Three claws don't make a right. (Day 7 Late Evening)

[Hiruma Daichi]

It was later then Daichi generally tried to entertain. This was after all the Crab house drinking hour most nights, guests' kind of changed that though. Which was fine, it's not like they needed to laze around and drink every night. Occasionally it was okay to take a night off.

He'd set the table, for three with some light snacks as well as Amazake, and just plain old sake for the more adventurous and let Nyoko lose in the common area. It took some gentle chiding to keep her away from the snacks, but she had finally decided to leave well enough alone and instead claimed one of the three cushions set out as her own.

Shiori should be here shortly and Yuna as well, all that was left was waiting for their arrival.

[Agasha Yuna]

Yuna arrived a few minutes later. She had a small parcel tucked under her arm.

She was still dressed in her pretty kimono from court.

She gave a deep bow when she saw Hiruma-san, and he could see her looking for the cat as well to offer up another greeting.

"Thank you for inviting me, Hiruma-san. It is so nice to see you again. I brought a little something for you."

[Kuni Shiori]

Shortly after Yuna's arrival at the Crab accommodations, Shiori would make her appearance. Her shadow would appear wordlessly at the door with an elongated pause to hear if she was intruding before giving the screen a small scratch to announce her presence. The door would open and she gingerly stepped, giving a bow to both samurai. "Good evening, Hiruma-sama and welcome, Agasha-sama. I am Kuni-ke no kashin Kuroyama Shiori, pleased to make your acquaintance."

[Hiruma Daichi]

Nyoko would rise from her place on the cushion at the Dragon's arrival, darting to a familiar hiding place behind the table and closest to Daichi. She wouldn't stay there long though, as Shiori entered the room, she trotted towards the Crab woman and began winding her way around the Kuni's ankles.

"Nice of you to come, Agasha-san." He greeted the Dragon with a smile and a bow. "And it's very polite of you to have thought of me, but you are a guest here and really it's not necessary."

Shiori got a polite bow. "Good evening, Kuni-san."

[Agasha Yuna]

She smiled, watching the cat appear. She gave a bow first to the Kuni, and then to the little cat.

"Oh, it wouldn't be a gift if it were necessary. Please take it. I have enjoyed getting to know you and look forward to the chance to talk more with Kuni-san, and to meet your cat. Let it be a signifier of that joy."

She turned to Kuni-san. "I saw you at rehearsals for the Noh play. And wasn't that fun? You were very charming as the mountain spirit. The earth kami are a great study of my family. Steady and patient. But they call my papa 'the Laughing Mountain' because of his smiles, and maybe the babbling river running through our mountain land. He will enjoy the tale of the play and all its moments."

And to the cat: "How beautiful you are, cat-chan."

[Kuni Shiori]

"Oh, uhm..." murmured under her breath when she saw Nyoko's approach, caught unprepared by the cat's need for attention when they had company. She could only offer Nyoko a small apologetic smile as unfortunately, she couldn't quite afford to pet her over attending to a guest. Perhaps she was relieved that Yuna would draw Nyoko's attention so that she didn't have to risk causing some offense.

"Thank you very much. Agasha-sama is much too kind," Shiori dipped in a quick bow to show her gratitude, trying to bite back a sheepish smile on the matter. She fumbled her part, to say the least, and Yuna might have been more privy to that on the back end side of things. However, she supposed the show managed to carry on despite that issue, so that could be considered a sort of success at the very least. "I was also quite impressed with your musical skills, especially the backdrop that it created with each scene. Quite easy helped give me the confidence to step into the scene. It had been quite fun, I'm happy to have taken the opportunity presented by Doji-san."

[Hiruma Daichi]

"But to receive even more after the wonderful dinner you hosted the other day Agasha-san? Just having guests to share a drink with is more than joy enough." Daichi replied, maybe he shouldn't have played the game of gifts, but it was only proper.

Meanwhile Nyoko was shocked! Appalled Even! The undersecretary of scritches had denied her the scritches she was due! This would not stand! Or it wouldn't until the Agasha called out. Perhaps this human would pay her proper respect? Sauntering her way away from Shiori, Nyoko approached Yuna, her pace slowing as she came near to carefully sniff at the new human.

"Het name is Nyoko by the way." Daichi added, as his cat came over.

[Agasha Yuna]

"See, Nyoko-chan clearly needs both of my hands to be free to provide her with her offering." An offering of cat petting. Assuming the little cat wanted that. "I'm afraid you must take this parcel off my hands, that I may best honor her."

She smiled at Kuni-san. "I'm glad you enjoyed the shamisen. The whole performance left me with a lingering sense of what we can accomplish when we work together across the clans, and how good it is that we have the chance here to do good together, and be good to each other." It had been many hours since the performance. She had chosen to hold onto the feeling Doji-san had hoped to inspire, long after its inspirational impact.

"I do want to ask you a question. Perhaps another chance to collaborate. Did you help investigate the earthquake? To talk to any of the earth kami involved?"

[Hiruma Daichi]

"Then I will accept, for Nyoko's benefit as much as my own." Daichi replied as accepted the small package and beckoned the women to join him at the table. Which might be difficult for Yuna as Nyoko had decided to start winding around her legs, brushing up against them in an effort to receive the promised pets.

((Feel free to discuss around me, Daichi is mostly here for Introductions and Cat shenanigans. I'll also be spotty most of tomorrow.))

[Agasha Yuna]

Yuna smiled and gave him the parcel, while standing still. Once her hands were free, she set to leaning down and offering them to the little cat. Did the cat want to rub against her hand? Oh! It was so soft.

The parcel proved to be a small round decorative box, with a cat figure on the lid. It had indeed been a present for Hiruma-san and Nyoko-chan both!

https://ibb.co/1Zbn9Jx

She took a seat, and turned to Kuni-san. Eager to hear if she had investigated the earthquake or otherwise spoken to the earth kami in the vicinity. "I'm so glad for any information you can share. I am no shugenja. I just know how important it is to understand what the kami need."

[Kuni Shiori]

Shiori nodded a few times regarding the performance and Doji Shinnosuke's final message. "It is a fine closing message of the play, considering the collective efforts of everyone involved. It is my sincere hope that it remains in people's minds long after the would-be snow has thawed in the winter season. Actually, I know that's already a message a few of us already share this season," she offered a knowing glance to Daichi for a moment, perhaps to say the delegation as a whole thought this. When the conversation was directed to the table, she was more than happy to move there and summon someone to fetch some tea.

She looked pensive at the question, narrowing her eyes for a moment in scrutiny before giving a shake of her head. "...I can't say that I was involved with investigating the earthquake. I had helped with some of the resulting damages at the mine but not with the direct investigation. My apologies for the lack of information, I had assumed that this matter was handled by the Emerald Magistrates or an Imperial office."

After a pause, she frowned, "...unless, Agasha-sama is saying that it is being overlooked at the moment? I could see that being the case with so much going on this winter already. There was also the oddity a day after. It was peculiar but I had attributed that to the Empress's passing."

[Agasha Yuna]

"Oh, please don't think I am implying anything like that. The Ikoma have the matter well in hand, I'm sure. The death of the Empress is a significant event. Perhaps the earth felt it before it happened, and that is how it grieved. I don't know."

"I am simply curious. Our relationship to the earth kami, our knowledge and empathy for them - that is my family's purpose and work. The Ageki family. I am ... somewhat disconnected from that. Since I am not a shugenja. At home, dozens of earth shugenja would be talking enthusiastically about what had happened and why. I suppose it is a comfort to me. To hear from shugenja on the topic. I hope it is not an imposition."

"I heard miners were saved. That's a good thing."

"You felt something else? Separate from the earthquake?"

[Hiruma Daichi]

Nyoko had inspected Yuna's hand and finding it worthy of her attention rubbed her face against it. That the human walked off to take a seat a few moments later was annoying, but one could not have a lap when a human was standing; as she knew from experience, so she followed the dragon on the way. She would sit down beside Yuna as the dragon came to her rest, innocent eyes staring up at the Dragon in hope of pets.

Meanwhile Daichi smiled warmly as he opened the package, it was a fine thing indeed that she had gifted him. "Thank you much Agasha-san, your gift is very thoughtful. He said before taking his own seat.

[Kuni Shiori]

Shiori thought quietly as an aside as Yuna spoke. She supposed that her knowledge of the elements is far less than a sensei but she found it a bit doubtful that the earth would respond in such a way. Then again, it was her first time sharing even the same ground as the late Empress and perhaps she was a shugenja? That wasn't exactly public information. "...It is a very tragic occasion, I could imagine the earth protesting as such...The timing would be suspiciously alarming, if that were the case."

"No imposition at all, Agasha-sama," she shook her head to dismiss her concern. "In fact, I'm glad that you've brought it to my attention. I have been playing the wallflower here with my attendance in many ways and had allowed myself to assume that such matters would be so obvious that they would be looked into by many of the locals and figures of authority here already."

When the tea would arrive, she waved off the servant so that she could personally pour a cup for both Daichi and Yuna. "This brings me to my next point. Yes, I suppose soon after the last public appearance of the late Empress in court, there was an alarming manifestation that shook me up. This one was spiritual in nature, the kami in full panic and full of courage, although there were no physical signs. Soshi Eiji-san, who was close by, didn't feel anything in the slightest but he wasn't a shugenja. It might have been related to the earthquake but I haven't asked anyone since."

[Agasha Yuna]

"Interesting. I have no idea if the Empress was a shugenja. But she was the Empire. She was Rokugan. Right?"

"Maybe all the kami will settle when a new Emperor or Empress is chosen. The Tao says 'There cannot be two suns in the heavens or two Emperors on earth." But there should be one. I trust that Heaven and the imperial court have the matter well in hand, and a new leader will be chosen soon."

"I think it is important, for the sake of our Lion hosts, that we assume all is under control and any investigation is quiet. Kind. Gentle. Subtle. Just checking in to chat with the kami, as one might routinely do. This isn't something to mention in court. Just a curiosity."

"I heard about others experiencing something like that. A ... manifestation is a good word for it. I didn't. But Shiba-san did, and he is not a shugenja. So... shugenja and people with other sensitivities, perhaps? And it wasn't during the earthquake. But ... the same day? I don't know what it means."

"It cannot hurt to quietly gather information and prepare. My delegate-mate who is a diviner thinks there may be another earthquake. That could be months from now. Or metaphorical. Divination is its own beautiful mystery. But I pass along the information to one who is a shugenja, in case there is some small actions that occur to you, that would not even occur to me."

[Kuni Shiori]

"Yes, by all rights and divinity, Rokugan is her domain. Perhaps we were unprepared for the unexpected spiritual effects of the sudden passing of someone divine, it's not an occasion that happens often," she nodded solemnly on the matter. Although, you'd think that it would have been documented after a few centuries.

Shiori picked up her teacup and took a small sip from it. "I know that my sensation struck me on the day after the earthquake but I can't speak for others. It might have been related but it seems rather delayed, especially when I spent time at the epicentre of where it occurred. Divinations after often vague but I don't know if a forewarning of another potential disaster could be considered anything close to a beautiful mystery. My apologies for not sharing that sentiment. This might be something we might consider putting a bit more weight on in light of such strange occurrences."

[Agasha Yuna]

"Perhaps a topic for research. I am glad to have access to the library here."

"I wrote my family. After the earthquake. This is their passion, their work. They may have advice. If I learn anything, I can let you know. But it is important to me to be very respectful of the Ikoma. As their guests."

She paused and then added.

"I should also ask, while I'm here, is there anything important to the Crab that you all are trying to accomplish during this court? You all have been kind to me. I think we're very close to having our deal approved. I'll be running it by Togashi-ue tomorrow. Hopefully it's just the beginning of our opportunities to work together."

[Kuni Shiori]

"House Kuroyama have managed a few iron mines since its founding. Perhaps I could offer a hand in the reconstruction process and perform a more direct investigation regarding its collapse, if the locals would have me. This has very much reignited my curiosity and I might do something like that as soon as tomorrow morning. If I come across anything, I would be more than happy to exchange information with you as well, Agasha-sama," she inclined her head once in small gratitude for her offer.

"Admittedly, our duty here is far from over, despite being quite active. There are a few things we are still hoping to fulfill before the winter is over." Shiori would turn her attention to Daichi, who had handled a bulk of the negotiations and deals, when it came to speaking on the Crab's mission at Winter Court.

[Agasha Yuna]

Yuna had by now helped the cat into her lap, and was petting her as they talked.

She nodded at Kuni-san's suggestion. "Perhaps there is good to be done. Just be careful to give no offense to our hosts."

She turned to Hiruma-san. Curious what he thought.

[Hiruma Daichi]

Daichi had been letting the two women talk, and most certainly understanding. His eyes hadn't glazed over in the least when the talk turned to the divine. "The finals things to be done here." He said perhaps to himself to get his mind back on the topic at hand. "There are a few, though I admit most of our trading is done. I believe we still have a few marriages that need to be arranged."

Nyoko curled up in Yuna's lap and started purring contentedly at the dragon's attention. "I still have a way to go finalizing deals with the Mantis and The Scorpion, the Fox as well, and I did get the approval for our deal from Kaiu-sama earlier today Agasha-san."

"As to anything of Import we are working on." He paused. "We've made a lot of headway on our goals in several ways. The Crab have been trying to keep things peaceful between the clans for example. Especially those close to us in the Scorpion and Crane, but with luck we will accomplish that in the coming days. "

"As for ways the Dragon could help. I'm not quite sure off the top of my head. I would extend the same question to you though Agasha-san.'