The New Winds

Ensconced in a corner of the teahouse, Jiro, armed with a piece of charcoal and some paper, was busy sketching the interior space. His hand and eye moved slowly over the work at hand--no furious shading here. Instead, a simple sketch was beginning to take shape. Something to work from later, perhaps.

Yotsuo entered the teahouse and approached a server to requested something simple and warm. Something that would help him sleep, as he intended to go to bed soon after his visit here. Noticing a familiar face from the training provided by the Ruby Champion he approached and offered a bow. "Bayushi-san, it's been some time since Hirosaka. I hope the year since then has been kind to you."

Jiro looked up from his work, warm eyes and smile plainly visible through the negative space in his golden mask. He set the work down on the table and rose to bow to the Kuni.

"Kuni Yotsuo-san, it has indeed been a long time, and a frightfully busy one. Have you some time to share a cup of tea with me? I should love to discuss the year with you in detail, if you have the time."

"I just ordered something that will help me sleep. I'm going to get an early night, because if I don't I'll likely be to anxious to fall asleep later," he says with a nod. "And I'd be delighted to hear about and share experiences of this past year."

He moves to sit at the same table.

"Whatever is there to be anxious about?" Jiro asked with a smirk that belied his affectedly innocent voice. "But like I said before, the year has been long and busy. Father intensified my training in order to take advantage of my abilities, and Bayushi-ue has begun to take a personal interest in me and my future, so I have spent the last few months preparing for a role he has created for me. And then of course the nakodo. It was such a tempest! But I imagine you have had a similarly curious time of it, no?"

"It sounds like you will be moving up in your clan, and gaining much more responsibility after the tournament here," Yotsuo replies with a smile. "An exciting prospect for you I imagine."

"My time was spent furthering my training in how to identify and combat evil, how to acquit myself more properly in social situations, and practicing with my ability to travel the spirit realms. I was also granted a specific role for the clan as a diplomat to spiritual beings that are more agreeable in nature. I've been given a good deal of autonomy for my own activities, and authority to act as an ambassador of the Crab to any such spiritual entities. As well as the right to offer my expertise and capabilities to other clans based on my own judgement."

It had been a most unsettling day for Kai.

She remembered that tea helped with settling. That's what she had been told. She went to the tea house.

A curious looking about. Table. Cushion. Tea set. Server. Speak necessary words. Tea for one? Wait. Those were familiar faces, were they?

A bow in greeting to the two familiar looking proto-samurai. It bought time to recognize and to, perhaps, be recognized.

Despite rapidly changing appearances of people in their age group, the three gathered here had much the same facial features as they did a year ago. Particularly the Kuni who had painted his in the same way. He returned the bow of the Phoenix and greeted her. "Kaito-san, please join us. We were just catching up on the past year."

He returned to his seat. And shortly after, a servant brought the tea he had ordered. A gentle green tea with lemon balm for flavor and to help restfulness.

Kenji went back into the teahouse, walking quickly, without letting his nervousness show. He must have left his book here this afternoon If he didn't find it again, he would only get into unnecessary trouble, and he didn't want to be considered thoughtless before his time as a Gokenin. He looked in the corner where he was this afternoon ,to his surprise he saw some of his old classmates there.

"Greetings, Minna-san," he said and bowed, "ano,...I hate to bother you, but did you happen to find any books in here?"

"Catching up to something that has already passed." Kai mused to herself as she joined her peers for some hot leaf juice.

She looked at her tea cup, watching the leaf fragments and stems float and bob, twirl and swirl. Was there meaning there? It smelled like the shrine floors did sometimes.

Citrus peel was a good wood preservative and brought the natural luster out of the grain.

"How have your years gone?" Kai politely inquired of Yotsuro and Jiro. She opened her mouth to continue, but then...talk of books.

Jiro rose to bow and greet both Kai and now Kenji. He turned his head to look both left and right at Kenji's question. "Ah, no, Kakita-san, I cannot say that I have..."

"I also have not seen any books lying unattended," the Kuni replied.

"And my year has been further training and education. Combat and court training mostly."

"Training for me as well, and a visit from the Imperial Nakodo, so rather a time of transitions."

"Hmm, I could ask one of the servants if they cleaned it up," Kenji said and started to leave when he overheard the conversation.

"Would you mind if I joined you? I just had tea earlier, but it would be nice to talk to the old classmates, after all we are all in the championship now, aren't we?

"Be my guest, Kakita-san. There is plenty of room at the table." Jiro gestured toward one of the seats.

'We are all competing, once again. As it was before." Kai mused to no one in particular.

"Only this time, Kaito-san, there are many ways to win." Jiro smiled warmly.

He sat down with them and ordered one of the servants at him, again, to bring a tea. When the servant saw Kenji again, she brought him a book.

"Excuse me, Crane-Sama, you left this here" she said and handed Kenji a book.

"Oh thank you very much" he answered and put it in front of him.

It was a book about taxes, more precisely a journal of a Gokenin.

"We may compete with each other for the title, but the most important thing is to pass the Gempukku," Kenji remarked and waited for his tea.

"What were you talking about before I interrupted you, if I may ask?"

"Merely our escapades over the past year apart, Kakita-san. I imagine that you have had a few scrapes yourself?"

"Competing with each other is likely meant to instill a higher ambition in those that take part hear, as much as it is to judge which is the most fit according to the rules of the tournament. Even the many that are not the winner will likely gain a greater appreciation for personal growth and excellence beyond what we already possess. At least I imagine that is why most clans choose to accept invitations for their youths."