The New Winds

Sasaiko tries tea again, hoping it will calm her as meditating did not.

It does (Tea Ceremony 21, + VP), and she breathes deeply, feeling refreshed.

She considers what lies ahead.

Was it the smell of freshly brewed tea that brought him like a moth to flame? That was a distinct possibility. It wasn't the first time he'd come to see her during the Hour of the Horse, after all. A gentle knock at the door, and he glanced inside. "Ah, Toritaka-san. I hope I'm not interrupting your ceremony," he said with a small smile and a bow. "May I join you?"

She smiles broadly and bows from her seat.

"Of course, Saburo-san. It would be a great pleasure to have you."

She pauses just a moment after the words leave her mouth, then nods. "Yes, that."

He managed a small smile of his own and took a seat opposite her with a small exhalation, relaxing again. There was going to be some hard travel in his near future to get back to Isawa lands swiftly. He admitted privately to himself that he wasn't looking forward to the hard riding, but it was important to get there quickly so that his training could begin in earnest.

"Thank you, Sasaiko-san," he said once he was certain that they were alone for a moment. "I apologize for not letting you know of my travel plans sooner. I was only informed last night by Asako-sama."

She nods.

"I understand. And congratulations; it is a rare honor to have such a gift, let alone to get it trained."

She sighs.

"I imagine your Clan will have great plans for you, now."

"It is a rare gift, without question, rarer than almost any. The Isawa are ... diligent in attempting to ensure every Ishiken is trained by and known to them, that their abilities are properly nurtured." He was careful in his tone. He was well aware of the Isawa's tendency to believe all magic occurred by their divine approval and with their insight. He was, however, not born Isawa, and whatever arrogance he had, he could accept that other schools of thought had purpose, even it they were definitely not his method. A clearing of the throat and he closed his eyes for a moment.

"Asako-sama seemed quite clear that I am to be trained in preparation for the Topaz Championship, just as the rest of us will, so I will still see you there..." One eye opened a fraction. "But that is not quite what you meant is it?"

"No, it is not."

There might be tears welling up in her eyes.

"I know I will see you at Topaz, of course, and I look forward to it. But I had hoped that after..."

She trails off, takes a deep breath, fingers tears away from her eyes.

"But that is not likely to happen now, is it?"

"I have sent a message to my mother already requesting that a Nakodo be contacted on our behalf, along with a few other niceties. For the sake of her heart, I elected not to mention the goblins. She would have over-reacted." He was about to cut that off right there before she could end up crying. His smile broadened a little and he leaned over the tea table, shaking her head. "Ishiken marry, Sasaiko-san. I... cannot promise what the nakodo will decide, and how the negotiations will play out, but I'm allowed to hope still, so I hope I did not overstep in asking for this.."

He breathed in carefully, closing his eyes. "But... uh... there is one thing you should know." His tone was careful as he brought it up. "The Isawa... would probably insist that you marry into the Phoenix. Not that I think anyone would stop you from joining with one of the Magistrate corps... just... I do find it somewhat unlikely they would let me marry into the Falcon now." He ... had a feeling he might have gotten away with that before.

Sasaiko nods.

"I am of the Minor Clans. I did not expect that I would remain a Toritaka after marrying."

She smiles a bit.

"Do you think I would look good in orange?"

He laughed softly. "I hardly think there would be Toritaka left if the great clans always insisted you marry out," he said mildly. "But I think in this case there will be an insistence that there might not have been before last night."

He looked her up and down, resting his chin on his hand and smiling to himself for a second. "I think you have just the right amount of tan to your skin to really pull it off. It always stands out a bit on my pale skin. You'll look good. I confess that I might have been imagining it a little lately. What my clan's colors would look like on you." By the same token he had, until last night, imagined himself in falcon colors. He knew better now.

She blushes under his scrutiny.

"It's...nice to be thought about that way."

Then her smile turns just a bit wicked. But she avoids saying what popped into her head just then. Instead, she says "You know, sunshine and open air help with the tan and all. It might do you some good to, say, study outside."

"I suspect it might," he retorted, his smile not slipping as he tried to relax some. It wasn't exactly easy to fully let go. "I'll get what I can while we're in the forests of the Isawa, though so much of the light doesn't get into that old, beautiful wood. It might take me a little while to have quite such a healthy glow to me." And he had a feeling it might never completely happen.

"I intend to write regularly. What I am able to share of my studies, I will. Though I admit, the matters of the Void are ... very hard to explain."

She nods.

"I can imagine they are. But it will be good to read from you, nonetheless. And I will hope to see the forests near your home with you, as well."

She shifts a bit, moving from seiza to tailor-style sitting. "But I hope, too, you would not scorn to see Tani Hitokage. It's something to see, truly."

"I should like to show you the pale oak. It is a truly grand thing. I grew up so close to its boughs in my youth, after all. And yes, of course, I should love to see your own homelands. I've heard very little of them, other than that they were in the south, but not so far as the Crab's." Which should honestly have been little surprise. Outside of Moshi and Kitsune lands, the lands of the minor clans weren't things most of the great clans ever knew much about. Those were famous in their own right, and the Kitsune Mori was along a main trade route.

"And if we both enter the magistry we may have quite a bit of traveling to do."

She smiles again.

"Saburo-san, we are alone, yes?"

Danger, Will Robinson! Danger Will Robinson! He looked around, listening carefully and making sure the door was closed as he tried not to be intensely nervous. "I... I believe that we are alone, yes Sasaiko-san. Why do you ask?" he said, looking over at her with a nervous energy. Was she about to try and make him blush again?

Most likely, yes, she was, though she was doing much the same to herself--her cheeks reddening.

Her voice is quieter as she says "I...would like to give you something."

Her chin dips, but she looks at him even so.

He froze, stammering for a second before closing his eyes. Did he refuse, did he accept, did he refuse did he accept? Swallow. He was a child, a student, so he could get away with this. "Sasaiko, I'm... not entirely sure here, but I'm going to assume as I am still learning my lessons that this is a moment where I should refuse first," he said, opening his eyes. "I don't want to deny you the chance to show me how much you want me to have this. So... I couldn't possibly."

Oh kami that was awkward as fuck.

Does he not...or is he...

Her heart hammers.

"I would give you something no other can, that I could never give again."

The blush deepens.

"I hope you will like it."

Oh dear fucking kami... is she seriously, here in... someone could walk in here and mother would have kittens and ...

His lips quivered and his eyes widened while his pulse thundered in his throat and his cheeks went a shade of red that said that he had a very good idea what she was suggesting. His fingers tightened on the tatami mat and he swallowed. Hard. Closing his eyes, he nodded.

"I...If it is what I think... I want to give you the chance to be completely sincere about this." He breathed it out. His eyes opened and he shifted his seat a little so that the table wasn't in the way of them. "It's a gift you can't ever give again, and one I can't ever give again. And I want to make absolutely sure you want to give it to me, and nobody else. I refuse, for now, but if you come to give it to me. I won't refuse a third time."

Not technically correct, but he actually wanted her to do this. He was pretty sure. I mean, it wasn't like he hadn't thought about it before now.