Of Sympathy and Scandals (D6, Late Eve, CLOSED)

[Moto Butaj]

Butaj sighs, thoughtful. He contemplates Hirase's words while cricketing embers in the hearth with a rod. "It is all strange to Butaj, this miai. Butaj saw a slave auction once, when he was much younger. People captured by Senpet slavers sold to highest bidders. Young men and women for work, pleasure or both. Butaj remembers the talk he had with his mother after that, about selling people. She said to him that not only people are sold like this, but sometimes horses too. Butaj was then very worried slavers will come and take Huludai, and only stopped when we moved deeper into the Empty Plains..." He does not finish his thought, just sighs again and stays silent for a moment, rubbing his nose. "It brings Butaj no cheer that women who care for him genuinely have to compete over him, and he has little say. And no matter what happens, one heart and faith will be broken."

[Asako Hirase]

Hirase sighed.

"A miai like this is...unusual. Most often with this sort of event, the samurai to be wed have little influence over the nakodo. They certainly are not given the option of wooing potential spouses, being generally highly chaperoned and, indeed, often segregated into separate buildings for men and women. The benefit of this way is that you can try for a love match, a rarity in Rokugan. The downside is as you have said; the high possibility of broken hearts."

Holding his hands out to the small blaze, he mused, "In some ways, I am fortunate. I am unlikely to have the chance to wed here, but I have not lost myself to anyone. Nor have any of the young women I've met made me think a life with them is doomed to misery. I worry for what will happen when choices must be forced and Benten's wrath is incurred."

[Moto Butaj]

"Hirase shouldn't call it before he meets Imane." Butaj smiles. "Butaj thinks it is a compromise between how marriage has been done among us in the Sands and among you here. It is strange, but it is what we have. In the end, Butaj will do his part and find ways to not be gloomy with the result. He'll be fine. He's more worried of those women he has endeared. How do you cope with a broken heart around here?"

[Asako Hirase]

"That depends on the Clan." He considered that question. " Crab and Lion, except the Ikoma, tend to ruin any number of training dummies or throw themselves into war, if there is one ongoing. Ikoma, Crane and Scorpion, except Yogo, tend to turn inward and craft beautiful, tragic pieces of art. Yogo, depending on the situation, either shrug and deal with it or throw a party. Dragon find cliffs to meditate on, trying to find a truth hidden in the pain. Phoenix pray to Benten for relief and mercy. I'm not certain about the Minor Clans..."

[Moto Butaj]

"...Butaj guesses he wants to know what would Yuki do. You know her more than Butaj. Butaj has seen how she suffered because of rumors and it was terrible." He moves fingers along the rim of the fan as he sighs deeply. "Too terrible for Butaj to repeat or make worse. Butaj senses she has too little support in her immediate family."

[Asako Hirase]

"Yes..." Hirase remembered the lesson on basic female matters he'd had to give and frowned. 'If nothing else, she has a sister who is either a fool or malicious. I'm inclined to find out which, once the miai is over, and see to it that the problem is corrected."

Shaking off the dark thoughts, he focused on the problem at hand. "She has me, if she wants, to offer the sort of sympathy a male relative can offer, at least for a time." He considered if it would be unfair to say, then remembered to whom he spoke and admitted, "I expect she would weep, when she was alone, for many weeks. She is strong and would, in time, recover, but I do not think it would go easy for her to see you go to another woman. The only solace would be in that it was not your choice, but that might instead lead her to feeling guilt for not doing well enough to claim you."

The more Hirase thought about that, the more it made sense.

"Yes. I think she would turn blame inward. It might help her grow, but it would be hard. I would expect a great deal of training to make up the lacks demonstrated here."

[Moto Butaj]

"It almost sounds like it could be a good thing in the end." Butaj remarks ashenly. "Butaj wonders what's worse for her, if Butaj does not choose until he is chosen, or if he does, but not her." Butaj holds his head. It starts to be too much thinking. "If Butaj chooses Misa now, who will be picking first if nothing changes, only speeds up a result which gives her a time to find another agreeable spouse. Unless Yuki comes to be the one to choose first in the end, but would she still choose Butaj if he has already chosen another? This is terrible. Butaj would prefer abductions."

[Asako Hirase]

"Choice is hard. I know that my Cousin wishes to choose you...she wouldn't have given you her fan if that was the case. She will speak with others, being a smart woman, but...that gift holds weight." He sighed, then said, "If you do choose the Tonbo, however, or indeed any other woman, I do not think there will be a chance to take it back. If someone else takes you from her, that is no fault of yours and will make the memory of you sweet, once the pain eases. An actual rejection, though...there is a phrase we use, 'Spilt water will not return to the tray'. "

Now it was Hirase's turn to offer an arm pat, this one in sympathy.

"If I were you, I would be sorely tempted to simply let fate decide. But I am not as passionate a man as you. Let me ask, then, this: If you were to choose, without concern for how they would feel, does one woman, and the life she would lead you to, draw you more than the other?"

[Moto Butaj]

In his heart, Butaj agrees with Hirase's assessment. He does not know what he will do, but he begins to know what he won't. He calms down.

"Butaj doesn't know, for he knows not the lives he would have by their sides. With Misa, he probably would be the protector, the sword that cuts the gloom apart and lets the light out. Butaj doesn't sleep with women for sport, our night was sweetly meaningful. She has great confidence and trust in Butaj, relies on him, Butaj melts when she gets happy with everything Butaj does with her. But while being with Misa feels like a crusade, something that could give Butaj a life that matters, make him a better man, life with Yuki feels like... Joy. Happiness. Bliss. Butaj looks into her eyes and his heart jumps, he wants to run and laugh and sing and do incredible things. Butaj wants to ride with her to the horizon, kiss, make love under the stars, show her everything, share everything. Butaj has no idea what kind of life would await us among the Asako, but he might not even care as long as there will be Yuki in it." He throws arms apart. "This is how Butaj feels."

[Asako Hirase]

Hirase was clearly pleased with this...though he was trying hard to be objective, the kumis, and his genuine liking for both Butaj and Yuki, made that more than he could manage.

"Well..you've met me." He grinned. "I am very much an Asako. While Yuki won't need your protection, many of the others in the Family, like myself, certainly would. Your blade would not rust for lack of use in the Phoenix." He tilted his head. "Have you met the Togashi? I saw one running about...perhaps he could shape your view of the Dragon, if you still need to decide?"

Stacking the deck? Well...yes. But for a good cause.

[Moto Butaj]

"A Togashi has saved many Unicorn by shortening out return ride, and has helped us to find our way here. The Dragon are friends. The Togashi really must be remarkable people. After your advice, Butaj thinks he needs to talk with one." Butaj nods solemnly.

[Asako Hirase]

"There is one here." He frowned a bit. "There were more, I think, but one has left. Called home, no doubt." Waving that off, he said, earnestly, "It is good they are your friends already. That does lessen the political value of a match with them, though."

[Moto Butaj]

"Really?" Butaj rubs his stubble in confusion, but not disbelief. He trusts Hirase and his expertise. "Butaj thought it would strengthen ties. But Butaj knows he understands so little about politics in the East." He grins, looking at Hirase, then pats him on the arm with a bit of eyebrow waggle. "But Butaj is certainly interested in the Unicorn and the Phoenix having strong ties! Butaj thinks we can be great spouses and friends to each other." He then takes a swig of kumis as he pulls back. "How about sex? Yogo Mizuki told Butaj that Scorpion women are good at sex and like it. How about Phoenix women? Butaj is passionate like a stallion, but would not like to make his wife unhappy in bed by asking too much too often. So Butaj is a little afraid that in many Clans of the East people think sex with the spouse is only for making babies. Butaj is too honest and loyal to have affairs, and he does not like the idea of having to go to peasants to have his virility unreined."

[Asako Hirase]

Luckily, Hirase was not shy in such matters.

"Certainly my wife was a woman of passions. She came to our marriage experienced, where I had not been. The Phoenix love of knowledge means that she made very sure I was well educated in everything she enjoyed, and listened and helped me learn what I did." He paused, then, very carefully, said, "Yuki...I believe the passion is there. She has been kept ignorant by her family, though...if you become her husband, you will need to be careful with her at first. Let her explore and keep communication up and it should be fine. You know about bedding virgins, right?"

[Moto Butaj]

Butaj starts to stroke his chin after a deep breath. His gaze goes to the opening in the yurt ceiling through which smoke escapes, and a faint glimmer of stars past the haze disappearing in the night. "Gortun's friends liked to gossip how they lost it and one that hadn't wanted Butaj to help her because Butaj was was safe and Butaj thinks it went well though for a moment Butaj was afraid that he did her harm. Butaj knows how to warm up a woman and make her want more than just tickles under furs, and how to touch and kiss to make her alluvial like the great Nahr'umar. Butaj knows it is important because Butaj would be unbearable for a woman otherwise. Is it something like that on Hirase's mind, or something else entirely?" He lowers his gaze back on the Phoenix.