Hopelessly Devoted [D2 LE, Open/expecting]

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

For a few moments, Tomonaga stared at Hotaru, blinking, dumbfounded. His lips parted a moment, then closed, as he shook his head. He'd leave that to her Clanmate to explain, if he wanted to.

"Perhaps she would have been discreet?" Tomonaga shrugged. "In any case, I haven't met Iuchi Sakusaha-san, but I have met a few other Iuchi. One of them seemed very smart indeed. The other one was clever and nice. So..." He shrugged.

[Bayushi Hotaru]

There were other Iuchi who weren't just Saksaha nor Dong-Ha? "And all of those seem to be good traits to be found in someone, as far I'm concerned at least. I suppose, ultimately, they may favour someone who has a greater appreciation of mystical properties." More mystical than priestly, as they aren't really traditional shugenja anyways.

"Who else in their Family have you met?"

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

"I've met an Iuchi Batul-san, and an Iuchi Yukarin-san. I very much enjoyed speaking with both of them." He said. Neither had seemed all that interested in mystical properties.

"I've also met a number of Shinjo. Not an Ide, nor a Moto." He shrugged. "You'd think that, with my families interests, I'd be looking for an Ide, but that just hasn't happened yet, I guess."

[Bayushi Hotaru]

"Iuchi Batul and Iuchi Yukarin? Hm, those are names worth considerating when it comes to making more acquaintances among the Unicorn." She nodded along, giving a momentary glance to Taira, as if to suggest to take notes too. They were all the market for a Unicorn spouse and they seem to befit him more.

"You've yet to met an Ide? That's strange! I thought there would be many of them, especially with the local governor being from that Family, himself. I suppose they exactly haven't settle lands yet to make this strictly Ide territory..."

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

Catching the glance, Tomonaga squirmed a little, shifting his weight. He hadn't meant to be providing intelligence to the competition, after all. On the other hand, he could only marry one Unicorn... he shrugged.

"Well... I've yet to meet one in the capacity of the miai, anyway. I've met a few in an official capacity, not here for marriage." Thankfully, in some cases; he'd met one whose face seemed to be more than half beard. "But there are probably some around somewhere. Although, I think it's also like you say. Most of the Unicorn I've spoken to haven't been here much longer than we have."

[Soshi Taira]

Taira chuckled.

"Hai... and it seems we're all in this mess together, to work it out if possible."

Another slow sip.

"On some level, it doesn't matter what I think of them, if I end up not in a position to choose. Time will tell, I suppose."

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

"Mmm." Tomonaga murmured sympathetically. "Well, look on the bright side. You may impress someone well enough to be chosen, instead. Err, you know, someone who would make you a good match." By the sounds of it, he'd already impressed a Moto, so perhaps this wasn't as comforting as Tomonaga had intended.

He turned the the Bayushi. "And you, Bayushi-san? Have you met anyone of note? I met a Shinjo yesterday, Shinjo Akil-san. A warrior and a flutist. Very polite, too." He wasn't in competition with her, after all.

[Soshi Taira]

"I suppose that is true."

As the conversation shifted he settled to his drink in silence, letting the others speak.

[Bayushi Hotaru]

"Not quite a mess, but an honour really!" She nodded sounded at that in a reminder to Taira. "There's quite an opportunity to be found in negotiating a marriage with the Unicorn, especially as the first generation to meet them and help them reconcile them to the Empire through the great tradition of marriage. I'm sure there are some Unicorns out there that feel the same way and wish to curry favour from our respective Clan just like we are doing with them."

"Shinjo Akil-san?" She gave a slow shake of her head. "I can't say I've spoken to any of the Shinjo around here. Do you find the Shinjo more traditional compared to the rest of their kin or just as distinct? I've ran into a few Iuchi and one Ide, only one boy among all of them. I don't know about that one yet..."

She pondered for a moment and looked to them both, questioning, "Are either of you in a quick hurry to make a decision? It seems that some around here are already pouring their hearts out to their respective match, offering heirlooms of their parents and yearning for Benten's blessing! Heavy stuff. Perhaps there are some really fetching Unicorn out there, or maybe we just need to be struck by Benten-no-kami's inspiration."

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

"Oh, just as distinct." Tomonaga nodded. "Shinjo Akil-san seemed as though he'd fit in well with a Clan that favored scholarship, or the arts, as well as war. Shin... ah, the Shinjo I spoke with earlier-" No need to give them the names of all the Unicorn women he'd met, thank you very much, "-was a bit, umm, rougher. She would have fit in well with the Matsu, or perhaps some of my Hida cousins." In fact, if she'd hit him with a chair, he might have proposed on the spot.

"Umm, yeah, I've seen a bit of that." Tomonaga rubbed a hand across his face, briefly concealing his expression. "Well, you know. It's a miai, I guess. Feelings are high, you don't know if the person you're talking to is who you're going to be married to, if they're wearing purple. Or not-purple, for the Unicorn."

He sighed. "But you're right, it's premature. I mean, it's just math. Some people are going to be doing the picking, and others are going to be picked, and unless things work out just right, well, bonds now will probably lead to heartbreak later. Unless they end up... well, nevermind." He cleared his throat. "It'd be nice if things worked out for them, though."

[Bayushi Hotaru]

"It seems the Family of Shinjo is very compassionate after all, and adaptive." She nodded soundly regarding his testimony about the Shinjo. "The Unicorn are truly very different people, even in their own respective families." Maybe except the Moto, she had yet to hear stories about a docile Moto.

"Oooh! I didn't mean to say it was premature!" It kinda is. "It's not my place, even as a holy woman, to judge where Benten-no-kami may touch others in their hearts to invoke such feelings. As you said, it is a miai, and naturally many here will become vassals to Benten-no-kami to make love realized. Hopefully, it's not a fleeting feeling and many will find long-lasting blessings from the Fortune of Love. Some are truly lucky and will find true love here. There's no true math when it comes to fate, it merely happens, even it defies all mortal logic. As a skilled diviner, I know that much!"

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

Tomonaga looked at Hotaru for a few moments, and then gave a cheerful smile and a shrug. "Well, I'm certainly not gonna argue with you on that sort of thing. I may know sake, but that certainly doesn't make me an expert on fate. Or love, for that matter."

He sighed, his expression turning a bit more serious. "I just hope that if Benten-no-kami invokes feelings of love, well..." He frowned a moment, considering his words. "I hope that fate also arranges for their marriage. Ummm... if that's the sort of thing fate arranges?" It was clearly meant as a question.

[Bayushi Hotaru]

"I have been consulting the fates for a while now," she nodded with a small chuckle. "That would depend on who you think has a hand on your fate. We are merely mortals on this realm and we as subject to the sway of many beings greater than us. Naturally, most of the credit might go to the Fortunes, as they are being who are older than the Empire itself and command aspects that are ever presence in our lives. However, our ancestors and even the Heavens themselves might have a hand in it!"

"The red string of fate is a long and lengthy one," her hand casually went to her hair to brush against the red highlight, as it was such a string materialized. "It can find itself tugged or yanked by many things in between you and the cycle. I would say that if something were to arrange a marriage, it would be Musubi-no-kami, the Fortune of Marriage. We can only hope that they work in conjunction so that love is found in marriage."

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

Tomonaga's eyes automatically tracked the motion of Hotaru's hand, following that down the red highlight in her hair, tracing that out until it ended. His eyes snapped back to watch her face as she spoke.

"Uh... huh." Tomonaga said, nodding. "Well... hmmm. I guess, then, the next time I make my devotions, perhaps I should make sure to mention Musubi-no-kami in them." He smiled at her. "I'd ask you the favor of doing the same for me, you being a shrine maiden and all, but I'm sure you're speaking on behalf of enough already. There seem to be a good number of Scorpion here for the miai."

[Bayushi Hotaru]

"I could, if you wish! The least I can do for the bit of sake you shared with me, Yasuki-sama. As you said, I am a shrine maiden and it is my responsibility if you wish to bestow that responsibility on my shoulders. You're the first to ask, really, as there are other shugenja here too." Yogo, but they don't really count. "I would imagine that my kin would ask for the same assistance, but probably are either too busy or have been immensely successful with their marriage prospect."