The New Winds

(OOC: Another "Observation" thread open to fellow courtier characters during the 'breaks' in the daily lesson.)

Comfortable with his performance, other than the persistent problems he had with meditation, which were a constant and abasing annoyance to the Asako, Saburo relaxed on a cushion a polite distance away from those who were gathered for lessons. He would be called again momentarily, but if someone wished to speak behind fans... he had a fan. It wasn't especially well adorned, but it was a fan, because this was courtly lessons, and courtiers were supposed to have fans, even shugenja who were using courtly training to deal with their own perceived limitations.

Fresh from his rather stellar performance today, Bayushi Jiro sat next to his...tentative friend. "Asako-san, it is lovely to see you here, so far from your natural habitat."

All thing were tentative with this boy. He had trouble imagining himself closely associated with anyone right now, after all. He gave a quick, appropriate bow to the Bayushi and kept his voic to an appropriately low level. "Ah, Bayushi-san. It is good to see you today. I suppose it is a bit unusual, isn't it?" He could admit that, though he had ample knowledge of the conjuring of the kami that he wasn't worried about fulfilling that obligation at all.

Jiro smiled. "It is, though you are not the only person interested in cross-curricular study, as I understand. It's good to be well-rounded, no matter what The Sword suggests."

"Kakita's treatise... teaches well the art of perfection of a single, solitary thing. I doubt there was ever a swordsman like he or Mirumoto, and I sincerely doubt there will ever truly be one like them again. There's a merit to the path of single-minded achievement, but at the same time, we may be called to perform more than that one singular task." There was a bit more to it than that. He settled a little and shrugged. "I suppose in my case, it has been an attempt to ... test other methods to better myself, where some had not produced the results desired. It has proven fruitful thus far."

If Saburo wanted to play along with a misrepresentation of the Sword, it certainly wasn't in Bayushi Jiro's interest to correct him. "Then it seems to have been a wise choice." Jiro smiled pleasantly, letting the silence stretch.

It was, perhaps, more of a tendency that the Asako had at times to speak as if he knew what he was talking about. Bullshit until proven otherwise did work once in a while. Less so here. He watched as the others worked and glanced over, smirking. "The Kuni and I are going to attempt this game of letters you told me about. I am expecting it to be tragically awful, as fair warning."

"That is what learning if for, Asako-san! I am glad that you are giving it a try. It can be a true delight, if, at times, a little dangerous." He smirked. "Will you be exchanging with each other, or spreading the joy to other students?"

"I believe the answer will come when the message is taken on proper delivery," he said, allowing himself the slightest of thin chuckles. He found it more tan a little amusing, all things considered. he wasn't entirely sure what, if anything, was going to come out of it. "But I believe we'd decided against sensei. As much as we would want it seen by them, we weren't entirely sure how they would react?"

"It would be a shame for them to miss it if it is good." Jiro said. "But I can understand wanting to avoid the risk."

"Well, the intention is for it to be passed around so in theory they would see it, right? And we had thought about congratulating Hida-sensei over his successful debates at the garden the other day. Certainly that could have some merits." Oh yes, praising a Hida on his gardening skills wasn't going to sound unintentionally sarcastic at all. The sad thing was they were quite sincere with that idea.

He slides the shoji, curious to see how the courtiers and artisans were doing. And this seemed to be by far the place with the number one of students he never saw before — maybe it was simply that bushi preferred going with Crabs.
His injuries were somewhat hurriedly patched down until he was to go see Asako-sensei, a task he left for later as her office now should be crowded. He looked around and saw two people observing the other students, too, one whom him knew to be a Courtier. He approached them and bowed.

Ah, one of the bushi had come by. Saburo glanced back, turned and nodded to the young man, bowing in turn. "Kaiu-san, you are welcome here. We're still finishing up. I take it that the ashigaru are still as well trained as ever?" he said in a politely neutral tone. He was by now starting to rethink his previous consideration of entering the field of glorious combat and testing his fire among the future soldiers. That might not have been as wise as he would have liked...

"They are. The one I was paired off with today was quite talented. I even complimented him." He replied. "But of course I'm welcome here. What are you talking about? Did they start to banish the artists or moved them from another room? I think artisan would be a better word, anyway."
He looked at Saburo better, up to down, checking again if the robes and scrolls were true. "Why are you here? Aren't you, like, a shugenja?"

"I am. But it is a known fact that I am capable of the conjuring of a simple elemental. In truth I think most of us can demonstrate this. Doing so under the watchful eyes of the instructors does help, but I have been attempting several methods to deal with my deficiencies in earth and water, for years now. Physical and mystical training have not worked. Asako-sama permitted me to attempt an alternate approach. It has been seeing... positive results." Now, how he was feeling healthier from mixed social and physical training was anyone's guess. The boy might have been just guessing on the matter and it was just the final culmination of years of work to get over the hump, as it were. Either way, the sensei had approved it.