Free Time is Study Time - Part 1 (Open)

[Bayushi Jiro]

"If...you wouldn't find it dull. I suppose that would be acceptable." Jiro retrieves the scroll from its position in the room. "So..." He scans the document for a short while, pausing only to raise an eyebrow when he hears Saburo's confusion.

"Ah...the development of the Imperial Bureaucracy seems to have derived from the need to gather and account for taxation, particularly as large Imperial projects like the Imperial Highways began to develop. There was a large expansion after the rule of Hantei Muhaki, and especially after that of Hantei XVI, when the Emperor began to transition the style of rule from personal and immediate to filtered and influence-based..."

This went on for some time.

[Doji Sakura]

Sakura did her best to stay awake. She really did. But the topic was so....

She at least was a quiet sleeper.

D1 Dog timeslot, staying awake (willpower): 1d10 2

[Asako Saburo]

And for his part, Saburo turned to face Jiro and practically bore a hole through the young man's skull. Yellow eyes stared straight at him, blinking just enough that if you weren't paying attention carefully enough you might think he wasn't blinking at all. he found this positively fascinating. "Does this then implicate itself somehow in the tallying of current circumstances under which the Miya select their blessings for the annual allotment?" he asked in positively...

Oh, the Doji was asleep. Whatever.

[Kakita Kenji]

Kenji listened to Bayushi more or less with one ear and was also relatively pleased that he changed the subject.

Kenji thought he got away with it once more. He watched that Sakura probably fell asleep. Must be the long day at the blacksmith's shop. Kenji was astonished that she was strong enough for the blacksmith's shop, although she looks rather small and delicate.

"Don't you think it's strange to suddenly sit in one single dojo with so many different people from different clans? Not many samurai can boast of knowing people from all clans," Kenji asked into the blue.

He watched Sakura and hoped that she wouldn't fall head over heels and that she would have a light sleep.

"Excuse me for interrupting you, Bayushi-San, Asako-san, but this question is buzzing around in my head like an annoying cricket at the door in summer"

[Bayushi Jiro]

Jiro blinked, but the scroll disappeared far more quickly than it had arrived.

"It is not so different from my youth, Kakita-san. Kyuden Bayushi is often host to samurai from many different places." Jiro tilted his head. "But it is interesting how...pronounced the cultural differences are among those who have been more insulated from other clans."

[Asako Saburo]

"Guests are common to Pale Oak Castle, but rarely do they visit the local dojo in large numbers." Saburo shook his head. "There are facilities when dignitaries are brought for the winter courts. I have only been within the castle walls once in my life, briefly. When I was honored to receive this invitation it was presented to my family in those walls. Generally, outsiders do not spend a great deal of time among the Buke and Ji-samurai who manned the city's walls. My father is a gunso, and so had more dealings on occasion."

"So, in short. It is unusual. But I have had little time to converse with others as a rule. My studies and personal regimens require most of my focus and time."

[Doji Sakura]

Sakura had little to offer. She also had heard none of it, peacefully sleeping just out of sight behind Kenji.

[Kakita Kenji]

"This is an interesting thought, Minna-sans. I come from a small town, we don't have many samurai from other clans there,... I would like to discuss further with you, but it seems that Doji-San here will catch a cold when she sleeps out here".

Kenji tried to wake Sakura gently. "Let's return to the barracks, Doji-san, tomorrow's a long day"

[Asako Saburo]

"We have ample time for such discussions in the future," Saburo said, acknowledging the request and bowing to the two of them, even if the Doji was still asleep. Escorting her back seemed like a good thing to do. It was, after all, starting to wane a little late, was it not? "Bayushi-san, did you intend to return to your reflections before the hour wanes to the Boar?"

[Bayushi Jiro]

"Hai, I did." Jiro tilts his head. "The Bureaucracy will not study itself."

[Asako Saburo]

"Nor will Otomo-sama's treatise on the courts. Crane-sans, I bid you a pleasant evening. We will be along in due course." Probably about the time that the candles were wearing down in his case, but eventually. He finished a bow to each before slipping back to take hold of the scroll once more.

Where the hell was he anyway? Oh right, the Otomo's perspective on the Crane, comparing Sun Tao's perception of their military tactics with the courtly approaches.

[Doji Sakura]

Sakura started to stir at the shaking, murmuring "five more minutes..."

[Kakita Kenji]

Kenji shook Sakura gently once more: "Your futon is waiting, Sakura-san"

[Doji Sakura]

Sakura murmured another complaint, turning away from the mean shaking giant plushie kumo that was trying to disturb her

[Kakita Kenji]

Beaten, Kenji took the little doji piggyback. He'd sooner make Saburo laugh than wake Sakura.

After he had safely loaded her up, Kenji took her to the barracks

[Asako Saburo]

Kenji and Sakura were in luck tonight.

...

Saburo didn't laugh.

[Doji Sakura]

This was a weird dream. Why was the ground moving? She felt like she was flying...

Sakura didn't wake or put up any resistance to being carried.

[Bayushi Jiro]

Jiro watched the departure with a raised eyebrow, but moved back into the room to study without further comment.

Cranes.

[Asako Saburo]

Indeed. Quite the noisy bunch were they not? Now these two fine gentlemen could read in peace. Ah, the bliss of Fukurokujin.

/fade to reading?