Kyuden Shika

"Hai," she says quietly, and looks into her cup as if the answers can be found there. "I have been weighing both sides. All the time. Every minute. And first one makes more sense, then the other, then the first again."

Again his eyes shine with a sympathetic light "Hai Narumi-san. Matters of the heart are rarely simple especially in the middle of it." A hand came halfway across the table but came up short remembering casual contact wasn't accepted among these main landers.

But he gave her a soft smile "I'm sure you'll figure it all out in the end. Though largely doesn't matter as it's not like we get to make the choosing." He thought for a moment "Maybe now is the time to trust the reason the Deer exist. Maybe they will see what you cant."

Her gaze ticks from her cup to his outstretched hand before she looks up at the large, friendly face said hand belongs to and she nods in understanding, although very much looking as though she could use a hug, things are as they are.
"Im not one to enjoy leaving my fate in the hands of others, even if that's exactly what we came here to do."

Tanabe nodded "yeah. I get it. It's a pretty shitty place we are honestly. Let loose to get to know people and given every opportunity to find love but when we do there's no promise we'll get matched with them. Seems kind of like torture until it's over." He said taking another drink of the tea.

"But regardless wha anyone says, who matches who, or what happens in the future you're a catch and whoever ends up with you got lucky. Plus you're an Otter, that's for life. Emiko-sama and I will be there for you always."

She smiles sweetly at that, "My mother used to say it wasn't about the destination, but the journey to get there that bared remembering. I don't any of us will forget this miai."
She sipped from her tea as well. "Thank you. And I, for you. Whatever you need, even if you end up as far away as you can manage," she smirked briefly.

Tanabe nodded "yeah no matter how it ends or what kind of hurt or happiness comes in a few days. My life is better for having been here. And not just because of Yasu, though she's a big part, met a lot of interesting people. Learned some things about myself." He took a sip of the tea with a small smile.

"But that's enough worry about the future, I'm more interested in the here and talking about you." He said smiling "so besides being trapped in some love confusion how have you been? What have you been up to?"

"Well, um, I've attended many of the plays? Failed miserably at a handful of events," she smirked, self depreciatively, "-but also found strengths I didn't know I possessed through them. I've shared drinks with what I hope pans out to be new friends, and had deeper conversations with those whom I hope can be counted on as new allies in the future. I've... also come to understand more about myself and what it is I want, outside the pressures of being under my aunt's formidable thumb. I've discovered the path I was headed down isn't one I want for myself at all," she smiled thoughtfully.

Tanabe gave her a soft smile "that's amazing Narumi-san! I'm not surprised you've been making friends, you're a great person that others are drawn to. I felt it when I first met you, you're very likable and disarmingly pretty." He said honestly.

"But what do you mean about your path not being what you wanted? You don't want to be a nakodo anymore?" He asked raising an eyebrow.

She smiled self-depreciatively again at Tanabe's kind words and shook her head lightly, "You're too kind, cousin."
At his query and raised brow, Narumi gives a small pout in thought, "I've been doing a lot of thinking here, about what it is I want. I suppose it depends where I end up, uhm, with whom, I mean. Moreover, it's not becoming a nakodo I no longer want, it's.. other things, of which our clan unfortunately suffers a stigma? Things to which I'm loathe to admit I've been no stranger. Especially should the fates and the Shika decide I am destined to be with Bo-san." She lets slip his name without noticing. "I want to be better for him than I am. He deserves more."

Tanabe sat back with a thinking frown for a moment not saying anything. He takes a long drink of his tea and sets the cup down. "I am not fond of the judgment in your words Narumi-san. The clan does what it needs to to survive. We don't have the resources of the Great Clans or even most of the minor ones. We have no land to farm to feed our people and rely on what coin we can get from trading and other things." His voice wasn't angry just maybe disapproving? The happy Otter rarely expressed negative emotions and even when he did they seemed softer.

"Of course it is our way to allow people to find their own place in the world. So if those things are things you don't wish to do no one will judge you for it but try not to look down on those of us that do." He replied with a soft smile "but I am glad this Bo makes you feel good like this. Yasu is the same for me, not that I want to change who I am but that she makes me the best version of myself. I want to be able to support and protect her and share the heavy burden of her duty." Warmth joined the softness of his smile.

"Regardless I'm not sure who this other is but if I get a vote it sounds like Bo-san is the best choice for you. Sounds like he is the one that makes you want to be the best you and the other is exciting and fun and a whirlwind but seems like pain lies there." Tanabe shrugged "just my view on the situation."