In a corner of the library, Kyosei waits. He had originally planned to do this the day before, but the illness prevented it, leading to a note asking the lass to show up here, a day later, instead. He is patient while waiting for her to appear.

Shirayuki arrived with an abstracted expression and a wish that she could bring her puppy- but Mom had been quite firm on that score

Kyosei gives a nod, then gestures for her to sit across from him. "So, with your attempts at meditating; how many times did you fall asleep?"

"Eight or nine."

No shame there, in any event.

"And how many did you succeed? Did you discover anything?"

"Well. It's an excellent way to refocus after a trying day. I see why Dad liked it so much when Togashi-Kami introduced him to the idea. But it hasn't really... shown me anything."

"Would you prefer to continue? Or should we march to the hot springs, and I hold you under until you either pass out, or manifest a gift?"

"I dunno. Which do you think is more likely to work?"

Kyosei shrugs. "Could go either way. Though, the second is likely to end in great pain for me, whether it works or not! But, did you feel anything while you were meditating?"

"Just serenity. Well. A kind of serenity, anyway, where I kinda... wasn't there? But I was?"

Kyosei's eyes narrow. "That's the second time you've mentioned that. Two things come to mind. You may have a gift for the Void, or you may be more monastically inclined. In either case, I am not the one to teach you, but I can arrange for a teacher, who can help you."

She cocked her head to the side and sighed.

"Well, that's too bad. Is it anyone I know?"

"The ones that are monastically inclined that come to mind the soonest are a woman named Nozomi, or a man, often seen near her, called Shinsei. For a more Void-based training, most probably one of the Isawa, one of my own teacher's brothers, or nephews. My, I suppose, cousin's in law."

"Oh, I know Nozomi! She's cool. I mean... A bit odd, but she and her daughter are really neat."

Kyosei nods. "I like her as well. So, would you like me to approach her? I can do so, if you prefer. Or, would you prefer your parents to approach her instead?"

"Maybe you should."

She made a face.

"If Dad tries they'll just end up talking about the old days and forget why they met in the first place..."

Kyosei smiles. "Perhaps. Very well, I will see what I can do. Meanwhile, you need to keep practicing your meditation. Either as a spirit speaker, or a monastically inclined person, one of the bases of power is meditation."

"I'll try not to doze off as often."

"If it is too often, I suppose I could use the technique one of my master's brothers used on me while I was learning. After giving me a half a candle to learn, he began striking me with a bamboo cane, to make sure I was truly one with All. If I was not, well, the pain prevented it, I found.

"Actually, I think he had a temper, and was taking some other problem out on me..."

"Dad knew a guy like that."

It had been in the Ki-Rin lands.

The man in question hadn't kept his position long.