Sapphire Ambassadors

(Open to Doji Yoshino and Asahina Asano)

"We're going on a field trip, a field tripi a field trip, we're going on a field trip, yes we are...." Yojiro sang to himself heedless of the wishes of the inn's patrons. he was carrying all the supplies he needed for the ritual. Now he just needed to collected cursed-chan and his lovely assistant.

He did a little dancestep as he arrived at Yoshino's door.


He then commenced to bang on said door, in beat to his little song.

"We're going on a field trip, a field trip, a field trip. We're going on a field trip, yes we are."

Yoshino got the door. She was a little tired, as this was past when she usually stayed up to, but strong tea had helped with that.

"Isawa-sama, good evening." She says, moving to join him. She kept her voice down as she paused at the door for Asano. "The other guests are resting quietly, ne?" A polite hint that hopefully he'd understand.

Doji Yoshino wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 22, 2022 8:02 pm

Yoshino got the door. She was a little tired, as this was past when she usually stayed up to, but strong tea had helped with that.

"Isawa-sama, good evening." She says, moving to join him. She kept her voice down as she paused at the door for Asano. "The other guests are resting quietly, ne?" A polite hint that hopefully he'd understand.

"And after tonight they'll be able to sleep without fear of being devoured by a hungry ghost, eh curse-chan?" he said just sailing right past the hint. Didn't even come close to penetrating his world.

He hefted the supplies.

"I should have all the supplies that we'll need gathered. But we should do some preparations before we head out. You should wash off any and all makeup, leave behind your jewelry and other non-essential items. Do you have any tattoos? We'll need to wrap those up tightly in gauze if you do. I brought it along if you don't have any." he rattled right though.

"I, no, it's actually..." She squeezed her hands together into fists that trembled at her sides. He was so rude! It was good she didn't know any jiujitsu or perhaps she'd have tried to hit him.

Yoshino slumped her shoulders in defeat. This was something she had to endure.

"No tattoos. I have a little makeup on so I'll go wash that off now. No jewelry."

She waited a moment to see if there were any further instructions.

"Oh, you'll be changing clothes too!" he called out as she washed her face. "Up to you if you want to change here in your room and wear the clothes out there and back or change in an open field. Totally your call."

"... What shall I change into...?" She asks, breath hitching as some dread crept in.

Doji Yoshino wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 22, 2022 8:36 pm

"... What shall I change into...?" She asks, breath hitching as some dread crept in.

Kojiro provided the outfit.

And it was dreadful!

Though definitely a very different sort of dread than she had come to expect from the man in the short time she knew him.

It was a solid white kimono. The kind one normally put on for seppuku or to be cremated in.

"Should be a little loose fitting, it'll need some room to breathe." he explained.

If 'horrified' or 'aghast' could be captured as an image of an expression then surely that moment would have been the perfect moment. Yoshino's expression was the epitome of them.

Not only was she not dead, but it was to be loose fitting? It was breezy out. Her cheeks suddenly burned.

She stood up straighter as she accepted this was all to help her. There were good intentions. It was a spiritual thing she hadn't learned about. "Thank you Isawa-sama. I shall change into this now and ensure it is... loose fitting." She accepts it with jerky motions. "Please wait outside."

Doji Yoshino wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 22, 2022 8:50 pm

If 'horrified' or 'aghast' could be captured as an image of an expression then surely that moment would have been the perfect moment. Yoshino's expression was the epitome of them.

Not only was she not dead, but it was to be loose fitting? It was breezy out. Her cheeks suddenly burned.

She stood up straighter as she accepted this was all to help her. There were good intentions. It was a spiritual thing she hadn't learned about. "Thank you Isawa-sama. I shall change into this now and ensure it is... loose fitting." She accepts it with jerky motions. "Please wait outside."

Yojiro sighed.

"Fine fine. It's a good thing I've been provided a lovely assistant for the evening. You'd probably ask me to close my eyes while I used the brush on you." he said, explaining nothing but waiting outside.....practicing his dance moves.

"The brush?"

She didn't understand, but she would change.

Her clothes were removed and folded up. The new fresh white kimono was put on instead. "Sorry about this Asano-san..." She whispered as she tied it loosely, as instructed.

The door was opened again. Yoshino had her lantern, a washed face, sandals on her feet and her wakizashi. That was it. It was hard not to be self conscious.

Asano wore no makeup or jewelry herself yet looked as impeccable as was typical for her as she met the two of them, "It's no trouble, Yoshino..." she said quietly before they left the room with Yoshino, looking over at the Isawa man... meeting face to face for the first time.

"Good evening to you as well, Isawa-sama. I am at your service."

A low bow.

Asahina Asano wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 22, 2022 10:32 pm

Asano wore no makeup or jewelry herself yet looked as impeccable as was typical for her as she met the two of them, "It's no trouble, Yoshino..." she said quietly before they left the room with Yoshino, looking over at the Isawa man... meeting face to face for the first time.

"Good evening to you as well, Isawa-sama. I am at your service."

A low bow.

Kojiro grinned and offered a bow to the Asahina.

"Excellent. The Crane always make for the best allies. So graceful, so helpful. Can you imagine what it must've been like at the Dawn of the Empire to work alongside Lady Doji? Working alongside Isawa would have been amazing too." he muses.

"Well then if we're all prepared...I suppose we'll have to start walking. Not unless Asahina-san knows a way to entice the air kami to carry us there?Seems unlikely though. And perhaps not entirely safe. They might think it somewhat amusing to drop you a few hundred feet just as a joke." he offered, unethused about the prospect of walking somewhere.

'We can go over the details in full when we get to the site of course. but may as well talk about something as we walk. Hmmmmm....you're not married yet are you curse-chan?" " he asked, as normal, out of nowhere.

Asano kept her voice quiet while in the hallways; Perhaps it was not her place to reprimand the senior priest, but she would be polite herself.

"Actually, Isawa-sama, I've found the air kami more than willing to buoy someone to the ground, even should their favor run out. I'm not sure why, but I think it's because they empathize with people more than, say, the earth or fire kami. In their own unique way. I cannot say it would be quicker than walking, being lifted along. ...unless that is really what you wish to do, Isawa-sama."

She didn't bring up the marriage thing. Probably best to talk around that, for Yoshino's sake. Her cousin could bring it up herself if she didn't feel like using the talk about the kami as a distraction or tangent.

"I'm sure it must have been magnificent." Yoshino observes regarding the two Kami. What more could be said?

"Yes, I've brought a lantern." She held it up. It would need to be lit.

The marriage question is unexpected. She glanced to Asano and back to the energetic Phoenix. It was also not nice to be called curse-chan. "It's Yoshino, and no, I am not." She says flatly, gaze downcast. Was he going to mock her about that next? "Perhaps let's talk more outside where we won't disturb anyone, ne?" She did her best to steer the man toward some sensible behaviour.

Doji Yoshino wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 23, 2022 9:46 pm

"I'm sure it must have been magnificent." Yoshino observes regarding the two Kami. What more could be said?

"Yes, I've brought a lantern." She held it up. It would need to be lit.

The marriage question is unexpected. She glanced to Asano and back to the energetic Phoenix. It was also not nice to be called curse-chan. "It's Yoshino, and no, I am not." She says flatly, gaze downcast. Was he going to mock her about that next? "Perhaps let's talk more outside where we won't disturb anyone, ne?" She did her best to steer the man toward some sensible behaviour.

Clearly the Isawa didn't care about disturb people whether through late night singing or name calling, but fortunately for the trio, it wasn't that far to walk outside.

"Ah, I see I seeeeeee, interesting. I wonder what would happen if you were wed to a Yogo? Would the Yogo curse be dominant, or would it perhaps blend with you're current lineages curse and adapt? An interesting proposition, definitely worth studying....though significant precautions would need to be taken." he said more to himself than anyone else.

This line of thinking thrilled her not one iota. "Maybe multiple curses are possible? Perhaps they wouldn't interact at all and the poor children would simply be doubly cursed?" Yoshino offers, giving Kojiro an expressionless stare. "It would be horrible if they combined." Which would be exactly what she'd say if anyone suggested she try it. This would not be an area worth studying. Not with any possible children from her.

Yoshino stopped to open her lantern. "Could you light it please Asahina-san?"

Asano nodded with a smile and called on the fire kami to do so, which they gladly did. Perhaps such a thing was more Kojiro's specialty, but she could spare the energy and such, she imagined. She had no idea for him.

It was probably best that Asano lit the lantern. It provided a gentle, quiet glow, rather than Kojiro writing his name in the sky with fire kami.

"True. Still it's a VERY interesting field of study. Cursed bloodlines that is. Yogo's case is unique, of course. An unjust punishment inflicted upon an oft forgotten hero of the Empire passed down for centuries. Though I'm sure those born under the Yogo name were horrible people in a previous life. Gotta work off that kharmic debt, ya know?" he rambled.

He looked over at the Doji.

"What about you, curse-chan? Do you think you were a horrible person in a previous life?"

She frowned at the question. It was quite rude. "I do not know, but I hope not. Are you married Isawa-sama?" She sought to change topic. Would it work?

Doji Yoshino wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 24, 2022 6:22 pm

She frowned at the question. It was quite rude. "I do not know, but I hope not. Are you married Isawa-sama?" She sought to change topic. Would it work?

Kojiro laughed at the question, startingly a nearby peasant off on some peansantry.

"Ah, not yet, curse-chan, not yet. I told the matchmaker, I said, 'Hey, look old gal, my children HAVE to be capable of feats of magic so potent they'll be called the true heirs to the Kojiro dynasty. So obviously I need a woman whose talent at least comes close to mine.' Strong parents make strong children, ya know? I can't settle for someone just because they're 'politically expedient.' Oh, also I want someone REALLY good looking. We're gonna be memorialized in painting yeah, and how wants to be drawn with a bunch of ugly kids?" he rambled.

He laughed again.

"Quite the task I set her huh?"