(D7, LA) Meditations on Marriage

[Kuni Yasu]

"Ah...If I have, I'm glad. Even if it's kind of...elusive? I sounds like." She doesn't question that she's helped, or at least that he thinks she has. There's just an unquestioned assumption that he would speak the truth as he knows it. "I think you know that I'm happy to help. That I'll help where I can if you ever ask." There's not a hint of hesitation, no thought that he'd be the sort to twist such a thing with requests she'd regret half-promising to meet. Nor is there the sense of a secret hope that he might.

"And I can understand the search being valuable. I've been finding the same in all this," she adds quietly. "It's...different. Having this time to set my usual duties aside and focus on something so completely different. Keeps my mind busy, for sure."

[Kitsu Murato]

"I appreciate that," he says with a look to his feet. "I truly do. And you can come to me with anything that you need help with. But more than that," he takes a breath. "I hope that you find happiness with him. Things may not be likely to work out the way I previously imagined between us, but I will write you after this miai."

[Kuni Yasu]

There's a small pause, her head coming up to look at him, a movement perhaps more heard/felt than seen as he looks at his feet. "Thank you." There's a warmth to her voice, an appreciation of both offer and hope and everything behind them. That earnest warmth remains as she quietly adds, "The only thing that would make me happier is to see you find the same joy before this festival's done."

"I'd really like to write. I think you'd enjoy hearing about things shared at our solstice gathering," there's an eagerness in slipping to topics of shared expertise and research. "If your duties allow, I'd like to invite you some year to present regarding the spirits in your lands."

[Kitsu Murato]

"I imagine, with how studios you seem that your kin will want to see and get explanations for each of my scars," he says with a chuckle. "Are you inviting me to be a test subject?"

There's an obvious mirth to his voice at that, one that suggests he wouldn't be uncomfortable with it if it actually happened.

[Kuni Yasu]

She lifts a hand, and opens her mouth to deny it, then laughs. "I mean...that's honestly not the first motivation, but... they're going to be more interested in your eyes and your spirit companion, maybe uncomfortably interested. I'll remind them to offer some courtesy if that gets out of hand, though."

"Your scars will be very popular in the evenings." As she realizes how that sounds, she quickly continues, "Ah, there's a lot of smaller gatherings in the evening sharing experiences like those. One part scary stories around the lanterns, one part sharing knowledge, one part bragging kind of thing. It's one of the most fun parts of the gathering." The crowds of painted faces, animated with drink and energetic retellings fill her younger memories.

[Kitsu Murato]

"You honestly don't have to worry about such things as their propriety or insistence, Yasu-san. I would love to visit even if I don't get to join. And I am more than comfortable with sharing most of my stories. The ones I would be uncomfortable with would be more because I'm uncomfortable with having lived them in the first place, not out of an unwillingness to share. And while I tend towards proper, I'm more than willing to forego propriety in the interests of helping spread understanding. Most people don't want to hear about witnessing a gaki draining the life of their victim, but I imagine the Kuni have no such compunctions and would instead want to hear about it from your descriptions thus far. And I can tell such stories with a bit of flair or with academics in mind depending on the audience."

He had seen things worse than that and so it did not really bother him. He usually held his tongue on such things for the benefits of others.

[Kuni Yasu]

Definitely flair in the evenings," Yasu says, grinning. "It's not just...impropriety, it's the intensity. It can take some getting used to. And if you're not a little careful about pushing back, some of them do kind of stop seeing you as person rather than a bit of research to study. I did think you'd enjoy it though."

Shifting to drop her knees and sit crosslegged again, she huffs an amused sort of breath. "I write with more than one motive though. But I don't think you much mind. I think someone with your training and experiences will understand when I write about my own encounters. More people need to understand, at least judging by how hard it seems to be for the Yasuki to garner much support from the capitol"

[Kitsu Murato]

"I think you know by now that a bit of impropriety and intensity aren't going to scare me off." He shifts to turn and face her. "A meeting of intense people is breakfast in a Lion household."

"Short of joining the Crab or being assigned as a diplomat, there is likely not much I can do to improve that, just keep my word," he says with a nod.

[Kuni Yasu]

She has enough awareness for a moment of guilt to shift across her face. Improper and intense had led in interesting, but painful directions, but definitely hadn't scared him off. "Lion households must be fascinating."

As to the rest..."Oh, I know...it's drops in the ocean. But that's really what every Crab is, a drop in an ocean trying to hold back the sand." She shrugs. "You talk to your cousins and maybe they tell stories or sing or whatever, and maybe someone's just a little more sympathetic the next time they hear my Yasuki cousins in a court begging for jade."

[Kitsu Murato]

"Most households are probably fascinating to anyone that is not part of them," he says, with a nod. While he is facing her now he does feel a bit of discomfort. But he shoves it down, pretending it isn't there. Pretending he did not feel the way he did.

"Each drop I can send your way I will"