(Day 7, EE) Blind Spot (Misa's Room, Closed)

[Moto Butaj]

Butaj's mind is churning and whirling in his head. He tries to be calm, but what he finds in himself is just more agitation, so he changes it into a drive. Misa is easier to find, and this is where he directs his steps right after the performance, to her room. Standing at a familiar spot by her door, he announces himself in a familiar fashion as he hears concurrent conversations going on in the other rooms. Yes, it is a hot time, he can understand as much. "It's Butaj."

[Tonbo Misa]

The door opens, but Butaj isn't let in. Instead, the little servant comes out and gives him a bow, speaking softly. "Moto-sama shouldn't be here. After all those ladies singing for him! This one knew there was something, but..."

Misa's voice drifted out from the room. "Sanmi, stop giving him trouble. If he were a much different man... Butaj-san, please come in..."

[Moto Butaj]

Butaj snorts at the obnoxious servant and enters squeezing his path through the door past her. As he sees Misa his smile is cautious even though it doesn't matter too much. "Butaj does not know the difference spoken here but he always wishes Misa well." He tries to discern in what disposition she is after the event, though with her enlightened serenity it is probably hard.

[Tonbo Misa]

Misa was sitting at her table as usual, though she rose to give Butaj a bow. The room was well lit this time, bathing the room in a warm light, a warmth mirrored by Misa's smile. "I know that Butaj-kun. I thought someone might visit, so I prepared some tea. Please, sit with me, hai?"

[Moto Butaj]

"Someone wouldn't necessarily be Butaj, but Butaj it is. Butaj would love to." And so he sits, looking at her smile. He's not a master of beating around the bush. "Did you enjoy the songs sung for you today?"

[Tonbo Misa]

"It was likely to Butaj, but many things can happen, as today's singing showed." She sat as well, taking a sip of tea before smiling softly again. "I enjoyed all the songs today. I can't say I understood them all, but they each had their own qualities. Butaj-kun's own song was quite lovely as well."

[Moto Butaj]

"Some songs have confused Butaj too. Butaj had a hard choice to make who to sing for, and in the end he didn't sing for Misa." He makes a pause to catch a breath. "Does Misa hold it against Butaj?"

[Tonbo Misa]

Misa shook her head softly, her voice quietly earnest and sympathetic. "No, of course not. Many realized that some songs could cause as much harm as good for relationships, and we have already caused harmful rumors to affect your clan."

She paused, softly teasing good naturedly. "Besides, Asako-san sounds lovely."

[Moto Butaj]

"Butaj doesn't regret being close with Misa as long as Misa doesn't feel bad about it either. It was wonderful and Butaj can only think fondly about it." He replies earnestly, studying the enlightened woman with curiosity. "Butaj and Asako Yuki have been honest about their romantic involvement today. It's early into it and quite innocent as we have not laid together but Butaj feels he can trust her like he trusts Misa. It could be a different match than with Misa, but very good too, and a happy one." He sighs. He clears his throat and frowns.

"But it can get serious, so it compels Butaj to ask about Misa's heart. Butaj has witnessed today that women can love women romantically. It is not something Butaj fully realised before. And so Butaj wonders if Misa is a woman of that kind, who can feel strongly about Princess Kitaku. Butaj asks this with no ill will because he has long felt strongly about Princess Kitaku, ever since both her and Butaj were very young, so he knows why one can feel so. If it is something Butaj can know about Misa, he would be grateful for the insight. This pairing kurultai is very confusing for Butaj, and some things go over his head. Misa is enlightened so she must know many things about love between women that has been the subject of this terrible controversy today." There, he's said it.

[Tonbo Misa]

MIsa listened carefully, her smile remaining softly on her lips the whole time as Butaj spoke, at the end it widened just a little to a warm understanding as she shook her head softly. "Butaj... my sweet Moto... you worry so much for me. I am certain you thought heavily on this all the way over here, didn't you?" She reached out to softly touch a wrist with the tips of her fingers.

"My feeling on Otaku-sama are... I am not fully certain. I do care for her, and I was touched by her song, just as she was touched by mine-- not from the event, I avoided any more scandal I hope by avoiding singing about a Unicorn at all, though I hope Kitsune-sama will forgive me. Regardless, whatever my feelings are for her, they do not and will not change the fact that I care for you Butaj-san. Yes, I know of the controversy, which is why in part I am glad she has not visited yet to talk the matter over. Still... don't you think the issue between her and I to be of much less importance than yourself and Asako-san?" There was no accusation to her tone, only patient coaxing for more.

[Moto Butaj]

Butaj nods when she says he must have thought a lot. It is true he has, but she is enlightened so she knows things without him telling her. "Butaj doesn't understand why Misa sang for Kitsune Takeo who sang for Princess Kitaku who sang for Misa. This feels like some chain, like Misa tried to tell something. There were samurai like Sayyeda Khulun who sang to say sorry to a dear friend, so maybe Misa also sang to say something else than 'I love you, Takeo', especially that she cannot marry him in this miai. But there is also Hanashi who sang for Misa. Is Butaj right to think that Hanashi is Misa's other suitor she cares for like she cares for Butaj? Misa does not return home without a strong Unicorn husband and Hanashi is a good one, Butaj thinks, so he wouldn't be surprised, and he wasn't in rumors with Misa, so he could be sang about without bad talk." Apparently there is more he tries to figure out. "And about Yuki... yes, this is important. Butaj thinks Yuki sang for him with clear intent to tell about love and not something else and Butaj won't hide it has awakened vivid tender feelings in him for Yuki too. It might be love though Yuki told Butaj yesterday she is not there yet. Such courageous honesty could not have left Butaj unmoved and it didn't. And there are many thoughts and feelings about Yuki in Butaj right now and when he thinks about wonderful moments with Misa at the same time it gets really messed up with Butaj and he is conflicted. Because Misa has been cautious not to say or sing about love for Butaj, Butaj feels like... he doesn't know all that he needs to know to makes sense of this all!" Where she has touched him, tender reciprocity follows, if a bit nervous.

[Tonbo Misa]

Misa shook her head softly when Butaj was all done. "Butaj, you are still worrying too much, and seeing too much that isn't there. Remember what I said in our ride about worry? The Shinjo that sang for me; I have never met him, nor so I know anything about him. I have no love for Takeo, but sang as a show of support for him politically... and, as I said, to avoid any more scandal that could come upon you from me. I realize you would accept such stoically, but it isn't something that you should just accept. You and Kitakuhime-sama could get in trouble if you keep flying in the face of scandal."

She paused, reaching out to touch Butaj's arm gently with her other hand. "...Tell me Butaj-kun... if you had to go back to the desert, and I my mountains, how would you feel regarding me? Would it be a feeling of loss and sadness, determination to return, anger at the forced parting... or something else?"

[Moto Butaj]

His hand goes to her face and cups the side of her jaw that lets his thumb stroke her cheek. "Butaj would feel all of those things, and above them - longing. And the strange feeling many Unicorn know, of wanting something direly to be but accepting it isn't for now and yet might be in the future. When Butaj takes someone or something into his heart it stays there and travels with him." He bites his lip because of how difficult it is to think of this.

[Tonbo Misa]

Misa leaned against Butaj's hand with her cheek. Her smile was warm and tender as her sightless eyes looked toward him. "Such a man of passion... it isn't hard to understand why Asako-san, or anyone else, would grow fond of you. Do you know how I would feel Butaj-kun? I would feel happy. I would be happy at your return, but I could not be sad or angry having known you and kept those memories and feelings in my heart..."

[Moto Butaj]

Swept up in a moment, Butaj can't help it that he leans it and places a brief, delicate kiss on Misa's lips. His heart is thumping as he stretches out his arms. "It is hard for Butaj to understand! Butaj feels like a horrible cheater that he's falling for Yuki so rapidly while Misa is so good to him and he feels so affectionate about Misa, can't forget the delight of her body and desires more! Butaj doesn't know what's happening. Butaj's heart is like a wild horse that wants to ride both east and west at the same time."