[Day 1, Early Evening] Situational Normal... (Open)

[Seppun Unsei]

He arched an eyebrow.

"You waste little time. Hope it's... enjoyable."

"Well, this is my last two weeks of freedom before I either stay with whoever I get stuck with or I have to hide my affairs so I'm going to get the most out of it. Given that I'm not liked by the top dog, I'm figuring I'll just have to hide the affairs and it's going to be a pain, so best to be open and around with them while I can." They shrugged, following their weird thought process.

"What of you though? Got any, ah, eyes on someone?"

[Shiba Raizo]

"What of you though? Got any, ah, eyes on someone?"

"I've never really known how. I mean... Plenty here are easy on the eyes, and I've met two Otter women who are both lovely and absolutely charming, but... I don't really have a particular urge to press my case. There's a ronin I'm pretty fond of, in my way, but..."

He shrugged.

"I generally need to know someone pretty well before I let myself... want."

[Seppun Unsei]

"I've never really known how. I mean... Plenty here are easy on the eyes, and I've met two Otter women who are both lovely and absolutely charming, but... I don't really have a particular urge to press my case. There's a ronin I'm pretty fond of, in my way, but..."

He shrugged.

"I generally need to know someone pretty well before I let myself... want."

I'll never understand people's fondness for the strays... Fun times, but should never be anything more.

They shook their head, chasing the thought away before smiling. "That's fair! Buuut! Just in case you win the courtship point things, you should probably start getting some inkling of who you might like. Granted, the possibilities of winning are slim, but you never know. At this point, I think a lot of people are figuring out that if they don't get the most, they'll... well... Their choice in the matter will be stripped from them and then they'll just..." There was some light in their eyes that died the longer they spoke about that. "Be stuck with whoever, likely doomed to have only affairs for any sort of actual human connection romantically."

[Shiba Raizo]

I'll never understand people's fondness for the strays... Fun times, but should never be anything more.

They shook their head, chasing the thought away before smiling. "That's fair! Buuut! Just in case you win the courtship point things, you should probably start getting some inkling of who you might like. Granted, the possibilities of winning are slim, but you never know. At this point, I think a lot of people are figuring out that if they don't get the most, they'll... well... Their choice in the matter will be stripped from them and then they'll just..." There was some light in their eyes that died the longer they spoke about that. "Be stuck with whoever, likely doomed to have only affairs for any sort of actual human connection romantically."

"I think that's the cruelty of a miai. Before I was informed I'd be here? I just assumed the Phoenix would select someone and that would be that. Now? Now we're all being allowed to hope. But you and I both know that any hopes are likely to be somewhat... ephemeral."

[Seppun Unsei]

"I think that's the cruelty of a miai. Before I was informed I'd be here? I just assumed the Phoenix would select someone and that would be that. Now? Now we're all being allowed to hope. But you and I both know that any hopes are likely to be somewhat... ephemeral."

"I hadn't yet thought of it like that, but you're right. The slimmer of hope is really the biggest kick in the teeth. It's taunting us. Telling us that if you work hard enough, you can control your future, but quaintly ignoring the fact that you've got almost an entire Kyuden of people to also fight against and though you're skilled, there's always going to be someone with a skillset that's more perfectly matched to this bullshit than yours."

[Shiba Raizo]

"I hadn't yet thought of it like that, but you're right. The slimmer of hope is really the biggest kick in the teeth. It's taunting us. Telling us that if you work hard enough, you can control your future, but quaintly ignoring the fact that you've got almost an entire Kyuden of people to also fight against and though you're skilled, there's always going to be someone with a skillset that's more perfectly matched to this bullshit than yours."

"I think it helps that just about anyone would be more perfectly matched to the nuances of courtship than I am."

[Seppun Unsei]

"I think it helps that just about anyone would be more perfectly matched to the nuances of courtship than I am."

"Eh, don't think that. There's a Scorpion here that's built like a Crab and is basically just a Crab painted red who is in a very similar situation to yourself, terrible with court and all, just she hasn't realized that no matter what she does, she's going to end up married, no matter how hard she fights against it."

Then it was like a lightbulb appeared over their stupid little hat.

"...Tomorrow. You want to meet her? I think it might go well for you both. Like I said, you're both pretty similar. Just... don't mention marriage to her. She'll get really pissed off."

[Shiba Raizo]

"Eh, don't think that. There's a Scorpion here that's built like a Crab and is basically just a Crab painted red who is in a very similar situation to yourself, terrible with court and all, just she hasn't realized that no matter what she does, she's going to end up married, no matter how hard she fights against it."

Then it was like a lightbulb appeared over their stupid little hat.

"...Tomorrow. You want to meet her? I think it might go well for you both. Like I said, you're both pretty similar. Just... don't mention marriage to her. She'll get really pissed off."

"I somehow think courting a Scorpion is a risk no sane man would run. Besides... think I saw her in the dojo, getting chatted up by a Lion..."

[Seppun Unsei]

"I somehow think courting a Scorpion is a risk no sane man would run. Besides... think I saw her in the dojo, getting chatted up by a Lion..."

"She's a Scorpion in mostly just name. Don't worry about it. It'll be great. Not asking you to court her either, just... go talk with her or something. Nothing could go wrong, really. I'm the person she hates most in the world and she's never outrightly punched me, so you'll be fine." They waved their hand dismissively. "It'll be good for both of you."

Said the Seppun cursed by Benten now trying to play matchmaker.

[Shiba Raizo]

"She's a Scorpion in mostly just name. Don't worry about it. It'll be great. Not asking you to court her either, just... go talk with her or something. Nothing could go wrong, really. I'm the person she hates most in the world and she's never outrightly punched me, so you'll be fine." They waved their hand dismissively. "It'll be good for both of you."

Said the Seppun cursed by Benten now trying to play matchmaker.

"Any particular reason she hates you?"