(D8 EA, Yasu's room) The Differences of Days

[Kuni Yasu]

"He really was gentle," Yasu says with a nod. 'I should see if he'd like to spar sometime, see how we've both improved over the past year." There's a small concern creasing her brows. "You guys doing ok?"

[Usogawa Narumi]

"Wait." Narumi holds up a hand, "You said you're worried about him, why?" She takes a slice of orange and munches.

[Kuni Yasu]

"He's all tangled. Grief and expectations and feelings for people. Doesn't think I was right to set one person aside to save everyone some heartache, but can't figure out how he wants to deal with pretty much exactly what I tried to avoid." She finishes her cup and offers another pour with a questioning look. "If you're choosing a path, you need a plan to deal with the easy to spot pitfalls in the path."

"His family won't like any of the choices here. If I were the matchmaker trying to make them happy, I'd send him off with Governor Seppun-sama and let them have a consort or two to get the prestige and grand-daughters his folks want so much. Don't think he'd be thrilled with it though." She shakes her head. "Typical Lion, really, all honor and hardly a shred of solid pragmatism. So all he learned is that his feelings don't matter...not what to do with them. At least up here he doesn't need to figure out if any of them are actually whispers of evil spirits leading him to a horrible end, so that's a mercy."

[Usogawa Narumi]

Without hesitation, Narumi nudges her cup closer to Yasu with her fingertip at the offer. She needed to... not feel, right now.
"The Deer aren't trying to make his parents happy, though," she starts out slowly. "They do what they do, and we do as we're told." Yasu mentions saving face by having a consort or two, and Narumi frowns at that before looking off to one side at that.
But Yasu offers an insight into Ishioka's turmoil that she wouldn't otherwise be privvy to, and Narumi nods slowly in thought.

She gives a bitter smirk at the last bit. "At least there's that..." The third cup is nursed with a wince.

[Kuni Yasu]

Yasu splashes into each cup. "Well the Deer aren't...entirely...trying to make us happy either. Just one, maybe large, factor. And given that I don't think he knows what will make him happy?" She shrugs.

[Usogawa Narumi]

The smirk turned into a bitter laugh at that, and Narumi pushed dark hair behind one ear. "I think you've got the right of it there, Yasu-san. But do any of us really know what would make us happy?" Her nose wrinkled, but after a moment of thought her expression softened dramatically. "I mean, besides Bo-san. He's happy with just about anything thrown at him."

[Kuni Yasu]

Yasu nods. "He seemed very earnest when I met him, and cheerful. Not at all what I expect of a Crane, honestly."

"And then there's Tanabe-san. That's a bit of what drew me to him too, I think. His cheer can fill a room. He knows what makes him happy." Her smile is radiant, and very pleased that she's what makes him happy.

[Usogawa Narumi]

She rubs at her bottom lip a moment while trying to think, her cheeks flushed now from the shochu. At Yasu's acknowledgement of Bo's disposition, Narumi's dreamy smile continues.
Only to be outshone by her friend's grin, and it's quite alright.
"Tanabe-san is a good man. And you're a good woman for him. I can't express how happy it makes me to know you've found each other."

[Kuni Yasu]

There's an honest happiness in Yasu's expression. "Thanks, I kept thinking it couldn't be that easy, you know?" She doesn't flinch at all as she sips from the heady cup now. Everything's pretty anesthetized to the burn. "Like one of the plays that come through sometimes. Find someone interesting almost as soon as I walk in and they're just...great? No secret problems. No hesitation at the idea of becoming Kuni. I guess the catch comes if the Deer don't agree."

She looks up, takes in Narumi's. "You should see your smile. Why'ren't you sure, with a look like that?"

[Usogawa Narumi]

"Oh!" she laughed freely and shook her head to try and clear it. "You talk about things being easy. They are with Bo-san. There's a quiet simplicity to him that I adore being around, even when what's going on inside me is so far from simple.
Everything and anything else that's troubling me just sort of... steps back and dulls, when I'm with him. Moreover, I'm happy when I'm with him... And I haven't felt that sort of peace in a long time."
Narumi pauses for a moment. "I asked him if he'd be happy if we were matched. He said he would be. He'd join the Otter and we'd travel together."