(D5, ME) D5: My Lord's Daughter by Toshimichi

[Matsu Ishioka]

"No trouble at all, if you'll indulge my unpolished critique."

Raizo inhaled slowly.

"It was a tale to please no one- and, I think, in the way the author intended. Two siblings each fall in love with the same woman, injecting tensions into what had been a close and loving family dynamic. Their rivalry escalates, culminating in a duel- which the play ends before we see the result."

He shook his head.

"If you value Bushido, they are fools, slaves to the sin of Desire who allow their desires to destroy their relationship with their own family kin. If you value love, they're selfish idiots, incapable of letting the woman they both claim to love decide between them. Either way, I found it quite... unpleasant."

And then the play began.

Ishioka is fascinated by Raizo's retelling and the critique, but can say nothing before tonight's show begins.

As soon as the play concludes, the Lion pivots to his Phoenix companion. "A more pleasing show tonight, I think. An affirmation of duty and the rewards that its faithful execution can lead to?" There's a hint of a smile on the Matsu's face that, given his usually bland expression, almost seems like giddiness.

[Otomo Akimoro]

Minae tapped her fan.

"Hmm, unfortunate that Otomo-sama. The theater should always surprise one if even only a little bit." she remarked. "Was there a specific part you felt was too predictable?"

"It followed the standard framework of the 'comedy of errors' from start to finish," replies Akimoro. "Now, that would not preclude it from being art; Shosuro Furuyari's "Lost and Found" does the same, but his more subtle humor and wordplay make for a more engaging experience. This, on the other hand, may be more accessible to the common viewer, but it does not demand their attention in the same way. Art must be conversant - an expression of the artist witnessed, interpreted, and understood by the audience. A work that is more spectacle than substance falls short of that requirement."

[Kitsuki Edogawa]

"That poor owl..." Edogawa said to himself. The Dragon seemed to be enjoying the play.

[Shiba Raizo]

Ishioka is fascinated by Raizo's retelling and the critique, but can say nothing before tonight's show begins.

As soon as the play concludes, the Lion pivots to his Phoenix companion. "A more pleasing show tonight, I think. An affirmation of duty and the rewards that its faithful execution can lead to?" There's a hint of a smile on the Matsu's face that, given his usually bland expression, almost seems like giddiness.

"And the importance of making sure your letters go to the right people..."

Raizo cocked his head to the side.

"Despite its incredible improbability, this one's easier to digest than most. Might be all the tall tales around the campfire with the troops that prepared me."

[Matsu Ishioka]

"And the importance of making sure your letters go to the right people..."

Raizo cocked his head to the side.

"Despite its incredible improbability, this one's easier to digest than most. Might be all the tall tales around the campfire with the troops that prepared me."

"Quite improbable indeed," Ishioka agrees, "but certainly more probable than... How many misunderstandings were required for the play with the acupuncture?" The Lion shakes his head. "This play, I think, has a clear story and clear moral. That is all I require from a play," he says, giving a modest chuckle. Then he pauses.

"Apologies, Shiba-san, if this one's taste in plays is overly simple. I am very partial to draw lot plays, thanks to my long assignment in the Crab lands, and so prefer a more direct style of storytelling," he admits, giving a small bow of his head to accompany the apology.

[Shiba Raizo]

"Quite improbable indeed," Ishioka agrees, "but certainly more probable than... How many misunderstandings were required for the play with the acupuncture?" The Lion shakes his head. "This play, I think, has a clear story and clear moral. That is all I require from a play," he says, giving a modest chuckle. Then he pauses.

"Apologies, Shiba-san, if this one's taste in plays is overly simple. I am very partial to draw lot plays, thanks to my long assignment in the Crab lands, and so prefer a more direct style of storytelling," he admits, giving a small bow of his head to accompany the apology.

Raizo chuckled and waved a hand.

"Hell, Matsu-san, this is... I think the fifth play I've ever seen. I'm still ironing out what I like and don't like."

[Matsu Ishioka]

Raizo chuckled and waved a hand.

"Hell, Matsu-san, this is... I think the fifth play I've ever seen. I'm still ironing out what I like and don't like."

That earns a real laugh from the stoic Matsu.

"Shiba-san and I are at a similar level," he says warmly, face relaxed though still not very expressive. "Much more time for the dojo than for the theater, I would imagine?"

[Shiba Raizo]

That earns a real laugh from the stoic Matsu.

"Shiba-san and I are at a similar level," he says warmly, face relaxed though still not very expressive. "Much more time for the dojo than for the theater, I would imagine?"

"The dojo, and long scenic walks across the countryside carrying a pack someone thought it'd be fun to jam full of enough heavy crap that it feels like you're carrying Shiro Shiba on your back."

Raizo grinned.

"Truly, it's a glamorous life."

[Matsu Ishioka]

"The dojo, and long scenic walks across the countryside carrying a pack someone thought it'd be fun to jam full of enough heavy crap that it feels like you're carrying Shiro Shiba on your back."

Raizo grinned.

"Truly, it's a glamorous life."

The Lion chuckles in military solidarity. "Well, after they spend all that time getting you fit for gempukku, can't have you going soft, right?" He chuckles again.

"So this place is probably even more... I'll say unsettling... for you than it is for me. Let me know if you need someone to down a few cups of sake with," he jokes, although the look in his eye says he means it.

[Shiba Raizo]

The Lion chuckles in military solidarity. "Well, after they spend all that time getting you fit for gempukku, can't have you going soft, right?" He chuckles again.

"So this place is probably even more... I'll say unsettling... for you than it is for me. Let me know if you need someone to down a few cups of sake with," he jokes, although the look in his eye says he means it.

"Well, I'm providing... immoral support for a young Crane this evening, and probably hoisting a few cups of sake myself in the process, but there's always tomorrow."