Satsuki sighed as she searched the quarters she shared with her friends.

"Damnit you little thieving squirrel, where did you hide my calligraphy brush?" she grumbled out loud as she checked underneath the bedding. Why was this little critter stealing everything to drag to the nests it kept trying to make?

For good measure, the princess shook the robes she wore just to make sure nothing was hidden there.

Yatsufusa arrived on time. It was early on the morning, but he always was awake at this hour so it was not difficult for him to be on time. After his usual prayers to the Fortunes he goes to the main room for the meeting.

'' Good morning Togashi Satsuki-himesama.'' He said politely as he bowed to the princess. '' I hope that you had a good night sleep and that the Fortunes had blessed you today?'' He adds, as he entered the room, slowly as his leg made the process a bit difficult.

"Bah, just Satsuki is fine, Yatsufusa. The Emperor and my parents won't hear you," she said with a grin, waving her hand to indicate for him to be at ease.

"And good morning! Phew! I understand you've been very busy these past days, yes yes? I have some tea from that veiled Scorpion lady that I've prepared for us this morning. I think it's called Silver Needle? It was very nice anyway, perfect for the morning. How you been? Your leg isn't causing too much trouble in this cold?" It was hardly the first time that Satsuki let her excitement get the hold of her and she forgot the filter between her brain and mouth - causing a flow of questions and thoughts to pour out.

Returning from some unexpected morning jaunt, Ko walks in and pulls down the hood from her reddish-brown robes. Revealing that marked face of hers with some personal meaning she's never spoken on and glancing between the others here. Notably most, perhaps, is the calligraphy brush resting in her hand. Between the both of them she exchanges a quick glance, saying nothing, but walking a few more steps in and casually holding the brush out toward Satsuki.

"Good morning," she'd say, immediately before anyone attempted to comment or move but not before.

'' Alright. It is not easy for me not to use formalities though, Hime...'' He chukled a bit.

'' I have been fine, my leg hurts but, well, not much to do about that...'' He said as he looked for a place where to sat. Once he found a proper place he got with difficulty down. Yatsufusa let out a slight sigh. '' ...it is the price of being what i am so well it is just what it is. But enough of boring conversations about legs, it seems that Satsuki is quite fascinated with this place.'' Yatsufusa looked around, although he was refering to the capital as a whole.

'' I have some important things to discuss, but serious themes can be left for later. First i wish to know your opinion of the wedding? It has lived to your expectations?'' Yatsufusa was interested in Satsuki's opinion.

Then Ko arrived. '' Ko-sama. Good morning. I hope Amaterasu-no-kami has blessed you today?'' He made a slight bow-nod.

"My brush!" Satsuki exclaimed first upon seeing what Ko had brought, happily retrieving it. It would've been embarrassing to lose it and then have to go buy a new one. Though she figured some of her cousins probably had hundreds of brushes they could use.

"The wedding? Ugh, it was boring. I didn't really feel any happiness either during the occassion, but maybe I just don't know my cousin well enough." Mostly she had hated it because she had been required to wear the multi-layered getup that her aunt Doji would have wanted her to wear for such an occassion, and it had seemed proper considering it was a Crane wedding. "... The guests are more interesting though. And there's been some fun the days after the wedding itself. But..." she made sure to give Ko a hug. "I hope you're feeling good today, yes? There's food to eat!"

For now, she tucked the brush into her sash, to be properly stowed away later. "What did you think about the wedding, Yatsufusa?"

Notably- at some point- the brush would have a few little bite marks that appeared to be cut at a little more to make them appear more natural and alike a design on the brush. With the feel it would most certainly be different- but not unusable for sure. Squirrels were.. troublesome things. Ko, meanwhile, had a different kind of troublesome on her mind and almost got away before Satsuki's arms wrapped around her. Going a little stiff for the first moment she relaxes a little the next, her hands down by her sides settling against herself and then coming up to give Satsuki two quick pats on the back with both hands.

"I am well. Better than I have been. Thank you," she says, that patience to her words. Looking around for that very food that was referenced. Perhaps, as she began that search she glances to Yatsufusa to call attention to the food seeking which would undoubtedly answer his query about regarding sustenance.

Togashi Satsuki wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 20, 2021 2:50 am

"My brush!" Satsuki exclaimed first upon seeing what Ko had brought, happily retrieving it. It would've been embarrassing to lose it and then have to go buy a new one. Though she figured some of her cousins probably had hundreds of brushes they could use.

"The wedding? Ugh, it was boring. I didn't really feel any happiness either during the occassion, but maybe I just don't know my cousin well enough." Mostly she had hated it because she had been required to wear the multi-layered getup that her aunt Doji would have wanted her to wear for such an occassion, and it had seemed proper considering it was a Crane wedding. "... The guests are more interesting though. And there's been some fun the days after the wedding itself. But..." she made sure to give Ko a hug. "I hope you're feeling good today, yes? There's food to eat!"

For now, she tucked the brush into her sash, to be properly stowed away later. "What did you think about the wedding, Yatsufusa?"

'' Interesting, well, not the wedding. As you, i found more interesting the people around here, and those that are not ningen that i have found.'' He nods to the princess. '' In that regard, i'm having fun with all these new cultural experiences so different to how i lived up in your divine Father's lands.'' Yatsu adds as he then sips some tea.

'' What about you, Ko-sama? How has the wedding treated you as now? Anything that has catched your sight?'' He asked.

For breakfast there was rice, as all guests in Shiba's home got. There was a hearthy broth in a separate bowl, with bits of tofu and some pickled vegetables that were most likely from the winter storages, along with some hard-boiled eggs. One of the more interesting parts were dumplings stuffed with vegetables and tofu, which might've been made by Takurou since they certainly smelled delicious.

As she had decided what food to put out today for the three of them, Satsuki had steered away from meat and dairy. Meat the princess didn't eat, as she didn't like the thought of harming a living animal, and last time she had had dairy it had been a night of stomach cramps.

Ko got a pat on the back too before Satsuki let her go and she sat down at the table to pass out the bowls of food, making sure Ko got the biggest serving this time, while splitting it evenly between herself and Yatsufusa.

"There are spirits here?" she asked with great interest at Yatsufusa's words.

"I have been-" she glances to Satsuki, sharing in that moment of the girl knowing more. Committing to the situation as was decided, while moving to a seat, she says, "Unwell the past days." Doing what arrangement of the table and the presented items of food she could that would best help Satsuki manage to dole out the respective portions. Only to relax back and look at what was in front of her, and then the others. Brows furrowing in the moment when she realizes she looks to Satsuki for a moment. That recognition of the intent and realization, but some weird middle space in her feeling on it coming through, both appreciative of the caring but wishing her own caring to ensure the others were eating quite alright as well.

As Satsuki asked the question, Ko wouldn't need to voice it herself and thus chose that approach. Merely looking to Yatsufusa to explain the whole spirits thing a bit more.

Togashi Satsuki wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 20, 2021 3:12 am

"There are spirits here?" she asked with great interest at Yatsufusa's words.

'' There are spirits all around, just that many are not easy to be seen, maybe perhaps they don't want to be seen, or perhaps because we ningen do not want to percieve them.'' Yatsufusa explained. '' But, yes, i have met one spirit in particular. Yukika-sama, from Chikushudo.'' He adds. '' Quite an interesting spirit.''

Wu Ko wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 20, 2021 3:56 am

"I have been-" she glances to Satsuki, sharing in that moment of the girl knowing more. Committing to the situation as was decided, while moving to a seat, she says, "Unwell the past days."

'' I'm sorry to hear that, Ko-sama.'' He said to her, as Yatsu shared the moment of eating with the other two.

She breaks view from Satsuki and looks toward Yatsufusa. A tilt of her head revealing to the two of them the thought forming before she even speaks. "I would like to meet this spirit.." she says, looking down to the food in front of herself and looking to her sleeves. Pulling them back she gets them out of the way of her hands and they only fall back down. Shifting back from the seat she works at her robes, undoing the outer-one and letting it come to a pile behind her. Underneath a similar but shorter attire with far shorter sleeves, this revealing the familiar old scars she wore.

Comfortable, she lifts herself sliding back to the edge of the table. Looking down at her food, then to Yatsufusa, "I think," she says. Turning her attention back to her meal and grabbing one she might accomplish without any need for a utensil of any kind.

"Do you... hmmm... no... maybe not," Satsuki started the thought in the amount of time she changed it, an unusual restraint for her.

Instead of talking right away, she took a bite of the dumpling that she held up with her chopsticks. "... Is Yukika-sama the reason why you approached honored uncle in court, Yatsufusa? About the spirit world?"

'' Indeed. '' Yatsu replied to Satsuki. '' Well, kind of, i was planning to do it no matter if i met or not a spirit. But Yukika-sama told me that the spirits were also noticing the changes in the spiritual realms so it was not only us, ningen, that are feeling the changes that came from the Sons and Daughters of Heavens falling from the skies.'' He adds.

'' It would seem that these changes that we see all around us is affecting everyone.''

Her face was focused and serious as she ate her dumpling.

"Changing how? Is it a bad change? And has it been happening since the Kami arrived, or... is it more recent?"

"That is not surprising," she says, behind her the squirrel resting in her pocket coming out of her robes looking annoyed. Ko doesn't notice. Holding up her hands, she makes one into a fist and then places that against the other, moving the first around so the second can hit the first again. "Change works through a system, nature."

"A wolf finds a new hunting ground, the prey becomes scarce, the grass grows more wild, the wolf now finding it difficult to feed moves on," she says, looking between them with a slightly furrowed brow.

"Yeah, but... the Kami aren't predators." At least she didn't think of her father that way. Maybe Hida or Hantei were? "Right?"

Looking to Satsuki, a lingering smile and a shake of her head, "They are not. Though, they are the most powerful in the room, hmm? Beings of their strength draw attention. Much like a wolf, a predator. They might not be hunting us but their presence still makes.." she pauses, furrowing her brows. A brief smile that slowly rises, slowly falls, but is ultimately a fleeting gesture. Looking around she finds herself a cup with liquid, and a small piece of food.

Locking eyes with Satsuki she directs her attention to the cup with the shift of her gaze, dropping the piece of food into the liquid and disturbing the water. With a slowly rising, and slowly falling, but ultimately brief smile Ko looks back to Satsuki, "Waves," she says, pleased with herself.

'' They are not. But they are changing the very nature of Ningen-do. Which could be for good, my hope, or perhaps not.'' He said. '' You must understand, we don't understand the Kami, not yet, we don't even know if they are immortal anymore. If they die, and i hope that happens many many many winters into the future, it will be ningen that will remain here...''

'' Not you, not me, but our descendants, and if i know anything about ningen, is that we are both a force of good, but also evil. Look no further back to the era before the Fall. Violence and destruction, raids, and survival was the norm. Now the Kami changed all of it. But without them, will their teachings remain? Or we will go back to our previous way of life?'' He adds. '' Not even the wisest sage can see all the possibilities, piercing beyond the veil of fate is not easy, by any means.''

'' And the Spirits do notice it, more than us, they are more bound to their respective spiritual nature, if something changes in the balance, then it changes all realms as they realign themselves.'' Yatsu sipped from his tea. '' Yukika-sama told me that for example, the dissolution of the Ayakashi as a tribe has already be felt by the spirits of Chikushudo, as without it, the link between ningen and animal spirits has grown apart, creating a rift between the two realms.''

"Hmmmmmmmmmmm..."

The princess looked between her two friends, carefully weighing their words. Their opinions were among those she valued the most.

"... Do you think, it could be possible, to strengthen this connection somehow with the realms beyond? What if that is something we could build upon, within our clan? I know Yuzuru and Chiyo under Shiba work hard to maintain a strong connection to the spirits, as their founders came from Ayakashi too, just like mother. But..." her chopsticks clicked together as she was thinking. "We all want to help our clan, yes, but we could maybe be of help to the spirits too, by making a stronger bond?"