Competitive Sarcasm

[Miya Wyn]

Miya Wyn settles into a corner watching others participate in the Courtier/Artisan lessons, as he does he smiles in the direction of the other Imperial in the room.

[Otomo Nobuko]

After having been called on to demonstrate a few chords and play a piece she was less familiar with, Nobuko helped set the koto aside and then went to find a seat away from the center of the room where she could observe. Wyn caught her eye and gave a smile and she took that as invitation.

She made her way there quietly and unobtrusively, sitting next to the Miya and greeting him softly, "Miya-san."

[Miya Wyn]

Wyn nods toward the first competitor, "The Asako has such...control, one might think he has no emotion at all, his On is so solid, is it me or is it rare for a Shugenja to come to this class?"

[Otomo Nobuko]

"It is certainly rarer than it should be," she replied with a tilt of her head, keeping her face slightly down and away from where others watching might be able to read her expression. "One would think that with how much they speak to the kami, they would benefit from knowing how to speak at all. But as I've never spoken to a kami, I could not say that is so. Still, Asako-san's... control... is remarkable."

A pause before adding as an aside that should absolutely be taken as completely unrelated, "I wonder if there are any lemons in the kitchen still, or if they have to restock daily..."

[Miya Wyn]

Wyn smiles a little in the Otomo's direction before regaining control. As Jiro comes up to work through the Perception portion of the program he leans back, "And the Scorpion clan is so....good at telling when someone is and isn't being fully honest, One would think that they spend years honing such skills. "

[Otomo Nobuko]

"When one is surrounded by muddy waters from the day they are born, one must learn the currents if they are to swim safely," she answered in a placid tone. "And by the same accord, when one's own movements stir up mud to block one's sight... one must know enough to make an educated guess which direction not to swim."

[Miya Wyn]

Wyn nods his head toward the Crane smith who approaches next,

"Gold is such an, effective medium, and those little animal charms are so cute, I like the way she is commenting on the judges personalities with her choices of gift for each"

[Otomo Nobuko]

"I do as well," she agreed. "Doji-san has shown an aptitude with jewelry that few in any generation may claim to have been witness to. Surely her works will go down in history, written about by scholars whose praise will be as long as the scrolls they write on. Perhaps so long and enjoyable they may even be used as bedtime stories to inspire young minds."

[Miya Wyn]

Kaiden comes up next with his monologue Wyn settles back listening.


"He is so ….emotive, one might believe him to be an actual Crane Poet, heart sick and in love" He smiles, "Where do the scorpion get such skills in impersonation and mimicry?"

[Otomo Nobuko]

She watched the performance, appreciative of the skill shown. As with Sakura's efforts, it was hard to find fault in the offering to criticize. Going after clan stereotypes was easy and she had already touched on some with Jiro. What to pick... what to pick... Ah!

"A spectacular piece. It is almost as if he were a mirror to another man entirely, reflecting what is shown," she offered, "One does wonder how much of what he displays he has ever felt himself."

[Miya Wyn]

As Mori makes her way Wyn seems to blink a little.

"The Crane is so...unassuming, that I barely noticed she was here until now. She slips in and out of focus like a chameleon in the forest, a true master of the ways of Court."

[Otomo Nobuko]

"Absolutely exceptional in how she conforms to all expectations, leaving no one surprised to what she is capable of," Nobuko agreed, "Truly she is a guiding point for the rest of her clan, the standard by which the rest can be measured."

[Miya Wyn]

"Ah did you know Soshi-San is Imperial trained, their use of wit and manipulation seems like the perfectly blend of the tact of the Scorpion and the subtlety of the Otomo, would you not agree they are a paragon of both their nature, and their nurture?"

[Otomo Nobuko]

"I could agree if it were the Otomo they trained with," she said with a contemplative air, "But surely it was your fine family's dojos that have ensured Soshi-san's ability to slip in and out of both the courts and the provinces with the ease and cleverness of a hawk."