(D2, LA) Crane on the Hoof

[Shiba Haru]

"Love at first sight is nothing. I loved my brother before I could even see," he says with a smile.

"And I am not sure about the distance with her. Still have to get to know her a bit more to understand it all."

"Well you said she wasn't always a Phoenix, where does she come from and how much does she miss it?"

[Shiba Jiro]

"Again, I didn't go into it. We talked more about the nature of the betrothal and perspectives on connection. It's probably going to take time."

[Ikoma Aya]

Yuji smiled a bit.

"I'd be honored, Ikoma-san, although legendary though the Crane hospitality may be, I cannot simply produce another mount out of courtesy." he says with a good sense of humor.

"Although, do you ride Ikoma-san? Yutaka is very gentle and perhaps would enjoy a bit of variety in rider. We've been together for quite some time after all." he says, not only dismounting but offering his mount to the Lion. After all, riding double would require far more touching than socially acceptable.

"Oh..."

It takes a while for the girl's face to go from a neutral expression of... - uncertainty or confusion, maybe? - to a set (maybe stubborn) shaking of her head. "Oh... thank you, Kakita-san, but I can't accept. I can't claim any experience with horses, after all. I'm sure Yutaka will be happier under your rein"

She takes a look around. "Maybe... maybe you two can show me one of the spots you often visit together?"

Something seems to come back to her mind and her eyes space out for a moment, but she quickly shakes it off and waits for an answer with an... almost calm expression.

OOC:
Sorry for the looong delay!

[Kakita Yuji]

"Oh..."

It takes a while for the girl's face to go from a neutral expression of... - uncertainty or confusion, maybe? - to a set (maybe stubborn) shaking of her head. "Oh... thank you, Kakita-san, but I can't accept. I can't claim any experience with horses, after all. I'm sure Yutaka will be happier under your rein"

She takes a look around. "Maybe... maybe you two can show me one of the spots you often visit together?"

Something seems to come back to her mind and her eyes space out for a moment, but she quickly shakes it off and waits for an answer with an... almost calm expression.

OOC:
Sorry for the looong delay!

(No worries)

Yuji nods.

"As Ikoma-san prefers" he agrees. "Let us go walking along the river then. It is rather pleasing to watch it's slow, meandering path towards the sea. My grandfather has told me stories of when the Imperial barge would come down the river for the Emperor himself to observe the championship. While such as fallen out of fashion in modern times, one can picture almost picture it."

He leads her towards the river.

"What of your own home, Ikoma-san? Where do you like to go to find peace?"

[Shiba Haru]

"Again, I didn't go into it. We talked more about the nature of the betrothal and perspectives on connection. It's probably going to take time."

Well, you will have a lifetime together to sort things out though I hope it doesn't take that long. I just want to get to the part where I have nieces and nephews." He said with a coy smile. "I wonder if either of us will have twins."

[Ikoma Aya]

Yuji nods.

"As Ikoma-san prefers" he agrees. "Let us go walking along the river then. It is rather pleasing to watch it's slow, meandering path towards the sea. My grandfather has told me stories of when the Imperial barge would come down the river for the Emperor himself to observe the championship. While such as fallen out of fashion in modern times, one can picture almost picture it."

He leads her towards the river.

"What of your own home, Ikoma-san? Where do you like to go to find peace?"

She nods slowly and silently in answer. The boy's description of the scene seems to soothe her somewhat, and she almost lets out a smile. His question seems to bring back some of tension beneath a set expression.

"Ah... it's a small village, Kakita-san.", she answers after a deep breath that seems to help release (or hide) at least some of the renewed tension. Not too far, but also not too close to the nearest cities - the City of Honour's Sacrifice and Hayaken no Shiro, that would be. My family' lands are... calm, I guess. Some open fields, a small grove here and there. The Drowned Merchant river runs not far from home - sometimes we'd go to the riverside and walk across its banks. It is..." she stops mid-sentence, her eyes pained for a split second. "...was relaxing." The pain is quickly replaced with a slight smirk on her eyes and mouth, though. "I guess the fated merchant might have thought so as well before the river got its name, though, ne?"

[Shiba Jiro]

Well, you will have a lifetime together to sort things out though I hope it doesn't take that long. I just want to get to the part where I have nieces and nephews." He said with a coy smile. "I wonder if either of us will have twins."

"Well, that did get mentioned. And it seems she sees it as an expected duty. Which, it is, of course. But again, not an easy topic for a first conversation."

[Kakita Yuji]

She nods slowly and silently in answer. The boy's description of the scene seems to soothe her somewhat, and she almost lets out a smile. His question seems to bring back some of tension beneath a set expression.

"Ah... it's a small village, Kakita-san.", she answers after a deep breath that seems to help release (or hide) at least some of the renewed tension. Not too far, but also not too close to the nearest cities - the City of Honour's Sacrifice and Hayaken no Shiro, that would be. My family' lands are... calm, I guess. Some open fields, a small grove here and there. The Drowned Merchant river runs not far from home - sometimes we'd go to the riverside and walk across its banks. It is..." she stops mid-sentence, her eyes pained for a split second. "...was relaxing." The pain is quickly replaced with a slight smirk on her eyes and mouth, though. "I guess the fated merchant might have thought so as well before the river got its name, though, ne?"

Yuji considered the point.

"Perhaps, although the story of Ikoma Airmi is perhaps a bit more interesting." he said, referred to the namesake of the City of Honor's Sacrifice. "The stories paint her so vividly, it's not hard to picture her here at Tsuma. Young, attractive, brilliant, a master of both the battlefields of summer and winter. One wonders if she were here today, what she would have to say about the competitors this year."

[Shiba Haru]

"Well, that did get mentioned. And it seems she sees it as an expected duty. Which, it is, of course. But again, not an easy topic for a first conversation."

"No I imagine not. It must be really awkward to sit with someone you don't know anything about other than that you will have to have kids with them; it's one of the uncomfortable aspects of duty. I still have the luxury of imagination, the hope that my union will be a perfect one; a sexy playful warrior wife who will love me and have healthy and strong children."

He sighed.

"We never really talked about stuff like that, about what we wanted, I know you will do your duty without complaint but if you have any I would hear them."

[Shiba Jiro]

"I have no complaints. I suspect that fulfilling duty will not be difficult. I'm more concerned with ensuring she is not unhappy with me and that I can maintain a comfortable home," he relies with a shrug. "Hopefully time will allow me to understand what that means for her."

[Shiba Haru]

"I have no complaints. I suspect that fulfilling duty will not be difficult. I'm more concerned with ensuring she is not unhappy with me and that I can maintain a comfortable home," he relies with a shrug. "Hopefully time will allow me to understand what that means for her."

"Do you really worry that you WON'T be able to make her happy? Or are you worried that you won't be happy with her?"

[Shiba Jiro]

"I am not worried about that. I mean, fate stuck me with you and I manage to get by," he said, patting him on the shoulder and smirking.

"But seriously. I'm not worried so much as I am unsure. But there have been fewer words between us that the last letter I wrote my sensei. So of course I am still unsure. I don't know if either of us can bring the other happiness. Doesn't mean that it won't happen. Or that we won't be able to be happy at all. For all I know it will be children to draw us together. I don't have answers, and I won't for some time."

[Shiba Haru]

"I am not worried about that. I mean, fate stuck me with you and I manage to get by," he said, patting him on the shoulder and smirking.

"But seriously. I'm not worried so much as I am unsure. But there have been fewer words between us that the last letter I wrote my sensei. So of course I am still unsure. I don't know if either of us can bring the other happiness. Doesn't mean that it won't happen. Or that we won't be able to be happy at all. For all I know it will be children to draw us together. I don't have answers, and I won't for some time."

He placed a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"That is fair, I am asking questions you cannot have answers to just yet. The time when we must walk separate paths draws near and I am selfishly looking to see that you will be alright without me around to push you around."

He shoved his brother, quite forcefully, but there was real love and a touch of sadness in his eyes.

[Shiba Jiro]

"Don't worry about me. I know how to cook. Your the one that is going to starve when I am gone," he replied.

[Shiba Haru]

"Don't worry about me. I know how to cook. Your the one that is going to starve when I am gone," he replied.

"I do worry slightly that whoever I am matched with won't know how to brew tea like you do." He said thoughtfully. "Or what if she hates how much ginger I eat?" He sounded genuinely worried about that last thought.

[Shiba Jiro]

"Is there anyone that does like how much ginger you eat other than the people that pickle ot for a living?" he asks. "Maybe they will match you with a ginger farmer."

[Shiba Haru]

"Is there anyone that does like how much ginger you eat other than the people that pickle ot for a living?" he asks. "Maybe they will match you with a ginger farmer."

"Well I don't know about that but there are samurai who farm and that wouldn't be terrible. I can think of worse ways to spend my time than with my hands in the soil growing something."

[Shiba Jiro]

"Well I don't know about that but there are samurai who farm and that wouldn't be terrible. I can think of worse ways to spend my time than with my hands in the soil growing something."

"Do you want me to teach you how?" he says. "I spent some time with the farmers on the outskirts if you recall. I picked up some stuff from them."

[Shiba Haru]

"Do you want me to teach you how?" he says. "I spent some time with the farmers on the outskirts if you recall. I picked up some stuff from them."

"Maybe. Someday. But you have already said you would teach me how to paint, lets tackle one thing at a time because I doubt you will enjoy having me as a student."

[Shiba Jiro]

"You know I wish to be a teacher someday. That means also caring for the worst students," he says with a wink.