No room at the inn (D0 LE expecting/ask)

[Shosuro Himeko]

(expecting, please ask before posting here)

It had been a long evening of painfully suffering through chirping after chrirping. If Himeko cared enough to pay full attention she'd likely have the history of the entire village in her notes.

Sadly for them, she didn't.

Sitting outside her tent (because the inn was gone and sharing with others was a terrible idea) smoking her Kiseru, she considered what to do with her night. There was no good alcohol here. She could sleep but then she'd wake up and have to deal with the morning chirpening.

Sighing softly, she took another drag from her kiseru. Maybe there was something she could read in her bag...

[Bayushi Shitoru]

Tent set up for the evening, Shitoru had spent some time contemplating the future. He also thought about the past. A right spotty thingg, that. He couldn't remember well enough what had gone wrong or right. The events where there, to be certain, but were they good or ill?

Getting up, he went to find a place to do some proper moonlit training. He rubbed his shoulder twisted his middle, lifting his legs high as he walked. Sitting idle in thought makes the body stiff.

Then he came upon the courtier's tent.

This was a different manner of training. Very well.

"Shosuro-san", he said in greeting, offering a bow. "A pretty night, if not a poorly furnished one."

[Shosuro Himeko]

Himeko didn't look at Shitoru as he approached and bowed, just continuing to smoke her kiseru for a little longer. Eventually she bowed, and spoke.

"It was an average night, but one improved by the company of ones kin" she now looked at him with a smile "sit. Stay a while. The ground is hard but well tended to by a samurai at some point I imagine."

she blew smoke out from her kiseru, looking up at the stars before motioning out in front of her with the pipe.

"What do you think of them? The Sparrow I mean."

[Bayushi Shitoru]

"A mouse may fare well in its own humble way, but its happiness depends on gnorance of the eagle's glory", he contended and took a seat near her, laying his muted and dark sheathed blade across his lap. There was no shine to it, lacking even a hilt. "Your thoughts?"

[Shosuro Himeko]

"Hmm" Himeko commented idly, bringing the kiseru to her lips as she brought her eyes down to look at her kin. A brief puff on the pipe, and she continued.

"I find them equal parts fascinating and disappointing, truth be told. Never have I met ones that are so set with what they have in life. Spoke with one young girl earlier who gushed about her senpai and had little interest in being more than what she was. It's admirable to see one find their place, but I find life is boring once you find your place. Don't you?"

[Bayushi Shitoru]

He held the bottom of his mask as if scratching his chin in thought, then a nod.

"I do not question my place, but I find to rest on a past accomplishment to be...wasteful." He let that air out a short while. "Shosuro-san seems one for taking action, if I may say."

[Shosuro Himeko]

"You would be correct Bayushi-san. I dislike resting on anything, for the ending of one accomplishment is just as the end of the day. The sun sets, and it will again rise" Himeko tapped her pipe against the side of the tent before bringing it to her lips again.

"I'm sure some among the farmers are ambitious though, even if they are unlikely to act upon it. Alas, my time here is too short lived to discover any such people. A pity, I'm certain" she peered at Shitoru "and what of the man that graces my humble tent space tonight? You strike me as one who wouldn't find the humble life welcoming either. A kindred spirit perhaps?"

[Bayushi Shitoru]

"My purpose is life and death, as any samurai, and I walk it with the sword", he said, hand resting on his black and grey blade. "Walking forward is the only way to succeed. These folk have Ebisu's contentment to be true, but they share in the samesuch work. It is not a path for the likes of us."

[Shosuro Himeko]

"How very poetic. Is Bayushi-san an artist of the word as much as he is an artist of the sword?" Himeko chuckled softly, putting her pipe down "I have no interest in dying right now when there is much to do still. Ones path need not end before its usefulness has been spent, we are not Crab or Lion after all. Still, I'm glad you have a sense of importance. It may fare you well as we move further south, from what I hear of our soon to be hosts. Not that I am one to judge a family on heresay" she smirked "but perhaps they can prove me wrong with the influence of another clan."

[Bayushi Shitoru]

"That there will be influence, I have little doubt", Shitoru agreed. "Though I would wager snakes to be more influential with this lot. Peace has not been truly sought by either side, it has been ordered."

[Shosuro Himeko]

"Yes, there is an irony in the Otomo of all people brokering a marriage to bring two clans together. One might wonder what the intent truly is, as peace between the clans is not the forte of that particular family" Himeko nodded, leaning back slightly "no, the canvas is already painted on before the artist began anew. One just needs to hold a candle to the work and see the meaning behind it. Ah, the workings of the mind are ever fascinating are they not? The turning of the wheels to drive the court along."

She tutted.

"Plans within plans. I wonder how prepared they are."

[Bayushi Shitoru]

"The Crane, like as not, are often prepared for matters of treaty", Shitoru offered. "If the Otomo wish this wedding, peace in the region suits their purpose, aye. What would they gain from it? Crab and Crane are our neighbors both, and at current our clan does indeed enjoy certain privilege in court."

[Shosuro Himeko]

"Tsk. It would be an Otomo thing to push the Crane in order to affect us. Friends or not, one must always expect the worst from the serpents of the Imperial families."

Himeko picked up her pipe, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"If the man is coming himself to oversee processions, and I expect he will, he won't want to fail. This could be fun and annoying in equal measures."

She peers back at Shitoru.

"Have much experience with the Otomo, Bayushi-san?"

[Bayushi Shitoru]

'I've had more luck charming shisha who bring news to my lord's castle than I have of ever crossing paths with an Imperial courtier." A chuffed slightly.

[Shosuro Himeko]

There was a small laugh at that.

"Bayushi-san has his priorities right at least, I would much prefer the company of the Miya. Such compassionate souls, it almost makes up for their kin. A little closer to home then, how often have you found yourself under the attention of a courtier trained by our own family?"

[Bayushi Shitoru]

"Many of my lord's scribes, and in addition his karo Bayushi Hajime were trained in the dojo among your families famed City of Green Walls." A slight shrug. "The attention of a courtier trained at this esteemed school is notable and something I have rarely managed to avoid."

[Shosuro Himeko]

"Ah, wonderful. Then you will no doubt be delighted to know that many of the techniques the Otomo employ will feel very familiar" Himeko took another puff of her kiseru "although not perhaps for the same intentions as our beloved kin. Still, you have experience of it, not that I believed for one moment you were on a first assignment, I just like to know who I am attending any gathering with from my own clan. Too often I've met wide-eyed sprouts who underestimate the wiles of the Imperial families because of our own, and I do tire of rescue operations."

[Bayushi Shitoru]

"Every discussion is court, in its way", he allowed. "Though I do carry two swords."

With that he bowed more formally to the Shosuro, in thanks for her consideration.

"Have you met any interesting folk in town?"

[Shosuro Himeko]

There was a look, as if to say 'really?' to his question, before she gestured out to the fields.

"Unfortunately the weasels were not present in my watching. There is an interesting Ikoma boy, and a simple minded little Sparrow girl who deserve a passing mention. I hope your time has been better spent?"

[Bayushi Shitoru]

"It's a small village, I am surprised you did not hear what happened", Shitoru said with some curiosity. "I met a ronin girl, a strange one I think. One of admirable beauty but scars to steal attention from her. Then one of our neighbors, a Fuzake of the Monkey clan. The woman had a spell, some manner of curse from bad fortune, if she's to be believed, it was a fit of prophecy."

[Shosuro Himeko]

"So the local excitement is an eccentric Ronin, and a woman of the Monkey clan claiming to be a prophet?" Himeko tilted her head "I suppose that would be more exciting than which crop would be providing the championship winning yam this season. Truly, I don't know how the Sparrow manage to stay breathing with the quite incredible amounts of excitement around here. I had come across this Fuzake woman already, perhaps she will warrant more attention than I gave her credit for. What manner of prophecy did she claim to have foreseen?"

[Bayushi Shitoru]

"It was a dark thing, to me", he said and shook his head, removing his hat to expose properly tied back and cared for hair, shiny under the moonlight. "Aside a customary warning of such things being like to be confused with the truth, the Fuzake claimed to have seen this ronin I mentioned in a confrontation with some noble, the Crab and Crane livery among them. The noble cut down the ronin girl, blood was everywhere and a man supposedly of imperial breed by his colors sat upon a cracked throne, surrounded by the dead."

He further shook his head. "Ill omens, if you ask me."

[Shosuro Himeko]

"Or an attempt to appear relevant to a great clan samurai" Himeko replied, blowing some more smoke into the air "Bayushi-san should take care not to mix prophecy with delusional rants of a mad woman, and we have no reason to believe that her 'visions' are truly that. She is worth watching though I agree, even if it is just to ensure she doesn't cause us any undue stress by association. Keep tabs on her."

Himeko looked back at the fields. There were still some people out working, weirdly.

"Were any descriptions offered of these nobles?"

[Bayushi Shitoru]

"A warrior I may be, but that does not make me an expert in the matters of the dungeon keeper", said Shitoru. "I did not interrogate the woman further after her ordeal. Perhaps someone more observant in the ways of others could fair better."

A slight bow toward Himeko.

[Shosuro Himeko]

"Wonderful. If I find time between other duties I'll try to get a gauge on the woman" Himeko said in a neutral tone "we have more pressing focuses though. Namely this wedding itself."