Having been unable to proceed to the next round, Sayomi now found herself among the audience. The betting hall wasn't a place for her, as she'd much rather focus on the show of the archers.

Since she was no longer a competitor, she cheered for Hiruma Daichi. Even if she could tell he was not very familiar with horse riding.

Kitsu Sayomi wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 04, 2025 7:43 pm

Having been unable to proceed to the next round, Sayomi now found herself among the audience. The betting hall wasn't a place for her, as she'd much rather focus on the show of the archers.

Since she was no longer a competitor, she cheered for Hiruma Daichi. Even if she could tell he was not very familiar with horse riding.

Also not a competitor, nor a gambler, Eiji did take this afternoon to watch the semi-finals. Spotting a friendly Lion cheering on a Crab, he approached her with a bow.?

"A fine day for riding, it would seem, Kitsu-san. Perhaps I might join my support of Daichi to yours here as well?" he asked.

Soshi Eiji wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 04, 2025 8:15 pm

Also not a competitor, nor a gambler, Eiji did take this afternoon to watch the semi-finals. Spotting a friendly Lion cheering on a Crab, he approached her with a bow.?

"A fine day for riding, it would seem, Kitsu-san. Perhaps I might join my support of Daichi to yours here as well?" he asked.

"Soshi-sama is most welcome," she bowed as well, glad to have some company. "And I doubt Hiruma-sama would object to another one to cheer for him. It will be interesting to see if the other competitors are used to riding."

Eiji nodded.

"I don't recall any of them being especially well known for their skill in the saddle, which carries it's own risks, of course." he mused.

He looked at the field.

"Although, I have to admit, the thing that really has me curious is the inclusion of the sheep. I would have expected a squirrel or perhaps a bird. " he offered.

He favored her with a small smile.

"Any thoughts on the targets and their arrangment, Kitsu-san? I'd be curious to hear your views."

Ryusei was perched nearby, having a gander at the shooting.

He'd spared himself shooting from horseback, which, given that he'd never been on a horse, was probably a good thing.

Yuna stood with Ryuei, watching the competition.

"Now if it had been firing from a rocking boat, you'd have been the one with an advantage," she said to him. "But maybe that is good practice for a horse."

"Ah, but a ship isn't something you hold onto with your knees..."

He paused.

"Not ideally, anyway..."

Soshi Eiji wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 04, 2025 8:24 pm

Eiji nodded.

"I don't recall any of them being especially well known for their skill in the saddle, which carries it's own risks, of course." he mused.

He looked at the field.

"Although, I have to admit, the thing that really has me curious is the inclusion of the sheep. I would have expected a squirrel or perhaps a bird. " he offered.

He favored her with a small smile.

"Any thoughts on the targets and their arrangment, Kitsu-san? I'd be curious to hear your views."

"Sheep are an easy target," she explained casually. "They're more common northwest. Much more docile than goats." Sayomi herself had seen some sheep in the farms of her family's territory.

"Unlike goats, sheep don't tend to be very agile, are more slow-moving, and not very bright. Stubborn as goats and mules though."

Kitsu Sayomi wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 04, 2025 10:40 pm

"Sheep are an easy target," she explained casually. "They're more common northwest. Much more docile than goats." Sayomi herself had seen some sheep in the farms of her family's territory.

"Unlike goats, sheep don't tend to be very agile, are more slow-moving, and not very bright. Stubborn as goats and mules though."

Eiji had to bring his fan up for that one.

"Yes, I am aware of both the existence of sheep and their attributes, Kitsu-san. It would be baa-ad if I didn't." he said.

He shook his head.

"No, the curiousity is why there is an 'easy' target during the semifinals of the bowman's wager. One would have thought at this level of skill, there would be no such things available. Just like 'hunting' a sheep would not be a particularly imprssive achievement, unless you're trying to impress people with how much you can annoy the peasantry."

Soshi Eiji wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 04, 2025 10:46 pm

snip

Sayomi hurriedly brought her hand to her mouth, stifling a laugh at Eiji's words.

"Ahh... I see your point. That's a good question! I had not considered it." She thought for a few seconds. "Maybe a pheasant would've been more impressive? They can be challenging to hunt."

Kitsu Sayomi wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 04, 2025 10:50 pm

Soshi Eiji wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 04, 2025 10:46 pm

snip

Sayomi hurriedly brought her hand to her mouth, stifling a laugh at Eiji's words.

"Ahh... I see your point. That's a good question! I had not considered it." She thought for a few seconds. "Maybe a pheasant would've been more impressive? They can be challenging to hunt."

Eiji smiled a bit.

"Ah, are you an experienced hunter, Kitsu-san? I'll admit that I do actually enjoy hunting trips myself, though I'm more there to track than to actually shoot." he asked, interested.

Soshi Eiji wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 04, 2025 10:57 pm

Eiji smiled a bit.

"Ah, are you an experienced hunter, Kitsu-san? I'll admit that I do actually enjoy hunting trips myself, though I'm more there to track than to actually shoot." he asked, interested.

"I have some experience with hunting, yes. It's a very common past time in the more remote places of the Empire," she admitted. "I'm surprised a courtier enjoys hunting too. A shame there's been no hunting challenge this season yet then."

Kitsu Sayomi wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 05, 2025 12:19 am

"I have some experience with hunting, yes. It's a very common past time in the more remote places of the Empire," she admitted. "I'm surprised a courtier enjoys hunting too. A shame there's been no hunting challenge this season yet then."

He shrugged a bit.

"Ah well, all Ikoma bards have at least a little bit of martial training mixed into their instruction." he explained. "You can't truly speak of the glory of the Lion if you've never gotten your heart racing a little bit, whether that's through hunting, running, or the art of the sword."

He grinned.

"I suppose if archery had called to me as a youth I might've found myself out on the field today."

"Now you make it sound like you are old, Soshi-sama, which you are most certainly not!" The Kitsu scolded him mirthfully.

Eiji snickered a bit at that.

"Ah well, probably comes from having tea with Ikoma Honaka. If you compare me to her, I'm practically ancient." he replied.

"Ah." That was her first response. Well, compared to Honoka and Doji Hikaru, everyone probably seemed old. Or they were just children. One of the two.

Sayomi preferred to think it was that they were still children, playing at being adults, as it made her feel less old, as she wasn't that old, damnit!

"She is very youthful," she managed to say diplomatically. "But perhaps there's still some time to see if a hunt can be arranged this winter court, before it's too late. I think many would like it."

Eiji nodded at that.

"I could see the host clan arranging such. After all, it is your lands we'd be hunting on. Or if the conditions are too poor for an actual hunt, you could arrange something akin to a hunt indoors." he suggested.

"Indoor hunting?" she asked, amused at the idea. "Like... I don't know, hide-and-seek?"

Eiji grinned at that.

"Perhaps Ikoma Honaka would be too good at that? I'm sure she knows all the best hiding spots around Kyuden Ikoma, recently scouted too." he joked.

He was of a like mind with Sayomi when it came to the extremely young attendees.

"You could do that, or a scavenger hunt, or a sort of combination puzzle contest where you needed to decipher a puzzle to shoot at the correct target." he suggested.

Shiba Ryusei wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 04, 2025 10:34 pm

"Ah, but a ship isn't something you hold onto with your knees..."

He paused.

"Not ideally, anyway..."

She grinned. Trying to picture it. "That would be a very small ship indeed. Or more in the way of a bit of board for a raft."

She glanced over at Soshi-san and Kitsu-san.

Soshi Eiji wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 05, 2025 4:38 am

"You could do that, or a scavenger hunt, or a sort of combination puzzle contest where you needed to decipher a puzzle to shoot at the correct target." he suggested.

"Oh! A scavenger hunt or puzzle contest would be ever so fun! I don't think anyone's proposed to host an event yet for tomorrow or for the last day."