Kyuden Shika

"Well you know how I've been working towards stopping the Deer getting involved in the war?"

He flipped the coin around in his hand.

"I've invited two of the people involved to dinner before we set off in order to make sure nothing sneaky happens the moment my back's turned."

They sighed dramatically. "Please don't get yourself killed... because that sounds like you're hoping to get yourself killed and then I'm going to have to kill everyone."

He kissed her once more, for what was not going to be the last time.

"Trust me, I do not intend to getting myself killed. I'll be well within the protection of the Deer, within the top brass of whom I have a staunch ally. He'll be there to make sure nothing goes wrong, okay?"

They narrowed their eyes some, but then nodded and returned the kiss. "Alright... as long as you're sure that you're safe and stay that way. I don't... really see how the coin would be any help there though."

"Well as long as we don't tell anyone 'a potential suitor tried to fuck my wife and use this crock to seduce her', I'd class this as a symbol of friendship between myself and at least one Crane, no? Might be useful in some way."

"No, I got that today, so I think it might be something he wants me to remember him by, but honestly I'm just going to remember him as that guy who threw me under the cart to Lui-chan. I should actually probably go speak to her soon. See how she's holding up. Anyway!" They chuckled some. "As long as using this isn't going to bring shit down on anyone, that's fine. I do try to keep my Imperially cute nose out of stuff."

"The thing I'm trying to do is to stop bringing down shit on people, my love. I will be an Imperial soon, and that fact has made me reflect on who I really am - and who I really should be. I know now, more than ever, that I love you and I can think of no greater joy than to be by your side until I must return to my ancestors. But to be an Imperial, I must...reconsider my view of the Crane."

"Well, I'd like you to not hate the Crane, but honestly you can have clan bias as an Impieral. I know several cousins who hate some clan or another. Just the way of things. It's like me not liking the Deer because they're trying to be a smaller, more annoying version of the Otomo, but at least they've given me my adopted child, who I've learned wants to go to the Topaz Championship. I'll need to pull some strings to make sure she gets an invitation."

Moshu laughed a kind, gentle laugh.

"My word, if that is how much care you show an adoptive child from a clan you dislike, we'll need to be careful not to spoil our children rotten!"

"I probably will. I want them to know that they're loved and that for most things they do, I will be proud of them." They said softly, completely planning on giving their children what they had wanted from their parents when they were younger.

"Unless they marry into the Deer. Then I'll have some words for them and they aren't going to be great."