D0EN- Not Yet Sleepy (Open)

[Kakita Yuuwaku]

Lunch having gone well and dinner having passed with little comment for her, Kakita Yuuwaku sits in the common room of the Sleepy Willow, sipping occasionally at a cup of umeshu and thinking about upcoming events.

Daidoji-sama is lucky, she thinks, to have the opportunity she does. So many of us are married away from home, and she gets to remain in place, her husband coming to join her. I wonder if I will be so lucky.

After another sip, her thoughts continue. I suppose it depends on how well I can keep dancing. I mean, the sensei seem to think I'll do well, and they know what they're about. Maybe that's why they wanted me to represent the school here, to show our hosts what they defend.

Another sip. But maybe it's a way to see who down there will want me. Or maybe who I'll want; so many Crane men are so timid.

She cannot help but give a puff of laughter. And I've always heard the Crab have more stamina. Maybe they'll clean up well enough for the wedding.

She refills her cup from the bottle, pondering further.

[Kakita Konohamaru]

She refills her cup from the bottle, pondering further.

"...Purpose..."

The sole word whispered some way outside the common room spoke but a fraction of the internal discussion within Konohamaru. In particular, the juxtaposition of romance, marriage and duty.

In particular, the faces of a runaway couple he had the misfortune of being forced to destroy - he still remembers seeing samples of Sakuhime's works before her marriage and how it just.. died... afterwards. The man, he remembers, was married into Kasuga lands - perhaps as a punishment, perhaps for a purpose. Looking into the nothing within the mind, he wondered if he saw her as he did - or if Kaku instead saw the Dread Magistrate, and hated him for what he did. But the musing made him wonder about Kaku's wife, whomever she was, and dug up a question -

What did everyone want from this marriage?

Not just the bride and groom, but the guests? The families?

Everyone had an angle, an agenda. It was never too early to find out what they were.

From the darkness of the night emerged the host of the dread magistrate, moving into the common room with certainty.
Upon spotting the other Kakita, he offered her a bow.

"Kakita-san. I trust you are well?"

[Kakita Yuuwaku]

Yuuwaku recognizes the voice, of course, and begins to rise to greet it. The motion is languid; it has been a long day, and the plum wine is perhaps more potent than is common for her. Still, rise she does, and bow she does to the magistrate, the jewel on her forehead glinting in the lamplight.

"This one," she says as she rises from the bow, "is all the better for Kakita-bugyo's presence. Does the night treat him well? Will he care to join? The umeshu is quite good, the more so for being so far from the center."

She suits gestures to words, extending a hand to a seat close by hers. A servant watches carefully, waiting to see if there is need.

[Kakita Konohamaru]

"This one," she says as she rises from the bow, "is all the better for Kakita-bugyo's presence. Does the night treat him well? Will he care to join? The umeshu is quite good, the more so for being so far from the center."

She suits gestures to words, extending a hand to a seat close by hers. A servant watches carefully, waiting to see if there is need.

"It would be a pleasure."

With that, Konohamaru takes the gestured seat, nodding to the servant to let them begin. The sharpness in his body language he had previously displayed had dulled somewhat, showing a rare sense of ease. Nevertheless, he was vocally as focused as ever.

"What does everyone want from the wedding, I wonder?"

[Kakita Yuuwaku]

The servant hastens to provide a bottle of umeshu and a cup, pouring for both with a clearly practiced hand. As the servant withdraws, Yuuwaku wraps her hand around her cup again, but she pauses in lifting it. Instead, she asks, "Does Kakita-bugyo know who all will attend, other than those already met? Although this one does recall hearing that her classmate Asahnia Sanaharu would also be in attendance, so there is that."

[Kakita Konohamaru]

The servant hastens to provide a bottle of umeshu and a cup, pouring for both with a clearly practiced hand. As the servant withdraws, Yuuwaku wraps her hand around her cup again, but she pauses in lifting it. Instead, she asks, "Does Kakita-bugyo know who all will attend, other than those already met? Although this one does recall hearing that her classmate Asahnia Sanaharu would also be in attendance, so there is that."

Avoiding the question, perhaps? Or was it something else? If the truth can be earned rather than taken, it would be desirable - nevertheless, go along with the thought process.

"One other - a Doji Yuma-san, whom I spoke to earlier today. Not a familiar face, but a priest by trade. I suspect there will be many more from across the Empire - especially if the Dragon have been sent."

He looked to his cup, gesturing he was willing to Kanpai if she wanted to drink.

[Kakita Yuuwaku]

"The name is unfamiliar at present, Kakita-bugyo, although it will hopefully be less so in the coming days.

"But as to the question: what is wanted depends on who does the wanting, does it not? For this one," and Yuuwaku touches her own chest, "the promise of a happy union beginning for one of her schoolmates is desirable, of course, and perhaps the beginnings of her own such service to Family and Clan. And few Artisans, if any, are not happy to show their arts in new venues, even if such audiences as may be faced are, shall it be said, stern.

"And what Kakita-bugyo might want bears consideration, as well."

She lifts her cup and smiles. "To the happy couple to be."

[Kakita Konohamaru]

"But as to the question: what is wanted depends on who does the wanting, does it not? For this one," and Yuuwaku touches her own chest, "the promise of a happy union beginning for one of her schoolmates is desirable, of course, and perhaps the beginnings of her own such service to Family and Clan. And few Artisans, if any, are not happy to show their arts in new venues, even if such audiences as may be faced are, shall it be said, stern."

"Understood - remember to not lose focus. But if my word can be of use in that goal, I shall give it."

A fair desire, one which shouldn't necessarily be opposed to the wellbeing of the wedding. The possibility of a kimono chasing groom, however, would have to be considered and ideally avoided. As such, encouraging the fostering of other alliances should be healthy for the wedding.

"And what Kakita-bugyo might want bears consideration, as well."

"Indeed".

It was clear from his tone, and how his eyes seemed to seek solace in the dark, that he had no idea what he did want.

When was the last time he thought about what he wanted?

She lifts her cup and smiles. "To the happy couple to be."

Konohamaru lifted in kind. "Kanpai."

The drink is consumed in one swift move.

[Kakita Yuuwaku]

Yuuwaku matches the drink and sets her cup down gently, leans slightly in towards the magistrate.

"Does Kakita-bugyo have any thoughts towards his own alliances, whether enduring or more...ephemeral?"

[Kakita Konohamaru]

"Does Kakita-bugyo have any thoughts towards his own alliances, whether enduring or more...ephemeral?"

The lean is noticed, but not reacted to. A pillar of law does not move, after all.

"My... alliances?"

There was only that which he knew for certain - his loyalty to the clan, his camaraderie with the yoriki he worked with, his friendship with that shortstack who set him on this path, reminding him of -

"I'm afraid not, Kakita-san. That is in part why I offered to support you in finding yours."

As the senior, it would be his responsibility to keep a level head.

[Kakita Yuuwaku]

"Ah."

Yuuwaku nods, leans back to sit more nearly upright.

"This one had only thought that such a man as Kakita-bugyo must carry many burdens and that some respite from them..." She waves a hand as she trails off. "It is of no moment, of course. And Kakita-bugyo's offer of assistance is most welcome, and appreciated. This one will work to be worthy of it."

[Kakita Konohamaru]

"This one had only thought that such a man as Kakita-bugyo must carry many burdens and that some respite from them..." She waves a hand as she trails off. "It is of no moment, of course. And Kakita-bugyo's offer of assistance is most welcome, and appreciated. This one will work to be worthy of it."

"Your concern is...appreciated."

The soft little crack in his voice's end took him by surprise, even if he refused to let it show.

Out of his yakuta's side came the mask, sitting lazily in his hand as if the dreams of hundreds did not lay shattered, broken or dead by the hands behind it.

"But my time is not yet. Not until I know I can retire safely without a crime wave celebrating my passing. Perhaps when I am older I will stop, but until then I must press on. Our Clan, our Empire, is in a state of recovery from some very deep and recent tragedies. I can be no father right now, so I must keep making a world where other people can be."

The mask returned itself to its place - over his heart.

"Do not worry about being worthy. If O-Doji-sama deemed you unworthy, or if I was not supposed to help, she would have lead us elsewhere."

[Kakita Yuuwaku]

"One need not retire to be a father, Kakita-bugyo, and one need not be a father to find joy in the world. Even the first of us, who surely faced more than we, found time to laugh."

She smiles, perhaps a bit crookedly. "There's a whole curriculum at the Academy based upon that idea. It is sometimes...interesting when the students are put to practice those lessons."

[Kakita Konohamaru]

"One need not retire to be a father, Kakita-bugyo, and one need not be a father to find joy in the world. Even the first of us, who surely faced more than we, found time to laugh."

She smiles, perhaps a bit crookedly. "There's a whole curriculum at the Academy based upon that idea. It is sometimes...interesting when the students are put to practice those lessons."

"Oh, I should specify. I mea-"

But he was caught off guard by her smile. Or was it more that he was being smiled at at all? Either way, his words caught each other in their throat, only being dislodged by a light chuckle from the dreaded one.

"I meant the Dread Magistrate persona. By design I have had to ruin a lot of lives. I will not allow my future family to become victims of my work."

[Kakita Yuuwaku]

"Oh, I should specify. I mea-"

But he was caught off guard by her smile. Or was it more that he was being smiled at at all? Either way, his words caught each other in their throat, only being dislodged by a light chuckle from the dreaded one.

"I meant the Dread Magistrate persona. By design I have had to ruin a lot of lives. I will not allow my future family to become victims of my work."

"If they have been ruined, it was by their own deeds. The magistrate's work is merely the apporp--appropriate consequence of those deeds."

Yuuwaku's eyes widen, and her fan darts up into her hand to cover most of her face. It is clear that she is blushing behind it.

"My apologies! I would appear to have reached my capacity for the umeshu."

[Kakita Konohamaru]

"If they have been ruined, it was by their own deeds. The magistrate's work is merely the apporp--appropriate consequence of those deeds."

Yuuwaku's eyes widen, and her fan darts up into her hand to cover most of her face. It is clear that she is blushing behind it.

"My apologies! I would appear to have reached my capacity for the umeshu."

"Forgive me - I must have been rambling for too long. Do you need any assistance?"

A genuine concern showed itself over his face, in case there was a problem he hadn't been instructed or required to cause.

[Kakita Yuuwaku]

"Forgive me - I must have been rambling for too long. Do you need any assistance?"

A genuine concern showed itself over his face, in case there was a problem he hadn't been instructed or required to cause.

Don'tpropositionthemagistratedon'tpropositionthemagistratedon'tpropositionthemagistrate.

"Kakita-bugyo is too kind. He did not ramble; this one started sooner than he had arrived, and evidently by more than she had realized.

"But if he wishes to see her to her room, it would not be taken amiss."

[Kakita Konohamaru]

Don'tpropositionthemagistratedon'tpropositionthemagistratedon'tpropositionthemagistrate.

"Kakita-bugyo is too kind. He did not ramble; this one started sooner than he had arrived, and evidently by more than she had realized."

"But if he wishes to see her to her room, it would not be taken amiss."

"Of course."

And so, the Kakita offered his hand

to help the artisan onto her feet, should she require it.

[Kakita Yuuwaku]

"Of course."

And so, the Kakita offered his hand

to help the artisan onto her feet, should she require it.

It's not the kind of gift that takes the standard refusals, and Yuuwaku realizes that she is, in fact, ever so slightly intoxicated. So she grasps the man's hand and accepts the help getting to her feet. The motion is reminiscent of a reed springing upright after being held down--complete with a few waverings until stability is resumed.

And she is just drunk enough that her inner monologue escapes her lips for just a moment.

"Such a strong hand."