[D5MA, expecting] A couple of tales to tell

[Kitsu Moshumaru]

“Well things truly are different down the mountain. While we among the Dragon raise our children with love and compassion, we are not as united as the Lion and the Pride. Of course, we are a clan of disparate interests and pursuits, enlightenment coming in many forms and places. I have little to discuss with my parents, save for the goal of enlightenment. They pursue through meditation and experimentation, while I gather stories of the world.”

"Enlightenment, I admit, is not a topic I tend to focus too much on. My work often requires me to focus on the material world and its worldly weights, if only so I can help others alleviate them slightly."

In truth, the Dragon idea of family was downright alien to him, but there was no polite to express this thought.

So he didn't.

“Among the Dragon, we find sincerity of purpose guides our action, while isolation encourages our physicality, much like the great Dragons that dwell among the Kami. I have see lion in the wild. Does not the male defend with ferocity that which he thinks is his?”

The Kitsu moves to begin the next story, but the Dragon's other words stopped him. He gave the Dragon a slightly confused look.

"Forgive me, but I'm not sure of your meaning. Do you expect someone else to seek my head?"

From the hand around the dragon he produced a rock, throwing it at the feet of one of the parasols. It hit the bottom of his yari, which fell neatly into his other hand placed overhead.

"Or is it that you do not feel safe here?"

[Agasha Inoshishi]

"Forgive me, but I'm not sure of your meaning. Do you expect someone else to seek my head?"

From the hand around the dragon he produced a rock, throwing it at the feet of one of the parasols. It hit the bottom of his yari, which fell neatly into his other hand placed overhead.

"Or is it that you do not feel safe here?"

Inoshishi grins as the yari falls easily into Moshumaru’s outstretched hand. “Well done, Kitsu-san. Perhaps you have some Kaiu blood from way, way back, with such clever designs.”

Answering the first part last, she glances down at Moshumaru’s hand around her, as she leans in comfortably awaiting the next story. “I expect nothing and couldn’t feel safer were I in the High House of Light. That said, I do know of stories, like the tale of Ikoma Tadao and Akodo Takeo, cousins who went for a hunt. While prowling deep in the forest, they both spied Moshi Hikari, and it was like a spear smote them both in the chest.” She glances side-eye at the Kitsu. “I could tell you the full tale, but I’d rather hear yours. Suffice it to say, by the end of their wedding day, Tadao and Takeo lay dead over a misunderstanding, while Hikari threw herself from Mibōjin no yama in Centipede land. While I wouldn’t mind being your misunderstanding, you should approach it with your eyes open.”

She smiles sweetly, apparently not at all concerned about being at the center of a tragic love story. Creepy…or alluring. Or, oddly, both.

[Kitsu Moshumaru]

Answering the first part last, she glances down at Moshumaru’s hand around her, as she leans in comfortably awaiting the next story. “I expect nothing and couldn’t feel safer were I in the High House of Light. That said, I do know of stories, like the tale of Ikoma Tadao and Akodo Takeo, cousins who went for a hunt. While prowling deep in the forest, they both spied Moshi Hikari, and it was like a spear smote them both in the chest.” She glances side-eye at the Kitsu. “I could tell you the full tale, but I’d rather hear yours. Suffice it to say, by the end of their wedding day, Tadao and Takeo lay dead over a misunderstanding, while Hikari threw herself from Mibōjin no yama in Centipede land. While I wouldn’t mind being your misunderstanding, you should approach it with your eyes open.”

She smiles sweetly, apparently not at all concerned about being at the center of a tragic love story. Creepy…or alluring. Or, oddly, both.

Placing the Yari back in its position was.. not an option right now. So, he settled for placing it within his good arm's reach.

Listening to the Dragon's summation of Tadao and Takeo, Moshu would later admit to himself that he was more than a little perturbed by the telling - but within the here and now, allure won out.

But before allure, he knew he had a promise to keep, and she had a need he could fulfill.

"Remember that tale, Agasha-san; I may refer back to it after this next one."

“This particular account is one I helped put together myself – it was one of my first. I remember now the nerves I felt composing this account of the man’s life.”

--
”The tale of Suzume Shirou, 1100-1115. Beloved son and hero of the harvest.”
”Suzume Shirou, so named for his stark white hair from birth, was believed to be in touch with the spirits from a young age. By the age of five it was understood that he could speak to them – though part of the Sparrow Kuge, the boy instead trained with the local priesthood. For his gempuku, he spent twelve days and twelve nights in prayer.”
”In the years following his gempuku, he became well loved not just by visitors to Kyuden Suzume, but by the kami of the Sparrow lands. He would traverse the lands between courts, visiting villages and appeasing spirits for the minor clan. During the court season, he would use high talents to delight guests, such as Emerald Magistrate Shingo Sho."
Moshu’s expression saddened.
”Disaster struck the Sparrow in the year 1115. For reasons unknown, much less than usual seemed to grow – it was as if the earth itself refused to tend to the seed. With his unique relation the kami, he made the ultimate sacrifice and display of duty - he offered his life to the kami in exchange for a good harvest. His final haiku read:”

“Do not mourn my loss
Remember me in harvest
I love you all, still.“

He paused a little longer than normal before continuing.
“With his final act, the very kami of the Sparrow lands wept. For twelve days and twelve nights, the heavens themselves poured rain onto their fields, with the earth allowing for no flooding such a tumultuous amount of rain could bring. Then, or the next twelve days, Lady Sun blessed the Sparrow lands with twelve days of glorious sunshine, restoring balance to the land.”
It was improper to weep. That did little to stop the tears in Moshu’s eyes – it was a terrible day for rain, it seemed, despite his precautions.
“It is understood that Suzume Shirou’s sacrifice brought the Sparrow from starvation to their finest harvest ever. A shrine dedicated to him remains at the entrance to the mines, where he offered himself to the kami.”

Wiping his eyes, he retired the brief.

"Thoughts?"

[Agasha Inoshishi]

Upon learning that this was a Kitsu Moshumaru original, Inoshishi hushes immediately, intent on hearing a story told by the original teller and one that she felt sure her superiors had never heard before.

”The tale of Suzume Shirou, 1100-1115.

Her hand flies to her mouth, covering the O of shock. Such a small lifespan. This will be a tragic tale indeed. Her eyes shining, she listens raptly.

”Suzume Shirou, so named for his stark white hair from birth,

Her brain pings. While still trying valiantly to listen, she thinks, "Well, that makes sense, after all, the Sparrow are from Crane stock. Oh, to have such beautiful...Inoshishi, NO! LISTEN!

By the age of five it was understood that he could speak to them – though part of the Sparrow Kuge, the boy instead trained with the local priesthood. For his gempuku, he spent twelve days and twelve nights in prayer.”

]Wow, there's monks that have done stuff like that, but not for their gempuku, I don't think. I don't think I could pray for 12 hours. Oh please, you couldn't pray for 12 minu SHUT UP!

”In the years following his gempuku, he became well loved not just by visitors to Kyuden Suzume, but by the kami of the Sparrow lands. He would traverse the lands between courts, visiting villages and appeasing spirits for the minor clan. During the court season, he would use high talents to delight guests, such as Emerald Magistrate Shingo Sho."

What's a Shingo? Too many 'sh' in that name. Maybe I should ask what a Shi-No! You should listen to the story, it's gonna get so amazingly tragic, I just know it!

”Disaster struck the Sparrow in the year 1115. For reasons unknown, much less than usual seemed to grow – it was as if the earth itself refused to tend to the seed. With his unique relation the kami, he made the ultimate sacrifice and display of duty - he offered his life to the kami in exchange for a good harvest.

Her fingers fly from her mouth to her throat, a certain amount of horror on display. Surely the kami wouldn't expect a life for a harvest? How horrible! How tragic! How...majestic.

His final haiku read:”

“Do not mourn my loss
Remember me in harvest
I love you all, still.“

He paused a little longer than normal before continuing.
“With his final act, the very kami of the Sparrow lands wept. For twelve days and twelve nights, the heavens themselves poured rain onto their fields, with the earth allowing for no flooding such a tumultuous amount of rain could bring. Then, or the next twelve days, Lady Sun blessed the Sparrow lands with twelve days of glorious sunshine, restoring balance to the land.”
It was improper to weep. That did little to stop the tears in Moshu’s eyes – it was a terrible day for rain, it seemed, despite his precautions.
“It is understood that Suzume Shirou’s sacrifice brought the Sparrow from starvation to their finest harvest ever. A shrine dedicated to him remains at the entrance to the mines, where he offered himself to the kami.”

Wiping his eyes, he retired the brief.

"Thoughts?"

Even Inoshishi's roving brain is shocked into silence by the depth of this sacrifice and the enormity of this shugenja's contribution to his clan. Oh, to be remembered forever as one that sacrificed their all for their clan. To echo down the halls of history as a reminder that a samurai's duty is to the Emperor and his lord, not to himself.

She too is crying, soft, pretty tears rolling down her face unimpeded. She's smiling too, like she's in the presence of something holy, perhaps the kami themselves are touching this story.

"There are few words that would accurately convey what I'm feeling, Kitsu-san. I don't even know that there are many words that would convey it either! Such sacrifice! I didn't know the Sparrow were prone to such heroics. I knew they lived on a hard land, equal to our highest peaks in arability. But to think that they gave the life of one of their only shugenja! Is this something that's happened more than once, do you know? Or is this the rarity, the noble self rising above the mundane?"

[Kitsu Moshumaru]

She too is crying, soft, pretty tears rolling down her face unimpeded. She's smiling too, like she's in the presence of something holy, perhaps the kami themselves are touching this story.

To think I was planning something so vile as to seduce her here and now... Fortunes, I am a fool. A monster like myself cannot touch someone this... this...D-divine?

It's little time before the Mourner's tears fall freely. Only years of trauma and extensive bard training prevent a deep blush and puff of the cheeks that normally comes from such emotions. It is more like a statue weeping, or a bridge with a villain buried alive under it.

"There are few words that would accurately convey what I'm feeling, Kitsu-san. I don't even know that there are many words that would convey it either! Such sacrifice! I didn't know the Sparrow were prone to such heroics. I knew they lived on a hard land, equal to our highest peaks in arability. But to think that they gave the life of one of their only shugenja! Is this something that's happened more than once, do you know? Or is this the rarity, the noble self rising above the mundane?"

This time, he doesn't answer between her breaths. He just... can't. He's having a hard enough time retaining control as it is. He tries and starts, but he fumbles at the first hurdle.

"The kami..." he breathes. "The kami never asked him for his life. No one did. I remember speaking to his father... he said the Shiro tried his best to listen to all of their complaints, but it was too much. They each wanted separate things, and he couldn't find a solution. He took the initiative, and..."

A gasp he didn't realize he was holding, and then a sob. He took a breath to control his breathing.

"There have been others who have given their life to demand the world of the kami - especially within the Crab lands - but usually it has been a sacrifice of life force to fulfil a prayer. This was one of the first cases I'd seen of simply offering one's life to the kami. I... I think because of how they reacted, it was the first time they had as well."

A deep, bitter laugh choked its way from the Kitsu.

"Fortunes, look at me - I came here thinking to share a sensual afternoon with you and now I think we've both found Megumi-no-kami instead." It was rare that Moshu allowed himself to usher the fortune of Heroic Sacrifices' name, but Shiro's story always demanded it.

His smile is bittersweet, a tale of triumph and self loathing.

"Forgive me - in my enthusiasm to please I'm not sure if I appear more a fool or a monster. None would blame you for either - I am sorry."

- - - -

”In the years following his gempuku, he became well loved not just by visitors to Kyuden Suzume, but by the kami of the Sparrow lands. He would traverse the lands between courts, visiting villages and appeasing spirits for the minor clan. During the court season, he would use high talents to delight guests, such as Emerald Magistrate Shingo Sho."

((Editor's note: This was supposed to be Shinjo Sho, not Shingo. However, remembering a tale like this is hard, causing Moshu to mispronounce the family name.))

[Agasha Inoshishi]

Inoshishi sits quietly, listening to the Kitsu discuss the details, fighting the urge to reach her hands out to him. While she knows something of the Bards and often has their support in her efforts to claim stories, she knows the emotionality takes its toll. She's lucky. As a Dragon of little status, people will always find her strange, so she can indulge in moments like this, the purity of the sacrifice and the nobility of the action washing away any lingering dishonor of showing emotion.

"Fortunes, look at me - I came here thinking to share a sensual afternoon with you and now I think we've both found Megumi-no-kami instead." It was rare that Moshu allowed himself to usher the fortune of Heroic Sacrifices' name, but Shiro's story always demanded it.

His smile is bittersweet, a tale of triumph and self loathing.

"Forgive me - in my enthusiasm to please I'm not sure if I appear more a fool or a monster. None would blame you for either - I am sorry."

This is too much for the compassionate Dragon. She finds herself on her knees in front of the Kitsu, hands hovering mere centimeters from his face. Her eyes are shining fever bright as the power of the story continues to hold her in it's hands, filling her thoughts.

"Neither fool nor monster is here. Pleasing is the role of the storyteller, we both fill it. Although, if you are a fool, it is only because you think you're a fool. Which would be a loop you can't get out of, so don't. Not for my sake. Not for anyone's sake. Anyone who can provide such a glimpse into the mind of a heavenly one is truly blessed. When the light touches the dark, it flees. So there is no monster here.

You speak of seduction as if it were a task you can complete on your own. You cannot seduce me without my consent. But this? This story? it can seduce the soul from within. Sharing this moment, that is a seduction beyond any mere glance or gesture."

She takes a deep breath, really hoping she's not about to get a yari in the gut out of reflex, and kisses Moshumaru on the forehead, chastely.

"Never a monster."

[Kitsu Moshumaru]

This is too much for the compassionate Dragon. She finds herself on her knees in front of the Kitsu, hands hovering mere centimeters from his face. Her eyes are shining fever bright as the power of the story continues to hold her in it's hands, filling her thoughts.

"Neither fool nor monster is here. Pleasing is the role of the storyteller, we both fill it. Although, if you are a fool, it is only because you think you're a fool. Which would be a loop you can't get out of, so don't. Not for my sake. Not for anyone's sake. Anyone who can provide such a glimpse into the mind of a heavenly one is truly blessed. When the light touches the dark, it flees. So there is no monster here.

You speak of seduction as if it were a task you can complete on your own. You cannot seduce me without my consent. But this? This story? it can seduce the soul from within. Sharing this moment, that is a seduction beyond any mere glance or gesture."

She takes a deep breath, really hoping she's not about to get a yari in the gut out of reflex, and kisses Moshumaru on the forehead, chastely.

"Never a monster."

There is no reflex left to fight - there is no Lion left to control. There is the only the human, self-damning as he is, and the human soul. The one which Leadership describes as able to see good and evil within nature and from nature, wish for a better world. One built on community, on ideals, on stories - on words.

For a brief moment, he accepts her words. He opens himself to the idea that he is not, in fact, a monster - not for being deceived, not for serving his lord, not for the horrors he had to inflict to survive, not for...

Anything.

As her kiss retreats from his forehard his head moves forward, sliding itself into place for an actual, proper kiss upon her lips.

Perhaps it was improper. Perhaps it was wrong. Perhaps it was delusion.

But there and then, her lips tasted like salvation itself.

[Agasha Inoshishi]

Perhaps it was improper. Perhaps it was wrong. Perhaps it was delusion.

But there and then, her lips tasted like salvation itself.

Never one to shy away from a dramatic moment, especially after hearing a story for the first time, Inoshishi leans into the kiss quite willingly, her hands finishing their movement now that she knows no yari is forthcoming. Well, at least that no unwanted yari is forthcoming. With her hands on either side of the Kitsu's face, her kiss is tender and careful, not suggesting anything more, but living this moment to it's fullest.

When she breaks the kiss a few minutes later, she chuckles, her voice husky and her eyes dancing. "Yup, that proves it, Moshumaru-san. You are no monster. I've always been told taint feels a certain way and that...didn't. Whatever else you are, you," kiss, "are not", kiss, "a monster."

Inoshishi is many things, but one thing she isn't is patient. There's no sign that she wants more than what they've shared, but there's every sign that what they've shared is indelibly pressed into her mind, one more story among the many she keeps. And whatever else may occur, the likelihood of her calling Moshumaru 'kitsu-san' just went way down.

[Kitsu Moshumaru]

When she breaks the kiss a few minutes later, she chuckles, her voice husky and her eyes dancing. "Yup, that proves it, Moshumaru-san. You are no monster. I've always been told taint feels a certain way and that...didn't. Whatever else you are, you," kiss, "are not", kiss, "a monster."

Those words. They batter the self of the Kitsu like a hammer. The idea that what he has done was right is one his mind desperately defends against - images of the death and destruction on his hands wreathe around him like a torturous blanket of protection, each barb reminding him of what he has done.

But... now there is a resistance. One that hasn't been there for a long time. Perhaps he needn't simply accept what happened...

"Perhaps one day, Agasha-san, I will tell you my story. I do have more, but perhaps that's the most honest gift I can give you."

Inoshishi is many things, but one thing she isn't is patient. There's no sign that she wants more than what they've shared, but there's every sign that what they've shared is indelibly pressed into her mind, one more story among the many she keeps. And whatever else may occur, the likelihood of her calling Moshumaru 'kitsu-san' just went way down.

The adult thirst is gone from the Lion for now, instead replaced with a rare sense of peace. Looking into the Drag- into her eyes, his soul begins to speak before his mind can decide what to say.

"...May I call you Inoshishi-san? Or would you rather I called you something else? And if I may, can I ask what draws you to stories so much?"

[Agasha Inoshishi]

"...May I call you Inoshishi-san? Or would you rather I called you something else? And if I may, can I ask what draws you to stories so much?"

She chuckles. "Yes, of course you may, Moshumaru-san."

She pauses, gathering her thoughts.

"I have been drawn to stories since I was young. When I first heard the story I referenced above, it was like a bolt of lightning hit me. I knew my destiny would be to be part of a similar story. To be pulled in both directions until I snapped. And I decided I wouldn't have it. That the stories didn't always have to end the same way. That led me to scour the Dragon libraries, reading everything I could. Not that odd a pastime for an Agasha. But reading instead of playing with chemicals seriously? Yes, that was odd. So my family sent me to the Togashi.

There I learned that the stories of old live today. That what they say, what they share, are the ripples of water that entered the pool of history long ago and that ripple through our lives again and again. We may turn against the waves and, like a kobune, become swamped and dragged to the bottom. Or we may ride the waves, navigate through the treacherous currents of reverberating fate and so come to a glorious future where Enlightenment is attainable and all are remembered forever."

She glances sidelong at the Kitsu.

"I suspect your family has similar ideas. That if a person's name is known, they are never truly gone. And names...they have a long pull on us. Imagine the Hantei. Pulled and pushed from over 30 copies of his name, their enemies his, their loves his, their successes, his. How to be immortal against a backdrop such as that is a question I'm glad I don't have to answer."

She pinks a little, aware that she is being both more serious and more mystical than she normally allows herself to be.