"I don't get much news on the front, so maybe I'm behind a great deal. What Ide mission are you talking about?" He seemed confused and curious.

Though he had to agree with the problem of external threats.

"The ship built by the Unicorn that is heading to explore new space with alien life. They held trials among all clans to be part of the mission over a year ago. I'm not positive what the current status is, but they will be heading into unexplored space outside the empire's boundaries," he explains.

"Sounds like last month to me", he said with a shrug. "But good luck to them, hope they packed enough munitions."

"I hope they did too. And did their homework on the beings they'll meet out there. If we're lucky then war won't be necessary," he says with a nod. "But that doesn't seem to be how things generally work out when the empire meets external forces."

"As a Spider I have to agree", he said and knelt down to the flower Michiya had been looking at. He fitted his sunglasses and stared for a while, watching the overlay of color, it really was something. he wondered what it was like in other places, UV light was everywhere, after all.

"I'm not surprised I didn't know anything about this though. You know who they're going off to meet?"

"Not really. One of their kind visited the Imperial winter court, but I don't really know much beyond that. There were no stories of assassination attempts or terrible disagreements that made it to the general public though, so at the very least it probably went well enough. But one person does not represent the mindset of a whole group of people. So no telling what will happen I guess."

He'd say it was exciting, but that would be careless given his duty.

"Sounds like the Spider will be busy with that", he said scratching the back of his head again. "Eventually."

He didn't mind spitting on the idea of the idea that some asshole's honor had to be satisfied and that it'd cost thousands of lives and billions in materiel. Wars between the clans were a waste. Not like he could say that to Michiya.

Maybe if he got to know him a little better.

"Anyway, Hanako-san", he changed the subject. "This being a miai I'd like to ask you...well, aside the obvious of whatever serves duty and family, what are you after here? Just the experiences to bring back with you like you said earlier?"

"No, the experience is just a bonus. My father wanted me to get married soonest and so that was the directive that brought me here. But what I am looking for is a partner to share in my duty and service, and to create a connection to a clan that will allow me to serve in an ambassadorial role more effectively with one of the clans on behalf of the Sepppun. It would be nice if I had at least a friendship with whoever I end up with in the end, which I think is a manageable goal. That was how my parents began their relationship, as friends, and I've seen how well that can turn out," he explains.

"It wouldn't hurt to make connections and friends among the different families and clans as well. I guess I'm at this event with a pragmatic outlook."

"Sounds nice, I'm also here making friends", he admitted. "I don't get out much. The army keeps me busy. Contrary to what some might think, I'm not much of a social person. I'm just turning it on while I'm here, but it's a bit tiring."

"Though this chat so far's been pretty easy", He shrugged.

"But what you said, being an ambassador? What would that entail? I mean, say you married Kitsune-san or myself, would you still even be able to do that how you envisioned?"

"I mean, it would just be different. I'd likely just do so on behalf of your clan to whoever you need. It's not like I'd suddenly become trained in combat or be able to speak to the kami," he said with a chuckle. "Often times when an Imperial trained as a courtier marries into one of the clans they end up representing that clan to the Imperials families or maintaining the household of whoever they marry. Either way I'll still be trained as a courtier."

He understood. Though Shokomaru didn't have quite a feel for how much Michiya wanted to continue serving his family, given they had a job for him, he felt that the Hanako had probably given it real thought.

He honestly didn't know what he'd do in someone else's clan. He doubted he'd be put in charge of soldoers, in any case.

"Yeah, I guess just different." He kept walking. "I smell a pond, must be up ahead."

"So what service have you been doing for your clan thus far? Assuming it's not a clan secret, but even if it were I'm sure they'd give a cover story for what you do," he asks with a bit of amusement at that thought. The Spider were not the most open clan even among many clans that liked to keep their inner workings from public view.

"I lead the 5th company of the 9th Obsidian legion", he said. "We're a mounted infantry unit, not the easiest job, but I'm looking to move up when I'm ready."

He kept leading the way, following his nose.

"So mostly I tell a bunch of meatheads what to do, then write formal letters when they die."

"That seems like a pretty rough thing to have to do on a regular basis, writing letters to families of the dead. Important and honorable work, but definitely not pleasant," Michiya replies. "Especially when it's folks that you work with regularly I imagine."

He walked around a small winding path as Michiya answered, nodding along.

"Yeah, lucky it's only been a few times, Spider have a way of mourning, though. Just like anyone else we don't take death that lightly, but showing strength is too important to indulge in it."

He stood before a small pond indeed. The water bubbled slightly, like it was coming from the ground. Not hot like a spring, but it kept it moving and free of stagnation.

"This is interesting. Feels cool too, I think I found my spot", he hunkered down and looked to see if there were any wild life in the water flitting about.

Michiya put his glasses on for a moment to see if there was any UV light coming from the water or the plants at it's edges. Just a bit from some reed like plants on the other end of the pool, but nothing else in the immediate pond. He doesn't sit, instead standing at the water's edge and inspecting the pond, removing the glasses.

"The Seppun are very formal and traditional about death. My granfather retired to a monastery so whenever he passes it will be according to the temple's rites, but my grandmother passed when I was young. I remember the sea of white in attendance. She was the daimyo of the family so we had many visitors and all of the Hanako present. It was very stately, no excessive celebration or mourning. We had a traditional pyre with real wood along with stories and religious ritual. It's odd to say it was nice, but it was. Even the previous Seppun daimyo attended with his family and I got to meet them as it was that level of formal affair. At that point I was considered the heir of the Hanako, so he imparted words of wisdom for success and hoped that I would have a close relationship with Seppun Akagi-dono. That never really happened though."

That was a bit of a story.

He wondered if he could ask about how that felt. Growing up thinking one thing, now stuck in another. Michiya had a pretty stead On so he couldn't quite peg what the Hanako thought of it.

"That must have been an experience, I've only ever seen Imperials and heard them speak. You're the first I've ever had the honor of." He sighed a little, not finding any fishies yet.

"But I get what you mean about the funeral. I mean, she was your grandmother, and death is only taking her to a better place."

"It's the cycle," he says with a nod. "Though death can sometimes just take you to a different place rather than a better one. It's difficult to know if someone ended up in yomi or reincarnated," he said with a slight shrug.

"What's your family like, if you don't mind me asking?"

"My parents are semi-retired, my father passed down everything to me already, but hasn't entered a monastery yet. His line goes back a long, long way, to the first commander of the Legion I serve in. My mother is a second generation Spider, she was a Susumu before marrying my father. They get along, but it's hardly what you'd expect of people who care about each other", he shrugged, leaning his arms on his knees as he squatted in front of the pond, resting his chin atop them. "I have a sister in the dojo, she's a bit sharper than me, I think. She'll do fine. My younger brother is still at home. Likely my parents will fully retire when he goes to train."

He shrugged a bit.

"They're good samurai and children of samurai. I think I get along best with my sister, but honestly because of the age difference I don't know my brother that well."

Family life can be tough. He could honestly say he liked them, but maybe that was too much. He worried about his parents a little. His mother wasn't really that old, his father was ten years her senior, and life in the army hadn't been kind to his health. Sadly, he learned later that his father was one of the lucky ones.

"Maintaining your family and household can be difficult from what I've seen. A lot of work goes into it. I imagine that there is a certain amount of relief that folks feel when they considering the prospect of retiring after many years of service, so I wish your father peace when he decides to take up monastic life."

"A miai is kind of a wild card though, particularly for samurai that already have relatively important positions. It can throw kinks into plans. It's just as unlikely for you to be married out here as it is for me, but you never really know with certainty, not like with arranged or mutually agreed upon marriages."