"Can all or some of these unbalances be measured? Like, would be able to cast a spell on me, or put me in a machine, or something, and determine if there's something wrong with my mind?

And can these unbalances be balanced again, in part or in full?"

"Haven't gone that far in yet." She shrugged. "I suppose so... we should have made many medical advances, like your craft arm. I wonder if there is a clan that have such machine to study the mind rather than the body." She looked up at the Hida. "You haven't answered my question Hida san." She closed the book.

"I wouldn't be surprised if the Kuni had such a thing, at least as a prototype, in one of their laboratories. And probably also the Spi... My interests you say?

Well, I'm kind of a party girl. I also love to ride my bike, especially at night. Outside that, my duty occupies most of my days: Fighting and sharpening my mind and my body for the next fight. I'm reading the classics of warfare at the moment. I'm at one third of Leadership right now."

"Do you think you'll be joining the Lion or a Lion be joining you?" Her eyes grew wide in surprise to what she had just ask. "Etoooo... I mean it is a Miai... has a Lion capture your eye? Or you just reading Leadership for tactical advise?"

"I'm quite neutral about the clan of my spouse as long as it is not Spider. My readings of the moment are more of a part of my grandpa's plan to have me climb the ranks of the military quickly. As he would say With that head of yours, for you to become a general in ten or twenty years, you need to start studying now.

He also had me take classes in public speech and the other things a general should apparently be good at... But I've proven to be terrible at both go and shogi. Too abstract for me."

"Your ancestry then... sounds tough. One must respect what our ancestors want but never give in easily. One should be oneself as well and pursue the what one wants." She chuckled sheepishly. "It is not easy to try and follow such path Hida san."

"Grandpa is definitely overbearing at times... But open rebellion isn't a good plan. My cousin Jonouchi tried that, and guess who ended up as an eternal junior manager at the toxic waste disposal section of Aoishi Industries?

My best shot at contesting his authority is for me to make a name of my own. And, at the moment, ranking up in the military does seem the best way to achieve that. So I'm kind of stuck playing his game.

Of course, a good marriage, in a family that could talk with grandpa on equal ground, would also be a solution. But arranging that is a challenge of its own.

Oh, and I may have done a few things that my grandpa wouldn't approve of regardess... Cause one should be oneself as you said.

But that's enough talk about me. What about your own family?"

"Well there isn't much to tell. My mother and father were always traveling with the fleets. Not really caring for me... I noticed that when I got my surgery... and then when I was left to my whim in Starnest." She sighed. "I found refuge in books and reading holoslates. Having this knowledge lead me into comunications... talking to people... even if it doesn't come that naturally to me."

"... Moshi-san, come closer please."

The Moshi moved next to the Hida a bit cautious not to bother Kyoko's work. "Hai... what is it Hida san?"

Akemi suddenly caught her with her flesh arm and hugged her against her sitting and still tied-up body. Kyoko raised her eyes internally but kept silence and a straight face.

"It's going to be okay. You're going to find a nice spouse that will share your interests... And take the time to be with you... And respect when you want to talk... And when you don't want to."

She released her and grimaced:

"Not me obviously. I'm far too chatty and impulsive for that. Sorry."

Atena froze at the action of the Hida. "Eh... Etoo... anoo... I... I.. I think you have better chances than me Hida san. You are... outgoing and brave and really caring. You are really nice... even if you really behave like a fan girl... no offense."

"None taken. Hey, as long as we're not competing for the same spouse, my own chances shouldn't mess with yours. So please focus on getting yourself a good partner okay?

Actually, didn't you tell me you've already met a great guy previously?"

"Ah... Hai... Kuchiki... san." She blushed. "He... he is a great guy... I don't really know if he is interested in me."

Akemi did her best at hiding the impulse that went through her when a Spider family name was dropped. Kyoko had more or less given up on getting anything done by this point.

"Kuchiki... Satoru? The tall medic with the glasses?

Why wouldn't he be interested in you? Traditionally, Spider have always been interested in taking in shugenja."

"Tsugiharu san... he is a medic...hai." She lowered her head. "Do you think that... they just want me for my abilities to talk to the kami?" She frowned.

Damn, they brought in not one by two necromancers?

"The Spider Clan? Definitely. Tsugiharu himself? No idea.

I mean... The Spider is bad. But that does not mean everyone within the Spider is bad."

Akemi's inner self was pulling a lot of faces but she was doing her best to keep a straight one while talking to the Mantis:

"Though, if he is one of the few good ones, might do him a favor by having him marry into the Mantis as opposed to the other way around."

"I... guess..." She sighed. "I don't really know if... I am of sincere interest or just being puppeteer... you know... people and masks."

"Do you think he would be happy with you? Do you think you would be happy with him?"

"I... I think so..." She blushed. "Any prospects on your side?"