Eye To Eye (D9, Early Evening, Hotaru's)

[Usagi Tomoe]

(Because I'm on a roll with song-titles from cartoons!)

This meeting was something Tomoe was secretly dreading a little. Hotaru was a highly-regarded participant in the miai... and she was also a priestess, cute, intelligent, and from the Bayushi family. While Tomoe felt she had little to compete with in most of those departements, she felt some comfort in that she was most likely doing the right thing.

Approaching Hotaru's tent, Tomoe scratched on the opening. "Bayushi-sama? Do you have a moment?" the Hare called out politely.

[Bayushi Hotaru]

Hotaru was indeed at her yurt, relaxing for the remainder of the evening. She perked up at the voice that called for her and emerged from the front flap. Her eyes lit up in surprise when she saw who it was. "Oh! Usagi-san! What a pleasant surprise! Are you here because you wish to consult the oracle, or perhaps you wished to bring a history lesson to me? Please, come in!"

[Usagi Tomoe]

"An oracle?" The Hare smirked with a glint in her eye. "Perhaps I am, perhaps I am."

Seeing as Hotaru invited her in, Tomoe stepped inside, murmuring politely; "please forgive me for intruding." Tomoe wasn't particularly tall, but she certainly felt taller in comparison to the short frame of little Bayushi Hotaru. "What sort of oracles do Bayushi-sama give? I've heard that Moshi-san offers glimpses into the future too for those who ask."

[Bayushi Hotaru]

"Good, good!" She said with a bright smile as she waved her in, then called for a camp servant to bring some tea.

Hotaru's yurt was like any other's, though she had her furniture pushed off closer to the edges to creature more sitting room for guests. There was an open space to the side for nothing, formerly where her donated statues sat, and several outfits meticulously hung to keep the wrinkles out.

She gestured for Tomoe to sit down as she pulled her satchel closer to her. "Oh! No intrusion at all. My work, intrusions are to be expected sometimes, in more than one sense. You are right in what Moshi-san does and she provides a very generous service for a roadside tent. I could say that our work is similar. However, my consultation of the oracle is more private and personal. When you can read into the fates and the messages of the Fortunes, such information should be handled very carefully, ne?"

[Usagi Tomoe]

"I imagine such talents must be highly sought after at a miai, as people wish to know if a certain match is suitable for them or not, neh?" Tomoe seated herself at the Bayushi's ushering, taking a moment to smooth out the white and red skirts of her hanfu.

"Or perhaps you have attempted to divine such for yourself? Unless that is bad luck...?" the Hare asked with a clever smile.

[Bayushi Hotaru]

Hotaru smirked faintly, having heard that assumption for probably several times by now. "You'd think so but I think people are usually rather sure about their match that their fates are unshakeable from their assumptions. They don't like being told differently. I'm not saying that it's unlikely that it won't happen but I know the fates tend to change. They are never static. Making an assumption is merely assuming everything will always stay the same from now. The fates sometimes have a sense of humour, I've found."

She giggled at the question and shook her head. "I could but I personally left that as a surprise to myself. It's just slightly more fun that way when I'm surprised, ne?" And I've been surprised...

The tea promptly arrived and she poured each of them a cup of tea. "Are you looking to divine about a potential match or do you have another question in mind?"

[Usagi Tomoe]

"Surprises, eh?" the Hare chuckled warmly and smiled. "It's always nice to save some mysteries of the future, I imagine, especially when it is something you must dabble in frequently as a diviner."

The cup of tea was accepted with a grateful nod, but she waited a bit before taking a sip. "I admit, it was not what I had in mind at first... if you'll forgive my forwardness, Bayushi-sama, but I was more curious about what sort of potential matches you had in mind?"

[Bayushi Hotaru]

Oh, of course, of course. Hotaru nodded to herself in the middle of a pour of tea as the inevitable question was brought up. Tomoe's song was public spectacle and hers too, unfortunately. It was doubtful that they were going to be like two ships passing by at night. She took a delicate from her tea to buy her a little more time with her answer.

"Oooh, I suppose I do have a good lead on standing, do I? It comes a bit unexpected but there it is!" She giggled as she glanced to the napping Mamoru, half-hidden behind her hung layers of kimono and other outfits.

"I had scarcely time to decide on my prospects, as I wanted to keep my options open. I do have a great number of options now, ne? Among them, I guess there's Moto who've made an impression with me, Moto Butaj and Moto Baatar. There's also Shinjo Kemuri too. None of those are hard choices but they have my interest. Some would think that I'm interested in Iuchi Dong-Ha for whatever reason. But we're just friends, friendly friends." She fibbed. Not "friends" in the same way as you as Yuuru, of course. What a fibber! Liar lair, hakama on fire!

[Usagi Tomoe]

Hotaru's fib was accepted by Tomoe, who wasn't really that skilled at reading people as she was skilled at deciphering written words and texts. "Oh, is that so?" She seemed a little surprised at Hotaru's words. "I... I apologize then, I had the impression that there was an interest in something more there, from the performance the other day. Forgive me for making rushed assumptions then, Bayushi-sama."

The Hare took a small sip of the tea.

"The Moto, neh? They seem to be popular men. And Shinjo Kemuri-san is a good man too, from what I learned of my brief meeting with him. I'm certain all three of them could be good husbands to you, Bayushi-sama, though I understand it's not an easy decision to make. At least you are in a good position to choose," she inclined her head slightly at that, awarding the tiny Bayushi with a friendly smile.

[Bayushi Hotaru]

"Ohh...that," she said with a chuckle, as if realizing that her performance wasn't a distant memory. She waved off her hand in dismissal. "That was an opportunity for creative liberty. I'm rather spoiled for choice and I didn't want to put my foot too forward. Not yet! Maybe, that was the case with Seppun-sama, too."

"And it will be such a hard choice to make when the time comes!" She exclaimed with a dramatic gesture of her hand. "Who will I ever pick..."

"If rumours are anything to go by..." she said as she withdrew a container with her divination sticks from her satchel. "It seems that most people like you amd Dong-Ha-san as a couple. Which is good! Do you mind telling me about you and him?"

She held a hand close to her lips and half-whispered. "Did you hold hands?"

[Usagi Tomoe]

"Ah, I see." Tomoe wasn't quite sure why Hotaru chose the one she did, but on reflection, it certainly seemed like a better decision than what those Unicorn women had done, or the Tonbo singing about Kitsune Takeo... all sorts of weirdness there.

"In a way, I don't envy you having to make such a difficult choice... though I certainly wish I could be in your position of being likely to make a choice," the Hare said with a playful smile. She had to perform better at the last two challenges to have a chance.

"Rumours?" Tomoe raised a sleeved hand as Hotaru asked about holding hands, feeling that she was already blushing a little. "Uhm... yes," she murmured a little shyly, smiling widely. "I'm flattered people are saying we'd make a good match, I can only hope I won't disappoint if it comes to be. He's a good man. We've held hands, and," her voice lowered more, "he kissed me yesterday."

[Bayushi Hotaru]

"Well, there is some potential you might just round up your standing with the next two contests and put yourself higher. Then, you'll only have myself and that Crane to worry about. But! You're probably more concerned about your match with Dong-Ha? Which you probably shouldn't worry when it comes to me, as I explained myself already." She said before showing an open smile.

She drew out the sticks from, carefully accounting for them so that she could do her calculations right. Touching and kissing? You work very fast, don't you? Next, you'll be bouncing on each other. And doing it in gardens and temples. Well, I got ride on his horse! Wait, that didn't sound right... "Ohh...he did that?!" She said, placing her hand on her lips for a quick moment. "He must really be taken by you, then! I don't think I heard anyone else claim that! At least he hasn't told me, as a friend and confidant."

[Usagi Tomoe]

"I hope I can at least prove my worth in the two coming tests, yes, seeing as how they are arranged by his Family," the Hare nodded, seeming to take the matter very seriously, despite her blushing. "Well, I don't think Doji-sama is interested in Dong-san, so it never crossed my mind to be concerned about her..." And she sang for Akil. That is, if she meant it, of course.

"Ah..." Tomoe placed a hand to her cheek. "H-he seems to be very interested, yes. To be honest, I didn't think I'd be so lucky as to catch the attention of someone like him; clever and kind. Maybe... he's just shy about talking about it? He can be rather bashful sometimes." She giggled a little as she thought of him blushing.

[Bayushi Hotaru]

Hotaru's expression turned serious and her smile disppeared as she watched Tomoe fawn over Dong-Ha, despite the fact she encouraged much of it. She turned more contemplative as she turned her gaze to her sticks instead.

"Hai, hai. Kind and clever. I guess there are some things he wishes to keep to himself..."

She quickly smiled once more. "Uhm, so, anyways! I believe there was a fortune of yours you wanted to attend too? What concerns do you have? Tell me and I shall seek your answer."

[Usagi Tomoe]

The change in the Bayushi's demeanor caught her a little off-guard, and Tomoe looked uncertain for a moment as she wondered if she had overstepped her bounds a little. Baka... I can't just go on girl-talking with her when I don't know her that well. And here I thought I might've gotten it out of my system earlier too with Yuki and Khulun. I probably seemed very stupid just now...

Tomoe sipped her tea to regain some of her calm.

"... I suppose my biggest concern is my clan. Sorry, that probably sounds vague, but... I have some concerns about leaving my clan behind, even if I feel I might be able to do more good if I join the Unicorn. Hm," her lips twisted a little as she was having trouble with putting her thoughts into words. "I guess I'm not making much sense not. Gomen."