[D13, EE] Needling Away (Open)

[Kitsu Sayomi]

I don't think most parents would have liked that to be honest, Sayomi thought for a brief, almost heretical, moment, before reminding herself that it would have of course been a great honor to wed the Empress.

"I am certain your father will come around," she offered with some encouragement.

[Shiba Ryusei]

"Ah, Kitsu-sama is an optimist!"

He grinned.

"The Empire needs more of those."

[Kitsu Sayomi]

"Perhaps not an optimist, but thinking of the fact that Agasha-sama has shown to be clever and hard-working. Both traits that speak well of her character, and will provide useful to your family and house," she explained. "So... optimistic, or simply analyzing the situation. I consider myself more the latter, to be honest."

[Shiba Ryusei]

Ryusei bit back a chuckle.

His mother was clever and hard-working, and his father appreciated it not one whit.

"May it be so, Kitsu-sama. What do you think of the broader situation?"

[Kitsu Sayomi]

"You mean which way the Winds blow?" she asked, somewhat amused about how one would to dance around the topic in polite ways.

"I think the two strongest winds are both honorable and suitable choices. In the end coming down to some preferences. If the gentler of the two wins out, I will not complain, nor if the changing one does. The other ones though," her polite smile waning somewhat. "One is so faint, it hardly matters thinking about."

[Shiba Ryusei]

"It does seem to be more a case of what is not wanted than what is..."

[Kitsu Sayomi]

"I suppose? Many simply wish to support what is correct. As we can see from the discussion hosted by your champion not long ago. I know mine has also been most concerned with what seems most correct for the matters of Law and matters of Heaven."

[Shiba Ryusei]

"The greater concern is those for whom it doesn't matter... but who still command armies."

He sighed.

"Still. Well over our heads, at any rate."

[Kitsu Sayomi]

"Over all our heads, yet concerns us all, even to the lowest peasant," she agreed with some irony. "We do have the power to influence how we like, but in the end, it is not our decision to call."

[Shiba Ryusei]

"All of that said... there's always the Fortunes."

[Kitsu Sayomi]

"Do you think the Fortunes will interfere with mortal affairs?" she asked with some curiosity. The beings of Heaven tended to not meddle too much, from what she knew.

[Shiba Ryusei]

"In the same way they always do, Kitsu-sama. Just because I've never seen Emma-O materialize before me doesn't mean I'll never stand before him, nor that he's idle, after all. It's part of what prayer is about..."

[Kitsu Sayomi]

"That is true, but ever since Osano-Wo interfered for his son, we have not really seen anything like it again, have we?" she asked. She knew her answer, but maybe Ryusei knew something she did not.

[Shiba Ryusei]

"That simply means that the need hasn't been great enough for a display of that sort."

Which had been against the Phoenix, but Ryusei didn't mind. The Fortune had simply shown them the error of their ways.

"But not everything is as.... flashy as Fire and Thunder. Balance. Rulership. The wind. The sea, the shore- all of these are areas of a Fortune's concern, and all of them can be a signj of pleasure or displeasure."

He paused.

"The earthquake earlier in Court, for example, was a sign of the will of Kyufoki-kami. Fortun4es might not act in ways that we can immediately understand, but they are never idle."

What did they TEACH the Lion growing up?

[Kitsu Sayomi]

"Will... or displeasure in general..." Sayomi shrugged. For some, that would just be semantics about the same purpose. The Empress had still been alive at least when that happened, so the reason why was unknown to her. She preferred to not guess at the motives of those above her, it being daimyo or Fortunes.

"We shall see though. I believe that, in the end, what happens here will not be by the acts of Fortunes. After all, have they not have had plenty of opportunities to intervene prior to this?" She wouldn't be so rude as to mention the terrible events of White Stag and Yugozohime's fate, Retsuhime's lack of children, or even the dread G-word that was Gozoku.

[Shiba Ryusei]

"And intervene they have.... just usually in subtler form. After all, Shinsei gathered mortals to serve as Thunders. That doesn't mean the Fortunes were idle."

[Kitsu Sayomi]

Sayomi chuckled. "I think Shiba-sama has a greater faith in the Fortunes than others."

[Shiba Ryusei]

Because the Phoenix know how the damn world works!

"That may be so... but we live in a world they shape. Perhaps I've simply been taught what to look for..."

[Kitsu Sayomi]

"I believe more in the actions of humans shaping our world, as this is the realm of mortals. And so far, I think it is the actions of humanity that will bring about a new Hantei to sit the throne..." she sighed a little, looking down at her embroidery-work. For better or worse.

[Shiba Ryusei]

"So you never call upon Bishamon for strength, or Fukurokujin for wisdom?"