Asako Ryo wasn't going to skip out on Retro Night without trying his hand on Bassui Pro Baseball Striker. It would be a bigger bonus if he could show some of these visitors how it was done and keep the prized machine on home turf. He did talk a rather big game for most of the day. Some of his friends tagged along, including Asako Nagi and Shiba Orihime, who made an effort to show up despite the Robotics Club not getting back to her with her hair-straighter yet.

He carefully eyed the digital pitcher as he adopted his batter's stance, the game depicting the fine subtleties one might find in their pose. The pitcher wound up and threw a curveball toward him. He took a swing of his bat...CRACK! and launched the ball outside the stadium, at least the stadium of the arcade cabinet.

"Easy home run," he bragged smugly to his friends and replaced the bat back into its holder.

Day 3, Early Evening - Reading the Pitcher with investigation/perception TN 15, void used: 3d10 22
Day 3, Early Evening - Games: Baseball/Strength, void used, 2 raises called with + 1 free raise at TN25: 7d10o10k4 26

It was damned hot in the starcade tonight. The outside humidity, the failing air conditioning, and now a press of bodies wiggling this way and that. Still, it looked like it was going to be quite the night. He didn't think he could be the king of the starcade and win a cabinet, but those shades were tempting. There was quite the selection available. He had a good feeling about the pinball machine, but figured he'd take a try at the wrestling and dancing machines as well.

The baseball machine was not under his consideration. Such an odd sport, Tsugiharu wondered where it had come from. It wasn't something he knew how to play, and the flock of Phoenixes about it definitely encouraged him to appreciate from a distance.

As some of his friends attempt to achieve the same record, Ryo took a moment to take a sip of his drink as he milled about, feeling very confident that he won't be beat. However, seeing a Spider linger around, he went from aspiring baseball star to a trained courtier.

"...Good evening, Kuchiki-san. I hope your evening finds you well," he greet the Spider with a small bow.

Tsugiharu was not a trained courtier. But fortunately, he knew enough of the words to not be Katsuo.

"Indeed....Phoenix-san." he said, playing it safe with the name. What if the man was a vassal?

He offered a bow.

"We're on a beautiful planet, overseen by generous hosts at retro night. What more could one ask for?" he said.

"I am Kuchiki Tsugiharu of The Hive." he offered as a polite introduction. "Congratulations on your high score. May it remain unshattered throughout the night."

"I'm glad that you're enjoying our hospitality. It's honestly what most of us and especially my father, Asako Naokuni-sama, would want from our guests," he said with a bit of obvious name dropping. Unlike his sister, he wasn't going to be shy about that. "This one is Asako Ryo, pleased to meet a samurai of the Spider clan. Honestly, this is a first..."

He glanced behind him for a moment and nodded. "While we have some baseball enthusiasts in Shiro Yaoke, I'm pretty sure that not many are as practised. While the events here have altered my practice schedule somewhat, I'm glad to see at least I'm still in good shape."

Tsugiharu nodded.

"I must confess, Asako-sama, I am not well versed in the particulars of the game. Mostly that higher score numbers are normally better than lower." he admitted.

"I take it you are involved in the professional play of the actual sport?"

He was waiting for the response from the Phoenix when suddenly....



He saw Moshi Atena enter the arcade. He smiled at her, and that's when it happened. That's when he spent a Void point to overcome his insensitive disadvantage....I mean, the Moshi had a seizure.

"Kuso!" he spit out, rushing over to her side and telling people to "GIVE HER SPACE!"

And he didn't mean tokens for the space invaders machine.

He began first aid immediately. helping ease her to the ground, loosening anything tight around her throat area, and cradling her head.

"Asako-sama, you may need to get emergency services ready, I don't know her history!"

And that was the last moment he spent thinking about the Phoenix, instead focusing on the Moshi.

"Moshi-san, I need you to focus on my voice." he said calmly. "Can you hear me Moshi-san? Focus on my voice Moshi-san, can you hear me?"

"That is the gist of it, yes. The game finds its origins somewhere after the late gaijin nations successfully encroached on feudal Rokugan. Sometime after, the game was brought in and found great success today...I'm surprised the Spider don't have an interest in the game," he said before narrowing his eyes, wondering if it was only foreign to them because they played it with bones and heads. Okay, maybe that was a bad stereotype.

"Played between two full teams who take asymmetrical positions with a field of three bases plus the home base. It's a bit of a sport and strategy game where position occupation matters, the team defending the runners from catching their bases."

He gave a shake of his head at the question. "I'm not...but perhaps one day, I will be..."

Then the incident with the Moshi happened. While he found it annoying...he didn't hesitated with picking up his communicator to call for help while one of his friends ran off to find a shugenja.

Sadly the Moshi's will was too broken to even get out of the trance like state.

//D3 EE Resist Seizure 2 TN10: 2d10o10k2 8

Tsugiharu just continued holding her head, and calmly talking to her.

"Moshi-san, focus on my voice. It's all you need to hear. Just listen to the sound of my calm voice. Come back to me Moshi-san. Focus."

Slowly the Moshi? came to. "Where am I?"

D3 EE Resist Seizure 3 TN10: 2d10o10k2 10

Tsugiharu looked at his communicator.

"I make that to be three minutes. Moshi-san, you're at the starcade." he continues in a calm voice. "You've had a seizure. Is this something you've experienced before?"

The Phoenix Clan was one of the Clans familiar to the tenant of Compassion and it didn't take long for a medical shugenja to make an appearance. Admittedly, she did keep a close list of the Crane guests as they were under watch for...certain conditions. However, it seemed this was a Mantis who was suffering for the ailment.

The attendees easily made way for her as she approached the Moshi and Spider. "I'm Isawa Hakue...Can you walk, Moshi-san?" She said as she moved to help her up. The questions could wait when they weren't surrounded by people.

"Moshi san? ... arcade?" The girl tried to sit up. Thing were still fuzzy. "Why would she come to the arcade?" Then she looked at the Spider and grumbled. "You!" She looked at the two Phoenix and took a deep breath. "I think so." Slowly she tried to stand up.

Tsugiharu was ready to help her as well just in case.

"Estimated time of the incident was three minutes, Isawa-sama. Not longer than five which is good but still...." he offered.

He wasn't going to telling the Phoenix how to do their job, but he was fairly knowledgeable about seizures, and it was important information for the Phoenix to handle her properly.

To save the Mantis further embarassment, some of the local Phoenix returned to their gaming at the Starcade. Asako Ryo kept an eye on the proceedings but kept his distance from the professionals.



"Thank you, Spider-san..." Isawa Hakue bent down to offer an arm for Atena to stand up.

"You just had a fall..." she said, putting it nicely. "Let's go for a walk, Moshi-san. Do you remember what brought you here? Do you think you can show me back to your accommodations?"

Tsugiharu was going to let the Phoenix handle the Moshi. While he was fully capable of treating such a person, the Phoenix had access to all the emergency services. Plus hosts tended to get snippy when guests made them look bad.

This left him to return to....the Phoenix he guessed.

He bowed deeply to the Asako.

"Many thanks, Asako-sama." he said respectfully. "You can't be too careful with cases like that if you don't know the history, so I'm sure Moshi-san is very grateful for your aid. I'll be sure to inform her about it when she has recovered."

"No big issue to raise a fuss about," he returned the bow and gave a wave of his hand. "Isawa-sama will take good care of her and she should take all of the credit. It comes a bit unexpected...but at least there wasn't a great incident."

Tsugiharu nodded.

"Indeed, if she had been riding an Otori through the wilderness when that happened it could have been much worse. I guess there was a practical aspect of her declining to have one for the miai. They truly are noble beasts."

And since the matter was resolved, the polite thing to do would be to set it aside.

"Ah, we were talking about baseball yes? It sounds interesting enough. Are there many professional Phoenix baseball teams?" he asked, guiding the conversation back to something the man apparently was deeply invested in.

"Moshi san this... Moshi san that..." The girl sighed. "Should get used to it." She frowned. "My quarters?... anooo... I don't remember where I am staying... Hmmmm... Yasuki san knew... Damn that Yasuki." She frowned again. She checked her bag. "Ah keycard!"

She looked at the Isawa. "The Wisteria inn... maybe perhaps?"