The New Winds

Bayushi Jiro waited in the chamber he and Nobuko to which he and Nobuko had grown accustomed. His hands were folded primly in his lap.

Nobuko arrived shortly after and brought with her a small origami box. The box she set to one side after sitting and bowing.
'
"Kohai-san," she greeted him, "It is good to see you again. You continue to do well. It has been pleasing to see."

Jiro frowned after his own greeting. "Not as well as I might have hoped today, but well enough that I do not yet feel ashamed. I hear your education also continues to prosper under Agasha-sama's tutelage."

"Do not think poorly of yourself," she replied, supportive. "One low day does not negate the highs."

She paused, then moved the origami box in front of her and pushed it towards Jiro, "My education has been expanded further than I had imagined possible such a short time. I am surprised at myself. But that can wait, yes? Here. For you."

"What is this?" Jiro asked in surprise. "A gift? You know that I cannot except such a kindness. It should be saved for someone more worthy of the symbolic nature of a gift."

'It is not a gift," she replied, "because that would require far more politeness than something so small deserves. It is... a favor returned. For spending time helping me with practicing the tea ceremony when your time could have been spent with others."

"Your friendship was recompense enough, kohai-san, I assure you, and your company made it no hardship." Jiro smiled encouragingly. "When both parties benefited so manifestly, how could one expect repayment?"

"Ah, but Kohai-san, you allowed me to sit with you before we knew each other," she tapped the sides of the box, "Which is the favor I am returning. not our mutually agreed on practice time. Surely there was more gained by myself in being granted your company that first time than equally by both of us. I insist you accept."

"In that case, I accept with gratitude." He smiled. "It is really very considerate, kohai-san." He extended his hand to receive the box...and open it.

Inside the box was a kasumochi - one of the last two Yasuki Ginkarasu still had on the second day of their stay.

"Yasuki-san only had a very limited supply of these," she explained, "With the meals being very inconsistent day to day, I thought it a nice treat."

"Such kindness deserves a fair return. I have something delicious for you as well...metaphorically delicious, of course. I hadn't the forethought to get close to Yasuki-san's supply of delights." His smile had turned sly.

'Oh? And what treat do you bring to the table to share in the savoring?"

She was clearly excited, though still able to command her on so she didn't look too delighted at the thought of more gossip. Gossip being beneath them and all.

Fortunately, this consideration rose above mere gossip, not that Bayushi JIro did not enjoy gossip for gossip's sake.

"When last we met I mentioned that I was going to seek Agasha-sama's position on the spiritual oddities that have been occurring here at the dojo. I had the meeting, and she was rather forthcoming. Apparently, a significant number of our fellow students are afflicted by spiritual curses...and some few are blessed by the spirit realms as well. This seems to have built up a concentration of spiritual energy that Agasha-sama claims she and Asakos-sensei are keeping an eye on." Not that I have seen any evidence of that.

Her brows rose at that.

"How..."

Ominous?

"...auspicious... of our fellow kohai," she said, her words coming out slowly as she thought that over. "Did she make any mention of what..."

Dangers?

"...that might mean for those of us not so touched? Other than their watchful eyes being upon things?"

"She expressed no concern about us at all. Her focus was on how marvelous it was that our kohai were embracing their fates so...enthusiastically."

"For those blessed by the realms, that is of course, to be expected," she said. But those cursed by them? Shouldn't they be seeking to correct whatever tarnished their souls to be targeted in such a way?

"no concern at all for the well-being of those caught up in this knot of spiritual energy such a confluence has caused? We are considered to be safe from these strange happenings, I suppose?"

Or they just didn't matter.

"I am not sure our safety has occurred to her. We will perform well, or we will not." He smiled. "Agasha-sama's attitude is all the more courageous, I think, given how this experiment in education has already tried the patience of several clans."

"Obviously," she agree. "Seeing as how those clans have willfully sent many who are clearly skilled, but spiritually..."

Nobuko cut off before finishing that sentence, letting it linger, then continued with, "They of course knew that someone of the Champion's skill and power would be able to handle any issues that might arise from the presence of one who was so closely tied to the whims of fate. It is only a surprise that so many clans chose to take the same route."

Another pause, her head tilted in contemplation, "Then again, perhaps this was fate's design all along. To gather us, even those not so directly touched, here. Together."

"Fate? It is curious how some choose to ascribe an intelligence to the sum of the choices of many actors. The Fortunes may have a stake in this, of course, but many humans have created the situation we are in. And it is these humans who will benefit, or not, from the choices we make now."

Jiro inclined his head. "I, for one, am somewhat curious which students have these...imbalances. I have no means of sussing it out with the aid of the kami, of course, but it would be interesting to learn."

"Fate may not have a mind, but it can still conspire to ensure certain things happen as they are meant to," she replied, still in that idle, thoughtful tone, before launching into speculation.

"Our favorite Asako is often heard to be speaking ill of his own imbalances," She started ticking off her fingers, "Yasuki-san is marked. Yogo-san is a Yogo and that family is well known for ill-fate of their founder, so that could possibly have found it's way to your clansman. There was someone at the center of the strange happening during our first night here that drew a few others to patch holes in the screens dividing our sleeping space. Perhaps that was centered on someone with such an imbalance..."

That four possible people... Though with the number of occurrences there were likely more.