[D6 EE] Tea in Tents

[Usagi Tomoe]

The young Hare blushed a little, turning the bowl of tea between her slender fingers. "Uhm... well... I think I would confess I've become somewhat enamored with your kinsman, Dong-Ha-san. I don't know if he has stolen my heart yet, but... it feels right to say he's gotten a good hold on it."

She pressed her lips together for a moment. "Like you, maybe I could have a better chance at such a match, if I was considered more worthy... I feel like I never do well enough in these tests to be rewarded with any advancement."

[Iuchi Saksaha]

Saksaha's eyes widen a bit, and the corners of her lips turn up, giving her a surprised-but-pleased air. So... Dong-Ha catches another good one? Maybe I did not give him enough credit. "Dong-Ha-san is a good man, and clever," she says, turning her eyes so as not to stare rudely at the blushing Hare, but certainly not missing the blush.

"It is too bad that some from our tribe have been so unwise lately, and made the rest of us look worse to the Ide. Dong-Ha-san's circumstance is better than mine, he might still have risen high enough to choose for himself. But it will be harder now." This thought makes her frown. She hadn't minded the whole thing so much for herself, but for Dong-Ha and some of the others it might make a big difference.

[Usagi Tomoe]

Tomoe had heard the rumors, but she didn't fully believe them. As a courtier, she knew that there was often a grain of truth to gossip, but more often than not it was people jumping to conclusions and talking it out of proportions.

"Hm, it is what it is now, sadly. Dong-Ha-san is, as you say, a good man and clever, so I have faith that he will be able to continue proving himself in the eyes of the Ide." I'm not having much luck in that departement. "... Maybe I should hope that the Iuchi will test our knowledge somehow, I feel I would excel more there and have a chance to impress the judges properly. I know there are so many women ahead of myself, who will be able to pick Dong-Ha-san if they choose."

The Hare sighed. It was probably why she wasn't going to let Dong-Ha completely steal her heart yet, since it seemed so far unlikely that they could have the chance to choose.

[Iuchi Saksaha]

Saksaha decides not to mention what she knows about Bayushi Hotaru's inclinations, since after all she hasn't even had a chance to tell Dong-Ha himself about this yet.

"Yes, maybe one of you will do very well in our Family's tests," Saksaha agrees. "Or both of you. After all, Dong-Ha-san is good at making theories--and you are a very learned woman, Usagi-san, and have read much in libraries the likes of which the Iuchi have never owned." She smiles, perhaps a bit wistfully.

[Usagi Tomoe]

"Maybe you should be looking for a husband who can give you access to libraries, Iuchi-san," Tomoe chuckled as she caught Saksaha's wistful sigh. "Plenty of options there, really... the Lion have the Ikoma libraries which record historical events, the Fox have something similar, the Imperials too. Then the Phoenix are unrivalled in magical knowledge, but the Scorpion too have many secrets you could gain access to."

"All depends on what you want."

[Iuchi Saksaha]

"Ah, maybe." Saksaha agrees with a laugh. "I think someone like Dong-Ha-san or I would be a curiosity in the Lion... and maybe not a welcome one. They look to me very bound to their own traditions. I would like to meet one of their sodan-senzo one day, though. Matsu Yurio-san told me these ones can speak directly to the ancestors, a very great talent." She picks up her bowl of tea and takes another sip, thinking. "All this country seems a great library to me. It has one name, Rokugan, but it is clear that every place and every tribe here has something different to teach."

[Usagi Tomoe]

The Hare nodded and took a small sip of her tea.

"Their Sodan-senzo are greatly revered by the clan, it is a rare honor indeed for outsiders to meet them, but it does happen on occassion." From what she had heard of them, she wouldn't be surprised if some of them would be curious of the returned Unicorn...

"A curiosity... perhaps. But yes, the Lion are very bound by tradition. The Crane might be the keepers of culture, but it is the Lion who are the pinnacles of tradition in many ways. The Dragon would perhaps be the ones considered the most open-minded to new ideas and differences."

"It is difficult to find a place to start, if you want to learn everything, but I'm sure at the end of this miai, there will be new people joining you that will help out with learning..." She kind of hoped a little she might have a role as a teacher if she had to join the Unicorn.

[Iuchi Saksaha]

"Yes," Saksaha agrees, nodding her head. "Or I will go to another clan, and begin by learning their ways. This seems likely," At this point it would take her a great deal of good luck to change those probabilities, as she knows quite well. "At least in this way I will not have to think long over where to start learning first," she adds, smiling a little wryly.

"We are in luck to have friends so willing to teach us. About history and... also other things that are more close dangers," she says with a grateful look at her tea-drinking companion.

[Usagi Tomoe]

"It's my honor to help where I can, Iuchi-san," Tomoe inclined her head respectfully to the priestess. "And as this competition is going, if I end up married at all, I will most likely be joining your clan... I suppose I could serve as either a diplomat, being already familiar with the ways of the courts here, or as a teacher. I admit I've been enjoying the history lessons I give each day, especially answering the questions your kinsmen might have in regards to the subject."

She knew that it would've been easier to find a more solid place in the future if she had been a shugenja or a bushi. But it was what it was. And she knew that if she had been a shugenja, the Hare would never had sent her here.

"The Hare are almost neighbours to the Unicorn, with only the mountains separating us. I'm sure we could establish some good relations between the two of us."

[Iuchi Saksaha]

Saksaha seems to think well of this plan, in fact. "The Ide are better at making friends than anyone, but they are new to this country like the rest of us. I think they will be very happy to have your knowledge, and also to know the people you know. And you have the patience they also value." She shakes her head, giggling. "You answered Moto Baatar's questions very like an Ide, some days ago."

[Usagi Tomoe]

"Did I?" she had to chuckle at that too as she thought back to it.

"I've found patience to be more effective than brashness, though I admit it is tempting to thwack some people over the head sometimes." Tomoe grinned with that confession. Not that she was strong enough to hurt anyone, most likely, but she wasn't afraid to put some bushi in their place.

"The Hare also have experience with the... kind of enemy, that caused the death of your kinswoman. Perhaps it could be possible to also open some form of communication between our clans, so that your kin will be better prepared against such in the future."

[Iuchi Saksaha]

"You resist this temptation better than me. The Clan must have warriors, and their bravery is good and admirable. But sometimes they have rocks where their brains should be," Saksaha grins too, though blissfully unaware she's about to get a further demonstration of this later tonight.

"This would be good," she says, sobering a bit. "Much has changed in this way since Iuchi-shiryo left the Empire with the other Ki-rin, and it is clear there are dangers that are not told in our stories. When our tribe stood at the edge of the far western sea, Shinjo-no-kami made us turn back with words about the Thunders who must be ready. When this day comes, whenever it comes, we must be prepared."

[Usagi Tomoe]

"She said that, huh?" Tomoe was a little amazed. Especially since it seemed the Unicorn had enjoyed a very long and close relationship with their founding Kami, compared to the Clans here.

"After this miai, I will see if I can speak with my Daimyo, and recommend that we should assist the Unicorn in learning of the dangers you need to be aware of. I cannot make any promises of what will come of it, but I will do what I can, Iuchi-san. It doesn't serve the Empire, or anyone, that you and yours are kept in the dark... even if some are too prudish to even think of speaking of this sort of thing."

[Iuchi Saksaha]

"Is that what it is?" Saksaha says, leaning in and setting down her tea bowl, eyebrows drawing down. "We are not supposed to speak of these things? Why not? It seems to me very important, especially if days of change are coming."

[Usagi Tomoe]

"Beats me, really," the Hare sighed. "Some people decided that to speak of the true Enemy and its nature is something that is... ill-suited for the honorable company of fellow samurai, especially publicly. The Crab disagree, of course, as their life is to fight the Enemy. I can't say I agree with it either, as a historian, and as someone who wants to help your Clan be aware of the dangers that have appeared while you were gone."

"As a historian, I see far too often in history that someone, somehow, will be tempted by the powers of evil without being fully aware of its dangers, of its nature to corrupt. It is foolish, really, that people would rather be kept willfully in the dark, than to understand the dangers. I guess you can mostly blame the Crane for things like that; they do prefer to stick their heads in the sand than to confront the harsh realities."