Kyuden Shika

(The player apologies for time faffing, things have developed earlier in the day.)

Koi snorted and swayed softly. "You should hear what my Mother says."

She sipped her sake. "No point." Koi said, looking entirely dissatisfied but she didn't go further as the player is still awaiting a conclusion and in case temperal paradoxes happen.

Koi smiles sweetly at Yoshi for a moment, and pats his hand. "Why are you so kind to me?" The sake burned in her mind making everything wibble and wobble. "You treat me like I am more than I am, and it confuses me."

"There's no point in helping someone who has been wronged? I'd say that that's the best time to help." Yoshi offers a small smile.

"I think that's the first time in a long time that someone has accused me of being nice. But if you want an answer...give me aa minute to gather my thoughts. It's... complicated" Yoshi pulls out his kiseru and taps in some tobacco, idly holding it under a brazier and taking a puff.

"The lowly position of the Tortoise has offered me one gift. We meet gaijin from across the waves and we comingle with the lowest of the low. Over the years I've come to a conclusion: the Fortunes equally distribute talents but not opportunity. I truly believe that there is a hemin born in these lands this year and every year that have the the natural talent to match a Kakita as a duelist, but they will never see the inside of a dojo. If they are lucky, they might be an ashigaru. I've seen what happens to people with greatness in them but whose circumstances conspire to keep them from it. "

" I've seen people become bitter. I've seen them wallow in despair. I've seen them be so consumed by fury and longing that they destroy themselves. And there is Koi-chan." Yoshi nudges his drinking buddy, putting his hand on hers

"She's beautiful. Witty. The spirits speak to her. And still... there's a lot of pain. And despite that, you choose to spread joy. There's a strength to that. It's a strength I don't have. So returning the kindness in equal measure seems the least I can do. "

Koi has to cover her face as she feels tears forming on her face, and she quickly turns her head to try and save her On even as she was completely drunk at this point. It perhaps was when the Kasuga noticed as Koi shifted her midsection, her body stiffened and pain flared across her expression before she returned to her position. "I believe the same as you, Yoshi-kun." She whispered.

Koi took a minute before plucking the Kiseru from his hands softly to take a puff before returning it to him a coy smile on her face returning to back to normal. "You don't need to do anything because the matter as far as I am aware is resolved." She said, softly. "Can we talk about it later?" She asked, mostly as her player only just finished the scene and it doesn't feel to flow with how the conversation is going.

"And where do I rank upon your conquest at Kyuden Shika?" She asked, softly, shyly and even sheepishly as she sipped a glass.

A few drinks couldn't hurt. Some pregame for the play, or just a comfortable buzz to loosen up. However one looked at it, Hikimasu was at the Song.

He scanned the growing crowd. Something must be going on later. Though he did see the spot that looked quieter, it was occupied, but he could deal with not being nosy while he drank.

He ordered from an attendant and found some space. He bowed to the Moth and Tortoise as he was near them, but it didn't look like he'd interrupt.

Kaikoga Koi wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 17, 2021 3:13 pm

"And where do I rank upon your conquest at Kyuden Shika?" She asked, softly, shyly and even sheepishly as she sipped a glass.

Yoshi's sides shake for a moment, and he fights to keep a smile off of his face.

"Koi-chan, I pity the man or woman who thinks that they can conquer you. Though you would be one hell of an acquisition"

Yoshi notices a Scorpion looking around, but does his best to focus on Koi.

"Koi-chan, for someone hard on themselves, I believe that you have a better reputation than myself. Let's be honest, many Clans would see the Tortoise as a downgrade."

Koi mused for a moment as she nodded, and giggled. "Good answer and you know how to make me laugh!" She mused before sipping her sake noticing the Shosuro nearby that made her grin grow almost mischievously.

"I heard a better joke - Shosuro-sama." Koi called over the him, clearly intoxicated and smiled. "Two men broke into a herbalist and stole all the...male enhancement herb. The guards put out an alert to be on the lookout for the two hardened criminals." Koi laughed richly.

"Yoshi-san this is Shosuro Hikimasu, if I recall correctly. He tells very good jokes." She said softly, wincing as she moved forward to much and placed her hand on her side.

Kaikoga Koi wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 17, 2021 6:22 pm

"I heard a better joke - Shosuro-sama." Koi called over the him, clearly intoxicated and smiled. "Two men broke into a herbalist and stole all the...male enhancement herb. The guards put out an alert to be on the lookout for the two hardened criminals." Koi laughed richly.

"Yoshi-san this is Shosuro Hikimasu, if I recall correctly. He tells very good jokes." She said softly, wincing as she moved forward to much and placed her hand on her side.

Hikimasu had his bottle and cup now, he went over and bowed to the other two samurai. He could always excuse himself if he needed to, and this looked like it might be fun.

"Kasuga-san, pleasure to meet you", he said with practiced courtesy, unsure how this would go. "Kaikoga-san...", he paused, like he had trouble saying it was a pleasure again, his eyebrow arched. "Well, hello", he said deadpan, and chuckled a little nervously. "An but...also...", he cleared his throat.

"Lord Seppun was angry. His hatamoto asked what could trouble him. 'it is my daugher!' he moaned. 'She does not trust me!' The hatamoto, clearly concerned for his lord asked him how this could be. 'Well that's what she wrote in her diary!' said Lord Seppun."

He sipped his drink.

Koi allowed a warm drunken laugh to roll from her before she began to cough, grimancing in pain holding her side by her right rib and stomach. She had to turn her face away to hide as much emotion as she could.

"Okay, that was good." She said with a smile. "I have heard the same joke but as your clan. Still, it works the same. I was not expecting it."

"Have you been well?" Koi spoke softly.

Better than you. You look like you've just passed a Crab gemppuku.

"Well, and you?" it wasn't conversation, it was courtesy. He moved on. "I've been told my jokes were dangerous but I never took it seriously until now", he said and looked at the Kasuga. He wondered if he dragged her out here. No. He bet on Koi being the type to do whatever she wanted even if it hurt. "So, Kasuga-san, we haven't meat yet, clearly", he said. "Tell me about yourself, maybe I can share some more lame jokes in return."

And suddenly, when he wasn't looking at Koi or concerning himself with her, he looked like an actual Scorpion samurai with all the deadly confidence you can imagine, made far more cruel by the blank death in his eyes.

"Well, there's a few about the Tortoise. Let's see, "What's the difference between a member of the Clan and a real Tortoise? Well, one is slow, ugly, hunchbacked and the other has a literal shell."

Yoshi pauses for the joke to sink in.