Round 1, Flight! (EE, The Desert, Observation Thread)

[Aydi al-Qais]

Lamis found a spot to observe those who shot after her. She held the bow upright beside her, staff-like; though the observant would note that it never touched the ground.

So long as a competitor was on the field, her attention was focused on them. The rest of the time though? Her eyes scanned the colorful crowd, ears open.

(ooc: long work days limit posting a bit, and I'd like to avoid the folks I'm meeting for the first time in the evening thread. Otherwise, open to chat. PM if you approach for that please or I'll lose it in a crowded thread.)

Aydi joined the crowd again, having left the dog at his father's house. Seeing a woman with a bow, he decided to inquire about the competition.

"You seem knowledgeable about archery, Sayyeda. Would you humour me with some commentary to what's going on out there? I am Aydi al-Qais, and I hope I am not imposing." The man in red fez greeted the quiet woman with the palm on his heart and a warm smile.

[Bazir]

Faruq had once more disappeared into the crowd after his turn at shooting. His performance would - hopefully - not be remarkable enough to draw the attention of others, but hearing what was being said about the other contestants might prove interesting.

Speaking of which... there was this one man apparently observing the others from a distance. Faruq kept looking at him from time to time, curious, sneaking a look at where the man's own eyes seemed to be looking. Was it the Khadi's entourage he was looking at?

He wondered why...

Dahabi...of course....heh

Bazir took mental note who the hangers on and the guards where, just in case. He was moving to another position when he noticed another man observing him.

Tsk, this comes to an end then

Turning around he moved towards where the crowd was thickest, aiming to lose his observer.

[Rufus Belgica]

"And I see your aim has... improved "

She was clearly joking.

"But I think the Ivindi fellow has an uphill struggle once they put us all on horses, so he's the one I'll be pulling for."

"Really?" Rufus seems amused by the friendly jibe. "I was pretty sure that my aim was true at least a few times last night."

He shrugs in the comment about the Invidi. "I can't say that I'm particularly talented on horseback. Or talented at all really. At this point, I think I'm looking for the third day"

Rufus peers over at Raya. "Your sister is getting into things. Did she sponsor someone?"

[Ali ibn Farid]

"Go Kezia! Go Rhoda!" Raya from the observation area cheered for each of her Ra'Shari kin - one shooting for herself, one shooting as sponsored it seems.

She was back to her traditional bright dancing outfit, enjoying the show. It was no Ra'Shari party but it was still interesting!

(ooc - open for interaction)

Ali rejoined the crowd. Try as he might to maintain his modest demeanor, there was a bit of an excited flush to his features. In truth, he knew there were those that were more skilled, and the rankings reflected that... but he'd still done quite well. Perhaps such a thing was fated, as he believed!

The young woman nearby drew his eye. Partially because of her outfit, bright and intriguing, but also because of her obvious excitement, matching some of what he felt. Sometimes emotions were meant to be shared, and this felt like the time for that.

"You certainly seem to be in the spirit of the festival, miss." Ali approached her with a smile, rubbing his hands together in his own excitement. "Is there a competitor that you're especially excited to see compete?"

[Raya]

Ali rejoined the crowd. Try as he might to maintain his modest demeanor, there was a bit of an excited flush to his features. In truth, he knew there were those that were more skilled, and the rankings reflected that... but he'd still done quite well. Perhaps such a thing was fated, as he believed!

The young woman nearby drew his eye. Partially because of her outfit, bright and intriguing, but also because of her obvious excitement, matching some of what he felt. Sometimes emotions were meant to be shared, and this felt like the time for that.

"You certainly seem to be in the spirit of the festival, miss." Ali approached her with a smile, rubbing his hands together in his own excitement. "Is there a competitor that you're especially excited to see compete?"

"Hmm?"

Raya paused, mid-cheer, looking at the man that approached.

"I'm excited to see all my brothers and sisters compete! But mostly I'm just excited" She turned properly to look at the man, smiling brightly "you competed, yes? Did quite well too?"

[Ali ibn Farid]

"Hmm?"

Raya paused, mid-cheer, looking at the man that approached.

"I'm excited to see all my brothers and sisters compete! But mostly I'm just excited" She turned properly to look at the man, smiling brightly "you competed, yes? Did quite well too?"

Ali grinned at the response, and at the smile. "That's the spirit. A festival's a good time for excitement eh?" He inclined his head, semi-modestly. "And I did well enough, I suppose. We'll see if it's well enough to earn any acclaim."

He regarded her with raised eyebrows. "Is Kezia one of your sisters, perchance? I had the good fortune to meet her last night. She has a beautiful singing voice."

[Faruq Al-Farhan]

Dahabi...of course....heh

Bazir took mental note who the hangers on and the guards where, just in case. He was moving to another position when he noticed another man observing him.

Tsk, this comes to an end then

Turning around he moved towards where the crowd was thickest, aiming to lose his observer.

Faruq certainly saw as the man went back to the crowd, and he wondered whether his own looking at him had anything to do with it. He couldn't be sure one way or another, of course.

He might have seen him somewhere before? Wasn't sure...

He shrugged. One way or another, that was that for now.

With that, he slipped into the thick of the crowd himself as well.

OOC:
Open for interaction as well! Just please quote me or send a PM if approached so I don't miss it among the answers here

[Arash Karuvah]

Tarset had said she'd be there to observe the competition, and so she was. She was dressed no more formally than usual, though really it was also no less as well.

Finding a place to sit and watch, she didn't recognize all the archers, though she recognized the dancer and the yodotai from the evening before. She also heard the name of the archer that Qasim had said he was sponsoring, and thought he showed himself well. The nomad girl caught her eye, though it wasn't the greatest performance. All the same, her eyes followed her a bit longer than the others.

Arash stepped off from his spot from the shooting, and spent a short time in prayer. It seemed that there were quite a few interested and even talented people joining the group. He smiled, then noticed a Senpet sitting idly by.

He slowly moved towards her, and cleared his throat. "Salla alaikum sayeda. May I join you?"

[Lamis Naaji]

"Not overmuch, if you are. I don't think even the bow-loving Khadi sponsoring all this is sitting quiet through it all." As she turns to him, her eyes flick down then up, taking in the person addressing her, hand at heart rather than near a knife. He own hand lifts to touch briefly in a mirrored position. "Lamis Naaji, Jalan's rider and hunter among the Naaji near the Oasis of Six Steps."

"And it's mostly a good field to shoot against. Though the shabby-looking fellow looks like he's maybe out there because his fellow archery students dared him to try?" She gestures off toward Rufus, the Yodotai easy to spot in this crowd. "And that one...spend a lot of effort on targets up close before finding the comfort to aim farther? I've heard their armies are a force to reckon with, but I'm not sure I'm impressed by their archers."

[Raya]

Ali grinned at the response, and at the smile. "That's the spirit. A festival's a good time for excitement eh?" He inclined his head, semi-modestly. "And I did well enough, I suppose. We'll see if it's well enough to earn any acclaim."

He regarded her with raised eyebrows. "Is Kezia one of your sisters, perchance? I had the good fortune to meet her last night. She has a beautiful singing voice."

"Sidi, every day is a good time for celebration and excitement. Every day could be your last, so why make it anything but? As for Kezia, she is! Well, not actual sister, but Ra'Shari are all family. We travel together, we laugh together, we cry together. We sing together! Although I think Kezia is better than me, not that she would admit it" Raya laughed "I'm Raya, by the way."