Day 4 LA - The Festival of Remembrance (Open/Event)

[Toritaka Hanatsuko]

"Care of the children? I may." He nods friendly and looks at the dog. If the animal was somewhat higher, sure. But having his kimono touch the dirt was a thought that gave him chills.
Maybe if they were somewhere comfortable he could take his sandals and pet him with his feet. But it would be scandalous to do so in public.
So he went to look out for the children.

He would find a bench where adults or tired children could rest. He would note Kuma perched there and the children wanted to approach him once again. He opened his wings an gave a loud screech. The children ran away. He started to preen.

From close by, the musical nikutai had been keeping half an eye on Sanaharu and Hanatsuko. As they part, Masao feels a certain relief -- Grandson, aren't you worrying about enough things already? If you don't stop all this worry and anxiety, you'll be dead before Kitora-kun.

Masao, thankfully on a short break between songs, can squeeze his eyes shut and take a deep breath to center.

The Toritaka shook her head and gave a light chuckle. The servant gave the water dish to the Toritaka and she nodded in thanks. She walked over to the Kakita centering himself. "You are welcomed to help me with the children." She whispered to the man.

[Kakita Yuuwaku]

Having abandoned the hat business for now, Naida made over to where Yuuwaku was, standing nearby and watching with her arms folded.

Yuuwaku spots the Dragon amid the event, and her smile broadens. Her steps become just a little more vigorous, as well, as she continues to lead the dancers.

"Join in, Kitsuki-san!" she calls out.

[Kitsuki Naida]

Naida recalled her attempts at dancing at the party at the beach the night before... that was definitely something she remembered. It hadn't been pretty.

Still, what was she going to do, say no to Yuu-chan?

And so she joined everyone else, still kind of a stiff dancer but not clumsy at least.

[Kakita Yuuwaku]

Naida recalled her attempts at dancing at the party at the beach the night before... that was definitely something she remembered. It hadn't been pretty.

Still, what was she going to do, say no to Yuu-chan?

And so she joined everyone else, still kind of a stiff dancer but not clumsy at least.

Yuuwaku's smile is like a beacon in the night, filling the souls of those who look on with ever-present light.

For what artist does not delight in an audience, and an appreciative one? Their energy becomes her energy, and she reflects it back to them again.

Whatever else is happening, this, this is perfect, and Yuuwaku feels the walls slip away that contain her in herself within the world.

[Kakita Masao]

The Toritaka shook her head and gave a light chuckle. The servant gave the water dish to the Toritaka and she nodded in thanks. She walked over to the Kakita centering himself. "You are welcomed to help me with the children." She whispered to the man.

That whispered voice is one he can't ignore, and eyes are quickly open and face smiling at the Falcon. "I am always happy to help," he says quietly. After a look of appreciation at her, Masao steps over toward the children and animals, trilling just a few notes on the flute before smiling widely at the young ones.

[Kakita Konohamaru]

"Is this an investigation? Has something happened?"

Finally, it was clicking in her head. He held his tongue on responses like 'do you think I speak to Scorpions for fun?'

He revealed his magistrates chop - and license for this district.

"Yes, it is. Now that we've made this official, you will be joining me further back."

His tone implied that no, this was not up for negotiation. At all.

He turned to Bayushi Ushi.

"Scorpion-san, please call in my next appointment - we've traded all useful information."

- - - -

"What do you know of the history of Hitomi and those dolls, if I can ask?"

"Our best understanding is that Hitomi was a child out of wedlock who the Hida accepted as one of their own, who died in what I think is a shipwreck. Could have starved on a boat, but I heard that people walk to the sea, so something sea based. That's all we know, currently."

[Asahina Sanaharu]

He would find a bench where adults or tired children could rest. He would note Kuma perched there and the children wanted to approach him once again. He opened his wings an gave a loud screech. The children ran away. He started to preen.

He observed how his horse fared, then back at the children. Keeping watch should not be hard, although with a bench it should be better. But even the one the falcon took had not a floor large enough under it that he would not screw his kimono up.

[Bayushi Ijihime]

She examined and said, "I think not, if you wish to to speak with me make an appointment with Otomo Yusuke, but thank you for the invitation."

"Your authority is tenuous at best and as you lack the position of Emerald Magistrate virtually nil with other clans even with authority from the Lord of the Castle. But I am sure you knew that before you began this farce."

[Kakita Konohamaru]

She examined and said, "I think not, if you wish to to speak with me make an appointment with Otomo Yusuke, but thank you for the invitation."

So that was their connection - seems like the sensible thing would be to consider them accomplices.

Not because it may be true, necessarily, but because she was Scorpion and if history taught anything, it was taking out a Scorpion was a plus.

"That level of connection? That tells me what I need to know. Thank you for your cooperation. I will contact Otomo-san should I have further need of you. Enjoy the remembrance."

[Bayushi Ijihime]

She nodded and said, "It was a good time, until it was not."

She departed.

[Ikoma Ren]

"Our best understanding is that Hitomi was a child out of wedlock who the Hida accepted as one of their own, who died in what I think is a shipwreck. Could have starved on a boat, but I heard that people walk to the sea, so something sea based. That's all we know, currently."

"Huh. I wonder who the mother was..." Ren muses

[Bayushi Ushi]

The cloaked Scorpion rose, but paused at the downturn in conversation, they waited a moment for Ijihime to depart ahead of them before they made their own exit.

[Toritaka Hanatsuko]

...

The Falcon looked at Asahina and shook her head. She placed down the dish for Sari and Satuma to drink.

...

After setting the dish down, took out her flute and followed the Kakita's lead in the musical aspect of things.

[Ichiro Taiki]

When Taiki heard of the festival, he was almost certain of two things. One of them is that someone else remembered the previous day... And this was probably related to that, in some way. Maybe doing something particularly memorable, in case the same thing happened again? He wasn't sure, but it had to be related in some way.

The second thing was, if nobody had set up a sumai stall, he would do so.

So when he arrived at the area prepared for the festival, walked around and saw no places dedicated to Sumai, he started setting up an impromptu ring, covering it with sand, doing the necessary markings, then setting up posts advertising his own stall. Demonstrations of techniques with people interested in Sumai, teaching some techniques to amateurs... And a small championship for those who might be interested. He didn't have much to offer but a simple shell he had found once on the Red Coasts, in which he wrote with very simple letters - "FireShrimp Village Sumai champion - remembrance festival".

It wasn't much, but he hoped at least some people might be interested.

OOC
D4 LA - Festival of Remembrance - Sumai stall; demonstations + championship. May reroll due to Badger 1. 2 CR, TN 25: 6d10o10k4 30 - 3 Festival Points (1+2 for called raises).

For the championship - we might have people interested roll Jujutsu/Str or Jujutsu/Agi and post their rolls, then compare all participants' rolls. If we have time we could have a final between the two largest results. Anyone interested?

[Kakita Masao]

After setting the dish down, took out her flute and followed the Kakita's lead in the musical aspect of things.

As usual, Masao can't resist an excuse to play, and especially not if it involves Hanatsuko. Smiling like they're children playing tag back and forth, the Crane trades short sections of music back and forth with the Falcon. I hope the kids like it. But even if they don't, I'm happy.

[Kakita Konohamaru]

((OOC:I'll call any further event rolls to an end, but rp is still open here. But together we raised 20 festival points of happiness - great work, everyone!))

[Toritaka Hanatsuko]

...

After drinking some water Sari approached Kuma. Sari baked at the preening bird and the bird gave a cry. Sari whined and looked at the Asahina with puppy eyes.

...

The children giggled as they finished braiding the horse's mane. Others danced to the music seemingly enjoying it. Hana looks that she as well is enjoying herself. As she finished the piece, the woman looked at her animals and sighed. She started to walk toward Kuma.

[Asahina Sanaharu]

...

After drinking some water Sari approached Kuma. Sari baked at the preening bird and the bird gave a cry. Sari whined and looked at the Asahina with puppy eyes.

...

The children giggled as they finished braiding the horse's mane. Others danced to the music seemingly enjoying it. Hana looks that she as well is enjoying herself. As she finished the piece, the woman looked at her animals and sighed. She started to walk toward Kuma.

"This dog, must I say, on the top of my unfamiliarity, is full of energy. I have heard that some people bring dogs to a hunt, and those who eschew rokugani ethics even to war. Is it what it does?" He replies to Hanatsuko, looking the animal and making care it would not go too near him. Or, much to his nightmares, jump on him. He would fall if so, aside from getting the kimono full of paw marks.

[Toritaka Hanatsuko]

"Sari is a hunting dog. Her energy is always high and on alert. On the other hand, Kuma goes fishing and he mellows out." A pause and a nod. "Until he decides to start nagging that he is bored."

[Kakita Masao]

Masao, seeing his friend's distress, sits on the ground near Sanaharu and calls to Sari, ruffling the dog's ears if she comes close.

"Asahina-san is not used to animals with such spirit, I think. Your horse is a very patient animal, Asahina-san," he says, gesturing to the now well-coifed pony.

[Asahina Sanaharu]

"Oh, we had a lot of animals back home. Even on my earliest memories, though, our dog was already old. It was gifted as a puppy to... one of my siblings. There was a point we had a cow, I'm not sure why. Not as a farm animal. I don't remember if it was something of my father or Tsuzuo."

[Kakita Masao]

"A cow, Asahina-san? How interesting. We never had such around my father's court -- for obvious reasons I suppose. Actually, we never had any animals that I recall." He looks thoughtful for a moment. "Perhaps that's why I enjoy the company of these fine creatures so much," he says, nodding to Kuma and petting Sari again.

[Toritaka Hanatsuko]

"Well back home, we take care of various roosts. It is better to get to know the chicks and better train them. Try to form a bond between the animal and the person training them." She smiled at the Kakita petting Sari. "I back at home have to take care of the chicks. Sari came to me as a puppy. That is why she is so well behaved compared to other rambunctious dogs."

[Asahina Sanaharu]

"It was a bit of land near Asahina Shinden, bucolic and arcadian like the entirety of the Asahina provinces, but there was planted rice, not a place to tend animals. My sister and my mother live there currently that I know of. Should my honored mother retire, either it will be my sister's or it will be passed to a family anew."

[Kakita Masao]

With the horse well braided, and Kuma still keeping the children at bay, the young ones are probably looking for more entertainment.

"Asahina-san, I know you are a gifted speaker. Do you know any stories suitable for children? Or would you prefer we continue with the music?"

Masao trills a short series of notes again, this time to distract a small girl looking covetously at Kuma's plumage.