Another Day, Another Drink [Day 8 EM]

[Usagi Tomoe]

"Take your time," she offered in a friendly tone, watching the two puppies at play as well.

"Just know that I'm here for my friend."

[Soshi Yuuru]

He sighed a bit, "You know me... I'll exaggerate some stuff here and there about myself... but all in all I'm a fairly honest dude. When put in a competition like this... you're forced to look at where you are in comparison to others.. you are literally reminded of it daily. So in order to impress people and get the match I want... I've worked hard and tried to talk with as many people as I can. But with each day it just seems more and more evident that even if I open up and offer everything of myself... the answer will still be 'No thank you' more often than not."

He leaned back on his hands, "I've always thought giving my best would be enough, but I'm coming to the realization that in some cases... it just won't ever be enough."

[Usagi Tomoe]

She could relate... in a way. It seemed like they were on the opposites of the problem of this miai; Yuuru was well-regarded by the judges, having earned a somewhat high place among the men, but by his own words, it didn't seem like the Unicorn women were interested in him.

Then there was her, always being pushed out by the tiniest margins on the contests and barely considered eligible for marriage after giving her best, having started out as not being considered eligible at all, but she had found someone she wanted to be with... who wanted to be with her.

"I'm... sorry if I am at fault for creating these difficulties for you," she murmured as she looked away from him. Maybe some of the women had heard those rumors and considered him improper for marriage.

"Seems like we're both encountering problems with the way this miai is set up."

[Soshi Yuuru]

He shook his head, "Don't be sorry for that... that's nothing."

He looked over into her eyes, "I'll never regret that for one moment... not a single instant of it. So you don't either little bunny."

[Usagi Tomoe]

"I don't regret anything," she protested with a blush. "It's just... I don't like thinking that anyone might think lesser of you because of those rumours. Especially not after that farce of string of love-songs yesterday. Tonbo-sama dedicating it to Usagi-sama, and then the Unicorn women all singing for other women," Tomoe huffed.

"Not that I agree with the Miya's way of handling things, but I'm upset that no one can see the value of my friend here. Who's nice and funny, though a pain in the neck sometimes too, but he'll make someone a good husband."

[Soshi Yuuru]

He tilted his head, "It is what it is. No use in pining over it needlessly."

A weak smile returned to his lips.

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

"Hope for that number to be few, and the understanding to take the day," she said in the more positive light, but before Tomonaga could start to think he has seen something he may never will Fei finished her comment.

"But there are better chances that half of the songs sung yesterday peeved someone. Half of them were women singing about women after all," she noted, but casually glossed over her own sisters involvement in that. After all, Yue had an excuse. Poor girl was too decent for her own good.

"Well, here's hoping." Tomonaga said. But before he could expand, Liu Fei went on. Tomonaga just grinned.

"Yeah, I noticed that." He said, rubbing the back of his head with one hand. "Ummm... do you know what was up with that? I mean, I wasn't at all offended myself." After all, he'd only met one of the women involved, so it certainly didn't reflect on him if they hadn't found suitable men. "But I'm just wondering. I thought maybe it was a Unicorn thing, like kumis." He took a drink of his.

[Shinjo Liu Fei]

"Not that I was aware of," she answered easily enough. Taking a drink of her kumis. "Since we are good drinking buddies and all," she paused pointedly at this moment in order to take a drink and emphasize that. "My sister did it because she was being entirely too honest about herself. Still, it is the Moto's own fault for asking her to sing about romantic love when marriage has nothing to do with it," she said with a firm nod.

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

"Oh." Tomonaga said. A moment later, he grimaced, lips twisting. "Put that way, it does seem unfair. I mean, in a few days, we're all going to be engaged to someone. Or nearly all, anyway. I'll bet a good number of those won't have any amount of romantic love, so it's clearly not a requirement. You're right, it's not her fault at all, is it? Mmmph." He grimaced on Liu Yue's behalf.

"I think that, after this miai, that sort of thing will matter less." Tomonaga said. "I mean, really, it's just all about being discreet. Of course, in the Crab, that just means moving far enough to the side that no one trips over you."

He gave Liu Fei a nod. "You really care about your sister a lot, huh?" For him, of course, siblings were more of a mixed thing.

[Shinjo Liu Fei]

"Of course," she answered nigh immediately. "When you travel the world from the day you are born you pull your family close, that is what we did. With our parents duties they were away often so that meant my sister needed someone to look after her. Always kept me out of trouble," she added.

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

"Mmmm. That sounds nice." He shot her a quick teasing grin. "I'm sure something needed to keep you out of trouble."

He is silent for a few moments before speaking again. "I think my siblings only looked after me to the extent that they had to. To them, I was the latecomer, the usurper, a further share in their inheritance reduced." His lips twisted. "Wasn't my fault our parents had such an enthusiastic reconciliation."

He gave Liu Fei a sidelong glance. "Except my eldest sister was... well, not kind, I wouldn't say. But she did teach me a lot of what I know about sake, of her own free will. That counts for a lot."

[Usagi Tomoe]

He tilted his head, "It is what it is. No use in pining over it needlessly."

A weak smile returned to his lips.

"True, but the fight isn't over yet, monkey," Tomoe retorted with a chuckle.

"So... who's your new little friend?"

[Soshi Yuuru]

He chuckled, "I call him Saru."

[Usagi Tomoe]

Tomoe smirked. "A monkey for a monkey, how poetic. Will he climb as well as a monkey, is the question."

"I admit I'm surprised that the Moto are first making us sing love songs, and now training puppies... I had expected some sort of wrestling, weapon drills, or mounted combat, to be honest. Maybe the Iuchi instead will have these physical tests."

[Soshi Yuuru]

He nodded, "That'll be my only hope..."

He then smiled, "I saw you yesterday putting in the work, beating up on that Unicorn."