stronger than ever around the tournament grounds today.

(PM if approaching to chat)

[Kuni Mitsuko]

Silent, hood up, she watches the pair, and the ever-unspooling heat-shimmer of shifting fate, stronger than ever around the tournament grounds today.

A clearly anxious looking Crab, clad in her fine sapphire and white kimono and with her hair braided down her back, takes up a seat close to the Phoenix, though not immediately adjacent. Then she seems to ponder the situation, then scoot closer.

"Good morning Isawa-san," she says quietly but warmly. Her anxiety is easy to notice. "Have you, um, thoughts on the matches today?" Immediately Mitsuko seems to groan internally at her word choice, but she keeps a mostly steady posture.

[Isawa Natsuko]

"I think, if hope and good will from the sidelines can aid a match, Suzume-san stands a good chance. Though I honestly know nothing about their skills for this part of the tournament." She turns then to offer a bow, her own finery shifting and flickering. "I do not know whether to hope the regard of the Emperor falls upon her or not though. I am troubled by his surprise attendance."

[Kuni Mitsuko]

"I think, if hope and good will from the sidelines can aid a match, Suzume-san stands a good chance. Though I honestly know nothing about their skills for this part of the tournament." She turns then to offer a bow, her own finery shifting and flickering. "I do not know whether to hope the regard of the Emperor falls upon her or not though. I am troubled by his surprise attendance."

The Crab nods in thoughtful agreement.

"Hai, Isawa-san. One does not disbelieve the emperor when he says this class of Topaz participants is special, but specialness is..." She trails off, looking obviously troubled. "Being exceptional is not always rewarded," she says politely.

[Suzume Rin]

A somewhat red-faced Rin arrives, hands still shaking a little from the adrenaline as she bows to her two friends.

"Gosh! Golly!...Umm...Wow! Oh I'm shakn' all over. She was real fast."
Taking a moment or two
"But...you know, having some folks coming out to support a little ole' Sparrow... it umm. It's real nice, of both of you."
Bowing to the two of them

"Guess I owe you for this and the gift Isawa-sama. And Mitsuki ch-san, I knew you had my back."

[Kuni Mitsuko]

A somewhat red-faced Rin arrives, hands still shaking a little from the adrenaline as she bows to her two friends.

"Gosh! Golly!...Umm...Wow! Oh I'm shakn' all over. She was real fast."
Taking a moment or two
"But...you know, having some folks coming out to support a little ole' Sparrow... it umm. It's real nice, of both of you."
Bowing to the two of them

"Guess I owe you for this and the gift Isawa-sama. And Mitsuki ch-san, I knew you had my back."

The Kuni, who had had to resist tackling Natsuko in her elation at Rin's victory, can't keep holding it back and, as soon as the Suzume finishes talking, she jumps forward for a big hug.

It's short, Mitsuko quickly realizing what she's done and stepping back, face ashen even under her makeup, but those close by are probably slightly distressed at the Crab's energetic display of congratulations. Mitsuko herself, after stepping back, looks at Rin with terror in her eyes and mouths 'I'm sorry.'

[Suzume Rin]

The Kuni, who had had to resist tackling Natsuko in her elation at Rin's victory, can't keep holding it back and, as soon as the Suzume finishes talking, she jumps forward for a big hug.

It's short, Mitsuko quickly realizing what she's done and stepping back, face ashen even under her makeup, but those close by are probably slightly distressed at the Crab's energetic display of congratulations. Mitsuko herself, after stepping back, looks at Rin with terror in her eyes and mouths 'I'm sorry.'

Rin freezes for a moment but then:

Loud enough to cover for the Crab"It's alright Mitsuko-san, yah tripped and I caught yah."
Smiling behind her sleeve.

"Yup, simple as that. Glad you're alright."

[Kuni Mitsuko]

Rin freezes for a moment but then:

Loud enough to cover for the Crab"It's alright Mitsuko-san, yah tripped and I caught yah."
Smiling behind her sleeve.

"Yup, simple as that. Glad you're alright."

The Crab flips instantly from depression to elation.

"Suzume Rin-san is so talented in competition and at the ready to aid those in need," she gushes, perhaps unnecessarily loudly, as only an excited teenage girl can. "Truly a model of every bushido virtue!"

After letting the cover settle in for a few moments, Mitsuko says with more composure, "Congratulations, Suzume Rin-san, on a most dramatic victory over a skilled opponent. Togashi Shinko-san is, ah, not easy to overcome."

[Suzume Rin]

The Crab flips instantly from depression to elation.

"Suzume Rin-san is so talented in competition and at the ready to aid those in need," she gushes, perhaps unnecessarily loudly, as only an excited teenage girl can. "Truly a model of every bushido virtue!"

After letting the cover settle in for a few moments, Mitsuko says with more composure, "Congratulations, Suzume Rin-san, on a most dramatic victory over a skilled opponent. Togashi Shinko-san is, ah, not easy to overcome."

"Gosh, you're gonna make me burst with all that talk Mitsuko-san."
Rin waves it away, clearly embarrassed.

"You're right that Togashi-sama is very skilled, she really just went for it. Another day who knows what woulda happened?"
With a lower voice just to Mitsuko
"You're lucky I don't go praising you right back here."
The Sparrow winks.

[Kuni Mitsuko]

"Gosh, you're gonna make me burst with all that talk Mitsuko-san."
Rin waves it away, clearly embarrassed.

"You're right that Togashi-sama is very skilled, she really just went for it. Another day who knows what woulda happened?"
With a lower voice just to Mitsuko
"You're lucky I don't go praising you right back here."
The Sparrow winks.

Mitsuko scrunches her face in pleased embarrassment. She steps closer again but turns so that she's keeping the circle open for Natsuko to speak. Quietly to Rin, she says, "Yup. Reckon I am purdy lucky." She smirks at the Sparrow after using what's becoming her favorite way of speaking.

[Isawa Natsuko]

"I think, if hope and good will from the sidelines can aid a match, Suzume-san stands a good chance. Though I honestly know nothing about their skills for this part of the tournament." She turns then to offer a bow, her own finery shifting and flickering. "I do not know whether to hope the regard of the Emperor falls upon her or not though. I am troubled by his surprise attendance."

Natsuko doesn't even have a chance to answer before the drama of the duel requires their attention, and then there's hugging...er falling and catching. Yes that thing. She watches, impassive as always, though her head tilts in curiosity at the idea of not-praising being lucky. She could ask later.

"Congratulations Suzume-san. Your speed was remarkable, and...I think I begin to understand Kakita's poetry about souls as blades a bit, watching this."

[Suzume Rin]

[/quote]

Mitsuko scrunches her face in pleased embarrassment. She steps closer again but turns so that she's keeping the circle open for Natsuko to speak. Quietly to Rin, she says, "Yup. Reckon I am purdy lucky." She smirks at the Sparrow after using what's becoming her favorite way of speaking.

Rin is left violently flapping her sleeve and trying not to just melt into the ground.

Natsuko doesn't even have a chance to answer before the drama of the duel requires their attention, and then there's hugging...er falling and catching. Yes that thing. She watches, impassive as always, though her head tilts in curiosity at the idea of not-praising being lucky. She could ask later.

"Congratulations Suzume-san. Your speed was remarkable, and...I think I begin to understand Kakita's poetry about souls as blades a bit, watching this."

Thankfully, the void provides a perfect distraction.
"Just got lucky with my footwork is all, most fighting is about footwork sensei always used ta say. You stand tall and even if you stand alone you stand proud, and your shadow is long."

[Isawa Natsuko]

"I think Lady Sun might bless you with a long shadow at noon, then." Natsuko suddenly straightens a bit and turns to rummage in her satchel, digging to the bottom with a fair bit of rattling and clacking.

"That reminds me, Suzume-san, of a story. About how sunflowers love the sun so much they keep their faces always turned to her, morning to night. But they wanted more ways to show Lady Sun their devotion and asked the other spirits for advice." She pauses, pulling her hand out with something small caught between thumb and two fingers pinched closed. "Come to think of it, must have been flower spirits then, to talk to other spirits."

"Anyway, the birds gather round and say that if the sunflower would maybe help them out, they would have the strength to sing more and longer to entertain Amaterasu." Bringing her maimed hand forward, palm up--half a palm, really--she drops a small sunflower seed into it, still in its shell. Dull brown, striped with cream and rusty red, it is a bit dull from its stay in the bottom of her satchel. "So the sunflower said they could eat their seeds, and the birds then started to wake up and sing as soon as there was any light to the sky."

Holding it forward, she says, "I think I remembered that so I could pass you this for luck."

[Kuni Mitsuko]

The Crab, fighting back a pang of jealousy that she doesn't have something to give to Rin, still beams in pride as she watches her get a favor from the Phoenix. In truth, Mitsuko realizes, there's also some affection there for Natsuko, who she doesn't exactly feel close to, but so long as she likes the amazing Sparrow must be a good person.

Mitsuko quietly ponders what she might have to give Rin as a token of her support.

[Suzume Rin]

"I think Lady Sun might bless you with a long shadow at noon, then." Natsuko suddenly straightens a bit and turns to rummage in her satchel, digging to the bottom with a fair bit of rattling and clacking.

"That reminds me, Suzume-san, of a story. About how sunflowers love the sun so much they keep their faces always turned to her, morning to night. But they wanted more ways to show Lady Sun their devotion and asked the other spirits for advice." She pauses, pulling her hand out with something small caught between thumb and two fingers pinched closed. "Come to think of it, must have been flower spirits then, to talk to other spirits."

"Anyway, the birds gather round and say that if the sunflower would maybe help them out, they would have the strength to sing more and longer to entertain Amaterasu." Bringing her maimed hand forward, palm up--half a palm, really--she drops a small sunflower seed into it, still in its shell. Dull brown, striped with cream and rusty red, it is a bit dull from its stay in the bottom of her satchel. "So the sunflower said they could eat their seeds, and the birds then started to wake up and sing as soon as there was any light to the sky."

Holding it forward, she says, "I think I remembered that so I could pass you this for luck."

"I..I'm honoured Isawa-sama. I've never been blessed by a real priestess before."
She bows her head solemnly before carefully taking the seed and popping it into her mouth.

"I already feel like the luckiest Sparrow I know!"

[Isawa Natsuko]

There is a silent moment, Natsuko blinking in bemusement before grinning broadly, the expression rather strange on her normally expressionless face. A short, surprised laugh is quickly covered with her hand. "Well, certainly the luckiest and most skilled Sparrow _I_ know," she says as she ducks her head and resettles her satchel.

"Of course all of us are lucky to see so many of the Empire's most exalted here. When did an emperor last bless this championship?"

[Kuni Mitsuko]

Mitsuko, surprised by Rin's eating of the seed, grins almost madly at what she would call Natsuko's approving bark of laughter. Maybe it's a Crab thing.

"Certainly a most blessed championship this year," she agrees happily - for many reasons - and smiles at the other girls.