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Post by Kuni Hinata on Mar 20, 2018 14:33:37 GMT -5
Hinata sat and took a sip of the plum sake, and was glad to find she enjoyed it. She was beginning to get the impression that the dour Empress was not a mean person, just...a Hida. Hida were either dour or boisterous, in her own experience. Rarely did you find one that was unremarkable. To hear the Empress admitting to her own faults as a person...well, it surprised Hinata, but not much; she already knew the royal family were like any other people, she was dating one.
"Well...to be honest, I am unsure. Nothing I did intentionally, I know that much. If I had to think of one thing that particularly caught his attention, it was poetry class. I surmised waka poetry, and, well..."
Hinata made an amused 'hm' despite herself. The fact she was familiar with the Empress' attitude made her more relaxed.
"The blush on his face and the fact he was speechless clued me in. The next morning I found a beautiful painting delivered to my room, and he asked me on a date later that same day."
From her tone, it was clear Hinata was fond of the memory.
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Post by Iweko Yoshinobu on Mar 21, 2018 7:28:01 GMT -5
"So you met at school? That makes the most sense, since you both go there," Ayameko observed aloud, drinking deeply of her shochu. "Art, I see. Never had time for it myself, not until I became the Empress. I'm bad at creating it and even worse at critiquing it. Find it to be rather dull, to be quite honest."
She looked back to Hinata with her brown eye. "The boy takes too much after the other females in his family. His grandmother and his aunt. I tried to get him in the Hida school, but he wouldn't have it. They'd never let him keep up his artistic pursuits if he trained on the Wall."
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Post by Kuni Hinata on Mar 21, 2018 9:56:52 GMT -5
So she was not a fan of the arts. Hinata should have guessed as much, she did not seem the type. She pursed her lips, contemplating how best to respond, then nodded.
"Mm, but he is first and foremost a courtier. Though the Crab may never know peace, the rest of the Empire has had a good stretch of it since the Onyx War. Would it not be best for him to learn the skills necessary for ruling in a time of peace rather than war?"
Disagreeing with the Empress; a risky move. Hinata was not going to pretend to be someone she was not however, and who she was had an appreciation for the arts.
"Also, the Wall is not completely devoid of the arts. What about draw lot plays?"
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Post by Iweko Yoshinobu on Mar 21, 2018 10:04:16 GMT -5
Ayameko finally smirked at Hinata, enjoying another sip of sake. So the girl had some marbles, marbles like a true child of Hida would. She told it straight, and Ayameko could respect that. Having to spend so much time around Suikihime and her courtly dance was a nuisance at best.
"Peace won't last for long. You only have to look at the Empire as a whole to see it. Everyone's tightly wound. We could use a good war, in my opinion, to ease tensions," she said rather bluntly, meeting honesty with honesty. "If you become Empress that is something you're going to have to confront."
At the mention of draw lot plays though, Ayameko smiles a bit wider. "Draw Lot plays, now I haven't seen one of those in a few years. More like a game than a performance, I'd say."
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Post by Kuni Hinata on Mar 21, 2018 10:17:00 GMT -5
"I...admit I am not quite up to date on the current political situation" Hinata admitted with a sigh.
"That is something I will need to work on, certainly. Though I do think I could manage to lead through a war; Kuni lands are beyond the wall, remember."
She managed a small smile as well. So the Empress liked draw lot plays. For someone so gruff as her, they seemed to share a surprising amount of common ground.
"And yeah, I miss draw lot plays as well. I spent...a little time on the Wall, though not much; my gempukku was only last year. That was one of the fun parts. I would argue games are a sort of art, though."
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Post by Iweko Yoshinobu on Mar 21, 2018 10:33:49 GMT -5
"If you're the Empress, others will fight and they will die. You'll never lift a finger." It was clear that notion didn't sit well at all with Ayameko, at least for herself. "You'll watch good men on both sides trot off to meet their ancestors, while ou sit back unharmed. That is what you will have to learn to live with, however it affects you."
"Games and art seem inconsequential when we are faced with that truth." She shrugged. "That's not to say one should not seek out fun as well."
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Post by Kuni Hinata on Mar 21, 2018 10:39:54 GMT -5
Hinata frowned and leaned back, mulling over what Ayameko said. She had a point; the Empress being involved in a war was rare, and if it was something that happened...well, Hinata did not want to think of the circumstances that might lead to that.
"...I suppose for someone leading the country, the Empress does not have much control over it, does she?" she responded, her tone sympathetic.
"I can see how that would get frustrating. As Crab we are always taught to lead from the front, so...I cannot imagine such a transition is easy."
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Post by Iweko Yoshinobu on Mar 21, 2018 11:18:04 GMT -5
"Your former brothers and sisters among the Crab may very well come to you and beg for your help. You will have to make the hard choice, be objective an Empress as possible for the good of the Empire. You may very well have to tell your old family 'no.' That is only one manner of being prepared for what you will face if you become Empress."
She closed her eyes. "I have a great manner of control, but I must wield that control in a responsible manner. Bequeath it when the time is right. This type of life is far from easy. It is not I would casually wish upon anyone."
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Post by Kuni Hinata on Mar 21, 2018 11:35:09 GMT -5
Hinata nodded. She could understand what Ayameko meant. The Empress had to serve the entire Empire, not just one clan. Thinking of it that way, it seemed a greater foe to face than any Oni. Luckily, Hinata was never one to back down from something just because it seemed daunting.
"I see. Well, it is fortunate that looking at something objectively is something I am good at."
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Post by Iweko Yoshinobu on Mar 21, 2018 14:59:39 GMT -5
"I see," Ayameko said, pouring herself some more shochu. She waited for a moment in silence before continuing.
"What if what was best for the Empire was for you not to marry my son? To turn your back on him and return to your clan, forget about everything you have felt up to this point. Would you do so without hesitation?" The Empress studied her closely with that one eye, which almost seemed to bore into the Kuni's very soul.
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