Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

[Takimaru]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

Status:

Spoiler

Akari: HP = 76, PP = 33, EP = 33, Status = Fine

At least another fifteen minutes passed before the first student, other than Sora and Akari of course, could bring themselves to stand. It was Souta. Upon seeing that he was among the few that managed such a feat, the corners of his mouth turned upwards, forming a triumphant smile.

"Yessss!" he said aloud, clenching his fist at shoulder level, as if proclaiming himself the victor of a contest that none had agreed on entering. "How do you like thaa--t... urk... huurrff..."

Then, Souta paused, his cheeks puffing up as his body sought to reject the contents of his stomach. Holding a hand over his lips, he somehow managed to run out to the corner of the courtyard with haste before throwing up onto the floor. "Bweeeeeeeeeh!!"

Several chuckles could be heard from Shin, Eiji and Ryuu, who were more often than not the 'jokesters' of the group.

Kyo sighed, sitting up and rubbing his forehead with one hand. "You're cleaning that up, right?"

"I-I'll help..." said Haru. Unfortunately, his willingness to help was stifled by his body's inability to overcome the massive muscle fatigue brought about from the day's grueling training session, and the smallest member of the group ultimately failed to stay up even long enough to walk. Falling onto his backside, he whimpered and put on a defeated look. "Oww... I'm sorry, just... give me a minute."

Walking over to the effeminate martial artist and placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, Sora shook his head. "Don't worry, Haru. I'll take care of it," assured the prodigy, who then moved to where Souta was hunched over to see how he was doing.

"Uh, I'll get the bucket and some water," offered Akio, who struggled a bit to get back to his feet, then slowly but steadily made his way into the house to fetch the desired cleaning materials.

With Akio and Sora assisting in the process, it wasn't too long before the mess was cleaned up properly. The others, after being given several more minutes to let their bodies recover, proceeded to help sweep the courtyard, then assist with other minor chores around the dojo, as well as the main part of the house itself. While some days required more clean-up than others, this was practically a daily routine for them, and thanks to the students' diligence in such manners, Akari's residence always appeared well-maintained.

Upon completion of their usual tasks, the first students to leave naturally included Eiji, Ryuu, and Shin, followed by the triplets. Take, Daichi, Haru, Akio and Kyo followed (in that order), with Souta not too far behind. The green-haired youth looked back over his shoulder to see Sora next to Akari, engaged in conversation. The mere sight of the two so close together caused him to huff quietly before plodding out past the gate with a somewhat crestfallen look.

Sora was not one to let such reactions from potentially jealous cohorts spoil the mood, however; that, or he hadn't noticed them, speaking to Akari in a most casual tone. "Not that conditioning days are ever really easy at the dojo, but something about today, maybe the weather, seemed hotter than usual. Speaking of which, I'd better get washed up as well..." Wiping the sweat from his brow with the sleeve of his outfit, he gave her an apologetic grin, as if his scent were anything to really complain about.

"I'm sure you're about as exhausted as I am right now, but I hope you have enough energy to enjoy the festival. Besides, if you're still sore or crampy tonight, we can always take it easy. I'll even carry you on my back, if I have to. Looks like we still have about... hmm, two hours or so left before anything starts, at the least, so... I'll meet you here at six?"

Unless Akari had anything more to say to him, Sora would then take his leave with a smile and a wave farewell, leaving the dojo's heiress free to take a bath as desired to relax her muscles some. Then there was the matter of selecting what clothes to wear. Traditionally, those attending the lunar festivals wore loose-fitting summer robes that Akari only had perhaps two of, though her mother did own plenty more. She could go with one of the two that she normally wore when going to the events with her parents, or ask Midori for help. Either way, two hours was just enough time to prepare, depending on how much of it Akari used to spend primping herself for the festival, if at all.

 

[xgkf]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

After a few more minutes to rest, Akari slowly rose to her feet shortly after Sora had recovered his breath and stood as well, along with a couple of the other students. When Souta tried to spring to his feet as well, however, his body quickly made it clear to both him and the rest of the dojo that it was not ready to do so, leaving a mess that was the contents of the boy stomach on the ground. While the ‘jokesters’ of the group chuckled at the boy’s misfortune, Akari looked on with concern for a moment before Haru, Sora and Aiko offered and moved to make sure the boy was alright and help him clean up.

Akari moved to assist then as well, retrieving a glass of water from the house and bringing it out for Souta to drink and stay hydrated, briefly remaining by his side – as she would have with any of the students – to make sure that he was alright before joining the other recovered students in the daily process of sweeping the courtyard and cleaning and maintaining the dojo, as well as the rest of the residence. When the chores were finished and the boys began to file out and head home for the day, Akari took the time to exchange friendly waves or polite bows with the various students like she always did as they made their exits, returning to her conversation with Sora afterwards.

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Akari said in reply to Sora’s remark about the difficulty of the day’s training, as well his own desire to wash up. “I don’t know, though, I think it was just that last routine. It really gave us a workout, didn’t it? At least you smell nicer than most of the other guys, though,” she added with a light chuckle. “Don’t tell him I said this, but I don’t think I could have handled it if I’d had to climb around on Daichi that whole time.”

Akari then crossed her arms and scoffed lightly at the blue-haired boy’s next comment, “Hah~! Like I said, I’ll be fine. I’ll admit that a relaxing evening does sound nice, especially after today, but it’ll take more than a little exercise to wear me out to the point that you’d need to carry me,” she said, giving Sora a wry smirk. “Why? Was there something in particular that you were wanting to do during the Festival?” she asked after a moment of thought, her tone less joking than it had been a moment ago as if she were genuinely curious about what he had planned for their date. Regardless of whether Sora answered plainly or decided to keep what – if anything – he had planned for their evening a surprise, Akari would response with how she was looking forward to it before agreeing to meet him at six, and returning his smile and wave goodbye.

When she made her way back into the house to begin cleaning up and start getting ready for the Festival, Akari took a moment to seek out her mother before she went to take her bath, somewhat reluctantly asking Midori if she would mind assisting her in getting ready for the evening once she was done with her bath, knowing that her mother would be more than happy to help her pick out what to wear and provide advice – whether it was wanted or not – for her date. Once that was done, the green-haired girl would then make her way back to the bath where she stripped out of her sweaty training garb and dropped it into the laundry hamper. It was then that she noticed that she could still make out Sora’s scent lingering in her clothes and on her skin, as well as how strangely alluring it actually was now that she didn’t have that strenuous training exercise to distract her from it, causing her to blush slightly as she went to grab a towel before stepping into the bath and submerging herself into the soothing water, letting herself soak and relax for about half an hour as she gradually washed the sweat and stress from her body.

Once she was done, Akari slipped into a fresh pair of panties and wrapped herself in a simple bathrobe before finding Midori again and spending the next hour or so with her helping her get ready for the Festival, accepting her mother’s offer to let her pick one of her vast assortment of elegant summer robes to go along with a pair of dark blue thigh-highs as apposed to one of Akari’s own less fancy outfits. She also agreed with a suggestion to wear her hair pulled back and tied up nicely in back of her head, offset slightly to one side, but the martial artist refused to wear anything more than what she normally did for special occasions in the way of makeup, which amounted to practically nothing aside for a little light lipstick and a touch of a faint blush on her cheeks.

While Midori would no doubt have plenty of ‘advice’ to give her daughter while helping her get ready for her date, once Akari was finally dressed and ready there would be enough time left for her mother or father to give her a few final words before she was supposed to meet Sora – unless he arrived a few minutes early, of course.

 

[Takimaru]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

Status:

Spoiler

Akari: HP = 76, PP = 33, EP = 33, Status = Fine

Having expelled what the others could only guess to be his meal from earlier in the day, the messy-haired Souta looked absolutely miserable. Provided, no one looked particularly well thanks to the day's surprisingly punishing training session, but he, being the newest member of the dojo, and arguably the one with the most to prove, stood out from the rest with his look of defeat, from his pale frame to his disheveled green mop and sweat-soaked clothes. The youngster turned his gaze upwards to appreciate the most pleasant sight of the beautiful Akari offering water to him. When she did, he managed a grin, despite the severe embarrassment that resulted from the girl laying eyes upon such a pathetic sight. "T-Thanks, Akari..." he sputtered, taking the porcelain cup and holding it in two shaky hands before gulping down the water. He almost dropped it in the process, but managed to avoid such a disaster--much to the visible relief of those around him.

After the others left, conversation naturally resumed between Akari and the much less awkward Sora, considered by many to be the prodigy of the group and also Souta's opposite in many ways. "Thanks. So do you," said Sora in response to her comment about him smelling better than most of the others in the dojo. "And yeah, I knew the drills were going to be tough, but I didn't think they were going to be that bad. Good to hear you still have energy for tonight then," added the blue-haired youth, wiping his forehead with the back of his wrist and in the process keeping a few stray, wet locks from obscuring his vision. "As for the Festival, I just want to enjoy it. And for you to do the same, of course! It isn't that I don't enjoy training or anything of the sort, but just taking a break from it all and appreciating everything there is in this city--its traditions, its people... It's a nice thing to do a few times a year. Not to mention, there are plenty of games to play, things to see, and lots of great food! Though you know about all of that, of course."

Despite having stated the obvious regarding the various activities taking place at the event, Sora was still rather upbeat about it, almost infectiously so. From the times that Akari had been there with her parents, she often found it to be quite fun, with no shortage of things to do or stalls to see, though the novelty might have worn off only slightly during her teenage years. In Honrainese lore, it was said that the festival celebrated an old legend in which a lunar goddess gave up the second of her most beloved daughters immortality to ensure the survival of those living on the mortal plane. She could only give birth to a total of five children, all of whom she ultimately gave up for the benefit of mankind in one way or another. This display of love and selflessness would be recognized by way of these annual festivals. Or so it went.

But to many youth living in Koan, Akari included, it was basically an excuse for them to relax, unwind, and have a good time to free oneself from the humdrum of their daily routines. For most, the grind consisted of study, while others did farming or sales, and so on. For the only heiress of the Red Phoenix Dojo, it was training. Her classmates were no exception in this regard.

"They say that for us guys living in Honrai, you haven't -really- experienced the Second Lunar Festival until you've spent time there with a beautiful girl," remarked Sora with unprecedented boldness. While the other members of the dojo, such as Shin, Ryuu, and Eiji, had ogled the green-haired beauty in less than subtle ways, and others still, like Souta, resorted to less conventional ways of asking her out, none had been so direct and yet simple in their flattery as Sora. For it being such a risky way of crossing the proverbial line between friendship and something more, he was surprisingly calm and casual in his delivery, as if he knew of the subtle ways in which he attracted her, but made no attempt to hide the reciprocation of his own feelings. Whether Akari took this in stride or made an issue of it was another matter, but Sora wasn't one to make too huge a deal of it regardless, unless the girl reacted dramatically to his words in a way that was extreme even for her.

"Sounds good. I'll see you then," said the prodigy before stepping out, which left Akari to prepare as she needed to for the festival.

~~~~~​

"My, you are... really sweaty," remarked Midori upon seeing her daughter enter the house in her post-workout state, raising a brow, as if it were the only time Akari had ever done so. Which, of course, it wasn't, but the keen-eyed mother often noticed even the most minute changes in her daughter's appearance, and was often inclined to nitpick about it. As if to make Akari even more self-conscious, the woman looked her up and down, with a look she often took when she was about to make a snarky comment. She hesitated, only to make one anyway seconds later.

"Please don't tell me you allowed Sora to see you like that? There's only one situation in which he should be seeing you sweat that much, dear," she quipped, sighing. However, after hearing Akari's request for her assistance in dressing up, of all things, her skeptical look slowly shifted into that of a sly grin. "Though, I suppose it's better late than never in acting like an actual lady around the boy you like. I'd be glad to help," she added, her tone lightening towards the end of the sentence. "Now go take a bath, and I'll comb through the best options possible while you get nice and clean for once." With a clearly more upbeat air about her, Midori retreated to her room afterwards, trying and failing to hide the cheerfulness that resulted from her daughter actually requesting her advice.

Akari's bath turned out much more pleasant than usual, given that there was much more sweat and grime to be cleaned this time around. All of it washed away into the water as she got herself clean for the evening, and by the time she stepped out, she felt more refreshed than ever before, if just a bit chilly thanks to the exposure of the air on her damp skin. Her mother would still be found in the bedroom, spreading out a variety of differently patterned robes for her to try on.

"Here, try this one. And this... also, the one over here." Any attempts by Akari to protest were swiftly brushed aside, now that she had allowed her mother to take control with a simple request. "No, I can't tell how good it'll look until you actually put it on," fussed Midori. "There's a difference!" There were quite a few options set up already, and yet there never seemed to be enough for the martial artist's fastidious mother. "Far too dark. Off! Now try this one." In hindsight, it was perhaps fortunate that Akari had thought to don some underwear, as Midori allowed her little room for modesty with the constant changing in and out of various robes.

Every time the girl would try on a different outfit, her mother made it a note to stop her, taking an extended, careful assessment of her overall looks with regards to the ensemble. As expected, Akari went through at least six of them before her mother finally settled on one; a white robe with navy blue wave and chrysanthemum patterns to match the thigh-highs she wore. Afterwards, Midori gladly fashioned her daughter's hair in a style not terribly unlike her own. The hairdo was considered rather fancy for a housewife like herself, but for Akari, who was to attend a festival and earn the gaze of one or more admirers in the process, it fit well and looked quite charming, which even the mother had to admit to herself after seeing the end result. An ornamental pin placed in the girl's green hair would help keep it in the desired style and add a bit of flair to it. It was one that Akari had never seen her mother wear before.

"This hairpin was given to me by your late grandmother," she announced in a quiet voice as she carefully arranged the heiress's hair and slid it into place. "All the women of our family have worn it for generations, especially to attract the man they sought. It's never failed--your father was no exception, really. So it's something of a good luck charm," added Midori. She had never referred to her daughter as a woman before, but she was doing so now, in something of a roundabout way. "I suppose you can have this, then. Take good care of it."

Spoiler

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After Akari's hair was finished, Midori proceeded to help her with the finer points of her makeup. She would have applied more, had the girl allowed her to, but as with the clothing, settled for it. But despite all of her critical tendencies, it was easy to tell from Midori's her tone of voice that she was proud of Akari, difficult as it was for her to outright admit it. "It's almost that time, so be sure to see your father before you go. And enjoy yourself," she said with a smile, urging the girl towards the back of the house where her father waited.

Hayato could be found in the backyard, attending to his garden. He had just recovered from a brief 'stopping' spell, as he often had a few times a day, and turned to look at Akari when she approached him. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of his own daughter made up so beautifully. "A-Ah, good evening. So you're headed off to the Festival?" he asked, as if it wasn't obvious enough. "Your mother and I will catch up with you later..." he trailed off. Loathe as he was to admit it, the man was quite protective of his daughter despite her obvious skills. Provided, Hayato probably got along better with Sora than most in the dojo, but the thought of 'handing her off' was not an easy thing for him to do either way, and Akari could tell by the slight tinge of nervousness in his demeanor, a rare thing for the normally composed master. "Be well then."

And at six, Akari would find Sora waiting at the gate, wearing a modest grey summer robe with a light overcoat. As always, he looked quite presentable nonetheless, and even other girls passing by the street turned to look at his back as they walked by. But the others, of course, could hardly compare to the heiress, who with her new look, had no troubles capturing Sora's gaze and keeping it. "Hello. You look... nice," he greeted, trying to sound natural, though the facade was broken somewhat by the bout of speechlessness that followed.

 

[xgkf]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

“Hmm... Is that so?” Akari said as she crossed her arms and grinned in response to Sora’s comment regarding a guy’s ‘ideal’ experience of the Lunar Festival, although the only thing hiding the light blush on her cheeks from being called beautiful was the fact that most of her face was still a little red from the day’s exercises. “Well, while I certainly appreciate the compliment, just keep in mind that flattery alone will get you nowhere,” she said, taking his words in stride as they went their separate ways for the time being.

- - - - -​

As she made her way back into house, Akari chuckled lightly at her mother’s immediate reaction to how sweaty she was in her post-workout state. “Heh, tell me about it. Father really gave us all a workout today...” she said, wiping a few beads of sweat from her brow. “...What?” she said after a moment when she noticed Midori still looking her up and down as if ready to make some snarky comment about her appearance...which, of course, she did...

“Uh-huh...” Akari replied, rolling her eyes slightly. “Well, if you’re done with all that, I was actually wondering if you wouldn’t mind...you know...helping me get ready for the Festival... I mean...you do have some nicer looking clothes than I do, I’ll admit...” she said, albeit a little reluctantly. She then just sighed at Midori’s response before heading off to take her bath, already used to hearing such quips from her mother about her ‘less-than-ladylike’ behavior, although even she found it difficult not to grin at the woman’s sudden cheerfulness towards the fact that Akari was actually asking for her advice for a change.

Once Akari was finished with her bath – finding it to be even more pleasant and refreshing than she usual did after a hard day’s training – and had met up with Midori again in her parent’s bedroom, the green-haired girl quickly began to regret asking for her mother’s help with getting ready for her date as she was almost immediately made to try on three of the more than half-dozen colorful patterned robes that had been set out for her. “Wha...? Do I have to try them all on? Can’t I just...” Akari began in meek protest, although it was quickly interrupted and subsequently brushed aside by the now in-control Midori.

From that point on, Akari was left able to do little more than just go along with her mother’s demands as she swapped in and out of the various summer robes made available to her. There was little room left in the way of modesty for the martial artist throughout the process, with only her panties keeping her from being completely naked in front of the other woman between outfits. Not that that really bothered the green-haired girl – she was her mother, after all. The only annoying part of it all for Akari was the way Midori would stop and examine her like a piece of produce each time she changed into a new set of robes, but she just grinned, rolled her eyes and beared it. Over half a dozen outfits later Midori finally seemed satisfied with one; a white robe with dark-blue wave and floral patterns that matched her pair of dark-blue thigh-highs. Akari had to admit that she liked the way it looked on her as well, smiling lightly as she looked herself over.

She then sat down while her mother set to work on fixing up her hair, finishing by placing an ornamental pin in her hair to hold it up. It was one that Akari had never seen her mother wear before; a beautiful butterfly hairpin that seemed to shift in color between light-blue and a sort of teal or aqua-green depending on how the light hit it and at which angle she looked at it. The explanation that Midori gave for the hair ornament as she slid it into place surprised the heiress somewhat, and she wasn’t quite sure what to say at first. It was an honor to have been given and...entrusted with something that had been passed down by the women in her family, and to see that her mother valued it so clearly...

“...Mother... I...” Akari began, pausing a moment as she collected her thoughts. A part of her briefly wanted to argue the implication that she was going to be wearing the hairpin now for the reasons that Midori had just stated – to help her attract Sora, the man she supposedly sought. Sure, she liked him, and she’d always gotten along with him pretty well. And yes, he was certainly...attractive, and he had never been anything but kind and respectful for as long as she’d known him. She wouldn’t necessarily say that she ‘sought’ him, though... In any case, she said nothing in regards to that point, not wanting to spoil the moment. “...I... Thank you, Mother. I will...I promise,” she said, truly moved by her mother’s sentiment and the give she had given her, even if she didn’t necessarily agree with what the pin apparently symbolized.

Once she was finally finished getting ready, Akari made her way out to where her father attended to his garden, smiling as he turned to face her and chuckling lightly at his reaction, nodding in response. “I will, Father. Thank you,” she said, hugging him briefly before turning and heading back inside, making her way through the house towards the main courtyard out front.

As she made her way out into the courtyard, Akari spotted Sora waiting for her at the main gate right away, smiling softly as she made her way out to him. She then grinned and cocked an eyebrow at him when he greeted her. “Hmph... ‘Nice’, huh...?” the green-haired girl replied. “What happened to ‘beautiful’?” she teased, smirking at the blue-haired boy as she stood with her hands on her hips, showing that while she may have gotten a little more dolled up than usual, she was still the same tomboyish Akari underneath. “Shall we be off, then?” she said after a moment, allowing Sora to respond to her teasing if he so desired. Either way, the pair would set off for the Festival shortly thereafter, walking side by side.

 

[Takimaru]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

Status:

Spoiler

Akari: HP = 76, PP = 33, EP = 33, Status = Fine

"Beautiful? Oh, well, there -is- that too," responded Sora coolly. "But you did mention something about flattery alone and all that... so I'll spare you the verbal stroking, since you asked so nicely," teased the prodigy. "And yeah, we can do that," he finally said in reply to Akari's suggestion that they make their way towards the fair.

With that, the two set off towards the Second Lunar Festival, the sky already having turned a pleasant shade of blue as evening set in. The sun itself was already out of sight, but it left a lingering reminder of its presence from just hours ago, providing enough light for those in Koan to walk the streets without needing a hand-held lightsource. The roads proved oddly peaceful, and perhaps understandably so, as it was that time before dinner when everyone else was either inside, wrapping up the day's work, or getting ready to head to the festival themselves. Naturally, as with many Honrainese gatherings, there would be plenty of food and snacks to buy at the event, so it was something of a tradition to head there on an empty stomach.

Others began to filter out from their homes as well--groups of friends, families, and of course couples. The latter tended to show far more outright signs of affection than Akari and Sora did, with many of the women clinging to their men, who in return would have an arm draped around the shoulders of their significant others. The blue-haired prodigy seemed content to travel alongside his rival as nothing more than friends, at least in body language, for the time being. The two didn't make it terribly far before a handful of courtesans exiting the Pink Lotus, made up in head to toe with the finest of silks, jewelry and makeup, made a few sly smiles and giggles in Sora's direction. Provided, some of the others down the road could also be seen making subtle passes at other men or potential customers nearby, but seeing as Sora was a step ahead of such johns in terms of looks, he was treated to some extra attention by the call girls.

While Akari was about on-par if not ahead of most of them in terms of overall looks, with just a few rivaling her own natural beauty, it was still easy for her to feel a bit plain with how many lavish adornments they had. The dojo's heiress was made-up more than she had ever been before, with an exquisite hairpin given from her mother and a fashionable robe on top of that. And still, somehow, the amount of money these girls seemed to possess by way of their clothing and jewelry alone was a bit shocking--not only to Akari, but to others watching them walk down the road towards the festival. The brothel was a fairly recent establishment, but already its impact could be felt upon the atmosphere of Koan's streets. The finely made up girls of the Pink Lotus earned many looks of admiration and lust from the men walking along, while getting quiet glares and frowns of disapproval from the women hoping to retain their partners' attentions.

But while Sora made sure to politely nod and return their smiles, he subtly slipped an arm around Akari's shoulder as he did so, gently pulling her closer to him as they strolled down the dirt road. It did enough to ease the pressure of the courtesans' attentions, and he looked back to the green-haired one with a faint but sincere smile. As the two moved closer to the general area where the festival was being held, visibility improved, and a brief look up showed the green-haired girl a familiar sight. The spaces between buildings were strung with numerous lanterns, providing a festive glow to the streets they had just set foot upon. The people of Honrai were passionate about many things, and events like these, along with any other excuse to celebrate tradition, were high on the list.

Before long, the pair made it to the heart of the Second Lunar Festival itself. In contrast to the relatively peaceful paths on the way there, this part of the city was vibrant, bustling, alive. Stalls lined the area, forming a series of neat lanes upon which individuals or groups of people could walk and check out various goods for sale.

The smell of great food wafted through the air, and while such shops were scattered throughout the area, most could be seen on the lane furthest to the left. Candy-covered deoricots, junirants and domelons proved to be a popular choice for those craving sweets. In some other stalls across from them, fried squid, octopus balls, salted potatoes, various types of noodles, meat or vegetable dumplings, and steamed buns provided more savory and filling options if the Red Phoenix Dojo's heiress was in the mood for those instead. Juice, sweetened drinks and even alcohol were also served in large amounts, with the latter going fairly quickly.

The second lane had vendors peddling souvenirs of all kinds. Lucky charms, jewelry made from a fine mineral called ezocite, and other fine goods for women were sold there, as well as 'cuter' things like stuffed animals and the like. Many couples were seen in the middle area, with the girls pointing out the things they wanted--and their male counterparts shelling out the cash--for they would be hard-pressed to refuse such charming requests. If Akari fancied anything in this section, it was practically expected of Sora to oblige her, making it that much more tempting. However, entering such a zone would, by Honrainese standards, make them that much closer to an 'official' couple whether or not she cared to look at her informal rival in such a light.

The third row was where most of the activities and games were being held. If she wanted to engage in a round of friendly competition with Sora, it would be here. Like many of those who grew up in Koan, Akari was familiar with the games here. One involved catching goldfish with a flat paper scoop, while the stall next to it involved dart throwing. Further down were others; a fishing game, ring toss, and a strength test that involved seeing how far one could drive a two-foot stake into a part of the ground, which was made from hard-packed earth. Outside of the physical activities, there were also activities that tested one's memory, games of chance involving luck with several dice-like objects, and finally, others that Akari simply recognized as scams in that they were impossible to win.

The Second Lunar Festival was also held near a small lake, and several boats could be rented to better enjoy the scenery and water. Akari's parents were most fond of this attraction, along with the traditional plays being shown nearby, but tonight it was her choice to enjoy the festival as she wished, with only Sora to keep her company for the most part. After taking in the numerous sights, the blue-haired martial artist turned to his partner. "Ladies' choice, so I'll let you decide where we should go first," offered Sora. "So long as I get second pick," he added afterwards in a somewhat less serious tone.

 

[xgkf]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

“Hmhm, that I did,” Akari chuckled in response before the two set off, making their way casually through the streets en route to where the Festival was being held with the sun having already fallen below the horizon. As they walked, a multitude of other town residence could be seen emerging from their homes in preparation of spending their own evenings at the event, ranging anywhere from groups of friends, families, and of course couples. Seeing some of the more affectionate displays of the latter group made the dojo heiress wonder idly which of those groups she would classify herself and Sora as being part of at this point.

She had always seen the blue-haired boy as a good friend and – during training at least – something of an informal rival, but now that they were going on an actual date together for the first time she wasn’t sure whether that really made them a ‘couple’ now or not. Akari never really considered herself as having been a couple with either of the few guy’s that she had gone on a date with before, but...she had never really felt anything for them like she did with Sora now. In fact, if she seriously thought about it, Sora was probably the first boy that she could honestly say she ever...really ‘liked’.

One group of people that Akari still wasn’t quite used to seeing out and about in attendance of the annual Festival events, however, were the lavishly dressed girls from the Pink Lotus, made up in some of the finest looking silks, jewelry, and makeup that the green-haired girl had ever seen, more-so than even some of her mother’s most extravagant robes. While she didn’t approve of their choice of...profession...nor the subtle passes that some could be seen making towards Sora and other men further down the road, Akari herself couldn’t help but admire just how beautiful a few of them really were, and not just because of how finely they were made up. In the midst of all the attention that the courtesans were exchanging with people, Akari was a little surprised when she felt Sora gently slip his arm around her shoulder and pull her closer to him, seemingly as reassurance of where his interest truly lied that evening.

She looked back at Sora with a playful expression on her face. “My, you certainly are popular. That’s two straight days I’ve seen you garner such attention from the Pink Lotus girls,” Akari said teasingly. “Something I should know~?” she added, playfully nudging Sora’s side with her elbow so as to give him a bit of a hard time, but not necessarily to dissuade him from keeping his arm around her shoulder if he wanted to and not really even expecting him to answer as they continued towards the Festival, making nothing more of it either way unless he said or revealed something particularly unexpected.

As the pair finally began approached the grounds, the roads leading in could be seen decorated with lanterns strung up overhead across the spaces between buildings, giving off a beautiful, peaceful glow. Once they arrived at the bustling heart of the Festival, the celebratory sights, sounds, and smells were quick to flood Akari’s senses, with the entire area populated with various stalls ranging from the usual roster of games and activities and souvenir-shops, to a vast assortment of food and drink stalls, insuring that just about anything that a person could want was available in some fashion at any given moment.

After a few minutes of taking in the sights, Akari quickly spun forward in front of Sora and grinned back at him after he spoke, offering her first choice of activity. “Hmhmm~ Deal!” the green-haired girl said said, turning towards the area where the games were held before setting off, in the mood for some fun and friendly competition. She’d thought about heading towards the food stands instead, but she wasn’t really all that hungry quite yet, so playing a few games first might be good to help work up an appetite.

 

[Takimaru]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

Status:

Spoiler

Akari: HP = 76, PP = 33, EP = 33, Status = Fine

"Well, seeing that they aren't challenging me to fights for a chance at a date with me or anything like that... I think I should be safe," said the prodigy in response to his date's casual teasing, matching her playful tone. Indeed, it wasn't as if the heiress herself wasn't the object of some peoples' desires as well, with Souta's affection for her being no surprise and her having drawn some prolonged looks from Ryuu and Shin during training--although they, along with perhaps some others, wouldn't quite have the courage to act on any of that admiration thanks to her position in the school, not to mention her father.

~~~~~​

After noticing that his date had begun to steer him in the direction of the festival games, Sora put on a skeptical grin and followed along. It seemed that a bit of friendly rivalry with his date for the night was something he simply couldn't avoid at this rate, despite the pair already being quite familiar to competing against one another. But he wouldn't have it any other way. While he deferred to Akari in terms of the available choices, some of the crowds made the decisions easier for them, as a few stands were far too crowded to get in right away.

The first available game involved catching fish with a 'scoop' made from a bamboo frame and rice paper. It took a certain amount of quickness and dexterity to do properly, and most children in Koan had the chance to play it at some point in their lives. Akari was fairly good at this particular game, and it was a chance to show off her skills at what would otherwise be considered a trivial matter. Although the activity was hardly considered a 'competition' by most, the two dojo mates could easily turn it into one, against each other if nothing else. With Sora having waited until she started, they began at roughly the same time. While they both had no trouble in scooping up roughly a dozen goldfish each before their flimsy paper scoops broke, Akari managed to do it in a quicker time, and gained one more in the process. Whether she wanted to rub that in or not was another matter, but she had triumphed over her date for the first activity. Still, most of the other contestants had only managed to gather one or two per person, which caused the couple to earn a few stares of disbelief from the less dexterous crowd. Of course, the fish themselves were prizes; not so much to eat as they were meant to be pets, as ponds were fairly popular additions to the backyards of many homes, Akari's included. The couple was provided with a small, cheap bucket by which they could take home their prizes.

"That's about twenty-five in total, between us. I hope you've got room in your pond for these," remarked Sora with a smile.

With that, they moved onto the second stall--a fairly self-explanatory activity which involved throwing tassled darts at a target made from straw. While basic, it wasn't necessarily an easy task. There were several rings drawn on each dummy, with the circle in the very center of the target being the hardest to hit, given that it was just about as wide as the darts were in diameter. Not to mention, with the distance between the thrower and their mark being as long as it was, a dead-on hit was a tall order for even the most skilled of players. This was a gambling game, which cost 5 banknotes per three darts. The outermost ring earned zero, while the one inside of that gave the player a return of one banknote, and the values got progressively higher as one got closer to the very center. A perfect shot with all three darts could earn someone up to a 100 banknote prize. In the grand scheme of things, many would fail, most would break even. Neither Akari nor Sora managed to hit it in the end, but both of them did manage to land their darts within rings close enough to the center to get some kind of return. Akari gained a total profit of 20 banknotes while Sora edged her out with 30, which was still impressive compared to most who tried their hand at the game and only came out with a gain of 5 banknotes at most.

Just as they were about to leave, however, a girl whom Akari had never seen before drew quite a bit of astounded gasps and comments at the dart game. Her short black hair, dark brown eyes and cold, stoic expression contrasted with the extravagant, pastel-colored silk robes of a Pink Lotus courtesan, and she stared calmly at the target after having made her throws. All three landed in the exact center, and the stall owner looked upon her feat with widened eyes before reluctantly handing over 100 banknotes worth of cash.

"May I go again?" asked the mysterious girl.
"Uhhh, aheheh, once you've won the grand prize, that is all we can give you," replied the middle-aged game operator, a sweatdrop rolling down the side of his face. He knew that if she were to continue like this, he would be looking a negative profit margins by the end of the night.
"A shame," said the courtesan in turn before claiming her reward and walking off quietly.

Sora blinked a few times at the scene, but looked to Akari before making any kind of comment. "Don't see that every day," remarked the prodigy, shrugging and giving the other girl a glance before moving on.

The third stall they encountered was a test of strength, in which one used a mallet to drive a stake into the hard-packed earth below. Several people had already tested their strength, and all who had so far failed, with each getting no further than a few inches. The prizes here were bottles of rice wine, varying in size based on performance.

Just as Sora and Akari approached, however, an individual butted in line before them, as if they hadn't existed in the first place. Either they weren't noticed to begin with, or the offender simply didn't care. A look up showed Akari that the person in question wasn't even male; it was another girl, though not from the Pink Lotus as far as her rather plain robes could give away, with long red hair and a somewhat masculine build, possessed of well-trained muscles given the hints that her loose clothing gave off. Still, despite her opened top she wasn't completely indecent, as her chest was bound via bandages.

"Here, lemme try!" said the newcomer in a stunningly loud voice, grabbing the wooden hammer without further delay. She produced the five banknotes required to play the game from inside the front of her robes and shoved them into the operator's hand before getting a feel for the mallet in her grasp.

"Pretty light... but I think I can do it," she mused aloud, before lifting the tool high over her head and slamming it down onto the stake that was set with a thunderous amount of force. The ground shook for just a moment, and when the dust cleared, the wooden peg was nowhere to be seen.

She had buried it into the ground completely, with only a trace of its dusty top remaining.
"Hah! How's that?!" remarked the redhead triumphantly, expecting astonished reactions, which she also acquired fairly quickly. "Betcha no guy OR girl can do that much!"

The owner of the stall, after picking up his jaw, sighed and handed her the prize; an enormous jug full of rice wine, which the toned contestant happily accepted. "Oh, this is awesome! Nothing quite like a big ol' helping of alcohol to warm me up tonight. Time to get wasted!" She immediately lifted the large pot and took a big swig, the excess pouring out from the sides of her lips and down along her collarbone, as the surrounding crowd continued to watch in disbelief. The operator looked as if he wanted to say something to her, but couldn't manage the nerve to do so as the strange woman continued to chug her prize down in front of the line, where Akari and Sora stood next.

 

[xgkf]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

“Heh, yeah,” Akari replied with a soft chuckle, the blue-haired boy’s referencing of Souta’s...poorly thought out attempt at asking her out the day before reminding her and causing her to think back briefly on that particular incident. She pushed those thoughts aside for the moment, though, making no further mention of it as the pair continued down the road to the Festival.

- - - - -

As they made their way through the game stalls in looking over what games they could play, Akari didn’t mind so much that most of the immediate choice was being made for her by way of the waiting line. She’d participated in the vast majority of these games at least once in previous festivals growing up and generally enjoyed all of them, so she didn’t really have a particular preference for very many of them over any of the others. With a fairly simple goldfish-catching game becoming the first available, the green-haired girl gladly made her way over to it with Sora in tow and took their turn, grinning as she took the simple net provided to her and quickly snagged a fish, having to wait only a moment before Sora caught one as well.

Before she knew it, the two of them were snatching up goldfish left-and-right with a level of quickness and dexterity that earned them a few surprised looks from the surrounding crowd, causing Akari to let out an embarrassed chuckle once they had finished and Sora announced the final tally to her, totaling twenty-five between the two of them. “Ah-hah... Looks like we got a little carried away, didn’t we?” she said, blushing slightly as she looked at all the goldfish in their bucket. “I’m going to give some of these guys back so other people can catch them. Besides, it’d be a little cumbersome to have to carry this bucket around all evening,” Akari explained before going to do just that, opting to keep only two after politely explaining things to the stall vendor.

Once done, the pair then moved on to the next stall featuring a fairly straightforward dart-throwing game, basic in nature but at the same time a true test of skill and precision because of the size and distance from the targets. Akari had played this game a few times as well, but it wasn’t a skill that she had all that much practice in given her family dojo’s focus on unarmed combat rather than any form of weapons training. As such, while it didn’t really come as too much of a surprise, she was still a little disappointed in her performance with her first three darts, barely managing to win back much more than the five banknotes needed to play. Sora didn’t fare much better at first either, something which served as a bit of a saving grace for the naturally competitive dojo heiress, but the pair’s second attempt at the game proved much better overall with them scoring hits only a couple of rings from the center, ultimately earning them both a nice sum of banknotes with Sora edging her out again after managing to land a couple of his darts just inside her own.

“Well, not too bad after a practice round...” Akari said as they began to leave, shaking off her mild disappointment at having lost to her informal rival. “You were pretty good, though. If we had a couple more tries I’ll bet you could land one in the bulls-eye,” she added, her compliment coming just in time for them to glance back and see next person in line proceed to land all three of her darts dead center, effortlessly earning herself the grand prize...

The sight caused Akari’s eyes to widen slightly in surprise, but what amazed her more than the feat itself was the woman who had accomplished it, appearing to be another one of the courtesans from the Pink Lotus based on her extravagant attire. It was the last such person that the martial artist would have ever expected to see give such a clear display of skill, and given her calm and confident demeanor it was clear that it was no fluke, as if the woman knew with one-hundred percent certainty that she could do it again if given the chance. It made the green-haired girl wonder for a moment what the woman could have been in order to possess such masterful skills before she...started working at the Pink Lotus.

“No...you certainly don’t...” Akari replied to Sora’s comment, still slightly in disbelief as the woman claimed her prize and left before they turned to leave again as well. “Heh, maybe it’s a good thing you haven’t been challenged by any of the Pink Lotus girls for a date,” she said offhand, referencing the remark that Sora had made earlier as the two moved on towards their next activity.

As they waited in line for the game, which was a test of strength involving the use of a large wooden mallet to try and drive a stake into the hard-packed earth below, Akari idly observed the results of the people before them. Most only managed to drive the two-foot-long stake a couple of inches into the ground, a fairly typical outcome for the average citizen who might not have any sort of training that might improve their strength or technical approach to the game. For Akari, the proper use of leverage was a concept that came fairly quickly to her after her first couple of attempts at this game in the past thanks to her training, resulting her having managed to drive the stake nearly a foot into the ground the last time she’d participated.

When their turn came around, Akari smiled confidently as she approached the stall eager to see if she could improve over her last attempt at the game, and by how much. She recoiled slightly, however, when a newcomer suddenly stepped up and cut in front of them as if they weren’t even there. “H-Hey!” the dojo heiress called out in response, her objection seemingly paid no mind either by the newcomer, a woman possessing long red hair and a somewhat muscular and well-toned build based on what Akari could see from her loose and opened robes.

After taking a moment to get a feel for the wooden hammer, the woman proceeded to make a good showing of her impressive strength as she hoisted the tool up over her head before bringing it down with all her might, causing the ground to shake and a bit of dust to rise as she made impact with the stake. Once the dust cleared, the two-foot-long stake was nowhere to be seen, having been completely buried into the ground by the force that the powerful woman put behind her swing of the hammer leaving only a trace of it’s dusty top visible in the dirt. Sure enough, the reaction that such a feat garnered from the crowd was one of astonishment, which the fairly crude woman seemed to revel in as she took possession of her prize – an enormous jug of rice wine – and began chugging it down in triumph right there at the front of the line, just ahead of where Akari and Sora stood waiting their turn.

While undeniably impressed and amazed by the display of strength, Akari couldn’t help but feel a little...miffed by the other woman’s crude behavior at the same time after she had cut them off in line. “Pardon us, miss,” the green-haired girl said after a few moments, keeping her tone respectful as she moved to try and step around the woman somewhat so that she and Sora could take their turns at the game.

 

[Takimaru]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

Status:

Spoiler

Akari: HP = 76, PP = 33, EP = 33, Status = Fine

The operator of the goldfish game stall naturally had no objections to Akari's proposal, and nodded his thanks after the majority of his prizes were returned so that others might catch them. It turned out to be a good deal for him in the end, as well as a neat show for those having witnessed the spectacle. In exchange for the large bucket, they were given a smaller container made from a carved-out segment of bamboo, which was sufficient for holding the two fish that they opted to keep.

At Akari's comment regarding the mysterious courtesan's performance in the dart game, Sora simply grinned after shaking off the initial bout of surprise. "Guess you're right about that--I'm not exactly used to dealing with throwing weapons. But that does count as relief on your end too, doesn't it?" he teased. "Well, it's a good thing I have the same high standards that you do."

When the heiress of the Red Phoenix Dojo boldly made her way towards the hammer and stake game, the well-toned stranger who made the most impressive display of strength raised a brow at her. However, it wasn't long before her surprised expression turned into a toothy grin, and after wiping her mouth she gave Akari a good, thorough look, sizing her up. "Oh? You've got some guts for trying your hand at this after me," she said in an accusing tone, only to lighten it afterwards. "I like it! The name's Haruka, by the way. So, let's see what you got," said the girl before setting the hammer down and stepping off to the side, giant jug in hand, to better observe the newcomer's movements. Likewise, the others in the crowd looked on with interest.

Akari was given ample time to prepare herself and take her position in front of a fresh stake. The stall keeper was given his fee, and he made the necessary preparations for the girl to play. Upon lifting the wooden mallet, she'd find that it was every bit as heavy as it looked--but certainly nothing she couldn't handle, especially thanks to the rigorous training her body had been put through on a daily basis. After establishing a firm, proper grip and lifting the hammer overhead, the green-haired beauty brought it down onto the stake. Though it landed somewhat more off-center than she would have liked, it felt like a good enough hit. The hard-packed earth around the wooden peg cracked slightly, and the crowd gave assorted murmurs when they saw the results.

Over half of the stake was driven into the ground, leaving a little under a foot remaining--9 inches total was still visible by the time she finished the strike. It was an impressive result, no doubt moreso than the attempts made by anyone else who had given it a try before--save for the one exhibited by the redheaded girl watching, of course.

"Hmm... more than I expected, at least. I'd never have thought a small thing like yourself would pack that much of a punch, fufu," commented the stranger. "Better than most of the 'men' around here, if they can even call themselves that," she added, much to the chagrin of some of the males standing nearby.

However, that was all she said before turning an eye to Sora. "Oh, how about you? Tell ya what, if anyone here can top what I did, I've got a good reward that they're sure to be interested in."

Sora made no comment at the challenge Haruka made, and instead put himself in the proper zone of concentration needed for the task ahead. He then grabbed ahold of the hammer, getting a good feel for it and allowing the stall keeper to set the next peg up. When all was ready, he took a deep breath, edging out all distractions... then lifted the mallet behind his back, right over his head and down onto the peg. It was a perfect hit--or so it felt like it. The hammer landed dead center, and Sora felt the power of the blow resonate through his muscles. Dust kicked up from the force of his strike. This had to be it.

Sadly, it wasn't quite enough. Roughly 5 inches remained above ground, and while it was a more impressive display than that of Akari's and nearly everyone else before her in turn, it still wasn't even close to the complete planting of the stake driven in by Haruka.

"Ooooh... that's actually not bad!" exclaimed the redhead. "Kind of a pretty boy, but even then I can tell you're a lot stronger than some of the chumps loafing about this place. I think I'd enjoy this festival a bit more if I had a guy like you to spend it with," she added boldly, perhaps intentionally failing to acknowledge Akari's presence next to the blue-haired prodigy. "Why don't you hang out with me near the lake? I could use someone to share this with," she offered, tapping the large pot of wine held under one arm.

"Thanks. You're strong," said Sora with a polite smile. "But I already have a date, and I... don't really drink," he added, standing closer to Akari as if to claim her for himself.

"Hrmmm..." responded Haruka, her mouth crooking into a frown. "That's a damn shame. I guess if you like having to babysit your date, then she seems like a pretty little thing. But if you ever want a real woman, I think you know where to look. See you around, I guess." She gave the green-haired one a not-so-subtle glance towards the other girl's smaller chest, then back up to make eye contact one last time. If there was ever a belittling look, the heiress would then see it on Haruka's face.

Unless Akari had any words of protest, she would then turn right around and walk off, taking another swig of her gigantic prize.

After seeing the results, the stallkeeper offered a smaller jug of wine to each of the two Red Phoenix Dojo members, as per the prizes that were normally given to those who made it past a foot or more. Sora respectfully declined, though Akari could accept if she wished.

 

[xgkf]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

Akari kept a calm and steady air about her as she approached the stand, listening as the other woman spoke but not reacting until Haruka had finished introducing herself and delivering her seemingly friendly challenge. “Akari,” the dojo heiress replied coolly, introducing herself in turn as she took hold of the hammer and flashed the woman a confident grin of her own. This woman was crude, to be certain, but she didn’t seem poorly tempered or particularly ill-meaning, and Akari could feel a subtle swell of pride at the other woman’s mentioning that she liked the display of confidence she’d shown by taking her turn after the other woman’s own impressive show of strength.

After taking the time to prepare and get a feel for the weight of the hammer like she always did after the long layoff between attempts at the game, Akari took her position at the stake that had been prepared for her by the stall vendor and hoisted the wooden mallet up over her head. She held it there for only a second before bringing it down, utilizing the muscles in her legs, hips, back and arms in order to generate as much torque to put behind her swing as she could. “Haaahhh!!” the green-haired girl called out sharply as she brought the hammer down and made contact with the stake, causing the tightly-packed dirt immediately surrounding the wooden peg to crack slightly as it was driven into the ground.

She could tell right away that she hadn’t made as square an impact with her swing as she wanted, but it was a good, solid strike non-the-less, leaving less than half of the two-foot long stake visible above the dirt. Akari grinned at the result as she straightened her posture, knowing immediately that she had outdone her own previous attempt at the game and feeling confident that she could have gotten it to go in another inch or two if she would have hit the peg just a little more squarely on the head. “Hmhmm~ Thank you,” she replied to the other woman’s seemingly approving remark, giving a light chuckle at her comment about the surrounding men’s comparatively sub-par performances.

As Sora approached, Akari similarly gave no response to the woman’s next comment and instead simply handed the wooden hammer off to him. “Alright, you’re turn. Do your best,” she said, giving him a supportive grin and a nod before moving off to the side to watch. Akari had known going into it that she wasn’t strong enough to have even come close to matching Haruka’s feat, despite however much her training and attention to technique may have made up for what she lacked in brute strength. While she had never seen Sora attempt this game before, she knew from their exercises that her date was physically stronger than her, and as such she was more-or-less expecting him to outdo her own performance...as annoying as that thought was to the heiress’s competitive side. More than that, however, it made her curious to see if he would be able to match what the other woman had done.

When Sora finally did make his attempt, Akari could tell from the sound of the impact that the blue-haired boy had made a perfect strike, and for a few seconds she thought that he had actually done it. It was not to be, however, with roughly five inches of the wooden stake having been left visible above the ground. It was an impressive result, regardless, and Akari was the first to express as much. “Oh, wow. Nice job!” she exclaimed as she approached him, a genuine smile on her face. “I thought you had managed to get it all the way in for a second there,” she said, with Haruka’s own response following soon after.

The smile on Akari’s face began to fade as the woman continued to speak, however, extending an invitation to Sora – and Sora alone, apparently – to join her near the lake to share in her winnings. She wasn’t particularly bothered that the offer itself was made – it made Haruka no different than any of the other woman that had made more subtle passes at the blue-haired boy that evening in that regard, and Akari knew the response that her date would give to such an offer anyway – which was indeed promptly given. It was more the fact that the other woman seemed to be outright ignoring her very presence again, just as she had when she’d first arrived and cut in front of them at this stall.

It was the insulting words about her that followed in response to Sora’s decline of the woman’s offer that really got to the dojo heiress, however, as well as the obvious belittling look that Haruka gave her after taking a glance at her smaller chest, causing a slight flash of anger to flare up inside of her as the woman turned to leave. Akari didn’t understand what had prompted such an offensive attitude from the other woman towards her all of the sudden. She had been complimenting her for her own confident demeanor and performance just a few minutes ago, and now the woman was looking down on her like she were just some helpless little girl and as if her efforts had meant nothing all along.

She wasn’t going to just quietly sit by and let that stand...

“Pardon me, Miss Haruka...but I do not need to be babysat,” Akari said firmly, a hint of anger coming through in her voice towards the end beneath her otherwise leveled tone. “I may not be as strong or as well-built as you are, but that does not mean that I’m some fragile little girl who can’t stand up for herself. And...that in no way makes you any more of a woman than I am,” she continued, saying her piece regardless of whether or not the other woman turned back to respond or otherwise acknowledge her words. Either way, once finished Akari would then turn back to the stall vendor and bow politely before accepting her own smaller wine jar prize with a friendly thank you.

Afterward, unless Haruka did something to physically prevent them from leaving, Akari would turn and begin walking away from the stall with Sora presumably following along after, ignoring any further verbal offenses that the other woman may have decided to throw her way and letting her frustration towards her fade as best she could.

 

[Takimaru]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

Status:

Spoiler

Akari: HP = 76, PP = 33, EP = 33, Status = Fine

"Thanks. A little disappointed I couldn't sink it entirely, but, I'm sure a few more tries would've done the trick," replied Sora with a shrug, offering Akari a similarly friendly smile in return. "Not enough of a drinker to really want to bother trying again, though."

With her parting quip delivered, Haruka seemed content to walk off in search of other parts of the festival, where she might be able to enjoy her newly earned prize. However, Akari's response caused the redhead to look over her shoulder with a raised brow. Upon her face was surprised yet angry expression, as if it were a great offense that such a retort was even made. To her, the petite green-haired girl was still little more than a trophy wife. Short, flat-chested, and perhaps made up a bit too pretty to be anything close to a real fighter, at least as far as she was concerned. Provided, she was a bit stronger than she appeared, but a comparison to Haruka herself was not even one worth making in her mind.

"Listen," she snarled. "I'm just tellin' you how it is. You oughtta know that Koan's well-known for its martial artists... and well, quite frankly, you aren't from any dojo that I recognize, if you even are from one. When even the thugs around here are from way better schools, I don't think you'd stand much of a chance, especially all dolled up like that. But hey. I'm not gonna bother savin' you from any trouble if you don't even know where you stand. You saw the stake," said the fiery-haired vixen sharply, glancing sideways to the wooden peg she completely buried in the ground. "If you want to make somethin' of it, I'm right here."

"That would be unnecessary," interrupted Sora, keeping Akari back if she was to be provoked. Either way, he took a very calm voice, so as to defuse the situation. "We're not here to question nor compare your strength to anyone's, as you've done a good enough job of showing it already. I think she just took a bit of offense to your joke, and rightfully so," he explained. "Because as a martial artist, she is competent--even moreso than I on some days. We may not be from a particularly reputable dojo, but I have faith in what we were taught, part of that being to not start meaningless fights. And while you might think her less of a woman than yourself, she certainly isn't... well, not in my eyes."

Haruka was silent for a few awkward moments, nearly at a loss for words. She made a face. No other man had managed to stand up to her like that, even in such a polite manner. Finally, she spoke up. "Geez, acting all impressive in front of your woman, huh...? Still question your taste, but... fine. You're off the hook this time," she conceded with a shrug. "Damn shame," she could be heard uttering under her breath as she finally made her exit--for good this time, so it appeared.

After she was gone from sight, Sora placed a comforting hand upon Akari's upper back and urged her to the other parts of the festival. "Whew," heaved the prodigy with visible relief. "Was concerned that we'd get pulled into a brawl over nothing. Imagine how angry your father would be if he saw us wrapped up in all that?" Offering to carry her jug of wine for her if she needed, the blue-haired youth headed towards the next rows of stalls. They had played a good amount of the games there for the time being--the fair ones, anyway--and either food or souvenirs were in order. It was up to Akari as to which they'd go for first, if any at all. On the farther side of the festival, which was more secluded with several woods, also lay the boat rides and live performances.

 

[xgkf]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

Akari gave no acknowledgment to Haruka as the muscular woman turned back and delivered her rant in response to the martial artist’s defense of herself, having no intention of responding in any way to the other woman as she instead averted her attention and went about graciously claiming her own prize from the stall vendor, eliminating any potential need for Sora to keep her from being goaded into any sort of confrontation with the other woman. To Akari, this Haruka was just another one of those same bullies and thugs that she had referred to, at this point, and it wasn’t worth repeating herself and getting involved further when it wouldn’t make any difference anyway. It did not keep the blue-haired boy from delivering his own retort in return, however, which he indeed gave in further defense of Akari and her prowess as a martial artist.

When the exchange finally ended, Akari was already a few steps ahead of Sora as the two parties went their separate ways, leaving him to have to catch up to Akari slightly before he was able to place his hand on her upper-back and seemingly urge her along. She shrugged her shoulders lightly in opposition to the contact, however, an indication perhaps of her lingering frustration with the other woman and the sour turn that the situation had taken.

“I wish you wouldn’t have done that,” Akari began after a moment, hinting perhaps that there was more to it than just that. “We should have just left without saying anything more. Nothing I said would have made any difference to her anyway, so avoiding further confrontation with her was the best course of action,” she said, pausing for a second before continuing. “I mean...how am I supposed to...” she started, hesitating for a moment before slowing her pace to a stop. She then closed her eyes and took a long, deep breathe, an almost noticeably calmer air settling in around her as she did so. “Look, I’m sorry,” Akari began again. “You were right to try and defuse the situation the way you did, and...I appreciate what you said. It’s just...” she said, pausing again and shaking her head slightly, a soft smile appearing on her features again as she turned to face Sora. “You know what, let’s just forget about it. It’s your turn to pick what we do next, right? So, what do you want to do?”

 

[Takimaru]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

Status:

Spoiler

Akari: HP = 76, PP = 33, EP = 33, Status = Fine

Sensing his date's frustration, Sora lowered his hand off of her back and gave her a concerned look, listening to her initial argument. Having been her informal rival of sorts at the dojo, he might not have been the person she went to first when she had emotional problems, but now, at least for the time being, he showed himself to have little difficulty listening to her concerns. "I suppose you're right. Somehow, I just got the feeling that ignoring her would only make her more angry, though, so I just erred on the side of caution. Didn't mean to upset you," he finally replied, offering her an apologetic look and an accepting nod in response to the girl's own.

Akari trailing off the way she did left a few unanswered questions in Sora's eyes, but he opted not to push the issue any further for the time being, easing her back along into the festival instead. "If you can forget about it, then I can too," remarked the prodigy, offering her a light smile. "At any rate, a festival in Honrai certainly isn't one without food, so we should probably get some," he suggested, leading her towards the food section.

The smell of good cuisine was ever present, especially at the end of the festival where the food vendors plied their trade, which did well in brightening almost anyone's mood. There weren't any dedicated 'sections' for sweet or savory items, however, and the various stalls were littered about in no particular order. The two came across a trio of vendors selling candy-covered fruits, a normally popular choice during the Lunar Festivals but relatively light on the line for the moment.

"What good timing," said Sora, looking over the various choices. "Want one?" Deoricots and junirants, respectively phallic and yonic in appearance, were the most popular pick--though not so much due to the potential innuendos involved, but rather because they were simply delicious when coated with Honrainese confections, especially for those with a sweet tooth. Domelons, larger and fluffier, provided a somewhat milder option. Sora walked up with enough change for both him and Akari's food, though she could object if she cared to. He chose to go for the junirant, a bit larger than a deoricot in girth, though the inside was coated with honey-like flavoring, often requiring the person having the treat to lick it out from the fruit's distinctive opening. Akari, in turn, was free to match his choice with one of her own.

If that wasn't to her liking, there were other types of food about, including, but not limited to: fried squid, octopus balls, salted potatoes, several types of noodles, meat or vegetable dumplings, and steamed buns. Sora eventually picked up a few of the octopus balls for later, which were sold in fours and skewered on sticks, and continued along. The mood in this lane was much more cheerful, which probably lent itself to the fact that everyone was busy stuffing their faces as they walked along. Still, the pair wouldn't have much time to linger for long, as it got crowded right after they made the orders they wanted. "Hmm... let's move on," said Sora, walking with Akari to a less populated lane.

From there, it was the heiress' turn to decide. She could drag him to the souvenirs area--where many girls were using their charms on their own dates to acquire various items--in order to test her own unspoken level of control over her rival. Alternatively, she could opt for a more peaceful setting near the lake and woods, where performances and boat rides also awaited.

As they walked along, they overheard some idle chatter coming from some of the nearby festival-goers.

"Aren't those two from the Red Phoenix Dojo?"

"Hey, you're right. I forget their names but, that's the heiress and the star pupil. Guess he's supposed to be some kind of prodigy."

"For a little school like that? I can't imagine he'd be that good, then."

"Maybe. But I still wouldn't want to mess with him!"

Though it was likely that Sora overheard the conversation, seeing as he walked right beside Akari when she caught wind of it, the blue-haired youth chose to move along without causing much of a fuss--even if his brow furrowed a bit, as if the subject touched down upon a sore point deep within.

He didn't speak up until later, when they were clear of the incident. "You know, for as much as people call me a prodigy or whatever it is, I really don't think I'd be involved in the martial arts at all if it wasn't for the dojo. Honestly, I never even learned to throw a punch until I joined up with you guys, eheh... Even knowing that it'll likely be you that inherits the school one day--which isn't a problem by me, honestly--I'm glad that I was able to train with you and everyone else each day. I have to say that these days will be amongst my fondest memories."

Sora took a deep breath and continued in a more solemn tone. "I've been keeping quiet about this, but it seems that my family put their foot down and had a talk with me the other day. They basically said that I was wasting my time pursuing this art without becoming a master, what with my 'natural talents' or whatever, that I needed to help support my younger siblings... and that they'd disown me if I didn't take up the family business. As much as it angered me at first, the sad thing is, I... can't bring myself to disagree entirely, either. I mean, I'd want nothing more than to continue help in bringing the Red Phoenix Dojo back to where it used to be, but in about a year or so I'll be the only one in my family capable enough to make any meaningful amount of money. I couldn't leave my sisters to fend for themselves," he explained.

The blue-haired youth turned to Akari. "So in no more than a year's time from now, I'm afraid I won't be able to come as often... or at all. I hope you understand."

 

[xgkf]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

As the two continued down the street after finishing with their respective snacks, Akari frowned lightly at the comments she’d overheard regarding Sora and her family’s dojo, the little slight directed at them only reaffirming in the heiress’s mind how far she still had to go in improving the reputation of her school. She made no response nor showed any real sign to her date that she had overheard the brief conversation, however, as all she wanted for the time being was to spend a nice evening in Sora’s company and try to forget about such concerns for a little while.

It was when they were well clear of the other two that Sora finally did speak up about it, however, listening thoughtfully as he began. ‘Hmh, dummy, that’s exactly why people call you a prodigy,’ Akari thought to herself in amusement at his mention that he’d only even learned how to throw a punch because of joining the dojo. It was a true enough thing to call the blue-haired boy, too. Akari had loved martial arts and been training more-or-less with her father since she was five years old. Meanwhile, Sora had only been attending the school and training with them for about five years and he was already easily just as skillful as she was...if not more-so at times. She then smiled lightly and nodded in agreement of his next comment. “I know what you mean. They’re some of mine, too,” she said, pausing then as she heard Sora stop and take a deep breath and waited for him to continue.

What he said next was not something that the green-haired girl had expected him to say, however, the previously lighthearted smile gradually fading from her face as she turned to listen to him as he spoke. By the time he was done, a fairly somber expression had settled in on Akari’s features and her gaze had slowly drifted down to the ground somewhere out ahead of them.

“I...I see...” Akari began, caught off-guard and left unsure about how to respond – about how she even felt – regarding Sora’s news. Disappointed that he hadn’t told her or her father this sooner? Angry that he had chosen now, during their first night out together of all times, to tell her about it? Upset by the fact that he seemed to be getting pressured into it? In truth it was probably all of them at once, and more, but perhaps most of all was just a sense of sadness at the whole situation, and that the more she thought about it the more she realized that – no matter how much she didn’t want to accept it – what he was saying was right, especially if the well-being of his little sisters was dependent upon him as well.

It just wasn’t fair.

After a moment to collect her thoughts, Akari released a heavy sigh of her own before letting out a light chuckle and glancing back at him with a fake smile present on her face. “Heh... So much for just spending a nice, pleasant evening together, huh?” she said, her verbal lamenting of the lost mood betraying the otherwise cheerful front that she was still trying to wear. That began to fade shortly after as well, however, with the combination of this, the earlier incident with Haruka, the lingering thoughts about how she had treated Souta the day before, and just the overall weight that she felt on her shoulders concerning the future of her family’s dojo all gradually wearing on the heiress’s mind and emotions.

Akari would turn then and make her way over towards the nearest bench on the side of the street and sit down, or simply move to lean back against the nearest building if a seat wasn’t available, with Sora presumably taking up a spot next to her. She then paused briefly as her gaze settled back onto the ground below, struggling with what she wanted to say. “...Can I ask you something...?” she began, “If the choice was yours, is that what you would prefer...? That...that you would be the one to take over as the master of the Red Phoenix Dojo instead of me?” she finally asked, glancing at Sora briefly as if searching his eyes for the answer before letting her gaze fall back to the ground below, letting out a quiet huff and continuing before he could give a verbal reply. “I wonder sometimes if it wouldn’t just be better that way... As hard as I train, and as much as I work to try and gain people’s respect, I feel like no one sees me as anything than just...another woman, and that no one will ever really take me or the dojo seriously because of it, even if I do one day become its master...”, the heiress said, bringing to bare the doubts and emotions that she had been bottling up inside of herself.

“Maybe my mother’s right, maybe I am just...wasting my time continuing to pursue martial arts like this...” she continued, letting out a light huff again as she forced another weak smile. “She’s always telling me how I should learn to be a ‘proper’ woman, as I’m sure you recall...” Akari said, chuckling softly in spite of herself as she thought back on Midori’s comments from the night before. “If only I had been born a boy...” she muttered quietly, her gaze turning then to meet Sora’s a few seconds later, allowing him the chance to respond now to anything that she said thus far...

 

[Takimaru]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

Status:

Spoiler

Akari: HP = 76, PP = 33, EP = 33, Status = Fine

"Sorry, I wasn't making a plan of telling you tonight or anything like that, I swear. I guess it just kind of... slipped out," he admitted, his tone slightly more downbeat compared to his usual. The subject matter of their conversation had shifted to a much less cheerful topic, one that contrasted with the colorful and festive atmosphere of the event. While the occasional loving couple, laughing and chattering amongst themselves passed by, an odd feeling of vague loneliness from the announcement of 'goodbye' enveloped the two.

Yet Akari couldn't help but notice a sincerity in Sora's demeanor that she had rarely seen him display while in the presence of the other students. Without a doubt, she had been the first one he had bothered to tell. While the heiress knew him as polite and considerate, the prodigy took such qualities to a near-fault; he wasn't nearly as transparent as Take or Shin in daily life, particularly while training at the dojo. The discipline he exhibited in his pursuit of martial arts couldn't help but to spill over into his social tendencies at times.

"I didn't think it would be right to interrupt classtime just to make a scene about my own problems, especially when it's still a bit down the road. Right now there are bigger things to worry about--like the dojo breakers," he continued. "If nothing else, I can hope to find a resolution of some sort before the year is done," mused the youth aloud.

He stopped explaining himself, however, after noticing Akari's distressed look, and after a few more steps chose to take a place next to her at one of the nearby stone walls, like one of the many that surrounded various homes in Koan, including her own. They had reached the edge of the outdoor festival, away from the stalls and lively attractions and towards a more secluded area, an odd middle road leading towards the boat rides, the traditional plays, and so on. And while there were still other things to see a bit further towards the woods and lake, the topic had wandered elsewhere for the time being.

But when Akari posed her theoretical question towards Sora, his brow furrowed in puzzlement. He couldn't quite understand what she meant at first--that, or he had initially taken on a state of denial. However, the fact soon stuck to him before Akari had to wait any noticeable amount of time, thanks to the heiress' reflections about the odd place she lingered in between supposed roles as a martial artist and as a woman. It was a strange implication. Was she offering her future seat to him? While the prospect would have made many other boys at the dojo jump at the chance, Sora seemed somewhat hesitant.

"I can't say that I never thought about taking over for the master at some point, but... hearing you say it like that, it just wouldn't feel right to see you give up on a dream only because of the trials that might lie ahead for you. You're strong--I can attest to that personally, and I wouldn't be afraid to tell anyone else the same thing in public. If anyone was capable of doing it, I feel as though you would be."

"But maybe I was just so caught up in competing and training with you that I thought this period of us just being disciples would last forever. It's admittedly rather immature of me, but even thinking about the days of us being students just coming to an end is... kind of depressing. It's probably why I couldn't keep the thing about my family all to myself," he explained. "Besides, if I ever do take the title instead of you, I'd want to have earned it fairly. Not because of what other people would think about a female master, but because of what I know I accomplished. Wouldn't you care to know the same? I'd want to at least prove to you that I'm worthy of it," assured the blue-haired prodigy. "Though I probably sound like Souta, saying things like that. Perhaps we aren't so different after all."

Sora took a deep breath. "At any rate... perhaps you're right. If you were born a boy, we probably wouldn't even be having this conversation, as you'd be the next heir without a single question from anyone else in Koan. But seeing you having to work harder than all the others because of being a girl, and going through with it regardless... it's inspiring even to me. What you've done as a woman is far more admirable, rather than someone who might not have had to work nearly as much to get to the same place. Probably why I'm not too fond of the 'prodigy' title myself, because in the end, I still want to believe as though I've put in the work. After all, I already know you have," he admitted. "But I'm glad you're a girl--mainly because I don't think I'd be nearly as inspired by you, otherwise. I wasn't born with the physical gifts that Daichi has, but when I see you doing so well, I'm reminded that hard work can overcome all of that. The girl we saw earlier... sure, she's strong, but somehow I simply don't see her having put in as many hours as you have. There's something to be said for that."

He paused after the surprisingly intimate admission. "I don't think your mother's completely right in telling you that you've been 'wasting your time' with the martial arts. Even though we're training in a somewhat small dojo, it's no secret that you help keep it afloat by showing everyone else your work ethic. She might just be worried about your... er, marriage prospects, as every mother in Koan seems to do for some reason." The youth gradually acquired a more casual tone as he went on with his response. "Mine's already trying to push me towards certain girls, as if I'm already out of time to choose. Though, if I have to be honest, none of them really interest me in the slightest. They're all too busy worrying about how to impress to the point that it's a little... suffocating."

"Maybe I'm just too used to seeing a different kind every day. A girl who is strong enough to keep up with almost any boy--but more importantly, shows real dedication to a craft of her choosing, instead of trying to focus on being the best trophy for another person. If I ever had to marry someone, I'd make sure she's capable of at least that much," said Sora, giving the heiress a soft smile as he turned to face her.

He gave her a look, seemingly sincere enough that she would have a difficult time deciphering his words as mere flattery. Just as Akari herself did in a way, Sora had put off telling her about such feelings for an indeterminate amount of time... but no longer. He chose to express them then as he leaned in closer to her. While something of a passive person at times, he wasn't about to let the opportunity pass him by again, given how many had flew by over the years. The atmosphere went quiet as Sora's lips met those of Akari's--unless the latter chose otherwise. If she accepted him, she'd find his embrace surprisingly warm, especially for someone she was used to trading blows with. While they had been in many compromising situations during earlier training sessions, any actual feelings behind such motions weren't quite as clear back then as they were now, with this much simpler gesture. While he wasn't terribly invasive about it, choosing to keep the kiss relatively shallow, he was still passionate enough to let Akari know that it wasn't something made in jest or mere flirtation.

 

[xgkf]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

Akari stood and listened thoughtfully as Sora spoke in response to her own verbal reflections. It came as no surprise when he admitted that he had indeed at least thought about one day becoming the master of the dojo, but hearing him say that it would not feel right doing so at her expense, and at the very least without proving to her that he was worthy of the position wasn’t quite what she’d expected to hear. He’d made a comparison of himself to Souta then, as well, but she shook her head inwardly at that almost immediately. It was true that Souta had...expressed a vaguely similar desire to prove himself to her, but there was no comparison between the two boy’s intentions in their respective case in Akari’s mind.

She made no response to the blue-haired boy yet, however, nor to what he said afterward. The heiress hadn’t meant for Sora to hear that last part, being just a ‘throwaway’ thought of sorts that had crossed her mind at that moment, but she couldn’t help but feel a sense of warmth spread through her in spite of that as her rival explained just how much not only her own hard work and effort inspired him, but how the very fact that she was a girl did so as well, and how seeing her work as hard as she did made him appreciate the value of putting in that work even more. It was an unusual thing for Akari to hear. She usually didn’t put very much thought into what other people said about her devotion to martial arts...or maybe she had just gotten used to trying to ignore their discouragement – especially her mother’s. Either way, it was a pleasant thing to hear for a change to know that there was at least one person who had her back and could appreciated her efforts.

In spite of the fairly serious nature of the conversation to that point, Akari could only chuckle lightly to herself at Sora’s response regarding what he believed were the intentions behind her mother’s attitude towards her as a martial artist. It was all too true a sentiment in the heiress’s eyes – that the only thing her mother really cared about was her finding a good marriage prospect, a thought that was only further validated to the green-haired girl hearing it come from another person. It was a little surprising to hear that Sora’s mother seemed to be same way, as well, pushing him not only to find a girl to marry but towards a particular sort of girl as well – the type that Midori more-or-less wanted her to be.

What he said next caused a blush to form on Akari’s cheeks, however, as her date outlined his preference for a girl who would be more...capable and dedicated to her own ambitions as opposed to someone who instead strove so hard merely to impress another, having grown used to seeing such a different sort of girl every day firsthand – an unmistakable allusion to Akari herself. It was something of a bold proclamation for Sora to make given his typically reserved nature, even if it was one that the heiress knew she shouldn’t be particularly surprised by considering the fact that they were on a date in the first place. Even so, it was enough to leave her distracted in thought for the moment as Sora moved in front of her and rested his hand on her shoulder. As a result it wasn’t until he had already leaned in and closed the distance between them that she realized exactly what he was doing, causing her eyes to widen slightly in surprise as their lips suddenly met, the world seemingly going quiet around them as he kissed her.

One of Akari’s own hands immediately came up to rest against the blue-haired boy’s chest in response, moving almost on pure reflex and primed to push him back at any moment. She didn’t push him away, however, the surprising warmth and gentleness of his embrace – especially coming from someone whom she was used to trading blows with instead – calming her nerves and preventing her from doing so. It was different from the first time a boy had kissed her like this. There was no sense of...pressure or forcefulness behind it, like she knew that Sora would stop without a moment’s hesitation if she showed any signs of wanting him to. It was...nice...and warm, and while she didn’t attempt to deepen the kiss herself, she also made no effort to push him away, nor prevent him from deepening it a little himself if he felt so bold.

Whether or not the kiss remained as relatively shallow as it had begun, it would only be a few moments before Akari did begin to push lightly against Sora’s chest with her hand, breaking the kiss and creating a little bit of space between them once again. It was then that the green-haired girl noticed a familiar scent in the air, just like the one that she had noticed coming from Sora earlier that day during and after their day’s training. It wasn’t as strong now as it was then, but it wasn’t any less pleasant – or alluring – to Akari’s senses.

That sensation faded after a moment, however, leaving the heiress to blush lightly and quickly glance around in mild embarrassment at what just happened – wondering offhand if anyone had seen, before returning her gaze to Sora as a slight grin more akin to her usual personality formed on her lips. “You know...the first boy who stole a kiss from me like that went home that evening with one less tooth in his jaw,” Akari said matter-of-factly, her tone having more of an oddly teasing quality to it than anything else – as if she were making a threat that was intended for the other to recognize as empty.

“A-Anyway... Thank you... I really needed that,” she began again after a couple moments, the light blush returning to her cheeks as she spoke. “It’s just...it can be hard sometimes not to doubt whether I’m really capable of being the master of our dojo...of teaching and inspiring students the same way my father does,” the heiress explained as she smiled back at him thoughtfully. “It’s nice to hear that you believe in me as much as I try to do in myself...” Akari said, realizing only then that she still had her hand resting gently against Sora’s chest before she pulled it away.

It had been an awkward several moments for the usually highly composed martial artist, whose mind was suddenly swirling with thoughts and feelings that she hadn’t really quite felt before...at least not for a boy. She paused briefly then to try and collect her thoughts as her gaze absentmindedly drifted up towards the night sky, her smile fading a little bit as she tried to think of a way to quiet her mind. “Well... I guess it’s my turn to choose where we go next, huh?” Akari said after a moment of thought, her eyes coming back down to meet Sora’s. “What do you say we go out to the lake for a bit? After everything that’s happened, it’d be nice to find someplace quiet to just try and relax for a little while, I think,” she said with a soft smile, waiting briefly for her date to respond before setting off along side him again.

 

[Takimaru]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

Status:

Spoiler

Akari: HP = 76, PP = 33, EP = 33, Status = Fine

As their lips parted from one another, Akari could feel Sora's warm breath against her lips and his oddly intoxicating scent fill her senses. He lingered close to her for just a moment afterwards, sharing a thoughtful pause with the girl in front of him. The youth looked away when she did, only to meet her gaze once more after Akari found that nobody was staring at them for the time being, despite the presence of several couples walking by. Those who might have spotted the kiss didn't show any outward reactions to suggest that they thought anything of it. Public displays of affection were hardly a frequent phenomenon in Honrainese culture, but at the Second Lunar Festival, they apparently weren't looked down upon in the slightest. That, or they weren't as big a deal to others in the same way that the heiress' most recent experience might have been to her.

The way he looked at her now was... different. It might have been a bit frightening for Akari if she were content to keep such a relationship at its current level, but it was sincere nonetheless. But once she casually delivered her quip afterwards, Sora put on a relieved expression. Perhaps things between them wouldn't have to be so different after all? "Oh? Glad I learned how to take a good shot, then, thanks to you. Though I might argue that it would've been worth it," he replied in kind. "As for believing in you, I don't think I could have stuck around for as long as I did if I didn't trust everyone in the dojo to some extent--yeah... even Souta. And it's pretty obvious that you hold it up in a way, even if it is expected of you as the master's daughter. Though, I almost don't blame you for worrying, even if you really shouldn't. Your father's level of instruction is a lot to live up to," mused the prodigy aloud.

The vague feeling of awkwardness, however, wasn't to stay away for long. Sora had practically announced his own intents with his most recent advance, and while it had been taken by the girl relatively well, he knew that they were both upon a line that was already halfway crossed--one that was difficult to go back on once done completely. But when the girl looked towards him once again and gave a gentle reminder of their little deal, he would be hard-pressed to decline. Outside of the minor bumps like the encounter with Haruka, the night had been very enjoyable thus far, and even the normally level-headed prodigy wasn't ready for it to come to a close just yet. He gave her a nod. "As much as I'd like to lead you around all night, you're right; it is your turn." Upon hearing her suggestion to go to the lake, he gently grasped her hand in his own and took her down the path towards the docks where numerous small boats were moored.

When the pair moved in closer, they would find several loving couples, both younger and older, happily returning from their boat rides. Even the atmosphere of this place didn't lend itself well to friends harboring any sort of feelings for each other without acting on them. While the sounds and laughter of families watching could be heard from a traditional stage theater nearby, the boat rides were certainly for lovers. Still, that aside, the sights were beautiful for those with an eye for scenic beauty. Koan was a town built between a small lake and the edge of a forest. While the center of the city was often bustling, its east side, where the festival had largely been held, was much more in tune with nature. Where they had entered, there was no shortage of trees around them. And while lanterns provided much of the light towards one end of the lake, blue moonlight reflected steadily off its surface even further down. The darker parts were only shadowy due to a slight degree shade provided by overarching branches of trees littered along much of the shore.

As they arrived, they came upon a short line of five other couples. However, the two didn't have to wait long to get a boat rental of their own. A middle-aged man offered them a grin. "A ride for two? Just two banknotes, then," he announced happily, and Sora was quick to pay the fee unless Akari had any strong objections. "Thank you, thank you. Don't rock the boat too much now. Also, can you row?"

"I can," answered the blue-haired youth before taking up his position near the front of the boat and taking ahold of the oars. Akari was free to take the thwart across from Sora. Alternatively, she could sit next to him. Once their seating arrangements were figured out, the man running the rentals sent them off with a gentle shove. Sora took a deep breath, then began to row at a slow yet steady pace away from the docks.

Occasionally he would look over his shoulder to ensure that they wouldn't collide with any of the other boats, even if the distance between them wasn't terribly close at this time of night. Akari could help him in this task by navigating for him where she wanted to go. If she chose to stay closer to the docks, they would still hear a hint of lively chatter from the festival. The center of the lake, covered in moonlight, provided the best view without a doubt, while the further end, the moonbeams half-obscured by juniper branches, gave the most privacy if she was in the mood to share any secrets.

 

[xgkf]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

“Hmh~ Lead away, then,” Akari replied with an amused huff before meeting Sora’s gentle grasping of her hand and smiling softly as they continued walking hand-in-hand along the path towards the lake. As they walked, the beautiful scenic views available on this side of Koan went a long way towards calming the tension in the heiress’s nerves following the vague awkwardness that had developed between the two of them after Sora had made clear his feelings for her, but it did nothing for the feeling of butterflies that had begun fluttering around in the pit of her stomach at that time as well. It was an unusual feeling for the green-haired girl being something that she had only really experienced a few times in her life up to this point, but it was one that she certainly knew the meaning behind, regardless.

As they made their way down to the docks, the sight of various other loving couples both returning from and waiting in line for their own boat rides, as well as the soft light from the lanterns floating on the lake and the moon reflecting off of the water’s surface providing an atmosphere that was unmistakably suited for romance. The pair didn’t have to wait very long for their own boat to rent, but during that time Akari took the opportunity to look around and admire the beauty of the environment around them, as well as letting her eyes wander across the surface of the lake to look for a nice play for them to row out to before their turn came around. Once the rental fee was paid, Akari waited for Sora to climb aboard and situate himself at the oars before stepping on board herself and taking a seat on the thwart across from him, sitting such that her legs were closed and angled slightly to one side.

As Sora worked the oars and began rowing the boat out onto the lake, Akari helped guide him when necessary until they were well clear of the docks and any other boats before taking a few moments to look around, pointing out a particularly peaceful looking location off in the distance where the moonlight was obscured slightly by the juniper trees. With their course set, as it were, Akari allowed her gaze to wander around and upwards towards the sky again, taking in the serene beauty of the moon and the stars overhead mixed with the warm glow of the lights from the festival behind them.

She paused for a moment then and took a long, deep breath as they approached her chosen location, closing her eyes and letting whatever remained of the tension in her nerves fade away as the pleasant smell of the fresh lake air – as well as Sora’s own oddly alluring scent – filled her nose. She open her eyes again then as she finished exhaling her breath. “It really is beautiful out tonight, isn’t it?” Akari said, her warm gaze only then coming down to meet her date’s once again.

 

[Takimaru]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

Status:

Spoiler

Akari: HP = 76, PP = 33, EP = 33, Status = Fine

Sora responded with a soft nod, his eyes briefly looking over their immediate surroundings before meeting Akari's. "It really is. Kind of odd, to think about how many nights like these might have passed that I didn't notice before." He released his grip on the oars for the time being, allowing them to sit in their rowlocks. "On the bright side, we're far away enough from the main festival that we shouldn't have to worry about random strangers interrupting by trying to goad us into spontaneous competitions," added the youth, offering a small grin.

 

[xgkf]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

“Hm-hm... That’s why I picked this spot, so we could finally just get some time to ourselves,” Akari replied in kind after giving a light chuckle at her date’s joke, pausing a moment before she began again, her tone becoming a little more sincere. “Thank you again...for what you said earlier, and for tonight in general. I know it’s had a couple hiccups, but...I’ve really enjoyed myself this evening so far. A lot more than I thought I would...” she said, smiling softly as a faint blush appeared on her cheeks.

“To tell you the truth, I wasn’t really expecting anything...special out of our date tonight,” she continued, pausing a moment to gather her thoughts. “We’ve been friends for a long time, so when you asked me to come with you to the festival I didn’t really think much more of it than that at first. I just thought it would be fun to be able to come out and enjoy the games and the food and everything with a friend for a change. I probably would have gone with Souta, too, to be honest with you, if he would have just asked me like you did instead of...whatever it was he thought he was doing yesterday...” Akari admitted, her gaze drooping for a moment as she shrugged her shoulder, before looking back up to Sora.