Sapphire Ambassadors

She was starting to be a regular like Tomodachi. The Kitsune walked into the bar with Raakun behind her. She waved a friendly hello to to Akatupo and asked for her poison of the day shoochuu. So she took a seat.

Akodo Yakuwari, looking haggard, enters.

He moves to the bar and places an order.

Seeing as one of the few open seats is next to Shizenko--it's a busy night--he approaches her and bows.

"May I join you, Kitsune-san?"

She offered the seat. "I would be honored Akodo sama. How is the logging of the event?" She wondered. "I have seen you take notes."

"A momentous event deserves attestation," Yakuwari says, seating himself. "I can only hope to prove adequate to the task."

"A samurai like yourself is better than adequate. You will perform your duty as your Lord commanded and excel in that." She nodded. The woman offered the Akodo a drink.

"Thank you," Yakuwari says. "And not just for the drink."

He accepts the pour, looks at it, shakes his head.

"It is unfortunate, though, that the clearly deserving winner has...left us."

"People come and go, but the ground is constant." She mused. "When a Lord calls for duty, one must be swift to answer set call." Shizenko looked at the Akodo. "Who did you expect to win?"

"Before? Otomo Yua," Yakuwari replies.

"Now?" He shakes his head. "I am uncertain."

He pulls from his drink, coughs.

Akutapo was quiet and attentive as the two talked. The Kitsune was an interesting one. Beautiful and charming, and yet there was a lonliness that drew her to the bar. The Lion wasn't a mystery at all. Many sought to drink away troubles of the heart, few succeeded.

But perhaps the two could be very good for each other.

Akodo Yaukwari wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 25, 2022 2:07 am

"Before? Otomo Yua," Yakuwari replies.

"Now?" He shakes his head. "I am uncertain."

He pulls from his drink, coughs.

"There is something certain, the winner will not be I." The Kitsune chuckled. "Probably the winner will be Doji Nadeshiko sama. She has two best in show already." She shrugged. "You shouldn't fret Akodo sama. Sometimes the fortunes smiles on different ways."

Yakuwari regains his composure.

At length, because it takes him a bit, he says "I will trust a shugenja about the spirits."

He sets down his cup and looks at Shizenko.

"Why origami, as opposed to another art?"

"Ah origami instead of anything else...The short answer is that paper is light." The woman patted the tanuki. "The long answer is that I travel a lot and to carry other things would be bothersome. If I was to perform any art, my audience would be trees and many creatures that don't know what art is. They may enjoy a song or an instrumental sound but nothing compares to the music nature makes. So I can give as tribute to the fortunes and the kami a little piece of paper in a shape they enjoy."

Yakuwari nods, and his attention is such as makes clear he is working things into his memory for later use.

"I'd imagine that woodcarving would be attractive, though," he says, following up on the idea. "Nature provides the material, easing what you'd carry."

"Ah, yes, carving... The alternative... it takes a bit of more time. It doesn't speak to me as well as the paper does. Also versatility about carrying paper around. I can use it to practice my calligraphy or write a letter to my family." She explained. Shizenko took her drink and smiled taking it in. "Also wanted to not be part of the norm."

Yakuwari nods.

"One cannot excel and be among it," he agrees.

"And how did you find your...companion?" he asks.

Shizenko sighed and Akatupo topped her glass. "It was a spring day a few years back, I was looking for herbs to complete my medicine kit when suddenly I heard a scream. I quickly followed the sound."

That thing hurt worse than a bee sting. Raakun started licking his leg.

"To my surprise this guy was caught in a trap and his leg was broken."

My ego as well was broken. I enjoyed the attention back then. Now, I have to beg for food.

"You are always hungry." She said to the chittering tanuki. Turned back to the Akodo. "I gently took him out of the trap and asked the kami to aid him. I took him home and started to watch his behaviour and keep him calm. Since then we are good friends."

Yakuwari nods, again giving the sense that he is collecting information for his chronicle.

And to support that sense, he asks "I have the idea that compiling accounts of selected competitors will enrich the historical record. Would you be willing to have your tale included among such accounts?"

She looked at Raakun and nodded to the tanuki with a smile. Then she turned to the Akodo. "I would be honored, Akodo sama." Shizenko gave a seated bow.

"Thank you," Yakuwari says.

"Please, if you would, then, tell me of your travels together."

He produces paper and charcoal, ready to take notes.

"I was first contacted to go visit the Shinomen Mori... there were some strange happenings. The spirits of the Mori were restless. It was our first journey together. Raakun was a scared of the trees." She chuckled. "They had ghastly appearance." The Kitsune patted the tanuki. "It was strange to speaking to the snakes to understand the situation."