Kyuden Shika

Yasu finds herself at the sake house, very much sticking to the house sake, where a bottle may as well be tea at her size, and three begins to be pleasant. She holds up two fingers as she heads for their 'usual' spot, expecting her drinking companion will be along in a moment.

A tall and familiar Lion is only a minute behind her, entering with energy and clearly pleased as he sees Yasu sitting where he'd expect.

"Good afternoon, Yasu-san," he says happily as he sits across from her. The contrast in his demeanor to the last time she had seen him almost couldn't be starker.

Yasu smiles as he settles in. "Finding some joy for these last days of the festival, Ishioka-san?" She asks while pouring them both a cup.

The Lion half-smiles, the subject being rather complicated. But he's hardly going to avoid telling Yasu.

"It is... Perhaps more an acceptance? A removal of certain weight I had been trying to carry, and I had to finally accept something that you had said, Yasu-san: The Deer make the matches. We should count it a blessing what we're able to enjoy just while we're here." He sighs, but not dramatically. "I was... too ambitious. Trying to have too much in the future and not appreciating what I had in the present. It was foolish, but I have at least learned now." His face shows a tired but slightly proud half-smile.

Yasu nods and sips her sake. "We're never guaranteed tomorrow.That's where death lies, according to the Nezumi, and they're not wrong," she says with a slight smile, looking into her sake cup. She looks up a bit, though her lashes at Ishioka. "So who's your today? Your Dragon, it sounds like?"

"Hai," he agrees, and then nods at mention of the Agasha. "Only the Deer know if she's the one in my future, but... I don't know if I could believe at this point that it's anyone else." He takes a small drink of sake. "I haven't... forgotten... everything else," he admits quietly, "but at least I am finally listening to more than just my heart."

"Think you'll still be assigned to the embassy? Or they going to put you in charge of something, someplace farther north while you provide them some new troops? Can't imagine they particularly want you raising a family near the Wall." Nevermind that most Crab families fit that description to some extent or another.

"I imagine you're right," he says, unsure but unconcerned on this particular question. "It... I think I'll be on leave, at least for a time, to set up a household. Maybe take over my parents' estate even." He shakes his head, a little concern showing now that he considers it more. "They... I think they would rather dote on grandchildren than manage an estate. But I'm hardly... I'm a nikutai. Who am I to take that over?" He shakes his head, trying to push it from his mind.

Yasu laughs at that, pouring, "you're to take on a good karo, I think. No reason you need to take on the day to day unless that's all of your assignment, yeah? Unless you think your new wife's much good with that?" She's a bit skeptical that Inoshishi would be.

"As usual, your advice is wise and welcome, Yasu-san." He smiles and nods thanks for the pour. "If I have need of a talented karo, perhaps you and your future household could come to advise me," he jokes, though she can see a certain seriousness in his eyes.

He exhales. "I think I mostly hope that managing such trivia will be my focus and not having to put to the sword those we've just spent these weeks with..." Ishioka looks dour for a moment but tries to shake it away. "There are many directions that my life could take, even knowing who my future wife will be, and I am not equally content with all the possibilities."

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D13 LA agenda at Yasu. "Keep the Deer CLan from committing military support to the Crane Clan." Water 3, Courtesy 1. | TN: 2 | Success: 2 / Opportunity: 1 / Strife: 1

1 agenda point for Keep the Deer Clan from committing military support to the Crane Clan. Water opp to make sure I have no strife.