Kyuden Shika

[Expecting, but public]

Raizo's day having mostly not actually happened yet, his mood as he awaited his Crane compatriot was a bit hard to read.

But like any good solider, he was more than prepared to compete for someday being named the Fortune of Bad Decisions, and it wasn't like he was a stranger in Ugisu's Song.

Murato walked into the bar. His eyes lacked the shine they usually held. They were still orange, but there was something dull about them. Something missing?

He sits at a small table by himself in a corner and orders a bottle for himself. Which he sips, from the bottle... alone.

Soyokaze bowed upon entering the sake house and wiped the rain off his face. While his clothing an hair were as impeccable as they could be in this weather he none the less looked like a man who had been staring into Jigoku all day. He glanced around the room seemingly not even noticing his surrounding until he found his friend and approached. Glumly he spoke. "Hello Raizo-san, thank you for coming out tonight I hope I'm not keeping you from something more important." He took a seat and a deep sigh left his throat. "Has Inari blessed you today?"

"Oh yes. And he's about to bless me further."

Raizo signalled for a bottle. Paused. Signalled for two.

"And you as well, Soyokaze-san. Just remember, these blessings carry a sting in their tail..."

"Thank you my friend, please tell me, how has your day been; fruitful I hope." Soyokaze wasted no time in pouring the sake for both of them and downing his first cup.

"Well."

He looked at his cup.

"Pretty sure I'm not doing much for my standing over the last two days."

He knocked it back.

Soyokaze refilled both of their cups. "Why do you say that, has something gone wrong with you and your friend or are you talking about these damned tests the matchmakers are putting us through?"

"Oh, very much the latter."

He knocked back another cup.

"But that lengthens my odds for a good match, hm? And as I regard my... friend as the best match, I cannot say it's reassuring."

"There are not many things in life that I hate but thanks to my time here 'mixed signals' is now one of them." He took a sip before continuing. "I know I've complained about it before but they are playing a very annoying game with us Raizo-san, they test our fitness to be a noble every morning and then spend the rest of the day singing the praises of love with no intention to let us enjoy it if we ever find it."

Raizo shrugged.

"They have their reasons."

He... sipped, rather than knocked back the next cup.

"But I can also say that about the superior officer who sent my unit into the mountains in the dead of winter looking for lost pilgrims. Beyond the general situation, what troubles you?"