[Day 10 - Mid Afternoon] Rokugani Self-Care (Open)

[Kuni Shiori]

It had been a rather stressful morning at the library with festivities being promised in the evening, which would give Shiori quite a whiplash on tone. She found herself wanting to find a neutral base that she could return to before engaging in the banquet that followed. While she wished she could excuse herself from the event, it seemed that this was a situation where priority was above concern.

Despite what others might assume about Kuni, some of them had an appreciation of gardens. The Kuni lands were known to be an untamed wilderness in some parts and to see the wilderness put in an orderly, in a sort of systematic but artful way, kind of gave them a sense that the world could be controlled to a point where things made sense. It gave them hope, in a way, that the same could be done to their problem to the south. Shiori stood in her lonesome as she gave the garden an appreciative gaze.

[Soshi Eiji]

It had been a rather stressful morning at the library with festivities being promised in the evening, which would give Shiori quite a whiplash on tone. She found herself wanting to find a neutral base that she could return to before engaging in the banquet that followed. While she wished she could excuse herself from the event, it seemed that this was a situation where priority was above concern.

Despite what others might assume about Kuni, some of them had an appreciation of gardens. The Kuni lands were known to be an untamed wilderness in some parts and to see the wilderness put in an orderly, in a sort of systematic but artful way, kind of gave them a sense that the world could be controlled to a point where things made sense. It gave them hope, in a way, that the same could be done to their problem to the south. Shiori stood in her lonesome as she gave the garden an appreciative gaze.

The real problem with gardens, no matter how well kept, there were always pests in them. Bugs of all kinds, from aphids to scorpions. And it was such a pest that found the Kuni among the plants.

He bowed.

"Kuni-san, you certainly stand out in this garden." he offered with a small smile.

[Kuni Shiori]

Shiori perked up at the voice that spoke to her and put her garden viewing on pause to address Eiji as he approached her. She bowed politely to greet him after giving a momentary blink to process the statement. "Ah, good afternoon, Soshi-san...I suppose I do but I imagine the same might be said for any of the non-Lion guests here. Or is there something else that's unusual?"

[Soshi Eiji]

Eiji considered that.

"Unusual? Not the wording I would use, Kuni-san. But I suppose you do look particulary...." he offered before pausing.

He looked around the garden.

"I'm not....delaying you, am I Kuni-san?" he asked, concerned.

[Kuni Shiori]

Shiori raised her brows and looked a bit bemused for a moment before offering him a small smile. "Not at all. Well, I suppose I was trying to find some passive tranquillity from the gardens here, if that's what you were curious about. I don't do particularly well with mediation, it's just far better to see peace realized than trying to find it within. A blank slate leaves much to be desired...what does Soshi-san think?"

[Soshi Eiji]

Eiji looked relieved.

"Ah good, I am glad I am not....interrupting you." he said, clearly implying he thought he might have been.

He looked about the garden again.

He motioned towards the art supplies, and then the stage.

"A blank slate, an empty stage. While they represent endless possibilities, they rarely inspire."

He turned back to the garden.

"As bees taken pollen from flower to flower, so must artists take inspirtion from beauty and transfer it to those who await.

It was a pretty line, but also one heavy with implication.

[Kuni Shiori]

Her gaze followed the gestures toward the objects in question. "I don't know if a canvas or a stage a truly blank in the same way as the nothingness of the mind, or at least the objective of such meditations. It does serve as a framing device and invites imagination in a way, whether to draw from the memory of a performance past or encourage some desire to convey a beauty yet to be described, as you say."

"Perhaps I should clarify that I meant the blank slate found in meditation than what is before us. The gardens here are quite nice and seem to have held up even with the colder weather." She nodded toward what had her attention previously.

[Soshi Eiji]

Eiji's eyes darted to where the Kuni's gaze fell, as if he expected to see someone scurrying behind a bush.

"Ah yes, I suppose so. And meditation is a famously solitary activity, perhaps that why Kuni-san dislikes it so. Perhaps Kuni-san might find her desired state in another activity?" he asked.

[Kuni Shiori]

"Now that you've mentioned it, you would think that Kuni would take well to meditation, actually," she chuckled at that thought. "We're almost solitary creatures by necessity and upbringing. It was interesting to see the school here, considering our education is almost solitary with our sensei. But reflecting on the gardens here is a better alternative. I don't know if it's enough for me to start digging and practice the craft. But I can see a certain appeal with it comes to working with the earth and engineering a certain result with cultivation and breeding."

She glanced at the gardens for a moment before looking at Eiji. "And how about Soshi-san? How have you been doing the last few days?"

[Soshi Eiji]

Eiji nodded.

"Busy but well, Kuni-san. I've been quite busy with negotiations and presenting them to the court. I've had little time to participate in the games of the court, but it's important work. " he said.

"And yourself, Kuni-san? I know the Crab have presented an astonishing amount of treaties to the court over the season. Have you been kept busy with that, or have you found time to enjoy some of the more frivolous pasttimes of the court?"

[Kuni Shiori]

"I'd like to think that's a good sign that you've been quite productive in court, Soshi-san. While I haven't been as involved as my kinsmen, I know that it's not easy work, especially sometimes when you find yourself so involved that you find yourself barely coming in for meals or your attention so split that it almost feels like you've been in several places at once," she said, offering a brief good-humoured smile. "That said, I wonder what you meant by games of court. If you speak of the events, I think I've noticed your participation than not."

She narrowed her encircled eye for a moment, unless he was truly in several places at once.

"I've been doing well and I cannot take any credit for any of my kinsmen's efforts in courts. That is solely their doing. The most I've done is perhaps chirp in here and there in mutual agreement of everything written," she gave a single-shoulder shrug at that and letting out a sigh as her gaze swept the gardens once more. "That said, I've taken to more academic studies. Well, that might be putting it mildly. Studies of importance, let's say."

[Soshi Eiji]

"I'd like to think that's a good sign that you've been quite productive in court, Soshi-san. While I haven't been as involved as my kinsmen, I know that it's not easy work, especially sometimes when you find yourself so involved that you find yourself barely coming in for meals or your attention so split that it almost feels like you've been in several places at once," she said, offering a brief good-humoured smile. "That said, I wonder what you meant by games of court. If you speak of the events, I think I've noticed your participation than not."

She narrowed her encircled eye for a moment, unless he was truly in several places at once.

"I've been doing well and I cannot take any credit for any of my kinsmen's efforts in courts. That is solely their doing. The most I've done is perhaps chirp in here and there in mutual agreement of everything written," she gave a single-shoulder shrug at that and letting out a sigh as her gaze swept the gardens once more. "That said, I've taken to more academic studies. Well, that might be putting it mildly. Studies of importance, let's say."

Eiji shook his head.

"Ie, not the official events. I was thinking more along the lines of things we do to pass the time. Games of Go, discussion of artwork, the game of letters, things of that nature." he explained.

He paused a moment as he mentioned the game of letters.

"Ah, Winter is a good time for studies as well. A time to train body and mind for the pursuit of the year to come."

[Kuni Shiori]

Eiji shook his head.

"Ie, not the official events. I was thinking more along the lines of things we do to pass the time. Games of Go, discussion of artwork, the game of letters, things of that nature." he explained.

He paused a moment as he mentioned the game of letters.

"Ah, Winter is a good time for studies as well. A time to train body and mind for the pursuit of the year to come."

"Ah," she said in realization before nodding in understanding regarding spending time. "I suppose that my leisure time has suffered the same fate as yours, and much of it has gone over my head. It was my intention to enrich myself with some of these pursuits during my stay here. My House might find my lack of findings disappointing. Well, I do have my participation in the play and my contribution to the artisan night to show for something. I don't know if they'll find much an appreciation to dramatic ventures but we'll see."

"Yes," she said on a serious note at first, dwelling on something that started bubbling to the forefront of her mind when it came to what she was studying fore. She had visited the gardens here in hopes that it would distract her long enough for that but with the Scorpion here, it was hard to deny it. "I believe I was told by Hiruma-sama that you had approached us with some trade regarding medicine?"

[Soshi Eiji]

Eiji nods.

"Hai, I did indeed. Hiruma-san was the very first person I mentioned it to, even before mentioning it to my former clan. Sadly, we were unable to come to an acceptable accord concerning our current supplies. Were that we had enough supplies to arm every clan, but there is a limit to the amount of herbs one can harvest in a season. When the Crane offered us close to half our clan's yearly production of rice in order to fund the expansion of our logging expeditions and cover our artisan's current shortfall os silver well...." he said.

A small shrug.

"The average Crane is not as hardy as the average Crab, so it seemed to be the best deal to help as many people as possible." he admitted.

[Kuni Shiori]

"A bit of a general assumption to make in that regard. Not every Crab is exactly a Hida and not every Hida is a hardened berserker. No berserk is superhuman enough to resist everything." She said flatly on the matter. "I know it's likely too late to ask, especially with my lack of involvement in the trading business. So I take it that the supply is finite enough that it had to be used as a bargaining chip?"

[Soshi Eiji]

"A bit of a general assumption to make in that regard. Not every Crab is exactly a Hida and not every Hida is a hardened berserker. No berserk is superhuman enough to resist everything." She said flatly on the matter. "I know it's likely too late to ask, especially with my lack of involvement in the trading business. So I take it that the supply is finite enough that it had to be used as a bargaining chip?"

Eiji sighed.

"Don't you think I know that, Kuni-san?" he said softly.

He shook his head.

"Even if every Crab was a hardened Hida Berserker, they aren't born into this world as one. The Crab have children, the Crab have elderly, the Crab have peasants who have children and elderly."

Eiji looked to the sky.

"Ever since I was told about this, I have been looking for ways to justify this trade. There is no way to share this gift to multiple clans. Medicine watered down is just flavored water. And so I've been telling myself stories. The Crab are really hardy. The Dragon and Phoenix live in remote moutnains. Fortunes be good, Kuni-san, do you think I want to see Shiba Ryusei and Agasha Yuna and everyone they care about suffer? That is the monster you see me as? Maybe the Mantis will be safe across the ocean. And my clan of birth, the Lion? Everyone I knew growing up? I don't even have a justification for that. Other than to say to myself, 'This is now my Duty to serve my clan. They would want me to fulfill my Duty.'"

It was the heaviest burden Eiji had ever had to carry in his life. And he'd continue to bear it unti the bitter end of his life.

[Kuni Shiori]

Shiori would look at Eiji with a passive and neutral mask at his response before ultimately nodding in acceptance as she placed her hands behind her back. "Thank you for sharing your response. I don't doubt that you had to make a difficult call when it comes to this trade, Soshi-san. I don't blame you in the slightest and just found myself wanting to be certain of the circumstances. The worst thing I can do is let this go without asking."

[Soshi Eiji]

Shiori would look at Eiji with a passive and neutral mask at his response before ultimately nodding in acceptance as she placed her hands behind her back. "Thank you for sharing your response. I don't doubt that you had to make a difficult call when it comes to this trade, Soshi-san. I don't blame you in the slightest and just found myself wanting to be certain of the circumstances. The worst thing I can do is let this go without asking."

Eiji returned his gaze to the Crab.

"Hai, we all have a Duty, Kuni-san, I've no doubt you will see yours through as I do mine. I realize that the proposed invitation to have the Crab also send a delegation to research this phenomenon will not pay dividends this year. But the Scorpion are not seeking to...monopolize this information like some sort of merchant seeking an unfair advantage. If we pool our scholarship, it is my hope that generations down the road will thank us." he offered as a small balm.

[Kuni Shiori]

Shiori merely nodded quietly at the offered consolation.

After a beat, she bowed in apology. "I'm sorry, it seems that I've turned the conversation to an unexpected avenue and might find itself at odds with the lovely garden of our host here. Such talk is not befitting of the serenity provided by our surroundings. My curiosity got the better of me."

[Soshi Eiji]

Eiji nodded.

"It was not my intent to disrupt your harmony within the garden, Kuni-san. If you would prefer your garden to be pest free, I'm certain I have some paperwork somewhere waiting for me." he offered.