She sighed and nodded slightly. It might be for the best at the moment.

his lips set in a line but he nodded "good evening then." and with that he found his way to a different part of the crowd.

"Take sailor from the ocean, but neveh the ocean from the sailor." Ishiyo mused, "Oh I did ratheh poorly at the biathlon." She winced at that, "Well it had been awhile since I left the cockpit."

"But yes, meeting new people has been interesting. I have spent a good deal of it searching out my fellow pilots. It was interesting to get theih perspective. As you can imagine ouh mutual allies the Spideh have been eageh to meet me and my fellow Crane. I assume much the same is true foh yourself and any cousins here?"

"Not my usual!" she said, letting at least the excitement seep in even if she didn't have a clue what was going on. Laughing at that, she looked to Ryo, "There that.. thumping in my chest from all the excitement," she said, bringing a hand up to her chest as she said it.

With the arena emptying, and the awkward silence between Akihiko and Shizuku feeling eternal -- but in reality having lasted only a few minutes -- the Lion finally speaks. He keeps his voice low, steady but clearly embarrassed. He struggles to look her in the eye.

"Daidoji Shizuku-san, I must apologize twice. First for my weak effort to lie in saying that the excitement of the event was the cause of my embarrassing behavior, but second for showing that behavior at all. I was..." His eyes close and he lowers his head. "I was an embarrassment and I apologize."

From a distance the Akodo looks like a samurai who had too much to drink and is carefully keeping himself from vomiting.

"Ah... No, it's all right... You weren't an embarrassment at all." She rose and bowed to him, holding it. "I shouldn't have drawn attention to it. You wouldn't have to apologise if it wasn't for my failure of courtesy. I was just... worried, and I should have trusted you more to handle whatever was going on then."

Akihiko is quick to rise, shaking his head, about to argue but catching himself, remembering who and where they are. For any who might still be within earshot, he projects his voice, letting it carry without sounding like yelling: "Daidoji Shizuku-san is most kind to ask after my well-being." He returns her bow, and in that moment when closer to her ear, he whispers, "You're better at this than I am. But I'll try harder."

As he straightens, the projected voice again: "Just a touch of drowsiness, easily put right by a good night's sleep." When Akihiko cranks up his winning smile, and looks around the section of seats, the explanation is unassailable.

She nodded and straightened, rubbing the back of her neck a little with an embarrassed blush. "Yes, we should both get some rest. Let's speak tomorrow or the next day. We still need to practice Fantasy Fight, ne?"

Satoru notices the display his expression unreadable, seeing little reason to hang around he makes his....

/exit

"You got it." He replied with a smile, thoguh it disappeared as she winced. "I suppose that happens after a while, I'd offer to help you practice those skills sometimes if you like. Though I'd also understand if you weren't intrested." She was a pilot after all.

"Honestly? I've only chatted with a few of the spider present, though most are male and your clan sent quite the number of lovely and skilled young women here, so i'd say it's difficult to for me compete for attention." His smile was playful as he finsihed, and it seems like he might be teasing her a little.

"I believe my clan mate has had a bit more luck in that regard though." He reached a hand up and ran it through his hair. "I've met far more fo the Crane, but I think I've still missed one or maybe two? It helps I am that I am rooming with one."

"Ah thank you foh the offeh," Ishiyo begins, "I might take you up on the shooting at some point, I usually fire from viewing a target through a HUD."

The Crane nods, "Ah...I believe an actress accompanied them to the miai, but come to think of it I am not aware of any otheh female Spideh." She noticed the smile but didn't blush, her own smile did grow a fraction, "I am stunned one finds a number of lovely unmarried Crane at a miai." Ishiyo teased back.

"Oh? May I ask which of my kin you find yourself bunked with?" She raised her eyebrows, "Ah...the Moshi I assume? I have not met heh but noticed the name in one of the competitor lists."

"I thought that might be the case." He nodded thoughtfully. "Though I admit I should likely be trying to ask you on a date and not out to practice." He continued a touch of amusement in his tone.

"Right?" He replied playing along. "I was no where near prepared for these kind of numbers!" There is a bit of laughter dancing behind his eyes as he shifted slightly to try to match his eyes to hers. "It almost feels like I was ambushed."

He wanted to laugh, but managed to keep a straight face as he continued. "Ah, It's Daidoji Kamui, it's him, one of the Spider, and I bunked with a very fortunate Kuni." At her next question he nodded. "Yes, she's the only other of the Mantis here, and a sweet girl by my count. Though I've only met her once."

Despite the fight being over and the 'right' person winning, Izumi was still hyped and bouncing around his seat.

"Thatwasgreat!!!! GottagetthesefolkstoInari'sCradle."

"Hai, Fantasy Fight. Tomorrow afternoon, early or late?" Akihiko looks relieved to move on from tonight, though insistent about not waiting too long.

"Mine too! Everyone seems so excitable and the fights are interesting. They must hit really hard for such big people to stay down for so long!" Nara had her eyes trained on the fighters "ooh, that looked painful!"

Alongside all the roaring applause Nakaba sat quietly contented. A sweet sigh juxtaposing the loud roars beside him as the successful title defense was called. The aspects of such an event's production and structure were well known to the crab, the entertainment world consuming a sizable amount of his career, but it's always good to have the heroes win. The triumph of good vs evil reinforced within the collective consciousnesses of society. A fiction he was happy to believe in.

"Well, it's also a performance as well. Sumai is equal parts showmanship and sportsmanship. They are competing, but there is also understanding between most of the wrestlers. They hit and throw each other around as much to entertain others as they are doing so to win. If any of them got into a real fight outside the ring it would look nothing like what they are doing now," he says with a smirk.

"A date?" Ishiyo glanced to the Mantis, "I suppose it is the business of the miai." She chuckles, "That can be arranged as well if you wish."

Her grin returns, "Victory through superior quality and quantity, that is the Crane's way in the courts."

The Crane leans back in her seat as the crowds shift. "Daidoji-san is an odd fellow but sincere."

"Let's go with early. Any place on particular?" She is also clearly relieved to move on... And that he still wants to spend time with her.

"My thought exactly." He said joining her with a light laugh. "I suppose I'll have to put some effort in to finding something inventive to do though."

He shook his head, her smile apparently infectious as he grinned in return. "Overwhelming the competition? A valid tactic."

"That's was my impression as well." Hayato replied, his eyes shifting towards the crowd. "I took a bit of interest in him as well, though as he seems intent on marrying a woman I decided not to pursue that angle for a potential match."