After a Duet (Day 7, LE, Yuki's Yurt)

[Asako Hirase]

So, they were going to broach this after all.

"Is he the kind one in your family, then?"

[Asako Yuki]

"Not the only one." She quickly defended her family, then paused. "Sora and Takara have always treated me alright. And it's not Yuuta-kun's fault that he was born. Sora and Takara both wished me the best of luck, and they seemed kind of sad that I'd be leaving." She paused. "But Kaori did too..." She shook her head and sighed.

[Asako Hirase]

"This is your mis-informing sister?" The older Asako was still ired about it all. "It matters not, anyway. You'll make your own family now. Not only the husband and the family you'll have together, but the dear friends you find in your postings. So it has always been."

[Asako Yuki]

"Kaori, hai." Yuki frowned, still not entirely believing that sweet Kaori had been the one to deceive her. She nodded. "When it became clear that I would probably be staying with the Phoenix, I determined that is what I should do."

[Asako Hirase]

"Have you thought of where you can serve, when you strike out on your own? Butaj wants a place to run horses, certainly, and sadly the damned Lion ruined or stole a great many of our best plains holdings." That Hirase hated them for it, he didn't bother to hide from his Cousin. "There is still the gifted lands from the Crane, of course, and some of the coastal villages have enough beach to run them on."

[Asako Yuki]

Yuki shrugged. "A little. There are plenty of postings to the South of the Isawa Mori, that's where all the plains are too." She smiled. "If it comes to it, we'll simply repair what we find, and start anew."

[Asako Hirase]

That made Hirase smile. "A far-reaching and excellent idea." Hirase smiled, then grew thoughtful. "I don't know what posting I will be given if I go home after all. Not much use for a scholar on the Yobanjin anywhere other than where I was...I suppose they might send me to the Badger, though. It would reflect my shame."

[Asako Yuki]

Yuki smiled. "My father may have use for you then. He's a scholar on them as well. If you do come home, I can introduce you to him."

[Asako Hirase]

That cheered him up. "I wonder if he's read any of my treatises? I put out a few a year, though the readership is so small no one knows or cares that I do outside of the select handful..."

[Asako Yuki]

"I couldn't say, but probably." Yuki smiled, happy to see Hirase enthused about this. "He's done quite a lot of work in the field as well."

[Asako Hirase]

"Recently?"

Now her Cousin was clearly wracking his brain, trying to think of any and all Asako mons he'd observed at his posting.

"I've been in Yobanjin Mura for the last four years, after all..."

[Asako Yuki]

Yuki nodded. "Hai, that's how he made the contacts that got me that box." She pointed towards the box that held her hashish. "Yobanjin Mura, eh? You must have seen my father then. Asako Kohaku." She giggled a little. "He is very quiet though."

[Asako Hirase]

"And I spent most of the time interceding between overly aggressive Isawa fire shugenja and the natives." Hirase chuckled in return. "I was, rather understandably, a bit more concerned about keeping skirmishes to a minimum than making acquaintances with my Cousins." Musingly, he added, "I wonder if your father will be taking up some of my role, now that I've gone..."

[Asako Yuki]

Yuki sighed a little. "I hope not. He's getting older now, I would be worried if he got a dangerous assignment. Though I suppose he'd be well suited for it." She smiled a little.

[Asako Hirase]

"Aside from the Isawa tempers, I didn't find it terribly perilous." Hirase sighed, then said, "And between Naga, Lion, and the spirits in our home, there are very few places in our lands that have not been of late. Another reason it would be good for you to bring a warrior home...we could use them."