The Carp's smile widens, just a bit, as the Soshi tackles to the challenge. That Arai seems to like the game and his answer, going a step further to taunt them both, widens it even more.Doji Arai wrote: ↑Wed Jan 08, 2025 10:46 amArai's face is one of mischief. "I can understand books and the wind, but why do we avoid birds? My nose is fine, far from being called a beak, thank you very much. That's fishy, at least." It is obvious that she jokes.
Next she listens to the Scorpion's words carefully. "Oh thank you, Soshi san. I have never been told before that I look as if washed away by the waves. So eloquently. You know how to flatter a lady, for sure." She keeps kidding and grins to make it obvious.
"Does that leave us with Soshi sama's attire, my banned words and Yasuki sama's description?" she seems playfully pensive for a few heartbeats. "Please, use books, fish and birds, if I'm allowed to play around the rules."
"I was thinking wings, grace, or feathers, Doji-san - but poems mentioning egrets' beaks are not unheard of, ne?", she says with a soft, almost silent chuckle hidden behind her fan.
Her eyes then shift back to the Scorpion as she considers her own challenge.
"Soshi-san... I suppose you could say he is like a living book - each piece of clothing a page, each layer a story. The outermost one coloured as the last moments of a day's setting sun, as if reflected on the scales of a flying fish - as ready to take you by surprise with its tale as the tobiuo with its jumps! The first inner layer, meanwhile, displays the black wisdom of a raven, but the power of a goshawk - a tale fit to draw one's curiosity, one might say. The red, fanged mask seems to be a mystery tale all in itself, of course. Maybe menacing, at first glance - but perhaps it's meant for others to not judge the book by its cover?" The last words are said almost theatrically, followed by a long pause... and then by a small grin.
"I suppose if not for the teeth-like adornments, one might call it reminiscent of the beak of a bird, though. A tiger shrike, perhaps? Or a bird of prey?"
----
OOC: Sorry for the LONG delay, started this answer this morning, had some issues to access the forum again, then took me a long time to get back in the headspace for it!