(D5, EA) The Lingering Customers

[Kakita Yuji]

"Marry, train, continue to examine the ripples on the void for hints of what dangers lie ahead." The latter was something she did not have the experience to truly immerse herself in yet without danger, but that would come. "We may be assigned to some delegation or other through the winters, I suppose. It is useful to have an artist on hand, right?"

Yuji briefly wondered what it must be like to be able to intereact with the spiritual like the Isawa did. He thought about asking her, but it was like a fish asking a bird what flight was like.

"Quite the understatement, Isawa-san. Art is what connects us, what makes us better than mere animals." he said.

He did sigh a bit though.

"Though, I'll have to admit, from everyone I've talked to here, not everyone feels that way. To some art is something unobtainable, best left to others. You'd think I was asking some of them to fly by flapping their arms."

[Isawa Natsuko]

"I think you and Shiba Jiro-san ought to talk. At least I assume artists like to converse about their art?" She sips her tea, thinking of how to say something that might come across strangely.

"However, there are animals that make art. Much is repetitious, like birdsong. But many tales exist of animal spirits singing, painting, leaving poems." She shrugs slightly, "which certainly does not make it better that there are those who will not even try to make some minor work."

[Kakita Yuji]

"I think you and Shiba Jiro-san ought to talk. At least I assume artists like to converse about their art?" She sips her tea, thinking of how to say something that might come across strangely.

"However, there are animals that make art. Much is repetitious, like birdsong. But many tales exist of animal spirits singing, painting, leaving poems." She shrugs slightly, "which certainly does not make it better that there are those who will not even try to make some minor work."

Yuji nods.

"Ah, Ive talked to Shiba Jiro and Shiba Haru quite a bit in the past couple of days. All of the Phoenix I have encountered have been very pleasant."

He sipped his tea while he considered the Phoenix's second point.

"That is a a topic we've discussed often in class, Isawa-san: 'What is art?" Is a sunset itself art? It is, after all, created by Lady Sun. A painting of a sunset is considered art, but what of the sunset itself? The bird sings communicating with it's brethren. But are we not trying to communicate with our fellow samurai with our art? But then is the simple act of speaking art? Singing, poetry and storytelling certainly are considered art, but what of oratory? At what point is it art?"

He paused a moment.

"Such discussions help to while away the cold hours of the Winter. But then you have someone like Kasumi of the Mantis who learned the quip 'I don't know what art is, but I know what I like.' tossed in a dash of it's something only artists can do, and a stubborn believe that they cannot be an artist, and closed their mind to further discussion. It's like.....willful blindness, a profound emptiness by force of will to remain that way If you refuse to make art a part of your existence, how are you different form an animal?"

Yuji growing up in Crane lands had clearly not had a lot of experience with obtuse artless samurai.

[Isawa Natsuko]

"I think it says good things about the relationship between our clans that you have found those interactions pleasant," the priestess says before sipping from her sweet-spicy cup of tea.

"Could I speak to the fortunes directly, perhaps Sadahiko would tell me what art is, and is not. Beyond that, I'm not greatly concerned. I suppose it is good as a topic for artists seeking conversation though." Natsuko says without any shift to her expression. "Even drinking songs are singing though, and lullabies. I doubt anyone completely avoids making art."

[Kakita Yuji]

"I think it says good things about the relationship between our clans that you have found those interactions pleasant," the priestess says before sipping from her sweet-spicy cup of tea.

"Could I speak to the fortunes directly, perhaps Sadahiko would tell me what art is, and is not. Beyond that, I'm not greatly concerned. I suppose it is good as a topic for artists seeking conversation though." Natsuko says without any shift to her expression. "Even drinking songs are singing though, and lullabies. I doubt anyone completely avoids making art."

Yuji shakes his head.

"Ah, but this songbird of the islands believes their song to not be art." he replied. "Is it art if the artist themselves does not acknowledge it?"

He took a moment to savor the tea.

"Ah, but let us not continue to speak of such. Might I ask what it is you prefer to discuss if not the nature of art, Isawa-san?"

[Isawa Natsuko]

"We tend to discuss the nature of reality, cues to discern if a future is more or less likely when spotting a fragment of one, and the dangers of letting oneself get to curious about following the trail of something that might have been. Sometimes there are discussions as to whether one element or another is tied more or less tightly to the Void, or the nature of the connection between souls and the void." The esoteric topics are rattled off in the same quiet tones as everything else.

"Complaining about the dishes served for dinner is also a popular topic, though." She sips her tea. "Personally, I have never seen what the fuss is about mushrooms every night, they are always prepared differently and are very tasty."

[Kakita Yuji]

"We tend to discuss the nature of reality, cues to discern if a future is more or less likely when spotting a fragment of one, and the dangers of letting oneself get to curious about following the trail of something that might have been. Sometimes there are discussions as to whether one element or another is tied more or less tightly to the Void, or the nature of the connection between souls and the void." The esoteric topics are rattled off in the same quiet tones as everything else.

"Complaining about the dishes served for dinner is also a popular topic, though." She sips her tea. "Personally, I have never seen what the fuss is about mushrooms every night, they are always prepared differently and are very tasty."

Yuji smiled a bit.

"It doesn't sound so different then. Isawa-san, of course, has a special connection to the Heavens that grants her an insight into the mystical beyond those who do not, but the nature of things, whether it's theoretical of what may or may ot be or have been, or whether it's better to perfect cooking mushrooms versus perhaps trying an occassional leek are all interesting in their own way." he replied.

He considered which question was of the most significance of such topics.

"Might I ask what Isawa-san's favorite style of mushroom preparation is then?"

[Isawa Natsuko]

Natsuko blinks slightly at the theoretical natures of reality being compared to cooking techniques, but answers readily enough, "there's a shoyu glazed thing the kitchen at the Sanctuary does that I'm going to miss if it isn't a commonly known preparation elsewhere." She sets down her empty cup. "The soy-cured ones at breakfast today were quite good though. The hospitality of the Crane has been every bit as I expected from their reputation."

[Kakita Yuji]

Natsuko blinks slightly at the theoretical natures of reality being compared to cooking techniques, but answers readily enough, "there's a shoyu glazed thing the kitchen at the Sanctuary does that I'm going to miss if it isn't a commonly known preparation elsewhere." She sets down her empty cup. "The soy-cured ones at breakfast today were quite good though. The hospitality of the Crane has been every bit as I expected from their reputation."

Yuji smiled at the Isawa's words.

"It is our honor to offer our hospitality. And our hospitality has been more than repaid in kind with the...spiritual assistance that the Phoenix have granted us. It has been a fortunate gathering indeed." he offered, with a glance down at the tea. He would be a poor host indeed if he didn't know when the tea had run out.

[Isawa Natsuko]

"I guess that is all part of the close friendship our clans have had," Natsuko says simply. "We rejoice to see the spiritual forces here more in balance. And I thank you for the chance to experience this tea." She offers a courteous nod.

[Kakita Yuji]

Yuji bowed at that.

"Of course, Isawa-san. Hopefully we will have the opportunity to share tea again before you leave Tsuma. And who knows? Perhaps one day we'll have the chance to share both tea and mushrooms while looking out upon your lands." he offered thinking about such a meeting.