"hmm. I suppose I have to grant that's appropriate, even if a Mantis said it," she says in perhaps the driest tone Shoan's ever heard the generally cheerful Osprey utter in their short acquaintance.

"But yeah, I can't really fault the impulse to explain those things. I doubt we'd know as much about the kami and the heavens and all the realms without that impulse."

She grins a bit at the...pun? Joke? "heh, they probably do. I'm shockingly deficient in my study of the Tao, so I might have to ask someone more knowledgeable sometime." She's actually pretty amused at the thought of that potential conversation.

"Not all the Mantis are terrible just....well, not all of them."
About as far as any Lion could go on that matter

"As for the Tao...I hear it's alright. One or two famous people were involved in its creation if I recall correctly."
Looking slightly amused
"You should speak to the Phoenix about it inbetween all the...well, chaos and mushrooms on Asakaze."

"mmm. Can't all be pirates, I guess. I've even met a few Spider who have reminded me that an individual is not their clan, and perhaps they are not born blighted monsters, even if some might become so."

The pen and writing materials are packed carefully away. "I mean, there's a lot of famous people over the centuries, hard to keep up with *everything* important. The Fortunes are so much more relatable, honestly. But maybe there are some Phoenix who can enlighten me on the topic _after_ the chaos and evil mushrooms. Only so many hours in the day."

"There'll be a few of them hopefully averting some chaos. Less likely to all get yelled at by the authorities for pointing out those minor problems that way and all."

"I suppose the fortunes do have names and apperances. It's much easier to relate to that then a really long treatise on what it means to live a good life."

Shoan shakes her head before frowning slightly
"Wait, has someone yelled at you for pointing out minor problems?"
That was the Lion Clan's job!

"Hmm..I was warned kind of pointedly about spreading malicious rumors about.." she waves vaguely at the imaginary pile of stuff going on, "the chaos and things. Inciting unrest or something legal like that." Mumei looks unimpressed by that analysis of her activities.

"Along with a warning that it's dangerous outside the city." Which hasn't exactly kept her from going there so far.

"Is that why so many people turn to the Tao when the retire. Trying to look back and see...how they measured up? Maybe trying to finish with more peace before they're done?" Mumei shakes her head. "I guess...it's always been enough to try bringing the kami and little fortunes and everyone into as much harmony as I can."

Shoan's brow radiates disapproval towards the Phoenix. If they didn't want people warning them about the end of the world then they should keep their various evil cults to a minimum. Of course, where there were Isawa, there were evil cults.

"Bringing harmony into the world is a noble goal, I don't think anyone would gainsay you for not bringing the Tao into things, my Clan certainly would not. Now, we would probably not do it via dance so much but....we all have our methods and dancing is good exercise."

"it is. I'd miss it in more ways than one if I couldn't practice regularly. Had one haul on a boat with a fritzy gravity unit. Did all I could and still felt like I was walking on half-cooked noodles when I finished that trip."

Head tilted, she asks. "So how do you bring harmony into the world? Because I think most of us do in some fashion."

"I uh....this...this won't sound good but. So you bring people together and help them understand the spirits, right? I sort of....do the opposite. Sometimes there are people and creatures which create discord and I suppose someone has to take care of that...and that's me."

Almost embarassed
"It would be nice to create more things, but if someone has to be destroying then I suppose I'm as good a samurai as any."

Mumei shrugs with a small smile. "It's not an unexpected answer, honestly. Even with spirits, sometimes the solution is to send them all away so those that find their way into the space afterward have no memory of whatever created discord among the spirits of a place."

She doesn't know about the expansive danger room designs to comment on the Lion's creative capabilities. "Destruction has a place in the order of things too. So yeah, if that is the task you're set this time around, it makes sense to be as good at it as possible."

"Well, I do not wish to be argument but...I am...not unskilled at shooting things until they stop moving. Some of us sway holds worlds with their words. Other work with the spirits...and I have a rifle. Everyone in their place."
Shaking her head ruefully

"It makes me feel a little..inadequate next to Nozomi-san."

Her eyebrows lift a bit. "Why? There's as much honor to it, and certainly more glory possible. At least...a shugenja's glory tends to be kind of niche. Like... other shugenja getting excited to learn you're the one who published that article on ways to improve NavCom efficiency by point oh four percent or something."

"Which may actually describe my reaction to learning who one of Iuchi-sama's fathers is," she says with a wry smile.

"Does Kitsu-sama...I guess...give any sign she'd think you're not measuring up?"

"Wait, who is one of his father's?"
If this was another samurai who happened to be the son of a fabulously wealthy company owner...

"I...no, she is very sweet. If anything it's the other way around, she needs to build herself up more and others up less....Well until she gets fired up. Then...uh she's a little more intimidating than most actual soldiers I've served with."

"Iuchi Shono. I mean, he's _one_ of the authors on the paper, but also apparently descended from he line that was involved in developing the Opening the Way ritual in the first place," she shrugs. "I mean, I'm not sure how many people follow theoretical NavCom research, it's dry and academic if it's not your field. Ok it's a bit dry and academic, even if it is your field."

"But...ohhh." Mumei grins. "You two? So...probably good to know...that's kinda common with shugenja, yeah? Looong fuse, but terrifying once you're at the end of it."

"I'm sure NavCom research has its moments..I can't imagine them, but I am sure they are there."
Shoan was more than a little intimidated by kami science at that level

"Us two?...O-oh Us two...um....yes, probably...us two."
Oh was that something fascinating on the ground? Better look down there

"I hadn't realised this was a common shugenja trait...I'll try my best to not be on the other end of that fuse. Wait...."
Probably easier asking Mumei than Nozomi
"Um, just...apropos of nothing. Hypothetically, if one was raising a child who could speak to the spirits...that happens later, right? Usually a shugenja can't talk to them as a baby?"
Please let them not be able to be fire babies

"That's fantastic," the Osprey genuinely couldn't not be happy for anyone finding a heartfelt match here, not with her own resonating through everything while it was this new. "And..." she waggles her hand "most of us don't start hearing the kami or talking to them until we're a bit older and have a little human language in us. I'm told that actually speaking to people can come slow in the rare cases where infants are already hearing the spirits."

"But hooo kami, the tantrums."

"Oh no....kami tantrums? I have been thinking....fire proof curtains? Water proof carpets? Dirt resistant....everything?"

One hand covers the Osprey's mouth to keep from laughing aloud. "Oh, just abandon hope of dirt-proof anything, and that's without any kami-gifted younglings."

"But the rest...Usually not an issue. The kami react more strongly, but kids can't usually ask or order them to do anything directly. So, my tantrums made cups of water turbulent, but it wasn't enough to...like...affect the giant tanks of stored drinking water. It's just that the tantrums themselves are pretty impressive."

"Right...right that makes sense. Kitsu are strong with water too so we'll just use those cups with the kids that can't spill."
Safety first, especially for the kids

"I will just do my best to try and keep everyone calm..."
Pause
"It may take some work."

"Really? I've found you a rather calming influence. Granted, kids are...less reasonable."

"I like to think I am calm, although I am primarily measuring that against the Matsu. Much like a candle is cold next to a volcano."
A heavily armed volcano with a chip on its shoulder

"You seem to know a lot about children?"