An early bath

[Otomo Nobuko]

"You have more of your fellows than most of the other clans here," she agreed. "That sort of comfort of familiarity is not one many of our Kohai have."

Herself included. The one student from her school was... well... apparently a narcoleptic? And of course, she was the only Otomo.

[Moto Ichiro]

"True and I am lucky for it, the kings smiled on me when most families decided to send someone, heck the Utaku sent two." he said obviously becoming a bit more relaxed "I do find it strange they want to know if all samurai are being taught right but they didn't send any Seppun or Miya."

[Otomo Nobuko]

She looked over at him confused, "Have you not met Miya Wyn or Seppun Suzuran? I know that Seppun-san has had some health issues keeping her from participating as much, but Miya Wyn has put in a very good showing thus far."

[Moto Ichiro]

"huh guess not, theres like 30 people here not counting aids servants ashigaru and sensei. There are plenty I have missed it seems." he kicked himself internally for his lack of observation, he had sharp eyes and usually good awareness but some failed him this time.

[Otomo Nobuko]

"There are indeed many here from very disparate schools," she decided to agree rather than call him out on his mistake any further. It did not seem the right thing to do when he had already admitted to feeling out of place. But she could still encourage him to at least learn the family names involved even if the didn't meet everyone or pay as much attention to the mons floating around as she had.

"The Sensei posted a ranking of students this morning based on their assessment of our performances yesterday. It is likely they will do so again tomorrow. If you are wondering if a family has a representative, it would be an easy way to confirm it."

[Moto Ichiro]

"Yeah I might glance at it after I finish up here." He said acting casual when on the inside he was furious with himself.

"So the Otomo are courtiers right? Is that what you study?" He asked shifting focus to her and away from his short comings.

[Otomo Nobuko]

She nodded, lifting her head slightly and brightening somewhat, "Yes. Many of my family are tied up in the courts, serving the Emperor in that faction. I do not expect to be among them. I am training with the Kakita to hone my artistic talents, that I might provide art and cultural for those otherwise engaged in politics or war - whatever career my future spouse will be a part of - to find appeasement and beauty within. I do hope to learn more about the courtly arts, however, while I am here. So I may better support my future spouse in that regard should it be needed."

[Moto Ichiro]

Ichiro nodded "never had much of an appreciation of art for arts sake myself but to each their own I suppose." It was not an uncommon sentiment for many bushi for high arts to be lost on them. "You seem to care an awful lot about your future spouse, are you doing what you want to do? Or what is expected of you?"

[Otomo Nobuko]

She titled her head again, looking puzzled, "What an odd question. What I want to do and what is expected of me are the same thing. My place is higher than many here, but not so high that I can or should command another to put aside their own career in service to mine. It is my career that will be in service to my future spouse. I want nothing more than to ensure I perform exactly as I should in that role."

[Moto Ichiro]

Ichiro shrugged "desire and duty don't always align my clan teaches more personal freedom than most. We all have our duty but we also understand that sometimes what you want and what is expected arent the same thing."

[Otomo Nobuko]

She shrugged, "In that case it would not matter what I wanted, regardless. What is expected of me is what I shall strive to achieve. Pursuing your desires is a romantic idea, but ultimately, pursuing them too hard is still a sin for good reason."

Nobuko's tone wasn't judgmental. She understood that several of the clans had more liberal thoughts on the ideas of how much personal freedom was acceptable. In the Otomo, however, what was expected and what you wanted was the same thing. If it was not, then you were not an Otomo.

After a moment, she added, very softly "I desire to live up to the memory of my mother. Doing as I am expected will achieve that without question."

[Moto Ichiro]

The moto boy paused for a moment "I hope your conviction last." It wasn't a challenge, it sounded more sincere than that. The boy had seen people lose their dreams and who was he to say that her dream wasn't hers just because it aligned with what her people wanted. Just because its not how he would live his life doesn't make it less valid.

"What happened to her?" He asked slowly even he could see that it was a sensitive subject, but it was something that shaped who she was.

[Otomo Nobuko]

"I have known what I wanted since I was of an age to understand I must eventually leave my home for schooling," she said, not sounding offended. Ichiro clearly had a very different upbringing than her, even in the most basic of ways, and taking that into account, she could forgive what she found to be an oddity in his words. "I petitioned my father to attend my mother's school and succeeded in gaining that advantage in ensuring I could serve my family as well and honorably as possible."

Nobuko spoke the words slowly as she considered how best to answer the question of her mother, if she should at all. Her mother's death was a matter of public record... she supposed admitting to that would not do harm.

"My mother passed from this world several weeks after I was born," she said, sounding a little detached from it despite her statement that she strove to honor her memory only moments ago. "She had been in ill health for some months before she carried me and I am told it was only her determination to ensure my safe passage into life that allowed her to live through the experience and keep on for as long as she did. She performed her duty to clan and family in all ways."

A perfect wife. Exactly what Nobuko needed to be.

[Moto Ichiro]

"That sucks." He said in what is likely the understatement of the century "It makes sense that you are the way you are. Knowing yourself like that at our age is a gift."

[Otomo Nobuko]

"All Otomo strive to know themselves and their place from as early an age as possible," she said with a shrug, as though it were common. In the Otomo, it largely was. They were raised to fulfill a role in life. Many of whom fulfilled it by being born simply to have marriage fodder for alliances and deals with clans and families great and small. Her father had been too high in the bureaucracy for that, but not high enough to assume his daughter could or would follow his same path.

"It is how we serve the Emperor. The clans have some flexibility in that," Nobuko continued thoughtfully, "Their... your... places are less set in stone, allowing you to rise or fall more strikingly than those of us closest to the Emperor, who must, at all times, at all levels ensure order is maintained."

Usually through lots and lots of paperwork and red tape bureaucracy.

"What ambitions do you have, Utaku-san?" she asked, turning the conversation to focus on him. Enough focus had been on her. "Are you to be a... what is the term... 'horse lord'? Ah! Khan! Will you become one?"

[Moto Ichiro]

ichiro chuckled "The Khan is what we call the Moto family Daimyo which unless I seriously impress someone I don't expect to get near. I'm not quite a character from a book written by Shonen-san." He said with a bit of amusement

"I dont know exactly what I will devote myself to. I have studied Bariqu, a special form of Sumai we practice. I have thought of being a magistrate. Most likely ill just end up serving in the Unicorn military, not that I mind. Fight serve protect our lands not a bad way to spend a life."

[Otomo Nobuko]

She hummed, pleased by the answer - mostly because it fit her world-view of proper service to one's clan and family, "That seems a satisfying career, very honorable. Whether it be in the military or as a magistrate. If you seek to prove yourself as a magistrate candidate, the Topaz Championship in an excellent way to do so. It takes many diverse skills."

Nobuko went quite for a moment as she shifted in her seat to become a bit more comfortable, "Forgive me if my words echo too many false assumptions, but most of what I have heard about your clan revolves around how close you are to your steeds. Is it true you treat them like family? Or is it only the Utaku who are allowed to ride them? That is something I heard once."

[Moto Ichiro]

Ichiro shrugged "No offense taken, our horses are much like part of the family. The Utaku definitely are the closest to horses but all bushi learn to ride them and all Unicorn understand how important they are. The Moto are not as close as the Utaku but we aren't that far behind, the basic lesson of our school is how to fight from horseback and how to get the most out of the steed's speed and strength. I certainly miss my horse a great deal, I had wished to bring her but was barred from doing so."

[Otomo Nobuko]

Her brows rose in surprise, "You were barred from doing so? Then you are at something of a disadvantage in showcasing your martial skills if you were trained to fight on horseback. Though I suppose most of us are at a disadvantage in some way or another with the way they are trying to have us all learn a broader base of subjects."

She adjusted the towel on her hair once more, "I have never ridden. I have barely been within a few paces of a horse, and only to enter a wagon or wheeled palanquin."

[Moto Ichiro]

"Indeed. And what passes for horses in the rest of the empire are more like our ponies, barely fight for riding and not fit for a a battlefield." He paused a little "but if you desire to learn i could show you the basics, its an important skill, never know when you'll need to out run someone or quickly get a message somewhere."