Hunting the Unknown (Day 5, EM)

[Shinjo Kemuri]

(No worries.)

"If your skilled enough and patient enough, you can get close enough." he shrugged.

[Matsu Kogo]

She looks a bit impressed. "You must be a patient person Shinjo-san. I am unfortunately not so patient most times." She looks at him, directly a bit now. "Shinjo-san, perhaps you can answer a question for me. Before the Unicorn returned to Rokugan, what was the customary way relationships, such as the ones this miai are trying to create, were cultivated? I am sure things have changed since the Unicorn have left."

[Shinjo Kemuri]

"Oh, no. I shot a fox." he shook his head. "As for marriages? They were not a political thing as they are here. Arrangements were often made by one's parents. Or, at the least, they would approve of any union in advance. There were concerns of lineage and propriety that would be weighed in every betrothal. Of course, that didn't prevent romances from occuring outside of such measures."

[Matsu Kogo]

She blushes faintly. "It sounds as if things have been very different for the Unicorn. Here, marriages are often more political than anything. Some even say that love has no place in a marriage, only duty. The amount of time we have been granted here to meet each other and know one another is...unprecedented and unusual." She pauses. "Though romances do occur outside of marriage in Rokugan, they are treated as highly secretive. It is not a simple thing and can result in a great deal of strife." She takes a breath. "This explains some things to me Shinjo-san. I thank you for your honesty."

I guess he must have thought it would be simple. Pity...there is no way it could ever be that simple between us.

[Shinjo Kemuri]

"Hai." He nodded. "I assumed some of that after hearing the story of the Dragonfly. I am also very aware of how politics will affect my future. Once I am married, I will no longer be a Unicorn. I have accepted that and look forward to embracing my new family and clan. As such, I am trying to learn the ways of the Empire."

"Secret romances are also a familiar concept." he added. "As I said, romance does happen among us. Those who are careful might ride out far from camp to avoid shame and dishonor. Those who are smarter keep even secret romance limited to minor indulgences."

[Matsu Kogo]

Kogo's face hardens at the name of the Dragonfly. "Yes, politics can affect a great deal. Even love or lust can be changed or affected. Love can start wars or end alliances." She pauses. "It is complex. I am glad though that you are interested in learning more of the Empire, just as I am interested in learning more of the Unicorn. It is good that we both wish to learn more of the other."

At his mention of riding out of camp and minor indulgences, her face stays hard. "Here, I suspect there is no where to go to avoid such a difficulty. Gossip flies everywhere."

[Shinjo Kemuri]

He nodded. "All the more reason to avoid creating it, I suppose."

[Matsu Kogo]

She nods. "True. " She shakes her head. "Politics is one of my least favorite things." She says with a rueful smile.

[Shinjo Kemuri]

"Hai." He nodded. "It can get in the way of many good things."

[Matsu Kogo]

She looks at him honestly, some of her mask shedding for the first time this morning, not including the horse ride. "Hai. It really can." She pauses. "But perhaps because love and its cousins are fleeting or fickle, this is why we must be devoted to our duty. We could be swayed one direction or another by those fickle winds. But duty always has a bed rock for us to return to. It is solid." She speaks like one realizing a new truth.

[Shinjo Kemuri]

"The food we eat is necessary. It's taste is fickle and fleeting." he responded. "It can lead to bad experiences. I know that all too well. But, the good experiences that I savored and remember fondly have helped me through the bad. Regardless, I still eat."

[Matsu Kogo]

She listens intently to his words. "There is wisdom in what you say. One does not spit out food, simply because one has eaten bad food once. Food is necessary to life."

The question is, is love? I know what my sensei would say. What do I say?

[Shinjo Kemuri]

"By the same notion, there is nothing wrong with making good more enjoyable." he added. "A scout does not often have his choice of meal while deep in the field. But, whatever he eats can be made more palatable with a few added spices. At the least, he finds a good meal when he can."

"Matsu-sama, metaphors aside, I am not asking anything of you. I have no experience rations of you. I have told you what I think of you and we both know that our situations may change before this ends." he sighed. "Until then, I just want to add a little spice to things when I can, to make all of this uncertainty a bit more palatable. But, only as much as you wish. A friendly smile. A flirtatious word here and there. Maybe a little more. But, I'm not sure what you'd prefer."

[Matsu Kogo]

She listens to these bold words, unsure in her own mind what she is looking for. "I hear your words Shinjo-san. And there...is something to what you say. But my concern is more that I have discovered that...spice can have its own burn to it. I am more cautious about the effect my actions may have and the realities of my duty to my family. Though I may have ideas of my own, the most important thing is to bring important ties to the Unicorn home or at least marry well into the Unicorn. "

She looks at him directly, her voice honest and sincere. "I have no objection to a friendly smile or a flirtatious word. They...have their own spice to them and I find them...intriguing. But I cannot offer more than the sort of touch we have shared today or others like it. I value your time and the honor you have shown me. I think there is much we could offer one another in marriage and in friendship. But this miai confounds many things and I would wish that I not leave with a sour taste in my mouth, to continue the metaphor." She pauses for a moment.

"I...dislike sharing. And this miai seems to be built towards the fluttering of butterflies from blossom to blossom and not the creation of honest bonds. It seems to be me to be a sort of wretched politics to kiss one and then whisper compliments to another in the same day. "

Akil-kun is fit to live among the Crane. He has already shown a taste for their ways.

[Shinjo Kemuri]

"I think I understand now." he nodded. "My apologies for requesting such a direct answer. I am not always good at reading the intentions of otherd and I fear sometimes that my own are not well conveyed."

"To speak plainly, I would like us, at the least, to remain friends. If something more is arranged, you would have my full devotion. But, I would not want that, if your heart was not in it. If you would be happier with another, that is what I would want." he smiled. "No matter what happens, I do care for you."