[D6 EM] Totally Normal Poetry Talk [Hatsuki's Room, closed]

[Shosuro Hatsuki]

"I see." Nadeshiko nods. "Two of a kind. That's..." She rests a hand over her heart. "That's beautiful, Hatsuki. I can see why it's weighed so heavily on you -- because it's so powerful. It would be like pulling the sun from the heavens, tearing you two apart. I can't... I can't even begin to imagine how ... how everything's been. Hiding it, and being away from the one you love."

"Yes," she agreed. "It's amazing and also like living with a knife in your chest."

[Doji Nadeshiko]

"Yes," she agreed. "It's amazing and also like living with a knife in your chest."

"Yes..." She clutches the fabric of her kimono. "We cannot speak of this over letters, of course, but -- I could always come visit you, should you ever need comfort. And... you know I will help you in other ways, as well. So long as it does not endanger us, or... the little ones," Nadeshiko whispers those last three words.

[Shosuro Hatsuki]

"Yes..." She clutches the fabric of her kimono. "We cannot speak of this over letters, of course, but -- I could always come visit you, should you ever need comfort. And... you know I will help you in other ways, as well. So long as it does not endanger us, or... the little ones," Nadeshiko whispers those last three words.

"I appreciate it, though your duties as a Sapphire Ambassador may interfere," she said, a small tease with a smile. She truly had every confidence that Nadeshiko would make it. "Truly, I don't want you to take on too many difficulties when you already have those of your own to bear."

At the address of her child, she brushed one hand over her stomach. "That's also true. I would never want them to be at risk either."

[Doji Nadeshiko]

"I appreciate it, though your duties as a Sapphire Ambassador may interfere," she said, a small tease with a smile. She truly had every confidence that Nadeshiko would make it. "Truly, I don't want you to take on too many difficulties when you already have those of your own to bear."

At the address of her child, she brushed one hand over her stomach. "That's also true. I would never want them to be at risk either."

That makes her cousin blush, Nadeshiko hiding her face with her sleeves. "I am not -- I have my duties to my lord, but there is not much asked of me -- frankly, I cannot even imagine what would be asked of me if I was made an Ambassador. Though..." She peeks over her sleeves. "There's much art in Empire, especially Scorpion lands, and a Crane who writes of findings there might be able to visit her cousin... and perhaps see some cute chubby babies..." That makes her giggle. If they're Hatsuki's they'll be absolutely precious. Of course, it's simply a wish -- who knows what she'll be told to do once this is all over.

"They're safe, I think... the Clan needs children now more than ever. But still... I ... we have to protect them." I want to protect you, too, Hatsuki.

[Shosuro Hatsuki]

That makes her cousin blush, Nadeshiko hiding her face with her sleeves. "I am not -- I have my duties to my lord, but there is not much asked of me -- frankly, I cannot even imagine what would be asked of me if I was made an Ambassador. Though..." She peeks over her sleeves. "There's much art in Empire, especially Scorpion lands, and a Crane who writes of findings there might be able to visit her cousin... and perhaps see some cute chubby babies..." That makes her giggle. If they're Hatsuki's they'll be absolutely precious. Of course, it's simply a wish -- who knows what she'll be told to do once this is all over.

"They're safe, I think... the Clan needs children now more than ever. But still... I ... we have to protect them." I want to protect you, too, Hatsuki.

She chuckled at her cousin's fluster, smiling warmly. "I imagine there could be quite a bit of travel involved. I'm sure time could be found for visiting a cousin's baby on an Ambassador's way. I'm sure my child... or possibly children... will be safe, so try not to be too concerned."

[Doji Nadeshiko]

She chuckled at her cousin's fluster, smiling warmly. "I imagine there could be quite a bit of travel involved. I'm sure time could be found for visiting a cousin's baby on an Ambassador's way. I'm sure my child... or possibly children... will be safe, so try not to be too concerned."

"Oh, I've over-complicated things, haven't I..." She murmurs with a little smile. "Yes. I hope we can see each other often when we both find ourselves Ambassadors, Hatsuki."

Nadeshiko hums then. "What... what will do you?" It's open ended: about the Ambassadorship, about Choudai, about anything. If she needs to talk about it it's there.

[Shosuro Hatsuki]

She nodded. "Well... If there is an opportunity for traveling involved, two ambassadors traveling together, at least for a time, might be a possibility," she mused. "As for my child or children... I know most parents leave their children with servants when they travel, but it might be good for them to see a lot of the Empire at an early age. I don't think a cosmopolitan perspective would hurt, and my duties wouldn't put me in great danger."

[Doji Nadeshiko]

She nodded. "Well... If there is an opportunity for traveling involved, two ambassadors traveling together, at least for a time, might be a possibility," she mused. "As for my child or children... I know most parents leave their children with servants when they travel, but it might be good for them to see a lot of the Empire at an early age. I don't think a cosmopolitan perspective would hurt, and my duties wouldn't put me in great danger."

"Yes. And a cousin helping would ease what burdens there are, I'm sure." And as she's friends with Choudai... surprise visits and crossings with a fellow Ambassador and friend wouldn't be too out of pocket... and any untoward rumors would be easier to deflect if needed, too. At least until Nadeshiko herself is married.

[Shosuro Hatsuki]

"Yes. And a cousin helping would ease what burdens there are, I'm sure." And as she's friends with Choudai... surprise visits and crossings with a fellow Ambassador and friend wouldn't be too out of pocket... and any untoward rumors would be easier to deflect if needed, too. At least until Nadeshiko herself is married.

"What are your plans moving forward?" She asked curiously.

[Doji Nadeshiko]

"What are your plans moving forward?"

"I'll face the consequences of what's happened here and perform my duties to the best of my ability." Nadeshiko then relaxes a little, adding, "I would like to travel, write about art and make it, maybe attend a miai. You know me. I don't need much to enjoy my life."

[Shosuro Hatsuki]

"I'll face the consequences of what's happened here and perform my duties to the best of my ability." Nadeshiko then relaxes a little, adding, "I would like to travel, write about art and make it, maybe attend a miai. You know me. I don't need much to enjoy my life."

She sighed. "You make me wish Doji married out except under special circumstances. Though I wouldn't want to put you through that at the same time."

"Though miai can be quite fun to observe. Albeit dramatic at times. Did you know the worst play in existence was created at a miai? I don't know if they decided whether its performance was actually illegal..."

[Doji Nadeshiko]

"Though miai can be quite fun to observe. Albeit dramatic at times. Did you know the worst play in existence was created at a miai? I don't know if they decided whether its performance was actually illegal..."

"Oh?" She perks up at this -- a strange, silly -- and most importantly, art -- secret. "An illegal play?" Meanwhile, someone, somewhere is laughing. (It's me.)

[Shosuro Hatsuki]

"Oh?" She perks up at this -- a strange, silly -- and most importantly, art -- secret. "An illegal play?" Meanwhile, someone, somewhere is laughing. (It's me.)

"Yep," she said with a nod. "Three Ronin and a Boat. The worst play ever written. And a euphemism for a certain act. That kind of slang is more common among the heimin than the samurai these days."

[Doji Nadeshiko]

"Three Ronin and a Boat. The worst play ever written. And a euphemism for a certain act. That kind of slang is more common among the heimin than the samurai these days."

"A euphemism..." Nadeshiko trails off. Of what she can't even imagine. "What's it about? Is it subversive, or simply... bad?"

[Shosuro Hatsuki]

"There are all sorts of legends about the first time it was performed. Someone supposedly passed out and another threw up," she said, apparently positively gleeful at the change of conversational pace from heavy topics to scandalous plays. "Apparently, it was both but there are debates about whether it was intentionally subversive or just so bad that it was accidentally subversive."

[Doji Nadeshiko]

"There are all sorts of legends about the first time it was performed. Someone supposedly passed out and another threw up," she said, apparently positively gleeful at the change of conversational pace from heavy topics to scandalous plays. "Apparently, it was both but there are debates about whether it was intentionally subversive or just so bad that it was accidentally subversive."

Nadeshiko's quiet a moment, just... completely aghast. She's heard of plays making people do terrible things but it sounds more like food poisoning than art. "Is -- is it debated often among the Scorpion?" A beat: "Does the Clan have a copy?"

[Shosuro Hatsuki]

Nadeshiko's quiet a moment, just... completely aghast. She's heard of plays making people do terrible things but it sounds more like food poisoning than art. "Is -- is it debated often among the Scorpion?" A beat: "Does the Clan have a copy?"

"It is certainly used as an example of what not to do... In fact, what to burn if you find yourself in the process of reading. Mankind was not meant to know such horror as Three Ronin and a Boat," she said, deliberately a little bit dramatic about it.

At the question, she gasped. "Such scandal! Of course we do. You can't learn from something you can't see for yourself."

[Doji Nadeshiko]

"It is certainly used as an example of what not to do... In fact, what to burn if you find yourself in the process of reading. Mankind was not meant to know such horror as Three Ronin and a Boat," she said, deliberately a little bit dramatic about it.

At the question, she gasped. "Such scandal! Of course we do. You can't learn from something you can't see for yourself."

A giggle answers Hatsuki's play-outrage. "Oh, they would have never let us read it in the Academy. Everything has to be prim, proper, perfect, lest we stray from the path. Lucky Scorpions, subjecting yourself to the horror of it all to spare us." Her head tilts as she thinks something. "Is it the kind of bad that illuminates? Do you know?"

[Shosuro Hatsuki]

A giggle answers Hatsuki's play-outrage. "Oh, they would have never let us read it in the Academy. Everything has to be prim, proper, perfect, lest we stray from the path. Lucky Scorpions, subjecting yourself to the horror of it all to spare us." Her head tilts as she thinks something. "Is it the kind of bad that illuminates? Do you know?"

"I did the makeup for a performance of it once," she said, eyes growing distant with memories of horror. "Naturally, I had to stay to watch. Then I couldn't look away. It's like watching a natural disaster. Illuminating, yes, I suppose."

[Doji Nadeshiko]

"I did the makeup for a performance of it once," she said, eyes growing distant with memories of horror. "Naturally, I had to stay to watch. Then I couldn't look away. It's like watching a natural disaster. Illuminating, yes, I suppose."

"Ohhh... how often do they run it..?" Wheels turn in her head as Nadeshiko considers the implications of Scorpions running an illegal play. Perhaps it's some sort of draw for the curious, or a teaching exercise. She'll have to ask her father next she sees him.