The Test of Fitness had been...something indeed. Having already washed off the sweat of the exertion, Yuji went to the garden to cotemplate the first official event of the tournament. He'd walked these gardens hundreds of times before but you never knew what new and interesting things you would discover among their winding paths.

Natsuko had found her way to the Garden as well. It wasn't as interesting as foraging through the forest...plants tidy and orderly made for few surprises in Crane gardens, but it was calming and less full of the swirl and focus of all the contestants. Crouching beside the koi pond, she watches the swirl and ripple of the water, touching one finger to the surface to set interference patterns shivering across the surface. The capricious wind hasn't let her keep her hood up today, so unruly, dark hair lies across her shoulders.

But apparently not all of the contestants are celebrating someplace, and she turns, hearing Yuji's footsteps. It's not merely a servant, so she swipes a hand across the water, erasing the careful patterns into chaos, stands, turns, and bows more or less appropriately. "Afternoon, Kakita-san."

Isawa Natsuko wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 08, 2021 2:12 am

Natsuko had found her way to the Garden as well. It wasn't as interesting as foraging through the forest...plants tidy and orderly made for few surprises in Crane gardens, but it was calming and less full of the swirl and focus of all the contestants. Crouching beside the koi pond, she watches the swirl and ripple of the water, touching one finger to the surface to set interference patterns shivering across the surface. The capricious wind hasn't let her keep her hood up today, so unruly, dark hair lies across her shoulders.

But apparently not all of the contestants are celebrating someplace, and she turns, hearing Yuji's footsteps. It's not merely a servant, so she swipes a hand across the water, erasing the careful patterns into chaos, stands, turns, and bows more or less appropriately. "Afternoon, Kakita-san."

Yuji bowed, idenifying the Phoenix's mons.

"Good afternoon, Isawa-san," he offered. "I am Kakita Yuji. Forgive me if I am disturbing your meditation. You picked a lovely spot to do so."

"Not meditating, merely analyzing the movement and flux of the water, and the seeming indifference of the koi to it all". Glancing around at the space, she asks, "is this more lovely than other spots in the garden? It all seems rather equally settled."

Isawa Natsuko wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 08, 2021 4:11 am

"Not meditating, merely analyzing the movement and flux of the water, and the seeming indifference of the koi to it all". Glancing around at the space, she asks, "is this more lovely than other spots in the garden? It all seems rather equally settled."

Yuji considered the pond.

"Well, Koi are very content one might say. Peacefully living in a peaceful environment. Not eating other fish, just swimming along sociably. It would take something drastic like jumping in to truly disturb them, though that would anger their keepers more than the koi themselves " he said, warned very strictly against such behavior.

He pondered her question, taking in the surrounding environment.

"Hmm, more lovely? That's a very hard thing to determine, Isawa-san. After all, here I am able to experience this part of the garden, the sights, smells, the sound of it. That very well bias me against the places I am not. One should appreciate what they have, rather than envy what they do not, yes?"

"Oh, they definitely eat other fish, small ones. Food excites them. Jumping in would startle them. But the water they live in, they seem unaware of disturbances to it, though they will die if it is disrupted much." There is a thoughtful glance to the fish. "Put that way, I suppose we are not so different."

To the Crane's last statement, she looks up a bit sharply. "I suppose we are to appreciate being here at the Tournament rather than...wherever we would be instead. If you train here though, I guess those are both the same place."

Isawa Natsuko wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 08, 2021 4:53 pm

"Oh, they definitely eat other fish, small ones. Food excites them. Jumping in would startle them. But the water they live in, they seem unaware of disturbances to it, though they will die if it is disrupted much." There is a thoughtful glance to the fish. "Put that way, I suppose we are not so different."

To the Crane's last statement, she looks up a bit sharply. "I suppose we are to appreciate being here at the Tournament rather than...wherever we would be instead. If you train here though, I guess those are both the same place."

If the Phoenix's sharp look was meant to communicate something to the Crane, he clearly didn't get the hint. Perhaps he was busy trying to remember who told him Koi don't eat other fish. Most likely someone who was romanticizing the pretty fish a bit too much.

He considered the Phoenix's words.

"Ah well, perhaps we have been here together in a past life, Isawa-san, perhaps we're destined to meet together in such a garden in a future life, one can only really appreciate the moment they have, no?" he said thinking of the poetic intent of such.

"Speaking of appreciating where we are now, I hope that my clan's hospitality has been sufficient for Isawa-san's needs and wants. The Phoenix are, after all, the Crane's oldest allies, and one hopes to be able to care for those as such." he said.

Not that he expected the Phoenix to give him a 1 star yelp review of Tsuma, it was just the sort of small talk one filled a conversation with.

Gazing a bit past him, she says in that oddly uninflected voice of hers, "we meet here in many realities and will not have meet here in as many more. Which should be appreciated when spotted between ripples or fragments of dream? How do you appreciate _a_ moment when it reflects all the other versions of itself?" Bending, she picks up the staff that lay on the ground as she poked at the water.

"But I think there are few realities where the Crane's hospitality fails. The Phoenix wing of the inn is comfortable, and the kitchen staff were courteous when I asked them to cook my yams."

Isawa Natsuko wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 09, 2021 6:13 am

Gazing a bit past him, she says in that oddly uninflected voice of hers, "we meet here in many realities and will not have meet here in as many more. Which should be appreciated when spotted between ripples or fragments of dream? How do you appreciate _a_ moment when it reflects all the other versions of itself?" Bending, she picks up the staff that lay on the ground as she poked at the water.

"But I think there are few realities where the Crane's hospitality fails. The Phoenix wing of the inn is comfortable, and the kitchen staff were courteous when I asked them to cook my yams."

The Phoenix's mystical nature was slowly dawning on Yuji, but she hasn't said anything truly weird yet.

"How does one appreciate _a_ moment. Truly an interesting question, Isawa-san. I would say through art we attempt to capture moments, both for our benefit and for others. Poetry, to me, attempts to express such fleeting moments through syllables shared with possibly future readers unknown."

He brightened a bit.

"Ah, speaking of poetry, I am working on a sort of final project for my time in the Academy. I'm attempting to gather two poems from each of the competitors in the tournament. One to reflect upon their initial impression of Tsuma and the tournament, and one to reflect upon their final impression. A compliation of transitions from childhood to adulthood, told through a myriad of viewpoints all sharing the commonality of being the finest upcoming samurai of this generation. Can I count on your contribution to this effort?" he requested politely, truly interested in what the Isawa's poetry would be like.

Natsuko leans on her staff. "I've never seen art that was viewed the same through two sets of eyes. The experience of the moment shifts as soon as it's viewed by someone." That faraway gaze drops in thought, her words seeming almost to be thinking aloud for herself. "But that is true to the infinite versions of the moment, isn't it? Does that make it a more accurate account than a plain report?"

At the Crane's question, she snaps almost tangibly back to the present reality, looking to the Crane. "Two poems? Not a large price for our stay." She nods. "I will write something. What will you do with them?"

Isawa Natsuko wrote: ↑

Wed Nov 10, 2021 5:39 am

Natsuko leans on her staff. "I've never seen art that was viewed the same through two sets of eyes. The experience of the moment shifts as soon as it's viewed by someone." That faraway gaze drops in thought, her words seeming almost to be thinking aloud for herself. "But that is true to the infinite versions of the moment, isn't it? Does that make it a more accurate account than a plain report?"

At the Crane's question, she snaps almost tangibly back to the present reality, looking to the Crane. "Two poems? Not a large price for our stay." She nods. "I will write something. What will you do with them?"

"Too true, too true, Isawa-san." he said, agreeing with her analysis of the shifting nature of art.

As an almost opposite reaction, her second statement put Yuji a bit farther away from reality.

"Hmm, well, I will arrange them, and then present them to my sensei. Beyond that, I do not know what will become of them. I'd like to think that they will be made available to inspire future generations, or perhaps shared at a Winter Court to increase unity of the clans. Or perhaps they'll use it to prop up a wobbly tea table. Art is truly out of the artists hands, all they can do is let it go into the world. What the world does with it is not decided by the artist."

"Will they paper the holes in the shrine's roof with them? Even so much care might ease the darkness that threatens there." Her tone holds no accusation, just a statement with the bare inflection of a question.

Isawa Natsuko wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 11, 2021 4:40 am

"Will they paper the holes in the shrine's roof with them? Even so much care might ease the darkness that threatens there." Her tone holds no accusation, just a statement with the bare inflection of a question.

Yuji was briefly struck by the vision the Isawa's words painted, but their meaning crystalized in an instant. He frowned, not at her, but at the thought of the shrine she was referring to. He truly wondered how the elders could justify letting a house of the gods get so rundown. If they couldn't maintain it, wasn't there some way to remove it? Or at least put a giant paper screen around it to shield it from the eyes of others.

He was slow in responding. There really was no excuse that he could offer.

"Likely not" he admitted.

He looked deeply into the Koi pond.\

"One would think that tending to the spiritual health of a community should be incredibly high upon a leader's priority. Perhaps the highest. After all, are there not many stories of bane levied by the most minor of spirits, or boons for those who honor them? One would think that even a child could see this." he admitted unhappily.

"Very true. The spirits are leaving their house. That leaves an emptiness to be filled, and darkness seeps in. I have seen it already taking root." She steps back and aside slightly, leaving more space at the pond's shore. "There have already been terrible manifestations of imbalance, as your clan knows all too well."

"Also, they suffer for it. The spirits. It's like starving."

Isawa Natsuko wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 11, 2021 6:45 pm

"Very true. The spirits are leaving their house. That leaves an emptiness to be filled, and darkness seeps in. I have seen it already taking root." She steps back and aside slightly, leaving more space at the pond's shore. "There have already been terrible manifestations of imbalance, as your clan knows all too well."

"Also, they suffer for it. The spirits. It's like starving."

Yuji continued to watch the Koi instead of the Phoenix. Her words were hard and the koi helped him not think too hard on it.

"I feel rather like you are describing an inferno, Isawa-san. I have an empty teacup and those who have buckets seem to be sitting on them. I speak to them about the fire but all they hear are a baby's cries. So I would ask one of the clan of Fire what should be done now?" he said.

"While here, we pour tea. I will go tomorrow to offer support to Saito-san. Offerings, time, attention." She pauses, to stare into the pond again. "Or you accept the imbalance. Safely move the spirits. Tear it to the ground. Build something that is not a shrine. At least in a dojo, every student will offer a moment to the enshrined spirits within."

Isawa Natsuko wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 12, 2021 2:00 am

"While here, we pour tea. I will go tomorrow to offer support to Saito-san. Offerings, time, attention." She pauses, to stare into the pond again. "Or you accept the imbalance. Safely move the spirits. Tear it to the ground. Build something that is not a shrine. At least in a dojo, every student will offer a moment to the enshrined spirits within."

Yuji was slightly startled at the Phoenix's insight.

"Ah, I was wondering about that. While it can be a wonderous thing to restore that which is damaged, sometimes it is not possible. But I have never heard of moving the spirits in such a way and was unsure it was possible. Grandfather would hate it,, of course. The shrine has been there for many, many generations. But if it cannot be saved, surely it is better to.....bring it to a close." he finished.

"It is not easy. The shrine is a home for spirits. But they can be encouraged to enter another home."

"But then there is no place to pray to these fortunes here. That is still a loss. But at least not dangerous." Ice blue eyes glance sidelong at the Crane. "Why did they let it decline?"

Isawa Natsuko wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 12, 2021 4:43 am

"It is not easy. The shrine is a home for spirits. But they can be encouraged to enter another home."

"But then there is no place to pray to these fortunes here. That is still a loss. But at least not dangerous." Ice blue eyes glance sidelong at the Crane. "Why did they let it decline?"

Those ice blue eyes were nearly as piercing as the Phoenix's questions.

"I....really cannot answer that question to your satisfaction or mine, Isawa-san. Orders fall like rain and explanations fall like jade. There is...general talk about how resources are needed elsewhere. No matter how honorable one is, there are only so many grains of rice in a rice ball after all. But such words do little fill bellies, mortal or otherwise." he admitted.

"Hmm, orders." The sound is rather neutral. Orders she understands. "A school full of artists. If there are no orders against it, can offer time, and attention. Something to sustain the place when most of us leave." She moves the staff to touch the end to the water, ripples spreading.

"You live here, yes? At the Academy? Where is the tea best?" She asks suddenly.