Kyuden Shika

Murato stood within the dojo. Perhaps unsurprisingly to many that had seen him practice in here, arguing with thin air. He stood in a common unarmed form used by the Matsu. Less among their sumai and more among their bushi. He looked to be making small adjustments to his form, but if one looked close enough, outlines of a handprint would form on his clothing or skin with those adjustments.

"Of course Taiko-san."

"Yes... yes... yes."

"No, that's stupid. I don't care if you don't think I should be wasting time braiding. I can't be in the dojo all hours of every day. I already went running with Susaki-san this morning, so you're already getting more training out of me today than most days. Quit complaining."

Just as night followed day, there had to be some measure of balance in everyone's life: couldn't be just spiritual all the time, had to attend to the crass demands of flesh and bone, as well. The morning's archery event certainly got something in Shizuka's spirits up and so she went off to the Shika's dojo to work some of this energy off.

Making her appearance later in the afternoon, the Moshi entered the training area to see the Lion...talking to himself?

No stranger to talking to unseen things, Shizuka might not have been able to espy Murato's conversation partner, but she knew better than to interrupt someone going through their forms. So, she politely waited, going through the motions of politeness while the Lion went through his own motions.

Murato spies his visitor and offers a smile that says he'll be right with her. Just as soon...

He is thrown violently to the floor by an unseen force. "Ack! Come on Taiko-san... what was that for?"

"Yes, but... I guess so," he replies rising to his feet. "You know I'm going to. You can't really stop it."

He shakes his head before moving to greet the Moshi. Bowing and giving her a bright smile. "Good morning Moshi-san. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Shizuka couldn't help but show some bemusement at the Lion being tossed about by seemingly nothing.

"Good afternoon to you, Kitsu-san. The pleasure is all mine." Shizuka returned the greeting, "Are we joined by another?"

"We are. Kitsu Taiko-san has been with me for years. He didn't want me to pause my practice, but I would find it unacceptable to fail to introduce myself. I am Kitsu Murato. A pleasure to meet you." He bowed then rose meeting her eyes.

"And I am Moshi Shizuka. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, as well as that of honored Kitsu Taiko-sama. Please, if you were in the middle of practice, don't let me interrupt."

Pausing thoughtfully, Shizuka closed her eyes a moment and remarked wryly, "I'd hate to keep a Lion from his duties, or the wishes of their ancestors."

"I'd hate to let the opportunity to hear of the home of the Moshi passe bu," he replies. "I've read poems and passages on it and I quite suspect that I am not getting the right picture. If I picture you within, the imagine in my mind is far more beautiful, but I would bet that your own description would do it far more justice."

He seems to be genuinely interested in the temple. When he talks about it his eyes alight, the orange seeming to shimmer in light that wasn't any different a moment ago.

"Ah, in that you are correct, Kitsu-san, though I think you may be overestimating my abilities to tell tales of my home." Shizuka had modesty, in a way. False, showy modesty, but modesty nonetheless.

"After all, how can I describe the first rays of the rising sun, as the world awakens to another day and welcomes Her gift to us all or the view from atop Amaterasu Seido as the sea of clouds and morning mist fades in the growing warmth to reveal the valley below?"

She smiled coyly. "It would be quite difficult."

"Oh, of that I have no doubt. It is quite difficult to describe visual beauty on such a scale," he says with a nod. "Perhaps that's why I hadn't heard anyone tell me of how lovely Moshi-san is... I simply had to experience it for myself. It may simply be the case that I must do the same with your home."

"But it is a dream of mine to go on a pilgrimage of the greatest temples in the empire. Amaterasu Seido is most definitely one I would not skip if I got the chance to follow that dream."

"You flatter me, Kitsu-san." Shizuka made a show of hiding her face behind her sleeve. Not that it would be evident if she was blushing given how much makeup she was wearing: it seems that, weather be damned, the traditional dictates of fashion had to be adhered to.

"Should your travels take you to my homelands, do look me up. My family's shrine is quite near to the major pilgrimage route to Our Lady's Shrine."