[D4, ME, common room, expecting] Just one drink

[Matsu Ishioka]

"A most sacred duty," he murmurs as Unsei explains.

"And is this skill reserved to the protection of the emperor?" Ishioka inquires. "It might be surprising if Seppun-sama were so faithfully attending to these charts when the emperor is safe in Otosan Uchi, far from here." The Lions tone isn't reproachful, but has a kind curiosity escaping from behind the hard-neutral look on his face.

[Seppun Unsei]

"A most sacred duty," he murmurs as Unsei explains.

"And is this skill reserved to the protection of the emperor?" Ishioka inquires. "It might be surprising if Seppun-sama were so faithfully attending to these charts when the emperor is safe in Otosan Uchi, far from here." The Lions tone isn't reproachful, but has a kind curiosity escaping from behind the hard-neutral look on his face.

"Well, I'm sure there are a few people in different clans that have been sent to learn the ways of the Astrologer and thus protect others." She shrugged. "I'm studying the charts for fun now, and to see if there's anything in the future here that needs to be worried about. After all, would make me a pitiful Astrologer if I couldn't see any impending doom."

Flash forward to when there's dead people everywhere because of the painting lady and Unsei didn't foresee it.

"Granted, it's much harder to get an accurate reading on an entire city compared to one person, but... You know. It is what it is. What of you though?"

[Matsu Ishioka]

"Me? I find your work curious. I understand the stars and such can tell us things about the future of a potential marriage, for example, which seems quite useful. Especially if one is... Well. It draws my interest," he says with a polite smile, side-stepping whatever personal information he just flirted with sharing. The Lion does polite, not trained courtier.

[Seppun Unsei]

"If one is what?" She asked, mildly curious now, though noting his lack of answer about himself. Once she finishes speaking, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a few stones, which she set down on the table. Each one was a different gem and was cut with a different amount of sides, so none had the same number of sides. On each side was a different constellation or symbol.

[Matsu Ishioka]

There's a pause as he considers not answering, but his curiosity, which only increases as the many-sided gemstones are placed on the table, convinces him to be honest with the astrologer. Maybe she can even help, he thinks briefly.

"If one is, uncertain about a choice. Conflicted," he clarifies.

[Seppun Unsei]

"The stars... cannot entirely pick a choice for one, but they can help, as our fates are written in the stars. However... just as the stars shift and move through the sky, os too can our fates, especially if we try to change them." She motioned to her stones. "As such, I can only give you glimpses of your future and it is up to you to decide if you want it or not. Then you base your choice on that or not at all."

[Matsu Ishioka]

"Hmm. Not all planned and assured? That is probably for the best, even when we may foolishly wish that choices would be taken away from us." The Lion pauses, then with an exhale lightly shakes his head.

"Do you feel... conflicted... here, Seppun-sama? About the miai? Not about it in general, as I'm sure our hosts are as skilled as samurai can be, but... about your role in it? About, perhaps, the feeling of trying to change one's destiny?" The Lion's face has relaxed slightly and his eyes are attentive and curious. He clearly wants to know what the astrologer thinks.

[Seppun Unsei]

Unsei could've lied. It wasn't difficult at all and likely would've been the easiest choice, but... she didn't quite feel like it. Lying wasn't her particular thing, even if keeping secrets was.

So, she sighed, running her fingers lightly over the multifaceted gems. "Conflicted? No. Annoyed? Yes. I had wanted to be matched by an Otomo nakodo, but... Benten-no-kami has cursed me for reasons I don't rightly know. As such, I was too much of a headache for them and so they shipped me off here. To make me the Deer's problem. I know that I am not likely to be wed into any love, but..." She picked up a carved gem between two fingers. "I know how easy it can be to change our fates if we so wish. It's even easier to change it when I know the predicted outcome. So I try to change it and I wouldn't mind trying to help change others outcomes to something a bit more favorable. If it works, then it's hopefully for the better. If it doesn't then that means the stars are not willing to budge."

[Matsu Ishioka]

The Lion's stony face yields more to that story than Unsei probably expects. Is it much softer? No. But compassionate eyes and a relaxed jaw are much more visual reaction than the Stone Matsu gives to anyone on their first meeting.

"I do not understand the kami or the forces of the universe," he admits quietly. "I'm not... I'm not a good student, at least not beyond what Matsu are supposed to be good at. But strong will makes up for a lot of other things, Seppun-sama. It sounds like we both have some willfulness," Ishioka says, giving the imperial a look that might even be interpreted as conspiratorial. "And I like the idea of helping people achieve more favorable outcomes if possible." The shift in Ishioka's voice is easy to notice: where he'd been guarded and hesitant about his own situation, he shows no hesitation about helping others. The eagerness is clear in his eyes even as his face remains largely neutral.

[Seppun Unsei]

Unfortunately, Unsei wasn't very good with keeping serious conversations very serious for long. Almost like they used their humor and uncouthness as some sort of defense mechanism. So, as this conversation ended up touching on the serious for much too long in her eyes, she went and ruined it.

"Are you hinting at what I think you're hinting at?" She leaned a bit closer and lowered her voice. "... You trying to take over the nakodo's jobs? Because, I for one, am always interested in sticking my nose where it doesn't belong and also being annoying. If you haven't noticed, my entire personality revolves around being annoying and deflecting any serious situation with humor." And she knew she had issues thanks to her overwhelming self-awareness, but damned if she'd do anything about it. "So I am so down for this, you don't even know. But, at the same time, we also leave ourselves very open to the same thing."