[Day 7, Late Morning] And For My Next Trick(Open)

[Shiba Raizo]

Raizo walked up to the tree. Cocked his head at it.

All right, Old Fortune. Let's deal. 'Cause unlike last time, I have more to hope for than simply not bursting into flame in front of everyone. But I think we can both agree that offering a song would be in exceptionally poor taste, so... what the hell do you want from me?

[Moto Mitsuki]

Though some celestial alignment she herself wasn't aware of, Mitsuki's vocal performance had caught the attention of the Lady of Death Morana the Undrowned. Her spirit was now hovering around the Moto warrior, invisible to mortal eyes and waiting for only her knew what.

Invisible maybe, intangible certainly, but unfelt? Hardly. Her chilling presence made everyone with some semblance of spiritual sensibility feels like the temperature had suddenly dropped a few degrees, dew turned into quickly melted again ice, and tea would simply not heat up before she left.

It's nowhere as dark as under the candlestick, so of course Mitsuki wasn't conscious of any of that. But since several Deer officials had suggested it would be a great idea if she visited the temple that day, here she was, wondering about the message they were too polite to explicitly convey to her.

---

Omen of Bad Luck: +3 strife, +1 void

[Shiba Raizo]

Ah, the lady with the cool stories about faraway places...

He nodded to the Moto in greeting.

[Moto Mitsuki]

"Ah, Shiba-sama, long time not see. How does the day find you?"

He looked grumpy as hell, but then, when did this guy ever not look grumpy as hell?

Nearby, a monk sweeping at the floor had the surprise of finding little bits of ice among the usual dust.

[Shiba Raizo]

"Ah, no sama here, Moto-san, only my ashigaru call me 'sama, and only because they insist..."

Another thing I have to keep telling people. Maybe I can get kakita-san to make me another sashimono to say that?

"As for the day, I must apologize if you had to hear me sing. One does one's best, but sometimes that isn't very good. And you?"

[Moto Mitsuki]

"You're a Shiba and your partner was a shugenja. Everyone will take for granted you undersold yourself willingly to allow her to shine brighter, no matter how many times you will pretend the contrary."

Mitsuki's tone wasn't fully serious.

"My own day has been surprisingly smooth so far. The Deer didn't ask of us to jump into hoops at the same time we sang, my voice didn't break, and Suzume-san's proved once again how adept he is at adapting on the fly.

Everything's going so well actually that I'm half expecting the other shoe to drop at any moment."

[Shiba Raizo]

"Well, I expect you to shine magnificently when they have us doing ikebana on horseback at a full gallop..."

He winked.

"But it does indeed feel like more is on the way..."

[Moto Mitsuki]

"I'm not sure the Deer can organize a contest on horseback without creating a diplomatic incident honestly. Either they authorize people to use their own mounts, and most contestants without one will complain. Or they force me and the other Unicorn – and that odd Scorpion, but he's kind of irrelevant here – to use the same ponies as everyone else, which will definitely be received badly at a time my clan is especially sick with our usage being trampled over regularly.

...

While it would be one way for things to turn badly, but let's hope it does not go that far. Who was your partner actually? Outside of her being a shugenja and a vague memory of her drinking pints after pints at one of these parties, I don't think I know anything about her, even her name."

[Shiba Raizo]

"Her name is Aimi."

And she's AMAZING.

"Like most of us, she was surprised to be invited."

And I'm so glad she was!

"And I'm very, very lucky she agreed to partner up with me."

On multiple levels.

"Since if I'd had to wow everyone with my musical aptitude alone, I don't know that anyone would have survived the experience."

[Moto Mitsuki]

"At that point, I'm taking for granted that only half of the actions of the Deer are backed by logic, and the other are just random made-up stuff to distract us from the important ones. They probably have some Scorpion blood mixed with the Crane one.

In which half every action falls though I wouldn't be able to tell. For all I know, maybe the kemari was critical and the poetry anecdotal. Maybe the great clans only have a token representation for show and the Deer just wants to tighten their ties with the Otter. Maybe."