[D7 EE - Expecting] Early evening ancestry

[Kitsu Moshumaru]

The Kitsu made no attempt to look for deception or trickery - he didn't even consider the possibility.

Instead, he nodded - this was an interesting dilemma.

"There are bright sides to your situation - you have found someone, they love you, and they believe they would be happy with you. Some people go through their entire life without finding such a thing across the empire, nevermind at a miai. We should consider ourselves lucky to have found someone but a week into our time here."

He sipped as he thought.

"Without knowing which clans are involved, I cannot offer steel-forged advice. Indeed, even if I did, I could only offer from my own biases. But, with you knowing I am a Lion and Obituarian both, I can say four things I believe. Of course, if I can be wrong, I can be ignored, I can offer more thoughts if you'd like. I'm here to help the Otter clan."

He began.

"First, the Otter clan have been lovely to work with thus far. I would not say 'I would like to work with them more' because that would invite more deaths, but if I were to become a Lion ambassador to your clan I would feel no grief."

He brought one finger up, pointing at an imaginary learning board of some kind. It was clear it was more for his sake than hers, but it might help.

"Second, this Miai is unusual in that there is a choice - an Imperial could marry into a minor clan, should they so desire. That means you should not feel oblige to the larger organization, perhaps say an Imperial marriage."

The finger moved to the third point.

"Thirdly, one of you will always be a stranger to their new life. That's a simple fact, unless someone marries within their own clan. One of you will need time to accommodate, during which the other must be able to accommodate for heightened emotional needs and worries, especially feelings of isolation and loneliness."

But for a second, the Kitsu's finger shakes with some hidden anger before making the fourth point.

"The fourth is that I would recommend everyone who can leave the Crane clan, do so. That is more clan politics than anything, though I profess I am not personally fond of the clan either."

He put down his imaginary fingers and sipped his tea.

"Forgive me, I have said much. If I have spoken out of place, Usogawa-san, please accept my apology."

[Usogawa Narumi]

Narumi sips her tea as she listens, her eyes darting from the Kitsu's face to his hands and back again easily, intelligently following along as he raises his points. And they were good ones.
Until the last illicits a laugh from the Otter. Anything to distract herself from the day she'd had.
"You've done no such thing and thus have nothing to worry about, Kitsu-san.
You'll also be pleased to hear that seems to be the direction we're headed." She says about the last point, narrowing down drastically whom it might be she's talking about.

[Kitsu Moshumaru]

It's kind of sad how much the idea of someone fleeing the Crane seemed to lighten the visage of the Lion, if one looked at it from far away enough.

"Oh my, congratulations! May you and your partner have a safe journey home. I'm positive they'll love the Otter, if you and Usogawa Emiko-sama are anything to go by."

If he has any idea who she means, he doesn't show it. In truth, it never even registered that what was said explicitly implies that she was in love with a Crane.

Instead, another thought crossed his mind.

"...Say. I was wondering. I don't know if it's simply not been done, or has been done many times before, but you have your partner and I have mine, correct? What if we just... asked them to let us be wed? Bypass the rest of the miai and walk home happy? Am I talking nonsense, or might that be an option?"

[Usogawa Narumi]

Cutting her losses and immediately leaving with Bo, back to her rivers, sounds like exactly the thing she should do.
"I-" she starts, and her voice hitches in her throat. It'd never work.
"That'd be an incredible insult to our hosts, asserting that we don't trust their judgement nor need their blessing."

[Kitsu Moshumaru]

Cutting her losses and immediately leaving with Bo, back to her rivers, sounds like exactly the thing she should do.
"I-" she starts, and her voice hitches in her throat. It'd never work.
"That'd be an incredible insult to our hosts, asserting that we don't trust their judgement nor need their blessing."

The Kitsu nods, albeit less enthusiastic than before.

"A shame - I had hoped to avoid insult by coming to them first and presenting our cases, but you're probably right. Even if we did seek their blessing, they may think we're just trying to skip their ancestral processes..."

Damn. There goes that easy ending.

[Usogawa Narumi]

She gave a small pout in agreement.
"It is a shame. My advice is to enjoy the time you have with your intended. Perform admirably in the events, and if fortunes are kind, one of you will be able to choose the other when all is said and done."

[Kitsu Moshumaru]

The Kitsu nodded. "That is good advice, Usogawa-san. I was speaking to the top competitors to see whom had their heart; Is there anyone I can speak to for you?"

[Usogawa Narumi]

She smiled but it did not reach her eyes, met those of the Kitsu before looking off to the side, away from the table for a moment. "Thank you but no. It seems a favoured past time of several candidates to ask thus, we should feel blessed to have such a find collection of compassionate samurai here, looking out for one another."
A pause and she turns her attentions back to the table. "This one begins to feel redundant in her profession as a nakodo herself, when so many aspiring matchmakers surround her."

[Kitsu Moshumaru]

The Kitsu thought to a recent conflict of his - and his time with the Shika, before deciding what best to say.

"If you mean the other candidates, then I doubt you need worry for long - their interest is but a wave, crashing and then leaving, but yours is the port that will be there for those who need it for generations to come. A long-lasting source of guidance and assistance that will become legend within the families they create, no?"

He then realized something else.

"...If you mean the school for matchmakers here then, well... If it makes you feel better, I'd trust you with my marriage first. In fact, I imagine you could probably guess who I adore pretty easily, no?"

Compliment to simply accept to an easy challenge to overcome her worries, it was her choice to take it as she wished.

[Usogawa Narumi]

His reassurance soothes her, given the day she's just endured, and Narumi's expression lightens a little.
"Thank you, Kitsu-san. It's always welcome to receive a few kind words.
Alas, I haven't had the opportunity to meet every candidate, there's just so many of us, as you well know. So neh, I can't put a finger on who might have stolen your heart. If you care to enlighten this one, feel free- otherwise she'll respect that you might not yet be ready to shout from the mountaintops."