((Sunset isn't until Early Night here, as a fyi))

"From what I hear it's the hip thing to do." He replied his tone a little teasing. "But I suppose I could, if I had a mind to ask someone on a date. It just always struck me as a bit typical, and being that this is a miai and all I had the idea I should try and stand out."

He shrugged "As I'm sure fancy dinners, dancing, and walks in the garden are pretty staple in both peoples days."

"There's nothing particularly wrong with staples. You've stood out plenty with your performance, but getting to know others helps too." She looked thoughtful. "What if you didn't call it a date, just a get together, or meet up?"

He didn't quite agree with that point, but he wasn't going to argue it etiher. "Sounds like something you would do with friends, bot someone you're trying to marry." His hand reached up to rub at the back of his neck. "Not that I'm aganist that though."

"But I think something like that would work well with a group to, so you could switch oout partners and not just dance with the same people." His eye raised questioningly as he looked the crane over. "I suppose I should ask if you're looking to bet together Asahina-sama."

"Mine...flew into the forest." She grimaces. "After making a mess. For all that I talk to the things regularly, definitely never learned to build them. What sort of tasks would you want a medical assistant droid to manage?"

There's a glance for the drinks and a more pointed look for the Spider, "Physical tasks can be harder to learn if too loose, and...well, my point isn't to make you uncomfortable. There's space here in the shadows to learn some things if the wide open space is intimidating.

She gave a small shrug. "I suppose we all approach this in our own way. If it were as simple as just the marriage part, a nakodo would do just fine. Since there's a choice, I think a bit of getting to know others helps, be it in groups or otherwise. As to what I'm looking for... well, I'd certainly take things either way. I'm a bit more proactive, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't accept random opportunities when they spring up."

"I suppose that leaves us with seeing how the night goes then." Hayato replied a bit of amusement touching his eyes has he lifted his glass towards his lips. "As to get together for groups, I'm not opposed to them either, though they have been a bit more difficult to put together then I hoped."

"I managed to put together a group for karaoke, but nothing really beyond that."

"Singing? I imagine there are a few good singers in our ragtag group of participants. Suzume-san seems all right by her performance tonight. Any others catch your eye?"

"Yeah, a couple of them I accidentally invited out for karaoke." He replied with a soft chuckle. "Doji Ichika-san was quite the sweet singing voice, though she seemed untrained."

"My cousin Moshi Atena, is quite skilled as well though."

"Building of something and communicating with them are wildly different, the fact you got it to turn on is an accomplishment for someone who has not studied engineering. As for my bot as I said an extra pair of hands mostly something with cursory medical knowledge that could possibly even handle more simple things so I can focus on the most severe cases."

At her second statement he nodded "I am not one for drinking to excess in any situation, I like to retain control of myself in some fashion at all times." he looked out to the dance floor "I faced down a six armed razor clawed predator that was a good 2 feet taller than me. I can handle a dance floor." his tone was frosty but his eyes did have a small light of uncertainty in them.

"I have heard Moshi-san's name before, but have yet to see her. I am unsurprised to hear Doji-san did quite well. Anything else you can tell me about your fellow Mantis?" SHe leaned against the bar, looking over curiously.

"She's a priestess, trained by the Bat if I recall." At least that's what it had sounded like. He looked towards his glass and swirled the liquid inside for a few moments, before letting his eyes move back to Fusako. "I'd call her a sweet girl, and say she'd likely make a good mother. She does have her own idiosyncrasies though not that I have delved too deep into those."

"Everyone does really," she noted before looking thoughtful. "Mmm... is that what you seek Tsuruchi-san, a good mother?"

That caused him to blink. "I hadn't really thought of it like that honestly. I suppose it really depends on things go." He offered thoughtfully, his midn going over the people he had met and which might make a good mother.

He lifted his glass to his lips and smirked. "I mean you never know, aside from birthing the kids, I may be the one to end up in that role."

"Hmm...a bandaging and holding things bot does sound kind of handy." Her eyes crinkle with amusement. "Also good for holding a book in that bath...provided the little bot's protected from the water."

One hand comes up to cover the equally amused lift of her lips at the dance floor being compared to a battleground. "Ok, first...is there anyone participating in this miai who hasn't been attacked by giant, hungry reptiles? Second, that's entirely the wrong kind of courage to bring to the dance floor. It's not a battle. It's not that sort of life and death." Her hands wrap around her colorful drink, fingers interlaced. "It's the courage you work up for your first kiss...where maybe you're going to be embarrassed and rejected, but you'll never know the joy of the other alternative if you don't try. It's the courage of needing to know that answer. And that answer comes as often in dim corners as bright stages."

She takes a slow sip of her own drink, letting him think, act, answer. Then she stands and holds out a hand. "So. Do you want to know that answer? And, if so, how do you want to ask the question?" She nods toward the dance floor, and to the space around their table.

_________
Also fluffy dance roll before day flip, whether it's used or not. GM permission obtained for pair of us to fluffy roll.
D7 Fluffy Dance: 7d10o10k4 28 quite average. Has void in the pool that I forgot because tired.

"Life on the frontier always has interesting animal encounters. Besides mine was a mammal not a reptile." he said looking into his drink and then taking a breath.

Satoru set his drink aside "Bravery is Bravery Nakauchi-san the type of fear may be different but being able to act in spite of it is what matters." He said as he stood reaching a hand out to Mumei "Show me your passion Nakauchi-san."

"Is that so? I guess I never thought of a soldier looking after the kids. Do you like children Tsuruchi-san?" There was a pique of curiosity in her tone.

"Yrah, I suppose i do." Hayato offered a touch of a smile on his lips. "And while it might be odd for a solider to watch over them, I guess I expect one to if you match two of them."

"Oh, I don't know if it's odd or not, but it's good to hear you like them. I'm sure a lot of women out there would appreciate a husband that wants to help out." She toasted him at that, smiling before taking a drink.

"I suppose it comes from having sisters three years younger." He replied raising his glass to return the toast. "Still its not like gender roles are what they were all those years ago. I'm more then happy to help if I'm able."

She grins, taking his hand. "That's different, I suppose. Here I was, wondering about the lack of murderous mammals, and now I know they're out there if I only looked a bit harder."

Her hand is just a bit cool to the touch to most--perhaps not another well-loved by water--and her grip is water as well, able to shift as needed while still a definite connection.

The edge of the floor is fine, no need to take the center. Facing Satoru, she offers a bow, more invitation than greeting with the sweep of the other hand as music and story intertwine at the stage. "First...hmm, a vocabulary of movement, I think."

Her relaxed stance shifts to something that speaks of readiness every bit as much as a bushi's or duelist's would. There's no rigidity but there is a tension that needs resolution. "These sorts of dances often used props, which we do not have, but..." her arm extends, held in a graceful arc to the side, the hand obviously holding an invisible...something. A sharp, precise flick of the wrist and there is an invisible fan. With a swooping, figure eight movement she commits to the invisible fan, to the drag of the air against it, the width it has telegraphed through the broadness of the figure. "You've seen the fans in historical dramas, maybe?