(D8LA) Picnic in the rain for four. (Expecting)

[Kuni Yasu]

"Good thing Kuni aren't all that appropriate at the best of times," she says with a relieved smile. "And I love that kindness in you, worried for their feelings first." She wants very much to kiss him, and manages to simply curl her fingers to brush over his palm in a faint hint of what she's feeling for him.

"You and Kitsu-san have been getting along so well, I didn't want that...connection to mess with that. We're in agreement that...though the Deer might do otherwise, we're not willing to do anything to hurt you." Her expression still holds that love and relief, with just a hint of something sad about the eyes, and the tight corners of her lips.

[Susaki Tanabe]

Tanabe's emotions were complex it brought him no joy to know the name but it was information he wanted to have. He smiled it didn't quite reach his eyes "I don't think if you left it up to him he would be so careful of my feelings." He took a breath and gripped her hand. There was trouble there in his eyes but he did not speak it.

"There is more I think." He said noting the sadness in her eyes and tightness in her lips. He leaned forward and very lightly kissed her forehead "Let's enjoy this picnic and talk more on this later." He said expecting the other pair back soon.

[Kuni Yasu]

She nods. "If he thought my decision wasn't made, maybe." There's a happy smile at the brush of his lips, one hand reaching for the pendant she's wearing. "But yes, there's more if you want to hear it later. I'll answer anything you like, always, love"

Taking the cups of rainwater, she carefully tips them to the stones, away from the kimono and momentarily abandoned repast. They're refilled with the light tea a few moments later. "Well, hopefully they come back, or I'm going to have to figure out which room is Agasha-san's to return the ah..'picnic blanket'."

[Agasha Inoshishi]

Inoshishi still isn't letting go of the big Matsu's arm. This is hers, won through right of holding-the-hell-on and she will not relinquish it. Her eyes are slightly red and she's still breathing heavy, but she looks much more relaxed than any time after Ishi showed up. She keeps checking to make sure he's still not tightening up into whatever that was, seeing what his eyes light on and when he smiles, clearly cataloging him like a story, remembering the reactions and filling them away.

As she sees the Otter and Crab, she waves with one hand (the arm of which remains wrapped around the Matsu), "Hi guys! Ishi-kun," she colors, "said I didn't have to get the dessert after all, so I didn't. I'm sorry I ran off, I just wanted everything to be perfect! I hope you two found a way to...entertain yourself?" She's clearly lewding up the final suggestion out of a last bit of nerves, although it seems she's more concerned about how the Crab and Otter see Ishioka than herself. She is, after all, a Dragon and while not immune to other's opinions, she's still largely indifferent to them.

[Matsu Ishioka]

When they returned, the sandy-haired Lion, with delightful Dragon add-on, still looked a lot like the Stone Matsu from before. He'd relaxed fully while walking with Inoshishi alone, but some of that stony facade tried to build back as they approached their companions. But Yasu especially would notice the slight way that everything looked relaxed instead of hardened, as Ishioka kept a lid on certain thoughts without having to employ the full Stone Matsu. To help keep it away, he starts talking as soon as they're settled back down to sit.

"Yasu-san, Susaki-san, I apologize for my abruptness also. I let certain... foolish thoughts get into my mind and disrupt the conversation. I will not let it happen again."

[Kuni Yasu]

Yasu smiles as everyone returns. "It's fine, Ishioka-san, there's a lot going one with this festival. Bit stressful on everyone, isn't it?"

Picking up a handful of nuts, she looks to Ishioka and her reddened eyes. "How'd you and Kitsu-san decide to pair up for today's bouts? You were..oddly entertaining." She wasn't quite sure how else to describe their over the top style.

[Susaki Tanabe]

Tanabe made a dismissive gesture "Think nothing of it Matsu-sama! If we were judging people based on foolish thoughts you all would have to fling me off the rampart." He said with a smile and then turned to listen to Inoshishi's answer to Yasu's question.

[Agasha Inoshishi]

Inoshishi giggles and bows, blushing happily.

“Thank you, Kuni-San! I’m glad we entertained! I had initially hoped to pair with Usogawa Narumi, I had thought we’d be evenly matched and possibly entertaining. She was convinced she would be in the same side as who she teemed with. I tried to convince her that risking facing my beloved in the ring was a bad idea, to no avail. My brother saw I had no partner for the event, so I agreed to wrestle with him. Not every girl gets their first wrestling match with her brother at her miai. We are both storytellers, so I merely followed his lead. I would have enjoyed seeing the Crane mountain and Lion mountain in the ring, but I hear there were reasons we won’t see that.”

Her eyes laughing, she’s been eyeing Ishioka any time she’s mentioning him, wondering if her stories will make him cutely squirm or remain stoic. Noticing the nuts, she comments, “If you enjoy those, I’ll happily show you where I got them. Of course, you might do better with Susaki-San as a partner. Speaking of, Susaki-San, if we were defenestrating for foolish thoughts, I fear I would beat you to the bottom.”

[Matsu Ishioka]

The Lion keeps his relatively genial expression, shaking his head but smiling as Inoshishi refers to Moshu as her brother without context. Do I need to get the details of that story?

He's heard this before and if things like mention of Narumi were going to make him prickle, he's ready enough for it that he doesn't appear to react. He doesn't say anything, but also isn't trying to avoid anything either.

[Kuni Yasu]

"Your brother?" Yasu was obviously a bit confused by how that worked. "Is he of a Lion monkly order?" she glances at Ishioka, thinking he's have some idea as well. "Anyway, I've never known Ishioka-san to hurt a fly as didn't deserve it."