Hayato took a long drag from his cigarette, it was getting late and sleep eluded him. Not that he was surprised tomorrow would be his last day here, and held one of the biggests decisions he would likely ever make. It would shape his future in so many ways, and while he was mostly sure of the path he would take doubt still tugged at the edges of his mind.

Exhaling slowly, he picked up the can of beer from where he had set it aside and took a sip. Not that dwelling on it would matter much. Taking a seat on the cooler that was doubling as his chair he pulled a single piece of paper out of the folder he kept most of his supply in and started folding it. He wasn;t sure what he was going t make, whatever it was though it would be beautiful.

Nozomi wandered onto the roof with her hair completely loose. Clearly, from the looks of it, she was not expecting anyone there. Nor was she particularly restful.

"Oh, hey, long time no see," she said as a warm welcome. "Thank you for the dinner. It means a lot to both of us."

Hayato placed aside the piece of origami he was working on and rose to his feet to offer the lion a bow. Though he did have to pluck the cigarette from his lips on the way to make sure it didn't fall out.

"I'm happy it came to went to good use." He offered with a warm smile. "And I'm glad to hear you two seemed to have a good time."

"We did, even if my sour mood ruined parts of it," Nozomi admitted. "I wish I could have used it better."

She glanced at the origami piece and raised a brow. "Still working on that stuff from the festival? Or are you more of an artist than I took you for?" she asked, followed by a small giggle.

"As long as you were together, I am sure your partner was more then pleased. Which is all that really matters isn't it?" He replied with a easy smile before picking up his can of beer and taking a sip? "Beer?" He asked, motioning to the cooler.

Glancing at the half finished piece of origami he smiled slightly. "I am a practitioner of the feminine arts in my spar time if that's what you're looking for. Ikoma-san, never mentioned it?"

"She did seem rather pleased," Nozomi said, her fingers going to her lips for a brief moment. She glanced at the beer and then shook her head. "I don't touch the stuff. Funny how that hasn't really come up yet with you."

The priestess peered at the origami piece and then smiled faintly. "I don't have much knowledge in that sort of stuff. All I can say is that it looks nice so far." She then looked to its creator and smirked. "Yeah? I guess it is rather feminine. But it's not like that's forbidden. Balance in all things, including the masculine and feminine, right?"

She massaged her chin. "But how do mirror marriages factor into this? Hm..."

Hayato spotted the movement and a rather self satisfied smirk made its way onto his lips. Way to go Shoan. "I guess that just leaves more then me then." A careful eye might spot that he had likely had a few already, just not up here.

"Honestly I don't give to much attention to what masculine and feminine. A bushi is a bushi no matter what extra bits they might have." His cigarette was brought to his lips and he took a drag. "How those rolls will fall in a mirror marriage is up to you. You've both got good heads on your shoulders. I'm sure you can find who suits each task best."

"I mean, Shoan-san already wants to be a poet."

"Yes, but not so much that you drink yourself sick. It wouldn't be a good look to show up hungover." She gave him a wink, exaggerated because she really did lack subtle charm. "And it would be difficult for me to prepare for the ceremony and take care of you."

Nozomi blushed and pushed up her glasses. "Ah, well, I was just thinking about the philosophy in general, you know? Like it used to be that a man and a woman would balance each other out." She furrowed her brow. "I guess times often change, huh?"

She smiled warmly. "Tonight was good practice for her then. I don't understand why the monks weren't impressed with Lion customs though..."

"Oh, it's not my first time Kitsu-san." Hayato offered with a soft smile. "As long as I can tumble down the stairs and into my bed for a solid six hours a pot of coffee and a shower will fix me right up." Not that he intended to drink that much.

"Yeah, back in those times there really weren't even mirror matches to consider." He flciked the end of his cigarette sending the ashes scattering. "That's just one thing that changed too, I imagine there are others that we hardly even notice.

The last part caused him to raise an eyebrow. "Lion customs?"

"So if I were to hear a strange noise coming from the stairway, I should not be concerned?" Nozomi asked with a big grin.

She shrugged. "Perhaps that is why my clan's founder did not place much faith in the Tao. If it was so wise, how could it not predict this may happen?"

The priestess nodded enthusiastically. "For the ritual for tonight's tanabata. There's a particular way to prepare the ink and paper..." she trailed off. "It's not something you need to know the details of as a non-priest!"

"Only if it's followed by a sharp cry." He repleid with a wry smile. "It might mean I broke a leg, at that point i might need a touch of assistance."

"Maybe? I'm not the most religous man though, so I couldn't say either way." He believed in luck a bit more then her likely should though. "I'll trust you on that then he offered simply at her final comment."

This was followed by a pause as he looked in her direction. "You should take Shoan-san dancing you know."

"At that point, I imagine you'd have plenty of helpers." Nozomi smirked. "How many suitors have you picked up at this point? Surely you've had better luck since our last conversation."

She blinked. "You mean that dancing compatibility game that we did at the arcade?"

"A few, two are the number that come to the forefront of my mind." Hayato offered after a moment. "Though I should probably count the number close to five or six. Even if some of those matches are never meant to be."

He smirked at the question. "That or the normal kind. Though I think she would like to get a set of pins with you."

"Five or six? You certainly have been busy," she smiled. "It's not fair, you know, for me to be in the dark when you know all about my dealings. Or is that how your clan gets such great deals?"

Nozomi smirked. "Indeed, in some ways you seem to know her better than me. But... I suppose that makes sense in a way. It can be hard to speak such things directly."

"Wanting names?" He asked with a small smile. "I've mentioned a few of them to Shoan. Doji Ichika-san as well as Daidoji Ishiyo-san." He fought down the urge to grimace, the later name caused a bit of pain.

"I suppose I should add to the list Bayushi Tenma-san, as well as one other Utaku Hyeon-ju-san." He offered the Lion a smile. "I suppose you could likely guess the other one or two, where things won't work at all." He added his tone teasing.

Hayato nodded at her words. "Yes it can, I admit that I have the advantage in being a bit more direct then some others."

Nozomi nodded along to the names. "Two Crane women, hm? I can't say I know either of them too well, though the latter is my roommate." She smiled and dipped her head. "Looks like you might strengthen that alliance of yours after all, hm?"

She raised a brow and then nodded. "I believe those two are spoken for. Though in Hyeon-ju's case, I can certainly see why she caught your eye." Then her cheeks flushed a bit. "Yes, I think I have an idea for the other 'one or two.' Sometimes things just wouldn't work though."

"That was the plan." Hayato offered with a simple nod, though if there was anything special about the was he didn't bring any attention to it

Emptying his beer can he reached into the cooler for another. "Yes, we've spoken at length a few times over the miai, and she us quite the admirable woman. Any who married her could be nothing less then pleased." It wasn't Hayato's right to speak about this matter in depth to Nozomi not yet. "As for Bayushi-san, I thought that was likely the case. It never hurts to have options though."

He smirked. "Still glad to hear we see eye to eye on the thing at the end there."

"Truth be told, I had some interest in her as well," she said in regards to Hyeon-ju. "Wouldn't mind it if, for some reason, it had to be. But... you know."

Nozomi blushed at that and the 'one' or 'two' subject matter. "Yeah. I guess we are."

"Yeah, I know." He agreed with a smile, not at all surprised by the fact that Nozomi was interested in the Utaku it was hard not to be.

He chuckled slightly and looked away from the Lion. "I should probably stop trying to make you blush Kitsu-san. You're cute when you do so, and I might be tempted to try and feed you some kind of line."

That was a line wasn't it? Fuck. Maybe Shoan was right about him.

"That's a line in itself," she replied with a lot of self-restraint. Nozomi was certainly the sort to know that. She then began to laugh. "I think Shoan could work on that more herself... not that she needed to with me."