[D0 EA] A Flock of Firebirds

[Isawa Natsuko]

"They can travel short distances Tori kun likes to be up on my shoulder and sometime he sleeps in my sleeve. Kiba kun likes to get into my scroll satchel from time to time but I think he likes to follow me wherever I go. Very convenient that they have similar tastes." Kuro explained

There is a slow nod, eyes on the sleek sable. "It is not easy to follow them if they go in different directions."

To calm his mind, he pulls out a piece of origami paper and begins slowly folding it. His eyes were kept on the group while his hands worked by touch.

"So, where are we all coming from?" he asks the group, expecting that Haru will answer for both of them.

The paper catches her attention, and she answers the question with her gaze fixed upon the movement. "This is the first time I will have left Starry Heaven Sanctuary since I was brought there."

[Shiba Jiro]

The mention of Starry Heaven influences the direction of his folding, and his mind latches onto the image of a star. But it was still in it's infancy and the image couldn't be seen yet.

"Perhaps you might find a few friends in the forest here?" he directs at Kuroneko.

Though he finds his eyes drift across the table before looking at Natsuko...

"Your first time to have the chance to enjoy traveling then?"

[Isawa Kiriko]

The paper catches her attention, and she answers the question with her gaze fixed upon the movement. "This is the first time I will have left Starry Heaven Sanctuary since I was brought there."

Kiriko nodded in agreement. "It's the same for me."

[Shiba Haru]

"Jiro and I are from a small town near Zumiki-Mihari, the watchtower that looks out over Otomo lands. Both of us have traveled before as I was fortunate enough to spend a season studying tactics with the Akodo and my brother came here to Crane lands to study.

When our time here is over we should all travel home together, he can show you the piece of land that he tended to while here including the shrine he built, it is quite lovely."

[Shiba Kuroneko]

"I am not heading to the Phoenix lands when this is over. From here I go to Kyuden Kitsune to do what I have been tasked." The Isawa trained Shiba replied.

[Shiba Jiro]

He nodded agreement to the offer to show the shrine.

"Going to see the Kitsune Mori? A specific task or a long term posting?" Jiro asked.

His hands continue to sightlessly fold the ornate star.

[Shiba Kuroneko]

"Well, more of a short term if I don't get distracted. At least some family will try to help out." He nodded. "As for the animals going separate ways Isawa Natsuko san, destiny will eventually bring them to me. Kiba does his things but finds me."

[Isawa Natsuko]

Though he finds his eyes drift across the table before looking at Natsuko...

"Your first time to have the chance to enjoy traveling then?"

She shakes her head slightly. "Second time to have the chance, first to enjoy it."

Nodding as Haru suggests traveling back together, she adds. "I expect the shrine would be enjoyable for that part of traveling." After a pause, her eyes wander from the paper. "I wonder if that counts as the same episode of travel, with this small pause for the tournament."

"Well, more of a short term if I don't get distracted. At least some family will try to help out." He nodded. "As for the animals going separate ways Isawa Natsuko san, destiny will eventually bring them to me. Kiba does his things but finds me."

"That Mori is far away, but the two forests remember when they were connected. So maybe not all that far in other ways." She stares a moment at Kiba. "You are a destiny for animals. Thinking of a person as a destiny is new. I have not much considered the spiritual journey of creatures, but of course they have them. Do you teach them? Or the other way around?"

[Shiba Haru]

"That Mori is far away, but the two forests remember when they were connected. So maybe not all that far in other ways."

"Were they really? I had never thought that the entire empire was once a giant forest. I can't imagine what Lion lands would have looked like covered in trees it's all so flat now."

[Isawa Natsuko]

"Were they really? I had never thought that the entire empire was once a giant forest. I can't imagine what Lion lands would have looked like covered in trees it's all so flat now."

Natsuko blinks. "I do not know if it was all one forest. I have not seen it, or asked anyone who has. But there are trees that remember those in the other forests. The land may have been smaller, or the spirits stronger or more attuned to the void were everything is connected to everything else. Plains have been mountains, and mountains plains, the earth says."

[Shiba Jiro]

As the others spoke, he listened and folded. Eventually a six sided flattened star was set before him. He spun it on the table.

"Sometimes a thing is closer than it seems. Just a small push away," he says, as he presses the sides of the star in, puffing it up and creating space inside.

"And a small push to bring them back together," he continues, squeezing the star back down to flat.

"Distance doesn't mean disconnected," he says. Jiro had never felt disconnected from Haru during training. Just further away.

He puffed the star up once more, before sliding it to the center of the table.

[Shiba Kuroneko]

"When one feels at home nothing seems to be far from the lands that you have lived." He smiled Kiba came to his lap and started to beg for food. He looked at the cat. "I already fed you..." Yet he took out a piece of fish from his bag and Tori came over as well. "This is the last one okay." Kuro gave a bite to each. Kiba laid on his lap as Tori went to his shoulder. "I guess they say Isawa Mori and Kitsune Mori were one and the same. There are some speculation that the two may even be connected by a portal. I am yet to know if this is true or not." He scratched the head of the cat.


//If anyone want some interaction with the animals let me know.

[Shiba Haru]

"On a less pleasant topic, did any of you happen to see the state of the shrine to the fortunes on your way around Tsuma yet?"

[Shiba Jiro]

"Not yet. After we separated, I found myself wandering elsewhere. Is it something we need to look into? If so, we should find a way to broach the subject respectfully," Jiro says, not really sure of the state of the shrine.

[Shiba Haru]

"I plan to take a better look at it later but the view from the outside is not encouraging. I hope to speak to some of or Crane hosts about it but I think we need to fulfill our clans duty while we are here if any are up for it. Just need to make sure we don't offend our allies in the process."

[Isawa Kiriko]

Oh yes... I was planning to go there later, as well," she agreed with a nod. "I would like to help."

[Shiba Ichiro]

Another flourish of orange robes announces a latecomer as Ichiro joins the informal gathering.

They offer a bow to those present before reaching into their scroll satchel to open and present a scroll to those they had not yet met.

This one is Shiba Ichiro, priest of the Phoenix. They are without speech so apologize for not giving proper greeting.

The Phoenix part was redundant, of course, but while they had pondered creating multiple greeting scrolls it seemed likely to just lead to mix ups and confusion.

[Shiba Haru]

"It is an honor to meet you cousin." Haru said bowing to the new arrival. "They sure did send a lot of us, is this normal?"

[Shiba Ichiro]

A look around, taking in the number, and a slight shrug at the question in case it was not rhetorical. They had never had the opportunity to observe the tournament prior to competing.

[Isawa Kiriko]

Kiriko smiled as they arrived. "Shiba-san, I'm glad to see you."