Playing the ponies (Horse race observation thread) [D7 LM]

[Akodo Kawauso]

Sasori pouted. "Baka... Akodo sama... Bokuwa Baka desu." She hit the woman playfully with her fan. "You casted a wide net. Are you regretting it now? Nya"

The swat of the fan snaps Kawauso out of a developing funk. "Hey, Sasori-san!" It comes out louder than they've been talking, but it doesn't seem to draw any extended attention. The Lion's cheeks burn but she's also smiling. A little. "What... I mean, I have a lot to do. Back home. And he's clearly very important, and it's not like if we... You know, for sure I'd be moving..." She clearly seems conflicted. And every so often, she looks toward him again, and smiles a little.

[Hantei Genji]

"That's kind of you, Hantei-sama," Chizu said with a smile. "But hopefully I can avoid such scandal. I understand there's already been a challenge issued over this matter already, using this new sword-fighting style. I heard you have some skill at this new style, is that true?"

"Hai, I heard." He shrugged. "Just the basics, not a true master like others. Still, it can be useful. Drawing your sword quickly never goes out of style, and my training favors he katana, for good or ill."

[Bayushi Sasori]

The swat of the fan snaps Kawauso out of a developing funk. "Hey, Sasori-san!" It comes out louder than they've been talking, but it doesn't seem to draw any extended attention. The Lion's cheeks burn but she's also smiling. A little. "What... I mean, I have a lot to do. Back home. And he's clearly very important, and it's not like if we... You know, for sure I'd be moving..." She clearly seems conflicted. And every so often, she looks toward him again, and smiles a little.

Sasori giggled again. "Think of it as a winter crush, then... as there are summer crushes, winter should have some as well, nya." She nodded. "Do not worry he may be a big fish but you do have other fishes in your net." She nodded. "Spring will come and you will bloom."

[Akodo Kawauso]

Sasori giggled again. "Think of it as a winter crush, then... as there are summer crushes, winter should have some as well, nya." She nodded. "Do not worry he may be a big fish but you do have other fishes in your net." She nodded. "Spring will come and you will bloom."

Kawauso smiles sadly. "Perhaps." Then the Scorpion gets a surprisingly big hug. "Thanks for helping my fishing," the Lion says, voice heartfelt.

[Bayushi Sasori]

"Cats and otters like to play together nya." She smiled warmly returning the hug. "That is what friends are for. Don't make me smack you with my fan again. Unless you want to taste the bladed one."

[Akodo Kawauso]

Kawauso lets go, giggling. She tries to make what could charitably be called an angry otter face, but it basically ends in a smile and more giggles.

"Ok. But you do really have to teach me how to use one of those in court. I promise to be a good student," she says, raising one hand. It's slightly cupped so it looks more like an otter's paw, and her smile definitely isn't covering the fact that she has mischievous otter eyes looking at Sasori.

[Chai Kotsume]

Kinsen shrugs, "Riding a... horse... The very first time. I lived up in the mountains when I was young. When I moved to live with the Noriaki, I mostly took care of the beasts and hounds. Horses were not common."

Lookins at Kotsume and finding familiar traces there, she smiles again, with squinted eyes, "Thank you for the compliment. I enjoy it."

"Ah... I see! But... you rode other animals, then? Horses... well, they weren't common in my childhood either, although we'd heard of them from time to time."

The golden locks look more and more familiar as she looks at them. "I don't think I'm particularly familiar with the nature of the former Noriaki's lands? What sort of beasts did you breed?"

[Hantei Kinsen]

"Ah... I see! But... you rode other animals, then? Horses... well, they weren't common in my childhood either, although we'd heard of them from time to time."

The golden locks look more and more familiar as she looks at them. "I don't think I'm particularly familiar with the nature of the former Noriaki's lands? What sort of beasts did you breed?"

"Lions." She says, nonchalantly. "Not easy to ride them... It was more like wager thing than something like I did today."

[Chai Kotsume]

"Lions." She says, nonchalantly. "Not easy to ride them... It was more like wager thing than something like I did today."

The girls looks something between amazed, surprised and confused. "Ah! I mean... Actual lions? But then... you mounted them like... on dares or something like that?"

She seems to be thinking about that for a while, and her eyes for once stray from the woman's hair and into the distance. "That... that's really something! And... you said you bred them? Like... for a given purpose? Or... did you hunt and tame them? How did that work? And..."

She suddenly seems slightly saddened. "Wait... did that tradition die down, then?"

[Hantei Kinsen]

The girls looks something between amazed, surprised and confused. "Ah! I mean... Actual lions? But then... you mounted them like... on dares or something like that?"

She seems to be thinking about that for a while, and her eyes for once stray from the woman's hair and into the distance. "That... that's really something! And... you said you bred them? Like... for a given purpose? Or... did you hunt and tame them? How did that work? And..."

She suddenly seems slightly saddened. "Wait... did that tradition die down, then?"

"Bred?" She blinks and then shakes her head, "I don't remind saying that. But my father's tribe did hunt among lions, yes. The komainu taught them how to do so. When I was gifted to the Noriaki, they caged some of them and made me take care. Unfortunately, I never quite learned how."

[Chai Kotsume]

"Bred?" She blinks and then shakes her head, "I don't remind saying that. But my father's tribe did hunt among lions, yes. The komainu taught them how to do so. When I was gifted to the Noriaki, they caged some of them and made me take care. Unfortunately, I never quite learned how."

"Ah! I must have assumed based on my question then, Hantei-sama, my apologies. But that is remarkable! Do you know if the komainu still retain that tradition somewhere?"

[Hantei Kinsen]

"Ah! I must have assumed based on my question then, Hantei-sama, my apologies. But that is remarkable! Do you know if the komainu still retain that tradition somewhere?"

"I..." Kinsen takes a moment to remember, tapping her chin, "Father said my mother was komainu. She left us when I was still too young. I hardly remember."

[Chai Kotsume]

"I..." Kinsen takes a moment to remember, tapping her chin, "Father said my mother was komainu. She left us when I was still too young. I hardly remember."

"I see... " The girl seems thoughtful, and actually quite interested. "They do sound like an interesting people, Hantei-sama." She shakes her head. "Ah... I'm sure you've got many other things on your heart right now". She halts for a moment. Did she say heart instead of mind?

She shook her head slightly. Honest mistake, right? Nothing she would notice, of course.

She then opened an honest, friendly smile again. "But... ah... well, if you do have, or happen to find, records on them, or people who still hold on to these traditions... do you think I, or one of my people, could learn a bit more of their ways? I'm almost interested in how others deal with the animals that surround them, you see!"

[Bayushi Sasori]

Kawauso lets go, giggling. She tries to make what could charitably be called an angry otter face, but it basically ends in a smile and more giggles.

"Ok. But you do really have to teach me how to use one of those in court. I promise to be a good student," she says, raising one hand. It's slightly cupped so it looks more like an otter's paw, and her smile definitely isn't covering the fact that she has mischievous otter eyes looking at Sasori.

Sasori giggled. "For battle or for fishing?" The mischievous grin on the girl's face was covered by her fan. Sasori made a cat paw motion as she pawed Kawauso's hand. "Nya!"

[Akodo Kawauso]

Sasori giggled. "For battle or for fishing?" The mischievous grin on the girl's face was covered by her fan. Sasori made a cat paw motion as she pawed Kawauso's hand. "Nya!"

Kawauso tries to look serious for a moment. "For court, actually... When I need to talk about fishing," she barely gets the words out before starting to giggle.

[Hantei Kinsen]

"I see... " The girl seems thoughtful, and actually quite interested. "They do sound like an interesting people, Hantei-sama." She shakes her head. "Ah... I'm sure you've got many other things on your heart right now". She halts for a moment. Did she say heart instead of mind?

She shook her head slightly. Honest mistake, right? Nothing she would notice, of course.

She then opened an honest, friendly smile again. "But... ah... well, if you do have, or happen to find, records on them, or people who still hold on to these traditions... do you think I, or one of my people, could learn a bit more of their ways? I'm almost interested in how others deal with the animals that surround them, you see!"

"Ara. I would love to have help in finding the komainu and my ancestry. I believe it is a legacy I own my kids. If Chai-san is willing, we could exchange findings. Bayushi Sasori-san mentioned she would like to help, as well as Saru Yatsufusa-san."

She shrugs, "Unfortunately, I do not know much of where they could be."

[Bayushi Sasori]

Kawauso tries to look serious for a moment. "For court, actually... When I need to talk about fishing," she barely gets the words out before starting to giggle.

"Well, I am not the best but I can try to show you how at least how to bat your wings." Sasori smile.

[Akodo Kawauso]

Kawauso tries to look serious for a moment. "For court, actually... When I need to talk about fishing," she barely gets the words out before starting to giggle.

"Well, I am not the best but I can try to show you how at least how to bat your wings." Sasori smile.

"Well, you know more than this silly otter, so it will at least be a good start." Her arm had slid off of Sasori, but now it came up so she could pat the woman's knee. "What else should we be talking about? The race was fun, but it's a distraction from other things."

[Bayushi Sasori]

"Well I am going to see the bear. I wonder if I can connect with her." She shrugged. "I know little about horses I am just here to give you my support."

[Akodo Kawauso]

Kawauso smiles. "You are a good friend... Wait," she realizes what she'd heard before that. The bear.

"Sasori-san," she whispers urgently. "Are you sure about this? I mean..." It's apparent she's worried about her friend getting eaten.