(Crane Clan Lands) - Night Before

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

"That is good. Very good news, Ginkarasu-san. I hope it honors your ancestors." He nods. "I had joined a patrol around the Sea of Shadows with Mai-san. She is also a nikutai now. We didn't get to enter it, but could see it. As well my gempukku project was being built to replace an engine whose mechanic was failing. It was not worth to recover it, too old anyway."
He goes back to finish his food bowl, putting it aside and calling loudly the heimin of the place to come get it.

[Yasuki Ginkarasu]

He sits upright at mention of the Sea of Shadows.

"You went on patrol?! How is Mai-san? You mentioned Iron Turtles, but I thought maybe just studying them while they were in port."

[Yasuki Ginkarasu]

It takes a second.

"That means you were really near Clear Water Village! Aw. You couldn't stop and say hi! They must have had you really busy!"

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

"Mai-san is well for all I know. And I didn't knew if I was expected to study them or enter the patrol. so I had to decide and went for the patrol. As well, we didn't get to enter the Sea. I mean, the Sea of Shadows. Obviously we got on the sea."
He too now finished the tea.
"About being busy, like, I don't appreciate traveling, and bokkens are only found in the dojo. But I could walk around with a war fan although not a wakizashi, and was told to improve my close combat techniques. And I have been traveling so much I kind of developed a two fans fighting style, because I normally train when I get to somewhere to sleep but it it would be too late to travel to the next place, but too early to sleep."

[Yasuki Ginkarasu]

"Yeah? Two warfans. That's impressive! Is it mostly defensive, or are you able to go on offense with them?" He leans forward a little bit, interested.

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

"Very offensive. I noticed early on training I'm really bad on defensive stances. So my sensei also teached me an offensive kata. And said my elements were out of balance."

[Yasuki Ginkarasu]

His eyebrows raised at that. "Yeah? I've been told a lot in the last months that my Fire is unbalanced and that it'll affect my ability to think, but I don't know. Hiruma Kagehiro-sama taught me a kata as well, said when I get in battle I should aim to take my opponent down quickly and fiercely."

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

"It is dangerous because this is how the Taint works. It draws off and disrupt the balance between the five elements. When this disbalance becomes critical, the Taint strikes. Usually at our best or worst element. Madness happens all the same."
He takes a breath, looking around. Talking about those things was uncourteous, so it was better for no samurai to be hearing.
"The one too weak in Air repeats his actions all the time. The one too weak in Fire stops caring about anything, and the one too strong on Fire thinks they are many people at once."

[Yasuki Ginkarasu]

His forehead creases in concentration. He knows that Aiichiro knows more about this then he does, so he listens fiercely.

"I don't want to not care. That seems like it'd be tough to really find better ways to do your duty."

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

"That is also something I noticed with that Tengu cloak. I'm strong in Fire and weak in Air. When I wear it, it strengthens my fire and weakens my air. Since you commented being weak on fire, what did it do when you wore it?"

[Yasuki Ginkarasu]

He fidgets a bit. "I've played around with it some. But I think, if you concentrate, it can help with anything. I'm pretty sure I shouldn't use it during Topaz, as it'd be unfair. It's not meant for us to win glory, it's meant to help us overcome real danger."

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

"It certainly helps." He looked to the side. "Back then, I used it during training, but I missed two questions that were supposed to draw from my knowledge. I felt more dynamic and inquiet, I could make connections to what I knew easily, even if those connections were wrong, and remember things I don't think I coult otherwise. It helped me, but by no means was a miraculous thing as I still failed. Just enhanced me."

[Yasuki Ginkarasu]

He nods briefly. "I tried to then too. Felt as dumb as I normally am. Still. It's not like the others have the same advantage." He thinks hard for a bit. "I want to know that I earned my gempukku, not the cloak I wear."

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

"I would rather not do again, too." He nods. "I was just a kid at the time. But the championship is intended to test integrity and skill alone. Even if I do not care for its results, it would be unfair against those better prepared."

[Yasuki Ginkarasu]

He smiles in agreement, then drinks some tea.

"Ow! Hot!" he sets the cup back down, fanning his face some. "Ooooo. That's not to say if they end up having an underground city in Tsuma that I wouldn't want to put it on!"

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

He let a faint smile escape through his on, picking the fan from his obi and taking several seconds to open it with both hands, no courtier gracefulness. He finished opening it after the on broke, anyway, so he let the open fan aside.
"It means it is good tea, at least. Anyway, did you bring the gift I gave you?"

[Yasuki Ginkarasu]

A quick nod. "Yeah. I thought you'd probably want to check on it."

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

"Please show me it. Did it break as you expected?"

[Yasuki Ginkarasu]

He shrugs off the bag he's carrying and it lands with a bit of a thump. "Uhm."

He's careful as he rummages, finally taking it out. One of the ears shows where it was broken and inexpertly glued back on. A crack in the base threatens to expand.

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

"Shh, shh, poor thing." He picks it over and puts his hand to the side of the toy. Pressing the button to see it fall, the toy dismounts on his hand as a dead animal. Releasing, it recovers composture.
Aiichirō notices the ear on that movement and softly nudges it with his finger. The head moves slightly with the glued ear. Then he rotates the wooden base on his hand looking for similar fails in the animal, until his fingers encounter a crack on the base his eyes did not. The Kaiu's attention called to it, he checks the opening.
"You know, I don't think those are so bad. Everything else-wise obviously they are bad, but they also mean that you have been showing it around. Do you know why I made and gifted you this toy?"