Kiuchi came alone. He prayed Fukurokujin. While he wanted, he started to ask for wisdom to guide him through this Winter Court. However, as he prayed, thoughts of betrayal began to creep in his head which made of him think of Tenka. He liked the man. He understood the man. He understood the pain of betrayal. The worry that it was never enough. Pushing people away because you feared you would hurt them. And also desperately needing them. He thought Tenka could be a great daimyo if only he could move past his own pain and the pain of the Yogo.

So, he prayed to Fukurokujin for a way to help his daimyo, because Kiuchi had no idea.

Winter Court was off to a running start with meetings and offerings and kami knew what else. The head of the delegation certanly set the tone of the delegation, and while one couldn't say definitely it had been a bad meeting, Eiji was unsurprised to see the Yogo make a beeline for the temple.

Eiji wasn't invited to attend temple with the Yogo. But fortunately, the temple was open to all. He had walked a bit slower, offered his prayers a bit quicker, and then simply loitered about outside to engage the Yogo in conversaton once his prayers were completed.

For a moment, the air grows...charged, as if lightning is about to strike.

But only for a moment.

Must be some imagining.

Kiuchi feels this. Was it a sign. Probably not. It was probably just his mind playing tricks on him. He wants an answer, so his mind is looking for one. But still. He wouldn't give him. Maybe Fukurokujin will hear his prayers next time. He finished his prayers and saw his fellow Scorpion. Since he didn't seem to be busy at the moment, Kiuchi approached.

Kiuchi bowed. "Soshi-sama. It is good to again so soon."

Yogo Kiuchi wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 04, 2025 9:09 pm

Kiuchi feels this. Was it a sign. Probably not. It was probably just his mind playing tricks on him. He wants an answer, so his mind is looking for one. But still. He wouldn't give him. Maybe Fukurokujin will hear his prayers next time. He finished his prayers and saw his fellow Scorpion. Since he didn't seem to be busy at the moment, Kiuchi approached.

Kiuchi bowed. "Soshi-sama. It is good to again so soon."

And the bow was returned in kind.

"Indeed, Yogo-san. I had hoped to have a chance to converse with you away from the considerations of those who rule. I had truly enjoyed our correspondence, but there are things that one can say between equals that one should not say around their betters." he offered in a friendly manner.

"How was your journey to Kyuden Ikoma?"

"I enjoyed it too. It gave much to think about. My trip was rather uneventful which is always good news."

Eiji nodded, not really wanting to focus on the meetng just yet.

"That is good. And of course, we've got the presentaton of gifts coming up soon. A bit of prayer beforehand is good. I doubt anything scandalous wll happen there, but I bet more than a few are feelning the weight of the eyes of the court that wll be upon them." he offered.

Kuichi also did not want to focus on the meeting. "Hai. I admit, that is a hefty thing, but I will manage it." The thought occurs to him that Tenka sent him specifically because he didn't think Kiuchi could handle it, but Kiuchi stops that train of thought hard. "I was worried about what I would give until our letters. You actually inspired me."

Yogo Kiuchi wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 05, 2025 4:20 am

Kuichi also did not want to focus on the meeting. "Hai. I admit, that is a hefty thing, but I will manage it." The thought occurs to him that Tenka sent him specifically because he didn't think Kiuchi could handle it, but Kiuchi stops that train of thought hard. "I was worried about what I would give until our letters. You actually inspired me."

That certainly raised an eyebrow.

"Indeed? I am happy to have gifted inspiration to you Yogo-san, but you've certainly made me curious as to what form your inspiration has taken. While 'And Benten Wept' is an entertaining read, some might not consider a humurous compilation of romantic exploits to be an entirely proper gift for the imperal winter court." he offered, curious.

"Hai. Don't worry. I understood that much." At least. "But it did inspire me to go looking for a book that will hopefully do well as a gift. I am no artisan or poet. And the Itoh's specialties don't particularly translate well as gifts for Winter Court. So, I was at a loss until your letter made me start thinking of Winter Court and books." Kiuchi gives a bow of thanks. "So, thank you, Soshi-sama."

Yogo Kiuchi wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 05, 2025 5:41 am

"Hai. Don't worry. I understood that much." At least. "But it did inspire me to go looking for a book that will hopefully do well as a gift. I am no artisan or poet. And the Itoh's specialties don't particularly translate well as gifts for Winter Court. So, I was at a loss until your letter made me start thinking of Winter Court and books." Kiuchi gives a bow of thanks. "So, thank you, Soshi-sama."

The bow was returned almost by reflex.

"Think nothing of it Yogo-san. While I may be relatively new to the red and black, I am here to support my clansmates however I can." he offered.

He looked thoughtful a moment.

"Perhaps as way of thanks, you would tell me more about Itoh's specialities? I still have much to learn." he offered.

"Well, we have two. The first, is we are simple merchants for Clan. While the Itoh do produce shugenjas, we are not known for being particularly powerful. So, our service for the Clan manifests as maintaining flow goods to ensure the Yogo Family and the Scorpion Clan has the resources to their duties.

"Our other specialty is in dogs. We breed them as guard dogs or for hunting, mostly. It started as a hobby of one my ancestors, but my grandfather turned it into a business." Kiuchi was rather proud of his family's dogs. "I brought one my father trained. Sato. I'll introduce him to you later if you wish."

Yogo Kiuchi wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 05, 2025 6:29 am

"Well, we have two. The first, is we are simple merchants for Clan. While the Itoh do produce shugenjas, we are not known for being particularly powerful. So, our service for the Clan manifests as maintaining flow goods to ensure the Yogo Family and the Scorpion Clan has the resources to their duties.

"Our other specialty is in dogs. We breed them as guard dogs or for hunting, mostly. It started as a hobby of one my ancestors, but my grandfather turned it into a business." Kiuchi was rather proud of his family's dogs. "I brought one my father trained. Sato. I'll introduce him to you later if you wish."

Eiji nodded.

"That would be pleasant, Yogo-san. Dogs are very noble companions, and I'm sure their companionship is a boon to you frequently." he offered.

Eji considered a moment.

"Might I ask why you did not consider the gift of one of your family's dogs?" he asked, curious.

"I did. However, live animals can be tricky as gifts. Some people have allergies or dislike them, often from something that happened in childhood. Then there is the question of a puppy or a fully trained one? Unfortunately, I don't know the recipient well enough to make a judgement. There is a higher risk and reward with such a gift. A book can be accepted in the spirit it was given even if it is never read. A dog cannot be ignored. I simply preferred to play it safe on a first impression."

Eiji nodded.

"It is a safer choice for the reasons you listed, Yogo-san. " Eiji agreed. "A puppy, while certainly very cute, would probably not comport itself approprately in court, and turning over a fully trained dog I'm sure would take additional time to transfer ownershp properly."

"Hai. I must admit my curiosity about your gift. You have not been with us very long but are already representing us in the Winter Court. How did you decide on your gift." What it was, didn't matter as much as how he came to the conclusion. Kiuchi wanted to learn, and so far, Eiji didn't seem to mind teaching.

Yogo Kiuchi wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 06, 2025 12:46 am

"Hai. I must admit my curiosity about your gift. You have not been with us very long but are already representing us in the Winter Court. How did you decide on your gift." What it was, didn't matter as much as how he came to the conclusion. Kiuchi wanted to learn, and so far, Eiji didn't seem to mind teaching.

This earned a small shrug from the former Lion.

"It was a difficult decision, to be sure. I have a lot of experience giving gifts to put the Lion in the best light, but I was definitely concerned that giving such a gift would send the wrong message entirely. Sort of like quoting Leadership to a Lion."

He shook his head.

"My new family had little to say on the matter. While the Soshi are known for their shugenja, magic is a rare enough gift it's not like they had a pile of tsukumogami lying around to take as a gift. So I looked for something that would be seen as clever, and hoped that was enough to represent my new clan." he explained.

Kiuchi took note. It was roughly what he was expecting to hear, though the "don't quote Leadership at the Lion" is a valuable bit of advice. Kiuchi was glad he didn't trust his mother. Though that did bring up another question.

"What would be a good gift for the Lion? We are in Lion lands, so it might not be a bad idea for me to know." His mother likely gave him a mix of good and terrible advice so he wouldn't know what was what.

Yogo Kiuchi wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 09, 2025 2:51 am

Kiuchi took note. It was roughly what he was expecting to hear, though the "don't quote Leadership at the Lion" is a valuable bit of advice. Kiuchi was glad he didn't trust his mother. Though that did bring up another question.

"What would be a good gift for the Lion? We are in Lion lands, so it might not be a bad idea for me to know." His mother likely gave him a mix of good and terrible advice so he wouldn't know what was what.

Eiji tilted his head at the question.

"Wellll, the best gift would be something that speaks of your personal connection to the recipient, you can give someone a rock if it's from the river that they trained alongside you, but unless Yogo-san has deep ties to the Lion, such a thing might not be a possibility." he admits.

"Practical gifts are right out, of course, as they suggest their lord can't provide for them. And actual blades are right out for that reasson and more. But, there are decorative parts of the katana you could gift if put some thought into it. A decorative Tsuba can really stand out, but even a well thought out saego could work well." he suggests.

Kiuchi, admittedly, was hoping to hear some super secret advice to impress the Lion. "Well, my mother was a Kitsu before marriage, but I never met her side of the family. They apparently came once when I was too young to remember them. I admit, I wouldn't mind meeting them." Kiuchi hoped that somehow they wouldn't be as poisoned against him as the Scorpion side of his family.