The New Winds

The Subtlety of the Court was laid out in front of Saburo while he seated himself in one of the communal study areas, his fingers running over the document and eyes glowing like golden embers with intensity. He had the look of someone who was going over the chapter with just a little bit too much seriousness, but then again the old Otomo's treatise had always been a dry document. Dry was good, though. It didn't waste its time with needless fluff.

A grunt came from his throat and he seemed pretty deeply consumed in thought, though he was not unaware of his surroundings. After a moment or two, he coughed, and one eye caught sight of the person who had drawn nearer. A quick bow fitting status, and his voice rumbled out. "Yes?" You know, for someone studying courtly art's equivalent of 'ways to impress people and make friends' he sure wasn't the most conversational, was he?

At the interruption of the silence that had been their companion, the room's other occupant looked up from his Compendium of Imperial History, 21st Edition to raise an eyebrow and perch his chin on the back of his left wrist, the picture of princely disapproval.

Saburo caught sight of the Bayushi and for a moment, his eyes canted around the room of study, trying to pick out if it had been anyone else who might have caught his attention. Seeing none, he grunted once in acknowledgment that he was interrupting perfectly good study time with his fickle and needlessly wordy outburst. It had been positively verbose, and a waste of perfectly good air kami under the circumstances. Grunting a second time, he bobbed his head. "Gomen." Like two rocks grinding together, that, and he was back, reading the document in front of him with the relish of someone who had never heard the words 'free time' in his entire life.

Nice to see at least the Scorpion in this disease infested rat's nest are well behaved.

Jiro's eyebrow slid back into its customary position, and the corner of his mouth quirked slightly as he turned back to his own book. The development of the imperial bureaucracy would not study itself, after all.

Sakura, who was sat outside in the cool breeze relaxing, didn't really want to go in and study. Her mind was daydreaming about the jade project. Eventually, she started to do what she often did at home at this time of the evening; she started to sing.

Her voice was melodic, and it carried well in the breeze. To her, it was quite lovely. To those studying? Who knows...

D1 Dog timeslot singing!: 4d10o10k2 17

Is someone strangling a cat outside?!?

That was not even remotely fair. The girl had a lovely voice and she was performing competently. Saburo was well aware that it was a pretty enough song and all he had to do was focus his attentions, to maintain his attention on his studies. He was doing better than he had this morning, but it was just a painful reminder of his insufficient performance. He cleared his throat once, grunting it out just loud enough that he hoped the warbling bird just outside would hear. Either way, he wasn't about to make more attempts than one clearing of the throat... yet.

Kenji wandered around the dojo until he heard someone singing. In a reflex he agreed to the song, but couldn't hit every note exactly, but didn't let that stop him, after all it was one of his ways to release stress.

He eventually located the singer and saw that is was Doji Sakura. "May i sit next to you, Doji-san?" Kenji asked

----
D1 Dog Free Time is Study time Perfrom: Singing/Awareness + VP: 3d10o10k2 8
oroks hates me T.T

Saburo's eye shot up. The strangled cat is murdering a bullfrog now! This time his ear was legitimately offended. He fidgeted and his hand rested on the counter of the table while he looked like he was trying desperately to decide if he needed to get up and start snarling at someone. His eyes flashed and turned towards the Bayushi and the corner of his lip twitched visibly, right on the edge of saying something. If Jiro looked up, he jerked his head in the direction of the horrendous sound he'd just heard with an affronted look and a 'do we do something?'

Jiro laid his book on the floor to his left and rose, carefully smoothing his clothing. With a nod and smile of commiseration to Saburo, he moved to the window. He poked his head out, smiled and nodded to each of the Crane. Then he opened his mouth and sang in his rich baritone:

"Two little birds
Warbling by our window
Lovely their song.

Everyone is happy
When the song is over.
Because then we can enjoy
it in our memories
While we read in peace."

Unskilled Perform: Song: 21.

Sakura jumped a little when someone else started singing, peering up at Kenji with a bag of sweets on her lap. She smiled brightly and bowed.

"Hi Kakita-san! Sure, I'm just relaxing. Want some mochi?"

Then someone else started singing, and she peered up at the other person.

"You have a lovely voice. Makes me want to sing more."

...Clearly she missed the entire point of the song.

"Hi, Doji-san! You have a nice voice. Sorry if I startled you.

Mochi? Could it be that you bought some from Yasuki-san? Sure, I'd love some.
I could even exchange one with you, if you wish.
(Are we doing the 3 deny things with food tho?)

Kenji was surprised by the barriton of a beautiful song. "Good evening, Bayushi-san, have we met? My name is Kakita Kenji, it's an honor to meet you, have we interrupted anything?"

Jiro acknowledged the Doji's compliment with a smile and nod, but addressed himself to the Kakita.

"Bayushi Jiro, Kakita-san, the son of Bayushi Mitsuo, Karo of Kyuden Bayushi. As it happens, Asako-san and I were studying within. While your impromptu concert was lovely, I think you will perhaps find more appreciative audiences elsewhere."

"Who's Yasuki-san? These are from the capital! It was a lovely visit" Sakura said with a smile, offering "don't need to exchange, we're clanmates!"

She blinked at the Scorpions comment, offering a "I'm Doji Sakura! Ano...I was singing to practice as well though. I don't think we're supposed to go anywhere else at this time?"

"The dojo is a big place, Doji-san. I would be rather surprised if there were no rooms set aside for the practice of music. But I suppose if you wished to make a point about discourtesy, you could continue with your present line of argument."

He tilted his head. "It is a sincere pleasure to meet you, by the way."

Fidget. Fidget. Shift. Jostle. Attempt to read. Focus on the paper.

The kanji are dancing.

She breathed in and out slowly and began to furl the scroll up for a moment, setting it on the desk before rising and stepping out to the spot where Jiro had valiantly attempted to quell the death of a thousand frogs. Bowing to the three of them formally, he settled into a eat and grunted. "A moment's reprieve will not change the kanji on the scroll." He said it with the woodenness of a creaking oak in the wind. "Asako Saburo. It is an honor to make your acquaintance. I believe our sensei expect us to interact, to improve relations among the clans as well as study, yes?"

yes. Because being social was apparently a duty. And duties were to be taken SERIOUSLY. So, now mister intensity was staring at the three of them with a smoldering gaze and thin lips, but he was at least sort of polite in bearing?

"I'm not being..." she started, then was cut off by an angry Phoenix. She shrunk back a little at the staring.

"A-ano...hello...I'm Doji Sakura" she at least managed a bow.

"Greetings, Asako-san, my name is Kakita Kenji, it's an honor to meet you," Kenji said politely with a bow from his seat. "You seem to be a little tense, Asako-san, why don't you just join us? There's no need to be so serious at this hour.

Kenji then turned to Jiro, "Looks like the scroll time is over, Bayushi-san, what did you study? Maybe we can share our experiences with the subject," Kenji suggested.

"I was reading a rather dry account on the development of the Imperial Bureaucracy." Jiro's head tilted. "Have you some experience with the central government, Kakita-san?"

"To be honest, Bayushi-san, i don't know much about that that topic" Kenji admits, "But you could share the scrolls wisdom with us, so we all might learn something from it"

---

D1 Dog Free Time is Study time Knowing things about Bureaucrazy: 2d10o10k1 4

Saburo blinked, looking at Kenji. The intensity of his gaze flickered fractionally as he seemed almost confused for a moment before shaking his head. "I am no more tense than usual, Kakita-san. Why do you say that?" Almost as soon as he as done, he seemed to go back to that smoldering... did he not understand how to look at people?

...there was a distinct possibility he did not.