(D8, LE) Boring you about a Badger?

[Soshi Eiji]

The art festival had been a wonderful time, but there was no rest for busy courtiers. The sumai tournament was approaching, and while Eiji had learned alot about the sumai of the South....he'd also heard they were going to lose. And while rooting for an underdog was fun and all, he wanted to know what to say to the winners.

Ichiro Masaya (“Tsurugizan”), of Fist of Might Village.

Eiji had thought he knew who that was, but no upon thinking of it, those were stories he'd heard about Heichi Masaya from Might of Fist Village. Truly, there were too many minor clans to keep track of alongside all the houses, Eiji hoped there'd be fewer for his descendents to keep track of.

But he'd wandered down to the Old Man's Stump to see if the rough hewn crowd knew about such a sumai.

18 vs 15, Pass!

[Fukurokujin]

From a booth in the back, several large men and one woman note the Scorpion asking around.

[Soshi Eiji]

From a booth in the back, several large men and one woman note the Scorpion asking around.

Eiji noticed being noticed! As a storyteller, Eiji quite often sought out attention. Now there were good types of attention, and there were bad types of attention. Maybe this was good attention, perhaps he'd stumbled upon the Tsurugizan fan club local chapter, it could even be some of the sumai set to compete slumming it. Or perhaps this was bad attention, where some locals were annoyed to see a Scorpion talking to people and were discussing rolling him up into a tatami mat and tossing him off a bridge. It might even be neither, where they were simply observing the Scorpion and planning on reporting the night's activities to their even larger master.

Intrigued by opportunities, but caution about the risk, Eiji trying to suss out what these sus folks interest in him actually was.

[Fukurokujin]

The woman leans towards one of her slab-faced companions, who makes his way to Eiji and says to him "Boss'd like to talks to ya."

[Soshi Eiji]

The woman leans towards one of her slab-faced companions, who makes his way to Eiji and says to him "Boss'd like to talks to ya."

It would be a failure of courtesy to kick the man in the balls and a failure of courage to then run. Being an honorable samurai, Eiji acquieced instead.

"Of course they would. Lead on." he said simply. The man seemed the type who didn't care to give the courtesy of introductions of bows and names, and Eiji didn't want to call him out on his poor court protocol. What WOULD his family think?

[Kasuga Izumi]

Upon Eiji's approach, Kasuga Izumi's eyes flicker up and down him briefly.

"Have a seat, Soshi-san," she says. "I was about to pour another drink, and I would love your company."

[Soshi Eiji]

Upon Eiji's approach, Kasuga Izumi's eyes flicker up and down him briefly.

"Have a seat, Soshi-san," she says. "I was about to pour another drink, and I would love your company."

Eiji favored her with best very best smile.

"Ah, Kasuga-sama. Truly, when I was listening to Otomo Gorobei sing your praises beneath a tree in the gardens, I did not imagine our paths might cross under such circumstances. I would be most happy to spend some time with you." he offered graciously.

[Kasuga Izumi]

snip

"The Vice-Minister of Gardens singing praises under a tree?" Izumi asks, her lip curling into a grin on which it is certain no few have badly cut themselves. "How amusing.

"Did Soshi-san join his chorus then?" she continues. "He clearly has a trained voice."

Cups are poured for them both. Izumi takes a taste from hers, holds it in her hand.

[Soshi Eiji]

snip

"The Vice-Minister of Gardens singing praises under a tree?" Izumi asks, her lip curling into a grin on which it is certain no few have badly cut themselves. "How amusing.

"Did Soshi-san join his chorus then?" she continues. "He clearly has a trained voice."

Cups are poured for them both. Izumi takes a taste from hers, holds it in her hand.

Eiji takes his own cup but gives a rueful shake of the head.

"Alas, Kasuga-sama, you have to settle for a solo when others don't know the words." he said.

And then he went to prove his point. In song. In bad song.

"Kaaaasuga-sama! Some people like her! Others...do not. Some say she's a villain...she hangs with scary guys....Others say she's really polite...with pretty brown eyes! Ohhhh, Kaaaaasuga-sama!"

Eiji didn't have a bad voice. He even rhymed guys and eyes. But the intent here was to get a laugh, not charm her with song.

Awa/Perform: Song 12

If she didn't stop him soon, he might try getting her followers to sing along.

[Kasuga Izumi]

snip

Izumi raises her empty hand to silence him.

"Soshi-san has a fine voice for some genres, it's clear," she says, something not quite a smile on her face. "But we're not on the decks of a southern ship, so no reprise will be needed."

She lowers her hand.

"I am curious, however, as to what has you in this part of town."

[Soshi Eiji]

The point was made, there was no need for a second verse, clearly.

He simply quaffed his drink and offered her the same smile as earlier.

"Ah truly, Kasuga-sama? I was just looking to converse with folks about the upcoming sumai tournament. I've heard from a reliably informed source that North is looking to sweep the entire tournament this year. And while I find myself reliably informed on the underdogs of the tournament, I find my knowledge of the sure winners to be somewhat lacking. It's hard to write about how glorious the winners are when you don't know them well, as I just demonstrated." he said, implying the Tortoise was a winner.

"No Tortoise in the tournament this year, if I recall correctly. Will Kasuga-sama be cheering on Tsurugizan then?" he asked.

[Kasuga Izumi]

snip

"Maybe we'll have to get to know one another better, then, Soshi-san," Izumi says. "It's always good to know people, after all.

"But as to the sumai, no, no Tortoise this time."

She grins, and it is a different thing than before.

"The shell might be round, but it's too hard for too many of them to handle!"

A couple of the slab-faced men around her laugh.

"Tsurugizan, though, is a favorite among many of the Younger Clans," she adds. "Hard not to favor, really. Who doesn't love a come-from-nothing story?"

[Soshi Eiji]

Eiji smiled along with the men laughing at the Tortoise's words, though he couldn't help but think of a sumai Tortoise flipped on it's back, unable to rise.

It was a rhetorical question, but Eiji was happy to provide an answer to keep jerking the conversation's steering wheel around like a ship on a stormy sea.

"That's an easy one, Kasuga-sama. Those who start with almost everything. He may well be the son of the Fortune of Artists, but I doubt Tatsuya's story is a favorite of Otomo Keihime." he offered.

[Kasuga Izumi]

"Oh, yes," Izumi says. "The Succession."

She sighs heavily.

"The Tortoise have perhaps a more immediate stake in the succession than most," she continues. "After all, the Throne is also the seat of our Champion."

Her eyes meet Eiji's.

"Speaking of Champions, how has yours been today? I have not gotten to speak with her in entirely too long."

[Soshi Eiji]

"Oh, yes," Izumi says. "The Succession."

She sighs heavily.

"The Tortoise have perhaps a more immediate stake in the succession than most," she continues. "After all, the Throne is also the seat of our Champion."

Her eyes meet Eiji's.

"Speaking of Champions, how has yours been today? I have not gotten to speak with her in entirely too long."

There was certainly a calculating look in the Scorpion's eyes, as he sifted between polite court talk and wondering just where the Tortoise stood with the Scorpion.

"I would say she is slightly more unburdened today." he decided upon. "The Death of the Empress weighs heavily on everyone, but more heavily on those who more directly served Her. She wasn't as shattered as Lord Ikoma was, but still it hurt. And when one is hurt, any sort of relief is welcome. The rose is still dead, but she was able to pull one of the thorns out of her hand today."

[Kasuga Izumi]

snip

There was certainly a calculating look in the Scorpion's eyes, as he sifted between polite court talk and wondering just where the Tortoise stood with the Scorpion.

"I would say she is slightly more unburdened today." he decided upon. "The Death of the Empress weighs heavily on everyone, but more heavily on those who more directly served Her. She wasn't as shattered as Lord Ikoma was, but still it hurt. And when one is hurt, any sort of relief is welcome. The rose is still dead, but she was able to pull one of the thorns out of her hand today."
[/quote]

"Her hands were always so tender," Izumi says. "I hope she took no harm from a little prick."

She refills Eiji's cup and her own. "I will say that Tsurugizan has learned much and come far in a short time. Such a person may well do well when put to the test."

She lifts her own and add "As we may all hope to do."

[Soshi Eiji]

"I'll certainly drink to that." Eiji offered taking the cup and lifting it to the toast.

He tilted his head a bit curiously.

"You've known Bayushi-ue for a long time, Kasuga-sama? I only married into the clan this year, so this Winter Court has been my crash course introduction to what she is like." he probed.

[Kasuga Izumi]

"I am often the legate for our esteemed kizoku, my aunt Genjiko," Izumi says. "So we've conferred more than once, sometimes at great length and about the most sensitive of matters."

She bats her eyelashes. How superciliously is an open question.

"But you are new to the mask?" she continues. "From your performance before, I would guess not from the Sparrow."

She smiles, mirthful.

[Soshi Eiji]

"Ah, blast, I forgot to work in a line about Kasuga-sama's great love of yams." he says.

He ticked his fingers off one by one as if he was working out just how to fit that particular sentiment into the song of Kasuga-sama.

But only long enough to threaten it, not to actually do it.

"I am not from the Sparrow. But I do come from a long line of storytellers. The heart of an Ikoma beats beneath these robes of red and black." he admitted.

[Kasuga Izumi]

"I've eaten worse than yam," Izumi says. "Prepared properly, a good root is a good meal."

Refills are poured.

"Is Soshi-san happy in his marriage, then?"