(D7, ME) Nuptial Papers by Togashi Yunosuke (Play)

[Usogawa Emiko]

Hikimasu arrived and quickly spotted Emiko. He approached and bowed, sitting down as if he were welcome.

"Usogawa-san, good evening", he said in a low voice. "How was the rest of your day?"

"Ah, Shosuro-sama" Emiko smiled and bowed "good evening! A play by a Togashi is going to be very unusual, I'm quite looking forward to it. My day has been well thank you, I hope yours was also?"

[Shosuro Hikimasu]

"Ah, Shosuro-sama" Emiko smiled and bowed "good evening! A play by a Togashi is going to be very unusual, I'm quite looking forward to it. My day has been well thank you, I hope yours was also?"

"Better now", he said with some mirth. "Before this gets underway, since I keep bringing it up, would you come for a ride with me tomorrow? Weather permitting of course."

[Suzume Senseki]

Why is it that I find this one the easiest to relate to?

This time, the Sparrow's face after the end of the play is not only his usual pondering frown. There is some pondering going on, but with a smile on his lips. As usual, he takes a long time to get up from his chair. Seeing Raizo also pondering alone - and Tanabe and Yasu thinking as well, which somehow makes his smile widen somewhat - he decides to approach the brooding phoenix.

"Shiba-sama", he says with a calm, friendly nod. "How has your day been? And... what did you think?', he adds gesturing at the stage.

[Shiba Raizo]

"Shiba-sama", he says with a calm, friendly nod. "How has your day been? And... what did you think?', he adds gesturing at the stage.

"I'm only a 'sama ' to my ashigaru, Suzume-san, and only because they insist. My day... well. Some manaic made me sing in public and reaped the predictable results, but I had fun in spite of it all. As for the play... I think i liked it. I mean, it's as contrived as any of them, but I enjoyed the story."

[Suzume Senseki]

"I'm only a 'sama ' to my ashigaru, Suzume-san, and only because they insist. My day... well. Some manaic made me sing in public and reaped the predictable results, but I had fun in spite of it all. As for the play... I think i liked it. I mean, it's as contrived as any of them, but I enjoyed the story."

"Ah, sumimasen, Shiba-sam... eh.. san!", he said, bowing slightly again a bit awkwardly. A smile quickly takes to his face after that, though. "This morning was fun indeed! Surprising in some cases, really inspiring in others, but fun in all of them. I'm glad Shiba-san enjoyed it too! As for the play... well, it is contrived, I suppose, in that it's... different from what one would expect in real life, I suppose? But then... I wonder, would a play that adheres too closely to real life work as a play? And also..."

He adds to that a short story, of course. One told by a friend of his mother, this time - about how unbelievable stories can sometimes prepare us for real life - which can be even more unbelievable than the wildest stories.

As he finishes, he falls silent for a while. "But then... well, what do you think, Shiba-san? And... I think you seemed to enjoy this one more than the others? May I ask why?"

[Shiba Raizo]

"Ah, sumimasen, Shiba-sam... eh.. san!", he said, bowing slightly again a bit awkwardly. A smile quickly takes to his face after that, though. "This morning was fun indeed! Surprising in some cases, really inspiring in others, but fun in all of them. I'm glad Shiba-san enjoyed it too! As for the play... well, it is contrived, I suppose, in that it's... different from what one would expect in real life, I suppose? But then... I wonder, would a play that adheres too closely to real life work as a play? And also..."

He adds to that a short story, of course. One told by a friend of his mother, this time - about how unbelievable stories can sometimes prepare us for real life - which can be even more unbelievable than the wildest stories.

As he finishes, he falls silent for a while. "But then... well, what do you think, Shiba-san? And... I think you seemed to enjoy this one more than the others? May I ask why?"

"I think the way in which a tale is crafted makes the difference. In this one, the situations were patently ludicrous, but the leading couple were in it together, regardless of how ridiculous things got- and that's why they prevailed."

A pause.

"So I liked it."

[Suzume Senseki]

"I think the way in which a tale is crafted makes the difference. In this one, the situations were patently ludicrous, but the leading couple were in it together, regardless of how ridiculous things got- and that's why they prevailed."

A pause.

"So I liked it."

A rather long silence from the Sparrow follows. He seems thoughtful, but finally nods. "Un. Sticking together is important. In many things. Of course it should be in love as well, ne?"

Another silence, a smile on his lips.

"That... and trust. Seems to be a lesson Shiba-san has long learned, though, ne?", he finally says, smile widening slightly.

[Shiba Raizo]

A rather long silence from the Sparrow follows. He seems thoughtful, but finally nods. "Un. Sticking together is important. In many things. Of course it should be in love as well, ne?"

Another silence, a smile on his lips.

"That... and trust. Seems to be a lesson Shiba-san has long learned, though, ne?", he finally says, smile widening slightly.

"Well. If you mean its importance? Yes. And of being trustworthy. That too."

[Usogawa Emiko]

"Better now", he said with some mirth. "Before this gets underway, since I keep bringing it up, would you come for a ride with me tomorrow? Weather permitting of course."

Emiko tilted her head.

"A ride, Shosuro-sama?"

Shiba Masatake and Doji Yukiko travel deep in to the Phoenix mountains to find the perfect location to conduct their wedding. They find a remote shrine that's beauty is matched only by the tranquility of the area. However, the very sweaty monk Yoshiki informs them they may not use the shrine, unless they pass the challenges of the shrine's guardian. Not wishing to defile the shrine's sanctity by refusing or objecting, the couple agree.

Yoshiki puts the couple through a series of ever increasingly bizarre and difficult challenges, which he claims will 'prove the couples love is true.' The challenges, including things like cliff diving and coal walking, get harder and harder, and yet the couple's honor will not let them know defeat. In the end the exhausted couple are judged to have passed the challenges and may use the shrine which they fully intend to do.....just as soon as the broken bones heal.

Emiko sat through the performance with a neutral expression, bordering on frowning.

Why...

[Shosuro Hikimasu]

Emiko tilted her head.

"A ride, Shosuro-sama?"

"Yes, to meet Yudaina-san and have a gallop."

Shiba Masatake and Doji Yukiko travel deep in to the Phoenix mountains to find the perfect location to conduct their wedding. They find a remote shrine that's beauty is matched only by the tranquility of the area. However, the very sweaty monk Yoshiki informs them they may not use the shrine, unless they pass the challenges of the shrine's guardian. Not wishing to defile the shrine's sanctity by refusing or objecting, the couple agree.

Yoshiki puts the couple through a series of ever increasingly bizarre and difficult challenges, which he claims will 'prove the couples love is true.' The challenges, including things like cliff diving and coal walking, get harder and harder, and yet the couple's honor will not let them know defeat. In the end the exhausted couple are judged to have passed the challenges and may use the shrine which they fully intend to do.....just as soon as the broken bones heal.

As much as the Scorpion thought the idea of a couple working together to overcome something so ridiculous and silly was actually a little heartwarming...the writing was terrible, the characters unlikeable and altogether the only thing that went well about it was his own ability to keep his eyes from rolling.

"That was...something."