Year 17: A Daughter's Promise
--The Daughter's Promise
You walk towards Sensei's hut, pushing down the lingering embarrassment you felt. There had been a plan, a plan to tell him about Satoshi-kun...about the cute, handsome man whose hands were so gentle but so strong--- enough of that Minoru!
There had been a plan, to bring Satoshi with you to the capital when your training was complete, to let him show the greatness that you knew slept within him. To show your father that you had chosen well. Because you had chosen Satoshi, you know Aoshi-sensei was concerned that it was a childish infatuation. A relationship brought on because you were the only two people here where it could work.
You understood the argument. While Kozome-sensei did have a very attractive human form, she preferred to be in her crow form which meant it was never going to work. (Leaving aside the whole you should not date your sensei because that was like incest) Aoshi-sensei was also handsome...but interested in men. Which you didn't begrudge him for, after all you were too.
It wasn't that though. It was hard to explain, even to yourself. There was a calm there when Satoshi was around. After Mother...after Mother passed, and Father had explained things...you had built a mountain of expectation for yourself. You were a Toturi, it was your duty, your obligation to hold the Empire together, to make it peaceful and prosperous no matter what happened.
So you pushed yourself, over and over again to be better, to be stronger, to make sure that if you had to fight every single kami forsaken demon in the world to make your people safe, you would. You wouldn't be your father, a man broken by his inability to save everyone. You would be better.
That is what you had told yourself, and the standard you held yourself to as Kozume-sensei beat in war for you, and Aoshi-sensei showed you culture. Satoshi had stood by you every step of the way.
It had been three years ago now you think, on the anniversary of her death. That it had been too much, you had tried to the proper grieving, proper mourning for her, setting alight the obon lanterns on the water. Out of season, but still what you wanted to do.
Then a crow being a petty little bastard seeing a shiny had swopped down and stolen it out of the water. It had been too much, and the rain had started falling down and down, and you had just knelt there.
Satoshi had found you, he had been worried, and he didn't say anything about the rain. Or what a mess you were, he didn't say anything. No Satoshi had just knelt beside you, taken a breath, and drawn you into a hug.
It was such an uncrane like thing to do really. To touch someone without permission, to hold someone who was so far above him. However, in that moment, it had been what you needed.
So he held you, he didn't promise it would be alright. He promised that he would be there for you always.
He hadn't meant it as a marriage proposal, you knew that. He had meant it as a faithful retainer, a servant. Satoshi was far too good to be a mere servant, a retainer. He deserved more than that, how many children would just go along with their friend's crazy plan to go into the death touched forest to find a mythical tengu?
Satoshi hadn't even asked twice, merely lifting the packs.
No, Satoshi had been your rock when you needed one, he still was.
So even if he hadn't meant it as a marriage proposal, you had decided to take it as one. You had always been close, but now you became closer, feather light touches, small hand made presents of origami, haiku laden with double meanings. It had been a surprisingly normal courtship given your location.
The way he had blushed when kissing you for the first time still made you feel warm inside.
You could never build that bond with someone else. Satoshi might die one day (And you will burn the land itself if that happens) but no one else would just get you, or understand you. That meant that when the choice of who you would marry was thought of...there was only one choice.
Marriage, you still didn't understand Father's decisions. You know he had loved Mother, you had seen hidden beneath that stoic façade of his how hurt he was at losing her. So then how did a mere two, three years later he end up with a concubine and a wife?
Yes there had been another plot by the Bitch to ruin things, and had revealed his concubine's feelings...but why had he returned them? His answer didn't satisfy you at all. He had been the epitome of how the Ruler couldn't let their personal feelings over ride good sense...but because some Scorpion... (Okay that wasn't fair, Ayumi did seem nice from the letter she wrote to you) had flashed her wiles at him he had just given in?
No it didn't make sense at all.
But then, that was why you had made a promise
That you would be better than your father.
No matter what it took.
------------------------------------
Hisao looked at the letter from Kuon suggesting that he have a Winter Court somewhere else, the Kuni were pretty sure that Shahai had a trap in mind at Kyuden Hida. Any of the Crab castles likely had contingencies, the witch was good at planning.
Does Hisao decide to go somewhere else for Winter Court instead of the Crab lands?
[] Yes
[] No
If yes, write in another clan to visit (The Dragon is unavailable) Alternately you could hold winter Court in Otosan Uchi for the first time in thirty years or so.
[] Write in
You walk towards Sensei's hut, pushing down the lingering embarrassment you felt. There had been a plan, a plan to tell him about Satoshi-kun...about the cute, handsome man whose hands were so gentle but so strong--- enough of that Minoru!
There had been a plan, to bring Satoshi with you to the capital when your training was complete, to let him show the greatness that you knew slept within him. To show your father that you had chosen well. Because you had chosen Satoshi, you know Aoshi-sensei was concerned that it was a childish infatuation. A relationship brought on because you were the only two people here where it could work.
You understood the argument. While Kozome-sensei did have a very attractive human form, she preferred to be in her crow form which meant it was never going to work. (Leaving aside the whole you should not date your sensei because that was like incest) Aoshi-sensei was also handsome...but interested in men. Which you didn't begrudge him for, after all you were too.
It wasn't that though. It was hard to explain, even to yourself. There was a calm there when Satoshi was around. After Mother...after Mother passed, and Father had explained things...you had built a mountain of expectation for yourself. You were a Toturi, it was your duty, your obligation to hold the Empire together, to make it peaceful and prosperous no matter what happened.
So you pushed yourself, over and over again to be better, to be stronger, to make sure that if you had to fight every single kami forsaken demon in the world to make your people safe, you would. You wouldn't be your father, a man broken by his inability to save everyone. You would be better.
That is what you had told yourself, and the standard you held yourself to as Kozume-sensei beat in war for you, and Aoshi-sensei showed you culture. Satoshi had stood by you every step of the way.
It had been three years ago now you think, on the anniversary of her death. That it had been too much, you had tried to the proper grieving, proper mourning for her, setting alight the obon lanterns on the water. Out of season, but still what you wanted to do.
Then a crow being a petty little bastard seeing a shiny had swopped down and stolen it out of the water. It had been too much, and the rain had started falling down and down, and you had just knelt there.
Satoshi had found you, he had been worried, and he didn't say anything about the rain. Or what a mess you were, he didn't say anything. No Satoshi had just knelt beside you, taken a breath, and drawn you into a hug.
It was such an uncrane like thing to do really. To touch someone without permission, to hold someone who was so far above him. However, in that moment, it had been what you needed.
So he held you, he didn't promise it would be alright. He promised that he would be there for you always.
He hadn't meant it as a marriage proposal, you knew that. He had meant it as a faithful retainer, a servant. Satoshi was far too good to be a mere servant, a retainer. He deserved more than that, how many children would just go along with their friend's crazy plan to go into the death touched forest to find a mythical tengu?
Satoshi hadn't even asked twice, merely lifting the packs.
No, Satoshi had been your rock when you needed one, he still was.
So even if he hadn't meant it as a marriage proposal, you had decided to take it as one. You had always been close, but now you became closer, feather light touches, small hand made presents of origami, haiku laden with double meanings. It had been a surprisingly normal courtship given your location.
The way he had blushed when kissing you for the first time still made you feel warm inside.
You could never build that bond with someone else. Satoshi might die one day (And you will burn the land itself if that happens) but no one else would just get you, or understand you. That meant that when the choice of who you would marry was thought of...there was only one choice.
Marriage, you still didn't understand Father's decisions. You know he had loved Mother, you had seen hidden beneath that stoic façade of his how hurt he was at losing her. So then how did a mere two, three years later he end up with a concubine and a wife?
Yes there had been another plot by the Bitch to ruin things, and had revealed his concubine's feelings...but why had he returned them? His answer didn't satisfy you at all. He had been the epitome of how the Ruler couldn't let their personal feelings over ride good sense...but because some Scorpion... (Okay that wasn't fair, Ayumi did seem nice from the letter she wrote to you) had flashed her wiles at him he had just given in?
No it didn't make sense at all.
But then, that was why you had made a promise
That you would be better than your father.
No matter what it took.
------------------------------------
Hisao looked at the letter from Kuon suggesting that he have a Winter Court somewhere else, the Kuni were pretty sure that Shahai had a trap in mind at Kyuden Hida. Any of the Crab castles likely had contingencies, the witch was good at planning.
Does Hisao decide to go somewhere else for Winter Court instead of the Crab lands?
[] Yes
[] No
If yes, write in another clan to visit (The Dragon is unavailable) Alternately you could hold winter Court in Otosan Uchi for the first time in thirty years or so.
[] Write in
