(D1, LE, expecting) Spot of Tea?

[Asahina Hoshiko]

The court was already so busy! Sweeping from meeting to meeting to meal to bath to meeting to...oh fortunes, there was that reception in an hour and she just needs a moment.

You haven't flashed Goro's fan once today! There's more people here than ever, maybe he's one of them and needs to see it!

"Yes, grandmama, I'll make a point of it tomorrow..." she murmurs just as she spots a small...empty! room. Flagging down a servant on the way, she asks for the makings of a tea ceremony...not the traditional matcha though, whatever blend the students at the nearby academy used for studying during exams.

The room is small and sparsely decorated, with a bland scroll on the wall with some actually rather nice calligraphy of the kanji for 'loyalty.' Hoshiko slips inside and settles at the table, door left open for the servants soon to return.

[Hiruma Daichi]

This day was going just swimmingly. It reminded him a bit of the time his uncle had taught him to swim. He'd very nearly drown in a deeper pool in the mountain stream they used for practice. He had survived though, and in a much similar way he had managed to solider his way through the day.

It did leave him a bit tired though, it had been a long few weeks with preparations and the trip up here and a bit of a pick me up was needed. Stepping into a small room with its door ajar he assumed was for small breaks he paused as he saw it occupied.

"My apologies Asahina-san." He offered with a bow. "I was looking for a place to relax for a moment. I didn't mean to interupt."

[Asahina Hoshiko]

snip

If there was regret at the interruption, her courtly training was sufficient to hide it. Hoshiko popped to her feet for a proper bow. "No need for apologies, Crab-sama. It's very busy, and even in such a large place it seems that a quiet spot to gather oneself can be hard to find!"

She settles back to her seat with a smooth swish of deep blue silk and gentle sway of white hair. "I'm just waiting on the makings of some tea to arrive, if you'd care to join me, you're welcome to." A small pause, then a start and quick introduction. "Asahina-ke no kashin Yamada Hoshiko, priestess and devotee of Emma-O."

[Hiruma Daichi]

"If you are kind enough to offer, I'm not rude enough to refuse." Daichi replied, with a polite nod of gratitude as he moved to take a seat of his own.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance Asahina-san, I am Hiruma-ke no kashin Tetsumura Daichi, a Gunso in the armies of the crab, currently serving on the Empire's southern border." He probably could have left off that last part, she didn't really need to know that.

"You're right though about it being busy, it reminds me of a camp getting packed up for a march." He shook his head the edges of his lips curling up in a rueful smile. "It's about a hundred times cleaner though."

[Asahina Hoshiko]

snip

"Only this camp is just getting settled. But I can imagine it has to be cleaner than any army camp." Even if parts of it felt spartan enough to be picked up and marched away whenever the Lion needed.

"You have my respect and gratitude for your service on that front, Hiruma-sama." She won't mention the unmentionables down there, but not reason not to acknowledge that they're doing something valuable down there.

"It's only going to get busier, if my experience in smaller courts is anything to go by," she adds. "Is this your first Imperial Winter Court." If kanji could be capitalized, you could almost hear the words getting that treatment.

She'll pause a moment when the servants bring the tea and teaware to the room, motioning for them to close the door as they leave. There's a narrow opening left for propriety...it isn't as if there's much expectation of truly private conversation here, no reason not to leave a reminder of it.

[Hiruma Daichi]

Daichi nodded his thanks at her words but let that matter of conversation slip past. There was no need for bringing it up any more than it already had been after all.

"It is." He admitted with a nod, no reason to even attempt a falsehood in that matter, he likely wore the fact on his sleeve, at least in the eyes of a trained courtier. "One's duties as a Gunso can be hard to get away from, even in the depths of winter, though this year I was fortunate enough to be able to." It could very well be years before he could get another chance.

"But busier you said?" His eyes looked towards the door for a moment. "I wonder if that means we will have to book appointments to use these little rooms then." Daichi mused, mostly to himself. "I suppose that makes sense though." He continued his eyes flicking back towards the Crane woman. "It's still in the meet and greet phase of things I imagine."

[Asahina Hoshiko]

snip

She nods. "Definitely. Getting to know everyone you'll be interacting with, figuring out allies and..." There's a word-searching pause, "hmm... opponents in some cases. Obstacles?" Enemies seems a bit strong so early in court. Though they may develop.

Examining the teaware, she lays everything out. The missing pinky on her right hand doesn't seem to affect her dexterity, everything finding its place in a matter of moments.

"I hope you're expecting to be up a while, I requested whatever it is the Ikoma students use during exam season," she adds with a smile before beginning the process before the water can cool more than it has on the way from the kitchens. Her movements are efficient and steady, calming without much of the overt beauty usually associated with the Crane. But very much cultivating a sense of being present for the moment, paying attention to the details.

When finished, there is a short time to appreciate the tea cups and those first sips of tea; the spartan room and unfamiliar company; the moments before a stranger becomes a known quantity. None of these will occur again in quite the same way, and are worth noticing.

With a fine sense of timing, Hoshiko picks up the conversation before contemplation can shift into awkward silence or boredom. "I'd guess you're not here in a courtier's role, neh? Yojimbo?"


***********************
Day 1 LE: Tea Ceremony/Void | 5k3 ⇒ 16 (TN: 15)

[Hiruma Daichi]

"I'm a military man Asahina-san. I can drink strong tea all day and still be asleep a short time after I lay down for the evening." That was probably a bit of a brag, but more than a little bit true regardless. "But I do plan to be up for a while yet. We have the reception this evening after all."

Daichi fell silent as the ceremony began, not trying to interrupt her work with his pointless ramblings. Instead enjoying the effort, the young woman put into make these few moments enjoyable. It wasn't everyday he was afforded an opportunity like this after all. Tea ceremonies in a Hiruma military camp were pretty unheard of.

"A fine guess Asahina-san." Daichi confirmed with a nod. "Though probably a pretty easy one given the circumstance." Most bushi didn't exactly make expert courtiers. "And yourself? A courtier as well as a priestess? Or more the later and the former when needs arise?"

[Asahina Hoshiko]

snip

"Certainly a priestess first, with a sizeable gloss of courtly training." She offers a serene smile. "My connection to other realms, in particular the court of Emma-O, grants me somewhat unusual ways to offer a bit more peace of mind to those worried about the journey of their soul or those of loved ones. It's a remarkable way to build connections, and there's little reason to build them only among my own clan."

The smile quirks wry, "though, with the succession at hand, many are likely less pleased than usual with reminders of mortality."

With long practice at smoothing such an awkward topic, she pauses for a sip of tea to allow it to linger a moment while providing an appropriate break to slip into a new topic, letting her conversational partner avoid whatever topics he wishes.

"I have seen only a few Hiruma in the local courts I've attended before, all yojimbo, I think. Never had much chance to chat with them, as their Yasuki charges kept them busy. How do these courts seem to you?"

[Hiruma Daichi]

"I could see that not being the most popular topic at a time like this." He agreed with a small nod, even if he didn't particularly mind. Most folk around here would probably have a preference for about other things, like affairs, and marriages, and how many illegitimate children Shiba Jun has.

"That's not too surprising on either account. Best way to keep a person away from." What was the word she used? "Obstacles is to keep em busy."

"And why members of my family can be quite good with bow and blade, with words." His quicker into a wry smile. "We can be a bit blunt."

[Asahina Hoshiko]

snip

"Keep em busy?" she repeats with an amused cast to her lips. "That's remarkably close to what my aunt says about how one keeps kids out of trouble. Good to know it works at higher levels just as well."

"I do think there's times for words to blunt, or to be measured carefully, or florid and ornamented. They're an art like any other, so they have to portray a lot of different things at different times." She gestures broadly to indicate the space beyond their room. "And here? I guess the trade deals will see more blunt words, and the courting gets the lovely ones, neh?" More thoughtful, she adds, "and the succession? Really careful ones, I think."

[Hiruma Daichi]

"If it's not broke, don't fix it" The young Crab responded with a soft chuckle. "That's one I've heard from my uncle more then once." Reaching up he rubbed the back of his neck. "Not that I should compare young bushi to kids, but when someone is trained for action and drinks strong tea all day. Well, you can imagine the rest."

"But blunt words for deal making? Maybe I'd be better at this sort of thing then I imagined." He reached up a hand to his chin and took on a thoughtful pose. It was likely meant to be playful, but how well he pulled it off was questionable.

"I know how to keep my tongue in check for the most part. Leaves only the courting thing I can really make a mess of... Not too bad odds considering."

[Asahina Hoshiko]

snip

"Oh kami, yes! Cleansing after battles...overtired bushi either still running on the energy of battle despite a bath in between, or the ones who've dragged themselves out of the bath as the exhaustion crashes into them. Some of the same energy I remember from my stints assisting with the younger classes during training."

A smile fond with memory, becomes an outright laugh--low but light--at the pose Daichi pulls. "I mean, it definitely cuts down on nasty misunderstandings if you can say 'we're trading rice for some armor' instead of 'we offer Inari's blessings and hope you might entreat Bishamon to bless us in turn.' That last part might be how it all gets described up in front of the court, but nobody wants to sign an agreement written like that." Settling back on her heels a bit she adds, "if you're expected to actually act in court, rather than simply guard your charges, well...this isn't really the best court for learning that. Mistakes can be so much more dangerous than in the less powerful courts."

[Hiruma Daichi]

"Maybe they are just a bunch of children then." Daichi mused playfully, at the very least it wasn't entirely wrong. Really though, who could blame them, especially when they were in places they couldn't get into much trouble.

You should write that second part down, Inari's blessing yada yada. "That does make sense, it'd probably take three times longer than anyone wanted if you did all the talks like that too." Which might suit some people just fine, but Daichi wasn't one. Her advice did bring a genuine smile to his lips. "I'm not completely untrained in the proper ways of behavior, but you do make a very valid point."

"And while it's likely I won't have any need to act in front of court, if it does happen that it comes to pass that I might, I'll remember your words of wisdom Asahina-san."

[Asahina Hoshiko]

snip

"If so, I'll be glad of it, should they help at all," she says with some small earnestness. "The pitfalls of court are many, and with this succession question in the air, I expect it to be worse than usual as everyone gets snappish from the uncertainty."

She looks across at the earnest bushi and asks, "How are people taking the situation among the Crab? I suppose it doesn't change your duties, whoever ascends the throne when the time comes. But it can shift so many things in the Empire, that it's hard to imagine it not affecting every clan in some way."

[Hiruma Daichi]

It was something everyone talked about that every now and then, an empress without and babies was not something that avoided quiet conversation after all. "It's hard to speak for all my cousins, but I think we all expected her to name an heir one day." He wasn't lying but it really wasn't anything in the way of information.

"There are things we would like in an heir too, but I figure most clans can say similar. More than anything though, I think we would be happy as long as there is one." It sounded like the who wasn't too important by the way he spoke. "It's easier to plan for the future when something like that is decided."

He took a sip of his tea. "Do the Crane hold similar feelings? Or maybe something different?"

[Asahina Hoshiko]

snip

Hoshiko nods. "For the most part. Though we have, understandably I think, hopes about where that choice will, or more importantly, will not fall. In our more limited understanding, some look rather harder for our future than others." Like the Advisor and her various ongoing punishments for the Crane. "But the Empress's will goes before us and we will, necessarily find the wisdom in it, whatever ends up happening. After all, I am sure many of *our* subjects would prefer not to pay taxes to the clan. But they would find it difficult when there was no money to keep roads maintained or arm samurai to defend them from bandits. There are considerations beyond our ability to see."

"For myself, I wonder at the puzzle of purpose behind not naming an heir long ago. It's like a book I will likely never get to read though" Her slight smile seems pensive.

"You're right that it aids in planning though. Marriages are a pretty key part of planning for most families, and here we are not knowing, one year to the next if we'll manage any here...with those whose futures are being planned just sitting through the winter in uncertainty." She shakes her head. "They'll be fine and set up by the next winter, but it feels unbalanced."

"At least trade isn't dealing with quite the same uncertainty...though I suppose there might be more or less demand for certain things depending on what the future looks like."

[Hiruma Daichi]

That was the answer he had been expecting, so it came to no real surprise to the Hiruma. He would have been shocked if they had been cheerleading for Otomo Keihime, but luckily that wasn't the case. Frankly Daichi put Keihime low on his list of preferences, she seemed the choice that would only bring more issues in a decade or so at the very least. But there was no need to say that out loud.

"I can understand that, especially with how important the marriages arranged here could prove to be." They happened at many courts across the Empire, but he wouldn't be surprised if the biggest of the year were always planned here.

"I suppose you are right, about trade that is. Goods always need to flow, and there is little I imagine that could stop that. There are probably things decided here in that vein I wouldn't normally consider though. Perhaps Silver jewelry will be out of style, and gold will be all the rage for example."

[Asahina Hoshiko]

snip

She grins a bit at that, over her tea. "Yes, if one of the heirs favors some style...or gold jewelry over silver...someone will start the trend of showing their desires privately by reflecting that, I imagine. I don't keep quite as on top of the trends as my artisan cousins. A priest is expected to be a bit less flashy, and all."

"And marriages...it's been a good few years since we could easily set those up here. It's a pity, because those connections help bind all our little houses together into families and all these families into an Empire. I can't help feeling that Hantei-no-kami would be saddened to see the children of his beloved sister ostracized as they have been."

"Are you betrothed?" She asks, focusing rather sharply on him as she sets her cup down.

[Hiruma Daichi]

"I suppose we might end up seeing some of that before the end of our time here." He mused. "Or perhaps wearing little to no jewelry at all depending on the tastes of the heir." Which could be a blow to all the jewelry sellers out there.

He'd heard as much about the Crane, and honestly he didn't disagree, but there wasn't much he could do on that matter.

"Me?" He chuckled. "I'm single. While it's not impossible to court a young woman at the edge of the Empire, it can be quite difficult."

"Hard to find a nice tea house you see."