(D2, LA) Crane on the Hoof

[Shiba Haru]

"I would actually love that for you," he replied, the jealousy responded to with actual hope. "Seriously. If you had the opportunity. It would be amazing."

he looked genuinely surprised. "NO. That wouldn't be right, it would be fair. I shouldn't have any more say in my pairing then you did."

[Shiba Jiro]

"Fair? You haven't figured it out yet? If life was fair we would not be twins because I got the brains and you got the looks. A deal that clearly favored me when we came out with identical appearances. You got the short end so a few good swings your way is just playing catch up."

[Shiba Haru]

"Fair? You haven't figured it out yet? If life was fair we would not be twins because I got the brains and you got the looks. A deal that clearly favored me when we came out with identical appearances. You got the short end so a few good swings your way is just playing catch up."

"You have always been too kind to me brother but I deserve nor ask for any more favor then you get."

[Shiba Jiro]

"You have always been too kind to me brother but I deserve nor ask for any more favor then you get."

"Don't be dumb. Anything that is good for you is good for me, because it makes me happy. It's not about deserve."

[Ikoma Aya]

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."

The story got a shade of a smile on the girl's eyes, at least for a moment. "Oh... it is an inspiring story, isn't it? She a model for many of us back home. Was one for my... eh... my family too". The hesitation seemed to bring back a tone of... something to her voice. Pain?

She quickly shook it off.

"That is an interesting thought, though! I... ah, I'm not sure I can quite fathom what she'd have to say, though." A shrug. "Of course I'm no Ikoma Arimi myself, ne?" Then looking at Yuji as they walked. "Would Kakita-san have a guess on what she would say?"

[Shiba Haru]

"Don't be dumb. Anything that is good for you is good for me, because it makes me happy. It's not about deserve."

"You know I don't like that mother and father showed me favor over you just because I am comfortable with a sword, if anything you were the better son; you always have been. So being given or taking something denied to you makes me ill."

[Shiba Jiro]

"They didn't show favor because you studied the sword. They just understood you better. Think of it from their perspective. They could teach you and guide you on your path. Not me. It's not favoring by choice, but necessity."

[Shiba Haru]

"They didn't show favor because you studied the sword. They just understood you better. Think of it from their perspective. They could teach you and guide you on your path. Not me. It's not favoring by choice, but necessity."

"Well it sure felt like they did and I hated it. Did you feel like we were treated as equals?"

[Shiba Jiro]

"Well it sure felt like they did and I hated it. Did you feel like we were treated as equals?"

"I feel like they cared pretty much equally, but simply connected better with you. I never felt like they didn't care, only that they didn't feel the same way I did. And I was happy that the understood you well in comparison."

[Kakita Yuji]

The story got a shade of a smile on the girl's eyes, at least for a moment. "Oh... it is an inspiring story, isn't it? She a model for many of us back home. Was one for my... eh... my family too". The hesitation seemed to bring back a tone of... something to her voice. Pain?

She quickly shook it off.

"That is an interesting thought, though! I... ah, I'm not sure I can quite fathom what she'd have to say, though." A shrug. "Of course I'm no Ikoma Arimi myself, ne?" Then looking at Yuji as they walked. "Would Kakita-san have a guess on what she would say?"

Yuji thought about it.

"It's hard to say isn't it? There are so many stories of the ancestors their triumphs writ large across the pages of the Empire. One can almost forget they were human. They faced difficulties, had needs, and experienced adversity just like any of us. But we have such an idealized picture of them in our mind when we try to picture words that are too perfect to have ever existed."

The trio (Yutaka was still there after all) came to the bank of the Tangu river the water lazily meandering it's way to the ocean.

"Kind of like the reaction I've been getting from some people about a project I'm working on. I'm trying to obtain two poems from each of the competitors in the tournament: one of their initial impression of the tournament and one their final impression. But some have built the ide3a up into this impossibly huge request. Surely their words must rival that of the great poets of old! And they feel they cannot compare and should not try."

He scooped up a rock and skipped it along the water.

"Which reminds me, I need to ask you if you would participate in such a project, Ikoma-san. I would like to add your thoughts to the compilation."

[Shiba Haru]

"I feel like they cared pretty much equally, but simply connected better with you. I never felt like they didn't care, only that they didn't feel the same way I did. And I was happy that the understood you well in comparison."

Haru stopped.

He was hearing what his brother said but was having trouble processing it. he was certain that his parents favored him but Jiro would know better how he was treated so he was left questioning a lot he believed he knew.

"It's starting to feel like I know nothing at all."

[Shiba Jiro]

"It's all perspective. You think the tiger stalks so it isn't seen before it pounces. I think it sneaks to keep itself hidden from danger," he says, moving to the large branch. He begins removing the smaller branches that still have leaves on them.

"One man sees a lovely pet, another sees something that keeps mice in check. At the end of the day they're both looking at a cat."

[Shiba Haru]

"It's all perspective. You think the tiger stalks so it isn't seen before it pounces. I think it sneaks to keep itself hidden from danger," he says, moving to the large branch. He begins removing the smaller branches that still have leaves on them.

"One man sees a lovely pet, another sees something that keeps mice in check. At the end of the day they're both looking at a cat."

"I wish this WERE a miai, there is a lot here to hold my interest and I wouldn't have these damned tests to worry about."

He sighed.

"I think part of my problem is that I feel somewhat naked here. At home I carry around my bokken almost everywhere but here I cannot, it feels weird like my balance is off."

[Shiba Jiro]

"One thing that doesn't bother me at all. Wish I could just make one for you, but rules are rules."

[Shiba Haru]

"One thing that doesn't bother me at all. Wish I could just make one for you, but rules are rules."

"Ok Nakodo Jiro, who here would you match me with then?"

This should be entertaining, or he's gonna say something vague and say whoever I want.

[Shiba Jiro]

"I mean, I was talking about bokken, but it's clear where your mind is," he says with a chuckle. "I'd probably match you with Chiaki-san. Don't know if you have spoken with her. But my conversation with her was quite lovely."

[Shiba Haru]

"I mean, I was talking about bokken, but it's clear where your mind is," he says with a chuckle. "I'd probably match you with Chiaki-san. Don't know if you have spoken with her. But my conversation with her was quite lovely."

"Who?"

[Shiba Jiro]

"She is a ronin that I met early on, after the welcome feast. She is sponsored by the Miya. No small feat. She is talented, lovely, a wonderful conversationalist, an artist, and has a practical understanding of the world. And would not interfere with Duty or service to the clan with the marriage," Jiro replied.

[Shiba Haru]

"She is a ronin that I met early on, after the welcome feast. She is sponsored by the Miya. No small feat. She is talented, lovely, a wonderful conversationalist, an artist, and has a practical understanding of the world. And would not interfere with Duty or service to the clan with the marriage," Jiro replied.

"A Ronin?"

He blinked repeatedly trying to process too many thoughts at once. As if none of Jiro's comments had been processed he asked.

"Why her?"

[Shiba Jiro]

"Because I am using my judgement as a nakodo and intuition as your brother. You would have to talk to her yourself to understand why." He shrugs.