To The Ancestors For Guidance (Day 6 EM)

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

"It's a good option." Tomonaga said, nodding. "That sort of thing can be handled by just a few highly skilled workers, and you'd need them anyway. And it's easy to do with shipments of other stuff. It's not really my family's specialty, but we do a bit of that sort of thing."

He tilted his head to the side, looking at her curiously. "Yogo-sama... am I correct in understanding that you are a merchant, then?"

[Yogo Mizuki]

Mizuki nods. "Hai. The Yogo are not as famous for it as your noble family, but we are often the ones who handle the Scorpion Clan's interests."

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

"Oh, I see." Tomonaga bowed. "Of course. I apologize for not recognizing that, Yogo-sama."

Rising, he spoke again. "May I ask what sort of wares you deal in? I'm guessing not primarily sake." He said, smiling. "Otherwise, no doubt I'd have been noticing competition, here!"

[Yogo Mizuki]

Mizuki dismisses any notion that she was offended. "No need to apologize. My Family may be my Clan's primary merchants, but that often gets overshadowed my Family's shugenja and other things." And then, she goes on to answer his question. "Right now I deal in medicine. Though I admittedly, I haven't been able to do much yet since I'm not that far out of gempukku. I did get to see the Lion lands though. That was nice. Has Yasuki-san been to any other lands?"

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

"Oh, yes." Tomonaga said, nodding. "All sorts of other lands. Crane, Lion, Phoenix, Sparrow... I've been to Scorpion lands a number of times. Very lovely, Yogo-sama." He said with a bow.

He continued. "My role in the company is sort of... second contact, I guess you'd say. When someone demonstrates interest in our product, I'm sent to introduce them to it, keep them interested. Charm them." His lips twisted wryly. "It sounds more important than it is, really."

[Bayushi Hotaru]

A small figure dressed in white and crimson was sitting on the steps of the Shrine, likely unnoticed during the conversation between the Yogo and Yasuki. She was huddled with her head placed into her arms as she looked either exhausted, depressed or some of a strange meditation stance. However, she didn't spend the entire time like that, she rose back to her feet and fixed her hair once she found her bearings for the day.

Okay, Hotaru, time to put your big girl hakama on...

She began to take a stroll around the Shrine to see if there was anything she could help with attending.

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

Indeed, Tomonaga hadn't noticed her when she was sitting still. However, as she began moving about, it was impossible not to notice her.

"Hey, Bayushi-san! Good to see you again. Pleasant morning, eh?" Tomonaga said cheerfully. He looked briefly daunted, uncertain whether to be concerned that he might be engaged in conversation with two Scorpion, or pleased that they were both pretty young women. He settled on politely neutral.

[Bayushi Hotaru]

The short shrine maiden perked up when she was called out by the Yasuki and sees him with the Yogo. It seemed that Crab and Scorpion being together was a trend, for reasons, after all. This was the second time she saw the Yasuki here with one of her Scorpion kin. She found her best happy smile and made her way over to where the two stood, bowing to both politely.

"Heeey! Yasuki-sama! Yogo-sama! It's good to see you again at the shrine and it is indeed a very pleasant morning! It seems like we're going to get some winds today, which is always pleasant for a stroll. I hope both of you have had blessed mornings today!" She said with all smiles. Not like the herald of doom is coming tonight... "So much blessedness!"

[Yasuki Tomonaga]

Tomonaga was a cheerful morning person, but even he was no match for the cheer of Bayushi Hotaru.

"Ummm... yes!" Tomonaga said brightly. "It has been a pleasant morning. A blessed morning, I mean. Yeah, I guess you could call it that. Blessedness all around." He smiled back at her. "You think it's gonna hold? I guess the wind is a good sign. I got caught out in the rain the other night, a definite miscalculation on my part. I don't want to have to do that again." He shook his head in embarrassed memory.

[Yogo Mizuki]

"Welcome Bayushi-san! Yes, today feels very blessed." For once, it did. At the mention of the rainy night, Mizuki also found interest in the sky. "I think it will hold. At least for a day or two."

[Bayushi Hotaru]

"I can't tell for certain," she said with a smirk. "The weather tends to be a domain of the Heavens and the Fortunes, which would mean that I had to know what they are thinking to truly know. Is such a feat ever really possible? The people of people are simpler, by comparison. However, I think that might be the case, as Yogo-sama says. It's getting warmer again! I'd watch the skies before heading out, if you want to avoid such an incident again, Yasuki-sama."

She looked between them, "Eto...I wasn't interrupting something?"

[Yogo Mizuki]

"Ie. We were simply talking about where we have traveled in the course of our duties. Have you traveled before Bayushi-san? Or is this the first time you've left the Scorpion lands?"

[Bayushi Hotaru]

She gave a shy smile at the question and admitted with a small nod. "Hai...Until this occasion, I've spent all of my time in the Scorpion lands. I've been to the likes of Shiro no Soshi and Beiden, when it comes to cities at home. My list must be infinitely shorter compared to Yogo-sama and Yasuki-sama. So! I've taken this opportunity to not only take a big step forward in my life and my traditional duties, but to also take a big step broad. I've thrown myself into deeper waters, so to speak."

[Yogo Mizuki]

"Well, I admit, I have not seen much more than you. I have been able to travel to the Lion lands. Yasuki-san has traveled around much of Rokugan. Do you hope to do more traveling once the miai is over?"

[Bayushi Hotaru]

She looked eager at that prospect. "I wouldn't mind doing more travelling, if that is what's required of me. Admittedly, being a miko requires me to serve as a caretaker of my temple whenever possible, which does require me to stay at the Shining Retreat most of the time. However, things may always change in the future. Perhaps my talents will be required at another temple or shrine, or my talents as a diviner will bring me elsewhere or I will graduate as a ceremonial priest. That's not even accounting for my impending marriage, too. I'm pretty sure it can be a possibility if I wish it!"