Something Stronger [Day 8, Early Evening, Open]

Yogo Aya · **Joined:** Sun Apr 05, 2020 12:42 am **Posts:** 719

That prompted a drunk laugh from the Yogo.

"Pffff, no no no, that's wrong, and I can tell you why."

She points at Sukima.

"Sukiyaki-san is the prettiest."

She points a wobbly finger and boops Dega on the nose.

"Dega-san is the least blurry."

She moves on to the sparrow.

"Chihiya is the fierce, but cute one. Or cute, but fierce one. Not sure."

She points at Chen.

"Bakachen has a cute smile."

She points slightly to his left.

"Chenbaka has charming dimples."

Then she points back to herself.

"And then there's me, so that means I am the..."

She pauses a moment to count on her fingers, but ends up counting her fingers instead.

"10th prettiest one here."

Yogo Sukima · **Joined:** Mon Apr 13, 2020 6:18 am **Posts:** 471

"... Didn't catch the eye of someone I l- liked," she sighed, leaning her head to the side and nearly bumping into Chihaya's shoulder. "It happens."

She then pointed a finger at Chihaya. "You seem really strong and impressive, so it's... a totally different thing. Lots of people like strong samurai-ko like you better..."

She pointed at Aya. "You're really pretty, stop that. There's no comparing, it's just... different."

Bayushi Degarashi · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 7:02 pm **Posts:** 1027

"Aya-san has lots of inner beauty, it's just nobody looks at it." Degarashi paused. "Well, almost nobody." Schrodinger's Scorpion seemed to be in a superposition of both drunk and sober, and was waiting for something to collapse the wave function.

Bayushi Chen · **Joined:** Thu Apr 16, 2020 8:22 pm **Posts:** 229

Chen made everyone calm down hand motions "now I'm hearing so much nonsense, everyone here is pretty in their own way. Sukima-sama is stunning, her red hair contrasts with her eyes in a wonderful way. Chihaya-sama holds a strong beauty, her amber eye is so pretty and the pink on her cheeks is adorable. And you Aya-San are very pretty but in an intimidating kind of way. You are both very attractive and a little scary. Everyone is pretty ok?" He looked to each of the women in turn his face and voice stern.

Suzume Chihaya · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 3:29 pm **Posts:** 850

"And you're very pretty too."

She replied, deflecting the praise into the realm of absurdity.

"I can hardly believe anyone would turn you away, Yogo Sukima-san... some men prefer the beautiful maiden to a road rough woman like me... I guess it takes... all peoples to make a type."

That wasn't how that saying went, and she paused, contemplating her cup while trying to sort out what she had just said.

Yogo Sukima · **Joined:** Mon Apr 13, 2020 6:18 am **Posts:** 471

"Hey... I mean... Road warriors are good."

"I'm not a maiden... I have two daughters," she mused in somewhat drunk confusion, then smiled. "They're great."

Suzume Chihaya · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 3:29 pm **Posts:** 850

"See? Someone loved... loves?... liked?... you know. You did the thing."

Chihaya was a warmer shade of pink, as she went on, "But someone else didn't, huh? I guess I know that feeling... One man had the nerve to choose a random Kitsu butei and then demand I be his mistress! Me, a gunso, told I should be his mistress! By a man of no standing!"

It still hurt a little.

"As if I were some baggage he tolerated out of kindness."

Now she emptied her cup, setting it down firmly and then reloading it intently.

Yogo Sukima · **Joined:** Mon Apr 13, 2020 6:18 am **Posts:** 471

"That jerk!" Sukima declared, offended on Chihaya's behalf. "It's not you. He totally deserves a punch in the face."

Bayushi Degarashi · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 7:02 pm **Posts:** 1027

Degarashi just stared at Chihaya, any words he might have been considering thoroughly slain by the Sparrow's own. There was something in his eyes as he watched her, sympathy for the situation, revulsion about how she was treated, and confusion about how someone could look at the woman and not want her in some way. But he found no words, instead fumbling for his cup, looking to drink the thoughts away.

Suzume Chihaya · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 3:29 pm **Posts:** 850

She shrugged, with a knawing awareness that maybe she had horrible taste in men.

"Well... it worked out. I'm married now, with twins."

Which brought back all the loneliness. "I hope... I hope they're ok."

That shouldn't have come out, and she kept her face very neutral, reflexively, as she realized she had said it.

Perhaps she wasn't quite as sober as she wished to be, but that sort of slip near Scorpion immediately brought her guard back up.

Yogo Aya · **Joined:** Sun Apr 05, 2020 12:42 am **Posts:** 719

A wave of melancholy seemed to be washing over the table welcomed by the Big Yogo and the Little Sparrow.

"Well, see, I don't have that problem." she said, refilling her own cup.

"My fiancee died before I ever met him. Poor sod, ripped apart into pieces by peasants riled up by people arguing about who should rule Ryoko Owari."

She drank deeply.

"Such a stupid way to die."

Suzume Chihaya · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 3:29 pm **Posts:** 850

Chihaya, mid drink, choked on her sake, coughing into her sleeve.

Face now beet red, perhaps from the sake going down the wrong pipe, she hid it behind that sleeve as she wheezed her breath back, thinking internally that if any kami were listening, any at all, please let him not have been one of the poor sods standing guard at the Magistrate quarter.

Yogo Sukima · **Joined:** Mon Apr 13, 2020 6:18 am **Posts:** 471

"... I want to try to be courteous and argue with that, but I can't. So... my condolences."

Okay, how to turn things around? Dang it, she made everyone depressed again.

"I bet they're doing okay. I hope mine are doing okay, but I think they are. They have a bear. A bear bodyguard. A beardyguard. ... Sumokai."

Then the Suzume started choking, and Sukima started patting her back firmly. "Geez, are you okay?"

Suzume Chihaya · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 3:29 pm **Posts:** 850

Chihaya waved a hand in feeble protest, but didn't trust her voice.

Meanwhile, internally, she wondered... what's a bear?

Bayushi Degarashi · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 7:02 pm **Posts:** 1027

Degarashi quirked an eyebrow at Aya, swiveling his head in a none too subtle query towards the Sparrow. The timing of Chihaya's gag reflex seemed more than a little suspicious.

Yogo Aya · **Joined:** Sun Apr 05, 2020 12:42 am **Posts:** 719

Aya...misread Dega's concern, and rolled her eyes.

"Ahhh, I'm sorry, Chihiya-san, I didn't mean to upset you talking about when what was left of my family and my fiancee dying in Ryoko Owari. Is just....well, since yesterday I've been thinking alot about it and you mentioned fiancees....I didn't mean to bring the table down." she offered with an apologetic drunken seated bow.

Suzume Chihaya · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 3:29 pm **Posts:** 850

"No, the error is mine, I should drink with greater carrion, I mean... caution. I was present for some of that chaos in Ryoko Owari. I do not envy anyone I caught... who got caught... anybody hurt by it."

Her face was still behind her sleeve.

"It was a terrible trajectory, that is to say, a hysterical tragedy, I mean... horrible. Horrible targety."

Yogo Aya · **Joined:** Sun Apr 05, 2020 12:42 am **Posts:** 719

Aya nods.

"Ah, it was it was. I mean, I wasn't there, I was off at Shiro Yogo completing my gempukku, but that's what everyone says. My aunt and her family who I was living with after the death of my grandparents were meeting my fiancee from the Kitsu. The peasants stormed the house, and killed everyone and stole everything." she says, her own imagining of the scene having been burned into her mind for years.

She took a drink.

"He died trying to protect my family. The Lion withdrew their offer of marriage after that, but I still like to think that he was family, if only in that moment."

Bayushi Chen · **Joined:** Thu Apr 16, 2020 8:22 pm **Posts:** 229

Chen was shocked slightly by the story the sparrow told of one demanding she be their mistress but his senses dulled by the drink a bit he missed his chance t say so and as the conversation transitioned to family he quietly drank his sake with little to add. after a bit he pulled out his samisen and plucked a few strings quietly not loud enough to disturb conversation but more like background noise.

Suzume Chihaya · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 3:29 pm **Posts:** 850

Chihaya sighed.

So it wasn't her then... and maybe she had kept one or two such stories from coming to pass... not that she was particularly fond of those memories.

"I'm sorry to hear that... it sounds like he was a good man."

Something Stronger [Day 8, Early Evening, Open]

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