[D9 MA open]I may need this

[Kaito Oubaihime]

"White jasmine and lemon." She ordered. "I have to thank you for aiding me yesterday."

[Kitsu Moshumaru]

The Kitsu seemed confused - as far as he was concerned, their talk the other day was a bust. Still, he wasn't one to let praise be accepted emptily.

"You're welcome, but... how did I help?"


- - - -
For when it comes time to paint...

Moshu's First Painting (Assistance + Void)[/url | TN: 2 | Success: 4 / Opportunity: 1 / Strife: 4
[url="https://sakkaku.org/rolls/1529"]

Roll for eventual painting, using 1 to remove 1 strife.
- - - -

[Kaito Oubaihime]

"By explaining me the truth of war. it is the way of the samurai. It helped choose a song for Lord Yuzu sama about duty." She smiled. "Some say that it is better to think of failure as an opportunity to better oneself."

[Kitsu Moshumaru]

The Kitsu understood, accepting her words as the tea arrived.

"Ah - in that case, I am glad I could be of help. We have spent so long looking in, besides the Crab, we sometimes forget the world isn't all ours. That said, did Lord Yuzu enjoy your song?"

[Kaito Oubaihime]

"Well, I still live and unharmed." She giggled. "He didn't leave running, nor screamed at this one. But I really never know with him. I barely see his face when he is around."

[Kitsu Moshumaru]

"In truth, I have not spoken to Seppun-sama. I suppose if simply living after meeting him is a blessing, he must either be worthy of incredible respect, or incredible fear."

He sipped.

"So if I may, what makes a good... gift topic, for something like a painting? If someone was painting for you, if I may, what would you like to see in it?"

[Kaito Oubaihime]

"Scene of great beauty, gardens of rocks, or flowers... or perhaps animals... depends on the person." She gave it a thought. "You remember when I asked you about the Lion Lands... that might be something inspiring. The scenes of the Lion lands. Oh Murato ku....san...san told me about the Kitsu temples."

[Kitsu Moshumaru]

"Depends on the person..."

He thought for a moment. An image came to him like lightning to those Osano-wo despised.

"Alright - the person is Seppun Unsei-sama. I think I know what I want to do - will you guide me as best you can?"

[Kaito Oubaihime]

"I can try..." She nodded. "I may suggest colors depending on what you are to paint."

[Kitsu Moshumaru]

4 successes

"Well, I have a black, a white, a pink and a blue. That... should be enough, right?"

The specific colors he had gotten he had forgotten to check, simply taking the clerk's recommendations. After setting up the basics facing the river, he tapped his brush. Outside, under the light of the eclipse, a fish lept out of the water, and then back in.

"I know where to start - I'm thinking something about the stars. Stars, stars... ah!"

Putting his tools down, he dipped the tip finger in his tea, swirling it until it formed a spiral. Of course!
Lord Moon, Lady Sun.
We only see one - have they
Embraced around us?

The day after that gift, Unsei told him that he was right - that the Moon and Sun are embraced around Rokugan. But if we can only see one of them at a time, then either the earthly realm shifts or the heavens shift...

"...So it looks like the stars are moving." The Kitsu said in realization, more to himself than the Kaito. He then turned to his advisor. "Should I spin left or right?"

After covering the base canvas black and letting it dry, he applied Oubai's suggestion, painting white stars spiralling around a non-painted central circle, using white with pink shadows from this centre.

...

But the centre was a question that needed answering. What was in the centre of this swirl of stars?

But even as I spoke
Her light kept shining down
Reflecting in the sea
Spreading her love around.

"Hajime, you genius! I'll need to thank him after this. Oubaihime-san, Is blue on white a good contrast for an eclipse, or should I go blue on pink? Or black and blue on white, maybe??"

Following her suggestion once his work had dried, he would lay down a moon, some sunlight behind - and then a sun. Like a solar eclipse had a beam from the heavens themselves beamed onto it. In a seemingly stark, ruinous move, he made three lines from the sun outward - one each to the left side of the top, left corner and right corner, before adding two short lines halfway up and two more longer lines near the end, almost creating boxes, but not quite.

"I've seen one of the Seppun-sama's astrological charts; I'm trying to replicate something along those lines."

And what, dare he asks, goes in those spaces?

...He stopped to think.

Temples... temples... sights from the Kitsu lands...

Pillow mountain! No, that's not it. What was it? Something in pillows, something temples...

His heart skipped a beat as he recalled what he was thinking.

That sense of joy from the way she smiled. And that little pitter patter her feet do. And that thing with her cheeks when she -

Moving like a man inspired, the little, closer boxes found approximations of rabbit feet in them, while the upper ones carried expressions that he remembered - that first wide smirk, that cute little pout, that thing with her cheeks when she-

Once it was set to dry, he took a moment to pause, making sure his work (and their tea, and damn near everything else) was out of "oh whoops" or the Hime range, as one might call it. Speaking of his partner in paint,

"Sorry, if I may, should I do the other side a different colour or the same, for the lines, feet and faces?...What do I even call this?"