As the sun sets on Asakaze proper, Shoan makes her way to the roof of the Wisteria Inn carrying a small bundle. Dodging groups of samurai returning from their first day at the miai she slides open the rooftop door despite its rusted protests.

As the city below begins to slowly quiet she finds a wide air conditioning duct and careful lays down a battered mat before jumping up on it, her legs dangling off the edge. With practiced ease the Lion reaches back into her bundle and extracts a bottle of cheap sake before pouring herself a glass.

Sip
"Well...this tastes like varnish."
Sip

Nozomi walked up to the roof with densai in hand. She peeked outside and then smiled faintly. "Couldn't sleep either?" She stepped more fully out and then shrugged. "I'm here to read but we can chat if you'd like."

Shoan hurriedly swings off her duct and bows respectfully to Nozomi. You could rarely be too polite to a Kitsu.
"Kitsu-san, I apologise, if you would prefer some peace and quiet I can go elsewhere."
She shuffles a foot sideways to try and block the view of the sake bottle
"I am Shoan of the Murame who serve the Ikoma, I am honoured to make your acquaintance and if necessary can guard you while you read or engage in conversation."

"Oh. You are very diligent," the Kitsu commented out loud, embarrassment rife in her tone. She straightened out and bowed back to her fellow Lion. "And in doing so, you do me great honor," she squeaked, "I am Kitsu Nozomi. I suppose I don't need to add the 'priestess of the Lion' part with you."

She glanced towards the night sky. Strange how different the night could be from place to place. "I wouldn't want to be the cause of your departure. Stay until you become sick of my company," she concluded with a warm smile.

Her lips turned a bit pensive. "It'd be nice to talk with someone whom I don't have to 'court,' so to speak. Wouldn't serve our lords much purpose if we married each other, now would it?"

"I would never dream myself worthy of marrying a priestess." Shoan appeared to live in some parallel world where nobody at the miai was up to lion standards and yet they were all better candidates for marriage than her.

Softening her On slightly, clearly feeling more relaxed around a clan mate
"I agree regarding the courting, I have found this first day....exhausting. It is difficult maintaining one's honour while also attempting to seem....personable. I am sure you have had greater success than I"
A slight pause
"Although I have some sake, although it is not good sake, were it not rude to our hosts I would describe it as terrible sake."

"Oh?" Her brow furrowed; she could not remember a single other shugenja here. "Have you met any others here?"

Nozomi peered at her fellow Lion, clearly pensive. She then closed her eyes and smirked. "The prospects of marriage are daunting too. The Crab and Unicorn can be rough to be around. The Crane as well, in another way, not to mention the whole history between us."

"I have seen one or two other shugenja, a phoenix and a minor clans samurai...not that either of them seemed particularly worth of your attention Kitsu-san."
Shoan steps to the side and carefully dusts off the mat she had been perched on and offers it to Nozomi

"I have spoken at length with two Unicorn....it was an experience, although not wholly unpleasant. The Crane have been-" her face slightly flushes, it must be the sake "-Quite courteous in my dealings with them today."

"Hm. I have no issue with your sentiment," Nozomi stated, rather formally for her usual tone. Minor Clans were certainly not worth her time but the Phoenix were pleasant enough. But politics were politics.

She took the seat as offered and then smiled. "Thank you. Which Unicorn did you meet? Perhaps one is a temporary roommate of mine."

A laugh escaped her, one that was certainly judgmental. "The Crane will always be pleasant. Be careful not to let that blind you," she said, almost as if warning herself.

"I have spoken with Shinjo-Yul-san and Utaku Hyeon-ju-sama. Both seemed very respectable bushi, and had other charms."
Settling herself next to Nozomi and pouring the Kitsu a cup but not foistering it upon the shugenja
"The Crane are certainly....not wholly unattractive. But I will head your warnings. Appearances are nice but they can be a facade."

"Oh. I remember the Shinjo. He is," she trailed off, trying to find the right words. Then she shook her head. "He is popular, from what I have seen."

Nozomi nodded. "I remind myself to not fall for their ways."

Shoan nods, looking ever so slightly disappointed. It seemed every woman that Yul met either disliked him, or liked him with the caveat that they also disliked him.

"He is handsome, skilled and has a ready smile, those are a good combination on first impressions. I am impressed with your diligence Kitsu-san. Many young samurai, and a few older ones, end up lured in by physical charms."

The Kitsu looked away, seemingly towards the rest of the city. A faint smile crept up on her lips and then she nodded. "Oh I do my best! There's also a difference between romantic interest and marriage. Goodness, is there ever!"

"Quite right. There is no reason samurai should be able to act properly in both cases."
Her forehead creases slightly
"Or try to....trying is a good start. A samurai does not have to be attractive or witty or even kind to be a good marriage prospect, after all."
There's a slight pause and then Shoan slowly lifts a sake cup to her lips and politely chugs the whole thing

"Trying, actually doing, those are often based on perspective when it comes to social matters. Prayers and fighting are much simpler," Nozomi suggested. She eyed the sake imbibing and then nodded, a faint smile on her lips. "And a good marriage candidate might be those things too! That's the exciting part about these miai."

"It is certainly exciting Kitsu-san, no disagreement there....."
Sounding almost apologetic
"I did actually get another samurai's number today, but then I have to balance that against reminding one kindly phoenix of his family's death and just botching what should have been an easy conversation with a young Crane. I think I preferred the excitement of active deployment."

"There's a saying that courtly affairs are just as deadly as a battlefield. I'm not sure how much I agree with it, though." Nozomi shrugged. "I wouldn't dwell too much on the Crane. And the Phoenix, well, that's rough." She almost added 'buddy' to the end but she barely knew this Ikoma! Plus it wasn't that bad. Didn't warrant the 'buddy' quite yet to make Shoan feel better.

"It was not ideal, but it would be arrogant to believe I would simply arrive on Asakaze and succeed immediately. Nothing worth having comes easily."
....Did that mean she should delete Doji-san's number? Had it come easily?....That would require reflection either.

"Please, do not let me drag your mood down Kitsu-san."
This type of small talk was easy.
"You must be reading something interesting?"

"There must be some who succeed immediately. But perhaps that is a curse in itself that ruins finding other opportunities," Nozomi mused, rubbing her chin in thought.

She looked to her densai and kept it close to heart. "Oh it's nothing I would chat with you about. Not because of anything you did wrong, just... it's for me."

"Oh."
Shoan nods gravely, even the most honourable samurai have something on their densai that wasn't for public consumption.

"I understand Kitsu-san, I hope there might be someone at the miai who you can share it with one day. I have been reading Akodo Sekawa's 19th century treatise on the virtue of sincerity. It has much to say, although given Akodo-sama was executed for insulting the Hiruma Daimyo, the work remained in complete."
Shoan's eyes light up as it looks like she's about to get going....but presumably the last thing a Kitsu wanted at night was a lecture on bushido.

"...But I have also been reading a more lowbrow series called 'Furasshuman' where the protagonist, an unorthodox young Matsu, adventures across a frontier world full of gaijin tribesmen. It is an....unorthodox book, but it seems difficult to put down."

"Both sound like pleasant readings," Nozomi mused. She then perked her eyebrow. "Do you read often then?"