The New Winds

Seppun Suzuran sat on the edge of the bridge, looking down at the river below. As usual, small boats passed under the bridge, between the tall stone walls that lined the river. On some occasions, people might be concerned for someone sitting on the edge of the Bridge of the Third Cut, such was its reputation. But no one would dare question an Imperial sitting there. Especially one most of the locals, who were the ones who knew about the bridge's reputation, would recognize anyways. Suzuran often sat here and watched the water when she wasn't busy, half meditating on the flow of water and people, even if she wasn't really following any proper technique.

Today was a bit different, however, since this was the last time she'd see the River of the Sun for a bit. At least from her usual spot here. It made her even more quiet and contemplative than usual.

A shadow darkened the water is a boy in a well-appointed version of formal student clothing and sporting a silk scarf drawn high on his neck. His expression as he looked over the water was contemplative, but his eyes were actively scanning up and down the banks. When they lighted upon the Sepuun girl, they narrowed slightly. Then, after a moment to calculate, he approached and flounced down into a seiza position a few feet downstream from her with an audible sigh.

Huh. Cute boy. Interesting. In Scorpion colors.

Suzu looked over from where she was sitting on the tall river bank, noting the sigh, "Is there something I can help you with, Scorpion-san? That was very dramatic for sitting down if not."

The corner of Jiro's mouth twitched in a minimized smirk. Too dramatic? Me?? The rest of his face remained impassive.

"I simply thought that you looked despondent. And if I were despondent, then surely I would want someone to share that feeling with me. Jiro is the name. Bayushi Jiro, son of Bayushi Tamotsu, karo to Bayushi Shoju." He executed a formal bow with precision.

Mina was bored and eager to be gone from this place. So many people in such a small place made him uncomfortable. Especially seeing so many living with so little and others with so much. He understand that this was the way of things, but it didn't mean he liked it. And this place was so, flat. He had never imagined a place that was so flat as the lands since he left the foot hills. At least the boat he had been on had allowed him to pretend that he was moving up and down the tails of his home. Alas, since they had left the boat he could no longer pretend and now all he could think of was his home. It didn't help that this was the first time he had left those mountains. The sooner they reached the dojo and completed this gempuku, the better. Until then he had time to kill, another thing he was unused to. So he had taken to trying to find places that reminded him of home. Bridges mostly, and the rivers. They were the closest to some of the peaceful places he had trained in his youth.

He now found himself stumbling upon others for the first time, maybe even some of those that he would be training with and competing against. He stopped, Suzaran between himself and Jiro, and waited to see if they were together, not wanting to interrupt their conversation if they were. He had been warned to be very careful, as many here would not be so free with their words as the monks and swords masters who had trained him were.

Rin gave a curt little bow herself, very crisp and bushi-like, ""I am Seppun Suzuran, daughter of Seppun Hanarako, Miharu of the Imperial Palace. And I am not despondent; Just contemplative."

She turned from the Bayushi back to the water briefly, "I wil admit, I've not taken a trip on my own before, without family or classmates that is. It makes me realize how fast time is passing, how soon things are coming up, changes and duties."

As she was facing Jiro she did not see the Togashi behind her.

Jiro opened his mouth to respond, but spotted the Togashi on the inhale.

"Togashi-san!!" His face lit up. "You have arrived just in time to offer a little wisdom. You see, Seppun-sama, here, has never traveled by herself before. Is it true that all Togashi must journey on their own to find their temple? I have heard that it is so. Perhaps you might share the wealth of your experience with her?"

Minashngo was, surprised, to say the least at such a direct question. Not that he was thinking about hiding anything, simply wasn't ready so something like this. With a smile, Mina moved closer, and spoke. "That is true Bayushi-san, though some journeys are much shorter than others. I don't remember how i arrived, initially, i was very young. But when i traveled from the temple i was raised in to the temple that i was trained in, it was, it was an amazing experience. So many new things to see and do and explore, and nothing the same from day to day. I fact, i miss very much. My travel here was much less, interesting. At least once we left the mountains. Everything here is so, flat? And there are so many people in such a small area. But I assume that is more comfortable for you? And for your as well Seppun-sama? I imagine you both grew up in cites like this"

Jiro's eyes slide to the Seppun to answer before he did. Protocol, and so on. Yeah, that's it.

"I alternated between spending time here and Kyuden Seppun. Though I made a trip to Shiro Akodo once with a group and my parents."

She'd started off like that after Mina had finished, though she bowed a little afterwards, "And yes, it is relatively flat here. Though there are hills around here as well, some rather tall. Especially to the north of the city. Have you had the chance to visit Seppun Hill since you came to the city, Togashi-san? It is not so tall, but it does have quite the view of the city, still. Amongst other things."

"I must admit that I have not. This place has me, out of sorts. So many people, and such a difference in life styles. My home is much, simpler. But this Seppun Hill does sound very interesting Seppun-sama, it would be nice to have the opportunity to see the beautiful parts of this place, I feel that I chosen poorly in my brief wanderings and have sought out places that may have cast it in a less than pleasant light. As for your statement about my wealth of traveling knowledge Bayushi-san, I have traveled more on my way here than in the entirety of my existence before. And it has been a learning experience. I suspect that I have much much more to learn before i return home."

Jiro smiled. "Oh, I am sure that it is much the same with me. Much to learn and so on. It is to my fortune that I am to attend the Ruby Champion's test dojo, I suppose. It will see to that detail, of this I am sure."

Suzu gave a sharp nod, "Every day can be a learning experience of course. But I am sure this trip will be an opportunity like no other, if you are going the same place as I. After all, learning is the entire point of going. Still..."

She looked back and forth between the Scorpion and Dragon, "Odd meeting two others who are going to the special classes as well. Though I suppose the Fortunes have played bigger games than something so trivial."

"I would have assumed that, with so many students coming for this training, that you would run into them fairly often Seppun-sama. Visitors always stood out in my temple, though that is likley because so few came. Are strangers so common here that you don't notice them?" Mina's interest was genuine, it was rather obvious that he was unused to so many people he didn't know in a single place.

A shrug, "Here in the inner city, we see samurai coming and going all the time. I barely even think about it at this point, beyond trying to gauge people sometimes. I've certainly seen plenty of Bayushi... and you're not the first Togashi I've seen around here either. Though that is much more rare, I will admit."

Jiro smiles. "Kyuden Bayushi is not so large as this, but you do often encounter people you have never met before there as well. But visitors, mostly And Ryoko Owari? Well, forget about it. Most likely never even meet all of the residents, despite living there their whole lives."

"So strange indeed. But every place is different. I shall have to endeavor to make sure that I do not judge a place based on where I have been and rather based on what I can learn from experiencing it. Perception is important I think. Just because something is, flat" Mina pauses briefly to chuckle, "doesn't mean it doesn't have it's own beauty." Mina just stops there, taking a moment to look out over everything from the bridge, seemingly lost in thought for the moment.

Suzu frowns a little, "...I should hope so. Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes and terrains, no? I hear there is even beauty in the wide open planes and deserts that the Unicorn ride across. All is perception, all is within the eyes of the beholder. Even the little dingy boats plying their trade on the river here..."

She looked down at the River of the sun and the small craft making their ways along it, "...they may be rough and simple, but I find something in that fact. A kind of aesthetics that is th o my taste."

Bayushi Jiro peered down at the boats. "Yes, we agree that there is no shared standard of beauty. So even something that may seem superficially to be...flawed, or substandard is simply not being observed in the proper spirit. That rather invalidates the need to practice one's skill in the arts, does it not? If one has produced something that a critic...let us say Lord Seppun...does not enjoy, it is simply that the critic is the wrong audience for the work, not that it is substandard. I wonder how many Kakita would have spent their lives in more fruitful pursuits if they had only known?"

Suzu looked curiously at the Bayushi boy, listening before shaking her head, "I am not saying there are not objective standards of beauty, Bayushi-san; That is why I said that there might be beauty to be found even a desert or the wide open plains. Because you would have to go out of your way to find it. Similarly, a master artist or smith has training that allows them to draw out the beauty in otherwise unremarkable objects. I guess a better way to put it for myself, however, would be that my own tastes in those matters run towards the simple, as opposed to the extravagant. That is where perception can come in, and why there is not one unified school of aesthetics."