(D3, LA) On the Sidelines (Open) - Oshidama Tournament Observation

[Kaiu Setsu]

"Then I shall wait stoically. Call you 'love' in my diary and dreams and nowhere else." She raises her hand for a wave. "Farewell till then, noble engineer of the Kaiu. I will write a thousand emails to you, never to press send, for the future is nothing but filled with dreams, but the present only has pain in store for me. A broken heart to match my toe."

“Oh!” The Kaiu is actually surprised by the quick dismissive. He looks around to check if her date was arriving or something similar.

There’s another short bow before taking his leave. “See you around, kiddo! I hope your toe heals fast.”

- -
PM or tag of you approach

[Otomo Koroshi]

The ronin starts to say something snarky, but ends up chuckling and shaking her head.

"Otomo-sama's positivity is infectious. My spirits are lightening already," she says, quietly because it's embarrassing to admit.

"Have you ever done..." She looks again at his elaborate attire and can't resist smirking as she finishes her thought. "Ever done anything like this before," she asks, gesturing to his costume.

Koroshi put his hands wide and gestured to the beach with all the magnanimity the soul can bear. "The Empire is vast, but I have never been on a beach like this before arriving in the World of Dreams. Nor played oshidama, or won and lost at oshidama! You are my first partner in this Hitoko-san, and my descendants will know your name for this!"

He gave her a bow. "The glory of the Empire shines in your smile, young lady! Smile, dance, laugh, enjoy the time this turn of the Wheel has given us!"

Koroshi begins to dance to music only he can hear.

[Soshi Kazumi]

Hato bowed deeply at the Scorpion's words.

"Lord Scorpion has the truth of the matter. This one wonders if their is a team that Lord Scorpion favors to win." she posed.

Kazumi had been distracted for a moment but nodded back to the ronin "Ah well there are some teams with familiar faces on them but no I don't suppose I'm pulling for a particular one."

She saw the Soshi and the ronin together. Honestly, she expected a larger audience but spectator sadane wasn't going to work by herself. She would approach them to catch the scope of the game in progress.

Then the Bayushi came up and Kazumi gave her a seated bow "Hello Bayushi-sama, it seems a considerable amount of star power has come out for the game today."

Watching Kazumi from a small bit away, she of course noticed Hato. However, her focus remained upon the Scorpion with slightly narrowed eyes. Still, regardless of words shared, a touch suspicious.

Between all this Kazumi saw the look from Koyuki and gave her a friendly wave of greeting

[Hitoko]

Koroshi put his hands wide and gestured to the beach with all the magnanimity the soul can bear. "The Empire is vast, but I have never been on a beach like this before arriving in the World of Dreams. Nor played oshidama, or won and lost at oshidama! You are my first partner in this Hitoko-san, and my descendants will know your name for this!"

He gave her a bow. "The glory of the Empire shines in your smile, young lady! Smile, dance, laugh, enjoy the time this turn of the Wheel has given us!"

Koroshi begins to dance to music only he can hear.

Hitoko begins to look embarrassed, looking around to see how others are responding and completely losing track of what's happening on the oshidama court.

"You... Otomo-sama!" She stands and steps close to him to whisper, eyes still darting around them. "You shouldn't call attention to associating with me, Otomo-sama. You're very kind, but..." She starts to trail off, looking around nervously.

[Bayushi Mariko]

Then the Bayushi came up and Kazumi gave her a seated bow "Hello Bayushi-sama, it seems a considerable amount of star power has come out for the game today."

In almost a blink of an eye, it seemed there were more people that joined the sidelines to watch the tournament. The attendees would catch her attention for a moment before she would respond to the Soshi. "Good afternoon, Soshi-san. Yes, it seems like a prime opportunity to have a good time and catch some publicity. The occasion really makes it effortless if you're willing to risk some potential embarrassment."

She looked at the ongoing game to see both Yakumo and Hinata getting eliminated, which perhaps made her finally notice Hato, who Kazumi was talking to earlier. Winter court season was also the time when the clans opened their coffers to provide for the needy, wasn't it? "I take it that it that Susumu-san's fans must be disappointed that she's been eliminated from the tournament."

[Hato]

While the Scorpions rubbed pincers, Hato turned her attention back to the matches at hand. A lot of the early leaders seemed to have put their all into their qualifying match, leaving nothing in the tank for the rest of the tournament. Recklessness could sometimes overcome skill, but it was not a plan for longer victories.

The Mantis and the Firefly were certainly not slowing down. Perhaps part of the Mantis clan's long naval tradition extended to Beach Oshidama? The Mantis looked quite glamorous while doing it as well, almost like she was ripped from an ad.

The other semi-final match was...a much sadder affair. Wiile the one Scorpion certainly had his growl game on, his partner looked like she was on her last legs. But if she was on her last legs, their opponents had already died and were awaiting reincaranation.

Where she a betting woman, Hato would have put her money on the Mantis and the Firefly to win the tournament.

[Susumu Sumiko]

Sumiko had kept herself to the side after the elimination. Feeling slightly bad for having been the weaker part of the event, even though she had said it wasn't her strong point she had still done her best.

Watching and silently cheering on Yakumo, it was a shame to see her kin be eliminated. Still, two great performers standing together and doing so well would give many people something to talk about! Maybe a union in the sands would become a union on the stage later?

She doubted it, but who knows...

(ooc - tag if you're approaching)

[Bayushi Senshuken]

After her conversation with the Kaiu finishes Senshuken sits down in seiza again. She takes her densai out of her backpack and spends some time writing something down.

And! Just a few minutes before the last big game of the tournament begins, she raises again and recites publically:

Forth I come for you
Sweet flower of my night garden
White rose in the shade

With that she bows graciously to anyone who honored her with their attention and sits back down.

/public declaracion of dating (love according to the book, but future era so I guess dating), artisan poetry/awareness: 20

[Hotaru Sakura]

Finishing their match, Yakumo made sure that Hinata snapped a picture of the two of them together - smiling and throwing up v-signs. "It was a fun game, Hinata-san. Thank you."

Oh well, they had lost to a Mantis and a Firefly, so the Alliance was heading into the finals and all that.

"Make sure to let the band know you had a lot of fun today with the oshidama-game." Especially send the picture to Nazuna. Ohohohohoho.

After winning and beaming, Sakura helped Seika haul their winnings...but not before stopping near Team Glory." Ah, gomenasai Susumu-sama." She pulled a water bottle and offered it to the Idol of Evil. "You seem to have spilled your water...on your chest. Would you like some more?"

[Asahina Hinata]

Hinata happily cheered on those who had beaten him and Yakumo and those they'd never played in the first place. Sakura being the only one he had actually socialised with before today meant her team got slightly more cheering, so he was happy they won.

"Yay!!!! Congrats Hotaru and Yoritomo-samaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

He excitedly chattered away, not even looking to see if Yakumo was listening.

"Oh they were so cool. Did you see that spike? Yoritomo-samaaa is so good at setting up Hotaru-samaa for spikes! No wonder they beat us when I couldn't reach that last smash."

[Soshi Kioku]

The older Scorpion woman kept more or less quiet at the sidelines, not obviously cheering for any of the teams for most of the time - although she can't help seem happy to see two Scorpion teams make it to the semifinals.

The drakes seem to mirror her cheerfulness, taking off from her shoulders and flying around playfully as she gets more excited during the last few games.

Seeing the Scorpion pair make it to the finals, she tries to find a place closer to the play area to watch it - and ends up close to the Spider girl she'd seen before.

Snip

"Quite a tournament, ne, Susumu-san?", she says as she gets.closer. "Happy to see you're also a fan of Oshidama"

The Mantis and Firefly beating the Bayushi couple was a slight frustration, but as a fan of the game Kioku couldn't help herself from cheering to the victors for a game well played.

"Quite a tournament! Wish I had got here on time, been too long!"

The drakes again seem spurred by her excitement, flying over the court and happily frolicking about.

[Otomo Koroshi]

Hitoko begins to look embarrassed, looking around to see how others are responding and completely losing track of what's happening on the oshidama court.

"You... Otomo-sama!" She stands and steps close to him to whisper, eyes still darting around them. "You shouldn't call attention to associating with me, Otomo-sama. You're very kind, but..." She starts to trail off, looking around nervously.

"There is no shame in dancing, Hitoko-san!" Koroshi put his hands on hers and then began to move to some kind of beat. He was careful not to touch anything inappropriate until he grabbed her by the waist and sent her twirling on the sand without control. The Otomo completely forgot she likely didn't know how to dance on sand and flung her out at full speed.

Fluff. (D3, LA) ON THE SIDELINES (OPEN) - OSHIDAMA TOURNAMENT OBSERVATION, Perform:Dancing/Agility TN25 (15+2 CR to do a trick), 7k4. | 7k4 ⇒ 22 (TN: 25)

(Apologies Hitoko.)

[Susumu Sumiko]

Sumiko had looked in Senshukens direction at the declaration.

Wow, so bold!

It meant she missed the approach of Kioku

"Quite a tournament, ne, Susumu-san?", she says as she gets.closer. "Happy to see you're also a fan of Oshidama"

The Mantis and Firefly beating the Bayushi couple was a slight frustration, but as a fan of the game Kioku couldn't help herself from cheering to the victors for a game well played.

"Quite a tournament! Wish I had got here on time, been too long!"

The drakes again seem spurred by her excitement, flying over the court and happily frolicking about.

She quickly turned and bowed, which kicked up a little sand.

"Ah, Soshi-sama! Hello" Sumiko smiled "the game is quite fun, although I don't think I'm built well for it" she looked down at her very small and lithe body - which looked even more thin in just a swimsuit - and then back at the woman.

"The remaining teams were very good, I did my best to support Bayushi-sama while playing."

As the finals finished she gave some polite applause.

"That was a close match."

[Soshi Kioku]

Not quite missing Sumiko's eyes shifting to the Bayushi girl sitting in Seiza and declaring a love poem, Kioku's visible eyebrow raises slightly and she takes a small step back, but all that with a small smile on her lips.

Could it be that the small woman would join them in the future? Or was she imagining things?

Snip

"It was! Both teams were clearly tired, and still they did well! Yoritomo-san and Hotaru-san deserved their win."

She then says in a more friendly voice. "Do you enjoy playing, Sumiko-san? Being tall helps with some things, but really... it's not a requirement! Especially in some types of games. If you're quick to react and skilled, you can easily shine."

She then whistled for both Drakes to come back before they cause trouble flying around the winners.

"Did you play back in Whispers? With your..."

A sudden shadow of melancholy seems to take over her, but she soon shakes it off.

"With... your family, maybe?", she asks with a smile that's suddenly wan.

[Susumu Sumiko]

snip

"Hmm...." Sumiko thought on the question.

"I've never done sports. I'm more of a libraries and indoors person. I'm not that strong, or quick. However...hai, I think I enjoyed it. As for back home?"

There was a shake of the head.

"We had very little in the way of beaches, and playing games like that with my parents is very unlikely to ever happen. Neither of them enjoyed games, or really playing in general. My father was always focused on his diplomatic work when he wasn't home, and my mother well...I don't think she enjoyed anything really."

[Hitoko]

"There is no shame in dancing, Hitoko-san!" Koroshi put his hands on hers and then began to move to some kind of beat. He was careful not to touch anything inappropriate until he grabbed her by the waist and sent her twirling on the sand without control. The Otomo completely forgot she likely didn't know how to dance on sand and flung her out at full speed.

Fluff. (D3, LA) ON THE SIDELINES (OPEN) - OSHIDAMA TOURNAMENT OBSERVATION, Perform:Dancing/Agility TN25 (15+2 CR to do a trick), 7k4. | 7k4 ⇒ 22 (TN: 25)

(Apologies Hitoko.)

"Ot--!" She managed one syllable before being swept up in his hands and moves and... Ahem. She kept up alright for someone not specifically skilled in dancing - until Koroshi got ambitious. Then there was an epic spin, that she might, maybe, almost have kept her feet through. But sand gets everywhere, and in this case Hitoko ended up sprawled on the sand, looking up at the sky, pondering exactly how she'd gotten here and what she thought about it. Her lack of immediate movement might suggest to some that she's actually hurt.

[Susumu Yakumo]

After winning and beaming, Sakura helped Seika haul their winnings...but not before stopping near Team Glory." Ah, gomenasai Susumu-sama." She pulled a water bottle and offered it to the Idol of Evil. "You seem to have spilled your water...on your chest. Would you like some more?"

Hinata happily cheered on those who had beaten him and Yakumo and those they'd never played in the first place. Sakura being the only one he had actually socialised with before today meant her team got slightly more cheering, so he was happy they won.

"Yay!!!! Congrats Hotaru and Yoritomo-samaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

He excitedly chattered away, not even looking to see if Yakumo was listening.

"Oh they were so cool. Did you see that spike? Yoritomo-samaaa is so good at setting up Hotaru-samaa for spikes! No wonder they beat us when I couldn't reach that last smash."

"Congratulations, Hotaru-san, Yoritomo-sama," Yakumo bowed to the winners, smiling and friendly now that the game was over and they no longer needed to spice things up between the matches.

She blinked with some confusion as Sakura handed her a water-bottle. "Uh... thanks...? I'm good, thank you." At least her time around Imperials, and more important around half-melted Daigotsu commanders who would choke you out to prove a point, had taught her the values of Smile&Nod.

"Mmm," she was quick to agree with Hinata to get away from the awkwardness of Sakura's words. "Quite so! Excellently played, you two. You must play this game a lot, huh?"

[Otomo Koroshi]

"Ot--!" She managed one syllable before being swept up in his hands and moves and... Ahem. She kept up alright for someone not specifically skilled in dancing - until Koroshi got ambitious. Then there was an epic spin, that she might, maybe, almost have kept her feet through. But sand gets everywhere, and in this case Hitoko ended up sprawled on the sand, looking up at the sky, pondering exactly how she'd gotten here and what she thought about it. Her lack of immediate movement might suggest to some that she's actually hurt.

Koroshi looked at the ronin spread out on the sand and put his hands down with a great sigh. "Ancestors forgive this one his trespasses."

"Hitoko-san!" He yelled, hoping that she would react while he speedwalked over the sand to her side. The Otomo speaks quickly and with unnatural cheer. "Hitoko-san, if you are hurt then you will need to tell me where so that I can render proper aid. If everything hurts then you may merely groan in pain!"

He took a knee to look over her and make sure she was breathing and had all her limbs in the right place.

[Yoritomo Seika]

After winning and beaming, Sakura helped Seika haul their winnings...but not before stopping near Team Glory." Ah, gomenasai Susumu-sama." She pulled a water bottle and offered it to the Idol of Evil. "You seem to have spilled your water...on your chest. Would you like some more?"

Hinata happily cheered on those who had beaten him and Yakumo and those they'd never played in the first place. Sakura being the only one he had actually socialised with before today meant her team got slightly more cheering, so he was happy they won.

"Yay!!!! Congrats Hotaru and Yoritomo-samaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

He excitedly chattered away, not even looking to see if Yakumo was listening.

"Oh they were so cool. Did you see that spike? Yoritomo-samaaa is so good at setting up Hotaru-samaa for spikes! No wonder they beat us when I couldn't reach that last smash."

"Congratulations, Hotaru-san, Yoritomo-sama," Yakumo bowed to the winners, smiling and friendly now that the game was over and they no longer needed to spice things up between the matches.

She blinked with some confusion as Sakura handed her a water-bottle. "Uh... thanks...? I'm good, thank you." At least her time around Imperials, and more important around half-melted Daigotsu commanders who would choke you out to prove a point, had taught her the values of Smile&Nod.

"Mmm," she was quick to agree with Hinata to get away from the awkwardness of Sakura's words. "Quite so! Excellently played, you two. You must play this game a lot, huh?"

"Woo!" A hyped-up Seika appears and attempts to tackle/throw a comradely arm around Sakura's shoulder... but is partially defeated by the eight-inch difference in their heights and has to turn it into a comradely back-slap instead. "That was incredible, right? Firefly are the best!"

"Oh, hi, Susumu-san, Kakita-san. Good game!" She grins happily. Her usual dark lipstick has faded rather a lot over the course of four oshidama matches, a couple of water bottles, and the possibly ill-advised chuu-hi in her hand; that plus the flush of color from exerting herself in the sun, and her bare feet, all make her look a little younger and softer than usual. "Yeah, it'd been a while since I played back on Dawn, but when I heard there was going to be a big game here I just had to put in a little practice these past couple of days, you know?"

[Soshi Kioku]

Snip

"Oh". The Soshi quiets down considerably, and shakes her head as if in a silent apology.

"Your father must have been an important person then, ne, Sumiko-san. And still... he and your mother must be proud of Sumiko-san, ne?"

Her voice is melancholy again, for whatever reason.

"Sumiko-san's mother..." she start, but soon drops it with another shake of her head.

"... sorry, Sumiko-san. I am glad you enjoyed playing today. Oshidama's one of the few hobbies I kept from my own childhood, see."