ExplosionMagic
New Member
Elrose
Location: Festival
Elrose nodded in response to Rebecca's gratitude before bee-lining for the festival itself. From Don Quixote she could already see the paper lanterns that were strung up along the longest road on the island. Crowds of people still enjoying themselves as the night carried on in full swing. The harsh light of the street lights slowly faded as they approached, replaced instead with the softer light of candlelight passing through thin paper. The sheen given off was homey and warm. The crowd too was in high spirits. Bon festival was meant as a celebration of life just as much as an occasion to honor ancient ancestors. Sapporo had plenty of those, with the islands long history being more then full of small wars and Imperial neglect.
Sweet and savory scents lingered in the air, mingling to form an array of scents that could drive anyone to indulgence in all the festival had to offer. As they passed from the side street and onto the main street, the view became much grander. Stalls lined the road, packed with games, food, sake, trinkets, charms, and small competitions held by smaller business. Tea ceremony, yukata design, the Himiko pageant, etiquette displays; the fair had plenty for the old and young alike. Further down the street was one of the more prominent events. A large section of road was roped off to form a square. Inside the makeshift barricade, two people in highly ornate armor stood, wooden swords shaped like katana held in their hands. They were both in varying stances, staring their opponent down. A samurai tournament. Elrose had always wanted to see one in person. No doubt it was a historical reenactment troupe.
Elrose motioned towards it with her chin before setting off for it. She walked at a calm pace, mostly to make sure she didn't run into anybody. The crowd was thicker the closer they got to the arena. It was a highly popular event. Japan had a deep love for its history and pulled no stops in making sure they presented themselves in the best way possible. The armor they were wearing was real. Samurai families had lived, fought and died in that armor. Just by wearing it they were honoring centuries of ancestors. Fighting in it, doubly so. As Elrose grew closer, she half turned to Rebecca.
"If the crowd is still big here, then the Kagura Dance probably isn't gonna start soon. They don't usually hold more then one major event at a time." She said, not having to yell as most of the crowd was quietly watching the dual before them. However, almost as soon as the words left her lips, an older woman in the crowd perked up, turning their way.
"The Kagura Dance isn't until tomorrow. The tournament is the last major event tonight." The older woman broke contact for a moment to face the two, obviously somewhat surprised by gaijin being so interested in their traditions, as her eyes widened. She hesitantly turned back to the two fighters after observing them for a moment. Elrose rose an eyebrow in confusion at the fact. Nobody had said there was a dance. She had no reason to lie, yet it would seem she had. She was about to speak again when the dual finally picked up. One of the samurai, in bright blue with yellow accents and a great helmet that had a foot long horse hair plume running down the back stepped into a swing. He was aiming for his opponents shoulder, meaning to cut from shoulder to hip in a single cutting motion. His opponent, dressed in a very basic set of red armor with a mask that hid their face, stepped into it, their own wooden blade coming up to block the blow, pushing it back upwards in a parry before coming back down and imitating their opponents swing, cutting the blue samurai down.
The crowd was silent for a moment before finally clapping and cheering. Short though the match was, the parry and follow through were expertly done. The red samurai gave their stunned opponent a bow before facing the crowd, stopping for a second once they spotted Rebecca and Elrose. A few others were murmuring around the two.
"That's the third one they beat in a row." One voice complained.
"Is the tournament rigged?" Another griped.
"No one's that skilled." A third followed with.
Judging by the way they were talking, they had no idea who it was they were losing against. The reeanctors all knew each other and were all capable of making matches last a few minutes was the vibe Elrose was picking up. She turned to Rebecca, dismissing the strange complaints of the watchers.
"What do you think so far?"
MocaPoka
Location: Festival
Elrose nodded in response to Rebecca's gratitude before bee-lining for the festival itself. From Don Quixote she could already see the paper lanterns that were strung up along the longest road on the island. Crowds of people still enjoying themselves as the night carried on in full swing. The harsh light of the street lights slowly faded as they approached, replaced instead with the softer light of candlelight passing through thin paper. The sheen given off was homey and warm. The crowd too was in high spirits. Bon festival was meant as a celebration of life just as much as an occasion to honor ancient ancestors. Sapporo had plenty of those, with the islands long history being more then full of small wars and Imperial neglect.
Sweet and savory scents lingered in the air, mingling to form an array of scents that could drive anyone to indulgence in all the festival had to offer. As they passed from the side street and onto the main street, the view became much grander. Stalls lined the road, packed with games, food, sake, trinkets, charms, and small competitions held by smaller business. Tea ceremony, yukata design, the Himiko pageant, etiquette displays; the fair had plenty for the old and young alike. Further down the street was one of the more prominent events. A large section of road was roped off to form a square. Inside the makeshift barricade, two people in highly ornate armor stood, wooden swords shaped like katana held in their hands. They were both in varying stances, staring their opponent down. A samurai tournament. Elrose had always wanted to see one in person. No doubt it was a historical reenactment troupe.
Elrose motioned towards it with her chin before setting off for it. She walked at a calm pace, mostly to make sure she didn't run into anybody. The crowd was thicker the closer they got to the arena. It was a highly popular event. Japan had a deep love for its history and pulled no stops in making sure they presented themselves in the best way possible. The armor they were wearing was real. Samurai families had lived, fought and died in that armor. Just by wearing it they were honoring centuries of ancestors. Fighting in it, doubly so. As Elrose grew closer, she half turned to Rebecca.
"If the crowd is still big here, then the Kagura Dance probably isn't gonna start soon. They don't usually hold more then one major event at a time." She said, not having to yell as most of the crowd was quietly watching the dual before them. However, almost as soon as the words left her lips, an older woman in the crowd perked up, turning their way.
"The Kagura Dance isn't until tomorrow. The tournament is the last major event tonight." The older woman broke contact for a moment to face the two, obviously somewhat surprised by gaijin being so interested in their traditions, as her eyes widened. She hesitantly turned back to the two fighters after observing them for a moment. Elrose rose an eyebrow in confusion at the fact. Nobody had said there was a dance. She had no reason to lie, yet it would seem she had. She was about to speak again when the dual finally picked up. One of the samurai, in bright blue with yellow accents and a great helmet that had a foot long horse hair plume running down the back stepped into a swing. He was aiming for his opponents shoulder, meaning to cut from shoulder to hip in a single cutting motion. His opponent, dressed in a very basic set of red armor with a mask that hid their face, stepped into it, their own wooden blade coming up to block the blow, pushing it back upwards in a parry before coming back down and imitating their opponents swing, cutting the blue samurai down.
The crowd was silent for a moment before finally clapping and cheering. Short though the match was, the parry and follow through were expertly done. The red samurai gave their stunned opponent a bow before facing the crowd, stopping for a second once they spotted Rebecca and Elrose. A few others were murmuring around the two.
"That's the third one they beat in a row." One voice complained.
"Is the tournament rigged?" Another griped.
"No one's that skilled." A third followed with.
Judging by the way they were talking, they had no idea who it was they were losing against. The reeanctors all knew each other and were all capable of making matches last a few minutes was the vibe Elrose was picking up. She turned to Rebecca, dismissing the strange complaints of the watchers.
"What do you think so far?"
MocaPoka