[D3 EA] Consort's Court Part One

[Doji Dojihime]

Ayano spied the approaching Stag. He was hard to miss even if her green eyes weren't alert.

"Hantei-sama," she returned the bow, "I have been well. And yourself?" Green eyes studied him.

The Lion and Stag would soon be joined by a Crane Heiress, but she did not intrude on the two until they made their greetings.

[Bayushi Sasori]

Gusai's single eye swivels towards the red-haired lithe woman and he smiles broadly, bowing.

"Inari's not the only Fortune to bless me, now, certainly," he says, warmly. "Otomo Gusai, Skipper of the Hopeful Endeavor," he adds by way of introduction, and follows with "With whom have I the pleasure of conversing now?"

"This one is Bayushi Sasori."She bowed to the man. "I didn't see you at the party last evening or did I miss your arrival?"

[Otomo Gusai]

"This one is Bayushi Sasori."She bowed to the man. "I didn't see you at the party last evening or did I miss your arrival?"

"A joy to make your acquaintance," he replies, "though I sorrow that I had not done so previously. But duty is a stormy sea, always, and takes no small skill to sail successfully."

His eye blinks--or is it a wink? Hard to tell, with there being only the one and all. "I trust your travel here was easy?"

[Makime Ayano]

The Lion and Stag would soon be joined by a Crane Heiress, but she did not intrude on the two until they made their greetings.

Ayano like wise spotted the Crane. She smiled and would introduce herself after Genji made his own. Time being what it was the intro is going here:

"Ayano of the Makime," She studied the Crane who had the sort of beauty and strange ethereal quality that spoke of divine blood. "Senior Lion envoy, Daughter and Heir of the Lady Makime." She bowed as appropriate.

[Bayushi Sasori]

"A joy to make your acquaintance," he replies, "though I sorrow that I had not done so previously. But duty is a stormy sea, always, and takes no small skill to sail successfully."

His eye blinks--or is it a wink? Hard to tell, with there being only the one and all. "I trust your travel here was easy?"

Sasori smiled. "Then I am glad that the sea has not claimed you yet. Indeed my travel here was rather short and smooth." She took out her fan. "I was wondering if you needed some aid sailing the sea of the court?"

[Otomo Gusai]

Sasori smiled. "Then I am glad that the sea has not claimed you yet. Indeed my travel here was rather short and smooth." She took out her fan. "I was wondering if you needed some aid sailing the sea of the court?"

"A friendly guide through local waters is always welcome," Gusai replies. "And it is always better to have company when the ocean moves.

"I recognize the Lord Consort and several of the luminaries, of course," he continues, "but not all of them."

[Yuzuru]

"Yuzuru-sama, I will do my best to be brief. Earlier this morning, a small party went out to investigate the disappearance of some of the Emperor's subjects. We unfortuntately must report that those who went missing have run afoul of a rather large bear."

He paused.

"We had intended to slay the creature, but rather than a hungry predator seeking to hunt humans down, it proved to be a mother with three cubs. Akodo Kawauso-san and Hantei Kinsen-san managed to calm her enough to prevent a fight breaking out while we assessed the situation. Steps have already been taken to warn the people to stay out of the area where the bear is denned, including the posting of guards. None of this would merit mention in court, save that... I believe that provision should be made for those who have last family members to this animal. The Order of Heroes has expressed a willingness to care for any children who have been orphaned by this matter, but that does little for others who have been bereaved, and who might not understand the circumstances clearly."

He cleared his throat.

"The animal will likely move on as soon as she is able, but in the meantime, retrieving the remains of those she has slain for proper burial will prove difficult. I hope that we might find some shugenja to offer prayers for the departed, and, if possible, someone who could calm or commune with the bear to urge her to find a safer haven."

He offered a bow for form's sake.

"It did not feel... right to slay a mother for protecting her young. And I would like to especially commend Akodo-san and Hantei-san for their efforts to calm the creature, and Nozomi-san for her assistance in determining the bear's responsibility for the disappearances."

Yuzuru listened impassively, even his fox losing it's amused expression and flattening his ears a little.

"Of course, everything that can be done for those bereaved by this sequence of events must be cared for. The Imperial Family will make it so. I also commend you on sparing the life of an animal doing nothing but it's nature. However, you seem to miss an important point, Sora-san. It is Winter. Bears are not active in Winter. Even with young . . . she should be sleeping through the cold months. Something is amiss here."

[Otomo Gusai]

Although he does not mean to be rude to his interlocutor, Gusai cannot help but note the Lord Consort's words.

Amiss, eh? Well, rough seas often offer opportunity for those who will brave them, he thinks.

Tagging

[Bayushi Sasori]

Although he does not mean to be rude to his interlocutor, Gusai cannot help but note the Lord Consort's words.

Amiss, eh? Well, rough seas often offer opportunity for those who will brave them, he thinks.

Sasori nodded to what she knows. She looked at Gusai and sighed. "He is right bears tend to hibernate in the winter. Perhaps is a spirit that was guide to this realm." She said to the Otomo.

[Otomo Gusai]

Sasori nodded to what she knows. She looked at Gusai and sighed. "He is right bears tend to hibernate in the winter. Perhaps is a spirit that was guide to this realm." She said to the Otomo.

"Are you a student of spirits, then?" Gusai asks. "The Seppun of the Stag tend that way, of course, even if they also, well," and he makes a strange little nod towards some exceptional woodcarvings in the room, "The O-iemoto is known to have done such work as that."

[Hantei Genji]

Ayano spied the approaching Stag. He was hard to miss even if her green eyes weren't alert.

"Hantei-sama," she returned the bow, "I have been well. And yourself?" Green eyes studied him.

"Here as well Makime-san." His smile was wide. "This court seems to be lasting a little longer than expected, but at least we are in good company. And we have yams to eat, I guess." His eyes sparkled as he spoke.

The Lion and Stag would soon be joined by a Crane Heiress, but she did not intrude on the two until they made their greetings.

"Doji-san, cousin, greetings." He gave her a bow. "Congratulations for the nuptials in your family. Would you care to join Makime-san and myself?"

[Nozomi]

Yuzuru listened impassively, even his fox losing it's amused expression and flattening his ears a little.

"Of course, everything that can be done for those bereaved by this sequence of events must be cared for. The Imperial Family will make it so. I also commend you on sparing the life of an animal doing nothing but it's nature. However, you seem to miss an important point, Sora-san. It is Winter. Bears are not active in Winter. Even with young . . . she should be sleeping through the cold months. Something is amiss here."

Nozomi nodded. No, Yuzuru was not wrong. The Consort was not wrong by a mile. But they could find nothing yet to determine 'why' the bear had been awake, why her cubs had been awake, or why this unseasonable, extreme snow had come. It all felt... strange, as if something else was afoot, and she was glad that it seemed clear to the Consort as well. Until she knew for sure, though...

But she would not rise or speak out of turn. If and when she was needed, she would be called.

[Bayushi Sasori]

"Are you a student of spirits, then?" Gusai asks. "The Seppun of the Stag tend that way, of course, even if they also, well," and he makes a strange little nod towards some exceptional woodcarvings in the room, "The O-iemoto is known to have done such work as that."

"Yes and no... I am researching the realms of the spirits part of what had lead me here." She nodded. "I learned about animals and spirits from my parents..." She looked towards the carvings. "That is quite interesting Mother told me about a carving man I think he was from the Hikaru tribe."

[Jiyo Sora]

Yuzuru listened impassively, even his fox losing it's amused expression and flattening his ears a little.

"Of course, everything that can be done for those bereaved by this sequence of events must be cared for. The Imperial Family will make it so. I also commend you on sparing the life of an animal doing nothing but it's nature. However, you seem to miss an important point, Sora-san. It is Winter. Bears are not active in Winter. Even with young . . . she should be sleeping through the cold months. Something is amiss here."

"My apologies, Yuzuru-sama, but in the Spine of the World, where I came to adulthood, it is not always so. Insufficient summer fat, the presence of known threats... all of these can wake a bear, and I did not find that in itself indicative. However, the animal did appear... white, without albinism."

He bowed again.

"As I said, the matter seemed beyond the competence of the four of us present on what we had assumed was a straightforward hunt."

He made a little hand signal- for the fox's benefit.

Details to follow.

[Yuzuru]

"White?"

The fox made a growling sound and picked up his stick.

"We'll have to send a Nature Warden to observe it."

[Jiyo Sora]

"White?"

The fox made a growling sound and picked up his stick.

"We'll have to send a Nature Warden to observe it."

"Thank you, Yuzuru-sama."

He bowed to the Consort... and nodded to Hsieh-Hsieh.

[Yuzuru]

The fox growled something back around the stick, and then sat back down on the dais.

Yuzuru looked as he always did.

[Jiyo Sora]

Sora ceded the floor to whoever would bring a petition next, and took stock of the room.

Quite the menagerie we have here...

He could retreat the safety and comfort of hanging out with Satsuki and Nozomi, he could hurl himself at the Crane and Stag like a gob of mud on the hems of their finery, he could stand by Ayumu, he could barge in on the Crane and the Bat...

But letting young people talk to each other without butting in is how you persuade them to make more young people...

... he could go chat with Hadananzi...

Yeah, right. What a good idea.

... or he could take a lap and check on the guards on duty.

Let's do that, and see if anyone wants to snag me on the way around.

[Togashi Satsuki]

While she waited for the Togashi to introduce her to the Saru, Nozomi noticed Sora's approach. "I may be required to corraborate testimony in a moment, Togashi-sama. A fair warning," she said, nodding in Sora's direction. She listened and whispered to a servant to make sure that they sent word that if Yuzuru required additional testimony, she was here and available to provide it to the Consort on the matter.

However, from the way that Nozomi smiled in response to his explanation, she was pleased with how he'd addressed it. Her name was not prominent, and she didn't want it to be. The Akodo deserved most, if not all the praise for stepping forward to calm the beast. She'd need to address the topic of orphanages and her volunteering the Order, but she had little doubt that was a matter of logistics she could handle momentarily.

She realized she was being a little too informal there, but she was glad the young woman was understanding. So many titles, so much formality. It just wasn't her way. "Your mother is a good woman, and I hope that she's been doing well. The Order and I owe her our eternal gratitude." For so many things in life. "And you've met Kuu have you? A good monk. He has a gift for many things that are not mine, for which I am also quite grateful."

She would bow to Takurou if he approached. "I am Nozomi of the Order of Heroes, and this is my daughter, Mayumi. A pleasure to see one of the Saru present in court."

Satsuki quietly paid attention to the exchange between Sora and Yuzuru. "A white bear... in the middle of winter. It almost sounds like a story my mother has told before. I remember the one about the white bear-king, but he could talk."

She pondered asking Ko when she felt better if they could go investigate closer.

"Why do you think a white bear might have appeared so close to where people live? Bears usually are shy creatures, rarely making their dens near where humans live."

[Ryoshun Rei]

"I see." Hikaru bowed respectfully.

He straightened. "Is that common? Many people die, of course." He frowned. "I hope I am not rude for asking these questions. I find myself curious..." He made a vague wave with one hand.

"For a spirit to remain after death? No, not common." she shook her head. "But, as you say, many people die, countless people over countless years. That leaves more spirits than one might expect."