“Of course. It’s hardly our fault. I know I have pursued several matches, you have pursued several matches. Perhaps less and less samurai live up to the standards a Lion samurai requires?”

Shoan continues to look slightly downcast
“I mean, it still may very well not happy. You have Utaku-san and I have....”
Pause
“The will to keep searching for other possible matches.”

"Yes, it would be a shame to lose us both to unworthy clans," Nozomi added. "I suppose you could speak with the Iuchi? Or so could I? But I did find it odd that he had been in the hospital for so long. Who's to know if this is a recurring thing?"

"Indeed, I would make a poor Spider I think, black is not my colour."

Cocking her head slightly
"There's an Iuchi? was he injured?" dropping her voice slightly "Did he....eat the ikebana?"

Nozomi shook her head. "I don't think he was present to even do that. He hadn't been there to ride the otori either." She took off her glasses and sighed. "It's just very unusual. I'd be wary about marrying someone who might be hospitalized on a regular basis."

"It would complicate things, and of course, he cannot be directly asked."
Still, as much as Shoan dreaded the thought of marrying some nobody, or worse, a Spider, she was dutiful to her core.

"Would you like me to uh, 'wingman' you in a conversation with him? I could be the blunt honest bushi and investigate more directly, making you look better by comparison."
Crossing her arms
"Last time I tried something like that the man in question ran away, but I have become more friendly since then."

"Oh, no, no, I didn't find myself particularly interested. I was mainly thinking that maybe you would, particularly if it works with Hyeon-ju and I," Nozomi spoke on and on. She replaced her glasses and shrugged. "I should have asked Yul to 'wingmate' for me on it. I had to heal him after he, well, had an adventure with someone else."

Shoan gives Nozomi a look for a few long moments

"Well, whatever he gets up to in his own time is none of my business, but this is why it is important to use protection."
Some people's Shinjo

"Well, I could go seek him out...is he staying at the inn? There can't be that many Iuchi around."

"Use protection?" Nozomi asked, blushing a bit. "I didn't mean that, unless you mean like a shield for the craft?! Yes, I think that's what you meant, sorry, my, um... oh dear."

She shook her head. "Yes, I think he is, but I don't remember exactly."

"A shield? For the craft?"
Was that the euphemism now?...Shoan could actually see pilots referring to it as 'the craft', yes, that checked out.

"As you say, it was good of you to assist him, I know it could have been difficult."

The Iuchi info also checked out, although it meant he probably wasn't very wealth. Then again, Shoan had mixed success with wealthy samurai.
"I will make sure to seek him out. If we both match with a unicorn then all would be well, if only one of us....."
Another frown

"That will be well too, you would make a good pairing and I will make do on my own."

Nozomi sealed her lips on the matter of Yul. Literally, in fact, with a line drawn over them with her finger followed by a classic awkward smile.

"His clan mates must know better than I. As for your conclusion, there's always the case that you woo the Iuchi and Hyeon-ju is, well, not available for me. In that case, I'm not sure what I should do..."

Ah, Nozomi was being so discreet about Yul too. The pilot was lucky, had he been treated for his 'craft' injuries by another shugenja the gossip would have spread city wide.

"Oh...but....You are a very solid marriage prospect Kitsu-san. You have intelligence, character, many favorable physical attributes and an ability to speak with the spirits....it's much more likely I would be the one without, having none of those things."

Nozomi smiled and looked away, shrinking back a tad bit. "Well," she said, "if something were to happen for Hyeon-ju like it did for Yul, then I think I would lose my opportunity. Adventures seem to make that sort of thing happen."

Shoan rubs her temple. Wait, were all the unicorn engaging in premarital relations? At least Nozomi seemed to have their measure and wasn't going to just accept philandering.

"Agreed. While that is clearly a risk we must trust her character is better than that. And perhaps if Utaku-san is the sort of samurai who that would happen to....she was not an ideal match for you."

"Exactly, she would not be an ideal match. And if she were to fall-through on my part, then I need to have another plan," Nozomi said, bringing the conversation back. The fact that she had caused her to gulp. "What I'm trying to talk about is that if you find someone else and if things don't work with her and me for some reason... I don't know what to do."

She sighed and covered her face. "But I should be worried about what you should do too if the Iuchi isn't a good fit for you."

Shoan is quite for a few long moments, the silence stretching out longer and longer despite the sound of the market around them. Finally, once it has become excruciating, she makes up her mind with the same simple straightforward dedication she lives her life by.

"You don't need to be concerned Kitsu-san."
Simply "If it does not work out and there is not an appropriate match for you; I will worry marry you, make you my wife, and make you a happy woman who can be proud of their spouse as I will be of mine."
She nods to herself.
"Even if I have found someone else, if there is any danger of you being left alone or being forced into an inappropriate match, I will not let it happen."

Nozomi stood there, doing her best not to quiver in her shoes as she listened to Shoan's declaration. By the end of it, she was quite pale. "Thank you," she muttered.

She took a step back. "Could I excuse myself please?" she pleaded, clearly ready to get more running in despite not being dressed in her athletic wear like a couple days prior.

Blink blink. Shoan was beginning to worry anyone she confessed any affection for seemed to start running away immediately.

"Oh, um, of course. You're probably quite busy."
Shoan bows politely and preemptively, in case the Kitsu headed for the hills before she could

"Good fortune with...everything I guess. I...hope I was not too honest just then."

"No, I'm actually quite free in terms of actual commitments," Nozomi stammered. She shook her head profusely. "You did nothing wrong. It's me, um, wanting to be alone to process how I'm feeling by myself." The priestess bowed deeply. "That's all, yes." She weaved back up. "You're great. Very great."

"...Um, you're great too. I understand wanting to be alone, I can just sort of-"
She points off into the market

"-Go that way, and you could go anywhere else in the city and I wouldn't be there and it would be normal and we'd both be alone processing our thoughts. Not...not that I want to be alone, but I don't not want to think about it, so I can do either."

"And I will go that way," Nozomi said, pointing in the opposite direction. "You can want to think by yourself too. We can both do that, want the same thing. Yes, yes."

She gave another bow before making her escape with a bit of a fast walk. But she did not get too far before looking back to Shoan to make sure there wasn't a word missed.