The New Winds

Making her way toward the merchant district of Tsuma meant that Mirai had less chance of having a crowd of people asking where she was from, how she got an invitation, and all the other questions she seemed to constantly get. Besides, for once in her life, she had a bit of extra coin to spend thanks to her sponsorship. Stopping at a stall that had some freshly made shiquasa juice that sounded quite delicious, as well as grilled fish from the river. Finding the stall had a few seats made her decision all the easier, taking one and ordering.

The Phoenix from the previous day happened to be in this part of town as well. He had been told of the medicinal properties of some of the types of food that the unicorn ate, and had opted for a dish that was perhaps as unctuous as it was anything else. It certainly carried a bit of an odor as he collected the skewers. Happening to notice Mirai, he made his way over and bowed. "Ronin-san. I hope I am not intruding..." It would be pleasant to speak to her without that... person around.

He looked around. No, thinking had not summoned him. How he did that, Saburo would never know. Shugenja indeed.

In the middle of a bite of grilled fish, it took Mirai a moment before she stood off the stall's stool and gave a deep bow. "Asako-sama. It is no intrusion, I am merely breaking fast. Have you had your rice?"

She took her seat again as she spoke, but glanced over rather than resume her meal.

He nodded, accustomed to that kind of reaction from ronin and ji-samurai at this point. Even if he wasn't through his gempukku, he had noticed that some people did seem to defer to him. It was just something he was starting to get used to after so many years being doubted and ignored. "That was the purpose of my joining you. So I believe that the answer will soon be yes for us both, yes?" he said, taking his chopsticks and murmuring a soft blessing. "Are you prepared for today's sumai matches?"

"Well, I did not order rice for myself, but if Asako-sama wishes to..."

She trailed off for a few small bites before nodding. "...As for the sumai, I am as prepared as I can be. I am hardly a studied practitioner, but I've read much about the techniques, and know something of jiujutsu."

"I believe Inari will forgive the slight infraction. I will leave him a bowl of rice before the end of the day." Shugenja humor. What could you say? He chuckled at himself, trying a bite and making a bit of a face. Well, it was supposed to be good, healthy food, even if it did ... definitely have an unctuous element, didn't it? He'd eaten worse things in his life. It was at least clearly well cooked. "A little knowledge can be enough. I only hope to not fail Hida-sensei's lessons. He was one of the first to take any real notice of me when I was in dojo."

Mirai was silent a moment before she decided to speak her mind, even if just a little. "...Asako-sama does not really have the look of a sumai wrestler to him. To catch the eye of a sensei of the Hida though... there is surely more than appearances."

He looked at her for a moment, as if a little surprised that she'd actually say it and then he gave her an almost viperish grin. "You should have seen me when I caught Hida Goroharu-sama's attention the first time." He brought his hand to about his collarbone. "I've gained a few inches, and I was paler than a yurei at Setsuban. The last year of my life, I have finally grown a bit, but no. I am no true Sumai. It's all in the technique for me. If it were dependent upon my raw prowess, the Kakita I would face will have no challenge. Sumai is more than brute strength."

And, in truth? Yeah, that's pretty much how he ended up beating Kakita Riku. Technique and putting every last bit of extra effort into it through his void. She was easily leagues stronger and more durable than he was. "I am... no longer ashamed of my youth. I think of it as a crucible. I survived it, and so I mean to get better."

While she had successfully probed a little, the ronin girl had no wish to push her luck, so she didn't pry into the vagaries of a troubled childhood. Instead, she just nodded. "I suppose I would be the same. I've never actually done sumai with another, but I've read up all about the techniques and such. I suppose I will have to dive right into the deep end without knowing."

"Sometimes, that is the only way to truly determine if you know a thing. To plunge into the deep end and either sink or swim," he said, nodding more to himself than anything. "We will see where the two of us stand in such things all too soon, will we not? I am looking forward to the contest to say the least."

(OOC Apologies for the significant lateness. One hell of a week. I'm jumping back in d5, so if you want to let this go fallow, feel free.)

Mirai shrugged softly. "I am not certain you could say I am looking forward to it precisely, but at the very least, I hope to not show poorly. I am much less concerned about where I stand than I am just making certain I stand at all."

He looked at her quietly. In so many ways, he could not understand the plight of a ronin. The worry was a real one. Graduation itself was a lofty goal for a ronin, wasn't it? He nodded. "I suppose at the end of the day our first task is to make sure and get past our graduation, is it not? To ensure that part is done, rather than... what is the saying? Put the cart before the horse?"

She shook her head. "It is not so much that as a desire not to make myself a target. Adequacy still brings recognition, while glory and prestige foster resentment. The tallest tree is often the first to fall in a storm."

"There's some truth to the adage," he admitted. "At a gathering I was present for some time ago, there were two of the students, myself being one, who drew considerable attention. It was a never-ending hassle of sorts as people continued to pour that attention on us. As if waiting for an inevitable failure, or gunning for our position. I am actually... hoping that does not happen again this year."

It wasn't' going to be a problem, thankfully but oh god he was not in the mood for that shit again.

"From some I have met, I would not be concerned about your taking center stage." A pause. "...I imagine that Mantis would try to take it himself anyway."

"Kokyou?" He snorted and smirked over at her. "Kokyou... will do what he does. I suspect he will fare well in the competition and do everything in his power to be as memorable as possible. He does still try to make the pretense that he is a shugenja." He was perhaps more than anyone else certain that the man wasn't a priest. However, he had no idea how he did some of the things that he did.

The ronin seemed to grimace a moment at that. "...He is the sort of man I cannot stand. I'm certain he has a touch of something better inside him I haven't seen, but I've met too many braggarts and pompous glory seekers in my time to trust them."

"I'm going to be a little uncharitable and say that he is not the example of Mantis behavior that I would recommend looking to, if you wish a positive thought of them. There is a young, actual shugenja by the name of Mai. Ambitious like all of her kin, but far better mannered." He didn't actually say that Kokyou was a pompous, arrogant ass... but that was pretty much exactly what he just said. A grunt followed and he shook his head. "I believe he will have to tone that down somewhat after his youth has ended and his gempukku completed." Or he'd end up dead in a ditch somewhere, because allowances for children did not continue indefinitely.

Mirai sighed at that. "I wish to believe the best in others I do not truly know, so I will merely take your word on him in the end."

Finishing her tea, Mirai stood and gave the Phoenix boy a bow. "I should not keep you any longer Asako-sama. Please, finish your own meal in peace. I will look forward to seeing your performance in the rest of the tournament."

"Likewise, Ronin-san. If you seek the eye of a great clan, then I wish you fortune in that pursuit." He bowed to her. Something in his tone said he did not expect her to be doing so, but if she was here for a patron he certainly wouldn't be surprised if that might be one of her goal.