Sisterhood of Smoke (D6, Early Eve, Black Elephant)

[Rixy]

"Still do my prayers, my practices. I do not want to go to the next cycle lazy at the last, or foolish, neh? Only thing is, using some of dower to enjoy the spare time I allow."

[Bayushi Hoshi]

"-Ah...Dower? You were married before Jada?" Hoshi asked in a quick curious moment, perhaps over the fact that the gaijin had some kind of cycle they went through too.

[Rixy]

"No, no. But parents saved to dower me when I got one, so I could have a high husband, maybe even one of a high House. Not worrying over that now. More interested in enjoying what time remains than husband I'll never have."

[Bayushi Hoshi]

"Oh, a...dowry?" Hoshi murmured when it became clearer to her, it wasn't meant to be a real question as it was clear to her anyway and also silly to dwell on something that was inconsequential to Jada's immediate future. "I hope some of that time is spent with Dato and Dada too. I haven't spoken too or know much of them, -ah except for the inconvenience of that evening. Were they your only family?"

[Rixy]

"Now. Dato is brother. Dada is Father's father. Mother died with Dato, Father killed in wars." The girl shrugged. "Not mattering now much, eh?"

[Bayushi Hoshi]

Hoshi sighed internally, she was only going be hitting patches of gloom is seems. She showed a faint smile. "You only have one brother? That sounds like a small family Jada, in my lands anyway. As for myself, I have 2 brothers and 1 sister. One is a bushi like myself and my two younger siblings are courtiers by duty."

[Rixy]

"Had another. Sister, older. Disowned for abandoning the family when I was small." Her brows furrowed. "Don't know why. What is this 'courtier'? "

[Bayushi Hoshi]

Hoshi merely gave Jada a glance at the mention of the sister but left the topic as is. "-Ah. You must have something of the like around here...A courtier is also a samurai but fit for another sort of duty where they're required in the courts and almost anywhere with politics. A courtier is one who both lives and fights with their words alone, which is a duty that my family also thrive strongly on."

[Rixy]

"Oh." Jada nodded. "Navaratnas is word here. Sounds boring to me."

[Bayushi Hoshi]

“Boring? You seem to be as good as your swordplay when it comes to managing people with words Jada. But...if only politics weren’t a whole other matter altogether ne? I have some skill in it but the viper tongues of my younger siblings are better suited to swim in those waters.”

[Rixy]

'Is not just politics...it is arguments of teachings." Jada grimaced. "Once, saw two Navaratnas argue for a whole session about poets of many years ago, of who has better works about cats. Cats!" The girl shook her head in bemused disgust. "Who cares who is better at describing shape of cat eye? Really!"

[Bayushi Hoshi]

Hoshi chuckled behind a hand. "That sounds like regular day to day business of a courtier too. So long there is an argument, someone will want to win it. No matter how pointless. You wouldn't want to witness what they call Sadane in our lands."

[Rixy]

"Sadane?" Jada rolled the word around. "Is fighting about stupid poetry, too?"

[Bayushi Hoshi]

"Close I think, it can be fighting about anything really. There's supposedly the illusion that you're both critiquing the same piece of art, but the reality is that words then to have a way of turning away from the subject at hand."

[Rixy]

"So is like here, to show how much more educated you are than other person?" She scowled. "Pah. Is why I do not contract to those who go to court."

[Bayushi Hoshi]

"More of the point to show that the other person is less educated really." Hoshi smiled faintly, never having played the game before but having view her share of matches. "I couldn't avoid it myself at times when I was stationed in the governor's court as a guard. There's been a few times when I was even the guest of one, which was harder. If not with those who balance the world in the comfort of Courts...who do you contract with your skills Jada?"

[Rixy]

"Brahmin. Ones who hold no Temple but who prefer to wander. They have no Defenders." The girl grinned. "Dada's friends, mostly. Sometimes caravans, in better days."

[Bayushi Hoshi]

"Brah-min?" Hoshi tried to pronounce. Now that she was feeling better and not hoped up on both adrenaline and opium, she did question where they drawn their strength from. It would be late to worry about maho (or worse) after she willingly took Dada's aid. "Your sutra chanters? It makes sense that many of them would need their own yojimbo if their talents are rare."

[Rixy]

"Yes, that is what we call those who's blood holds magic. Some, not able to spell. Still brahmin, for it is caste, of birth, but not casters. These often are Defenders of the Temple. They have powers, yes, but are not Speakers to the gods." Jada shrugged. "My mother, brahmin. Wed to Kshatriya, a thing not done much, frowned on. No children honored with brahmin blood as punishment."

[Bayushi Hoshi]

"Thus making you the same caste as your father then? Your parents must have had a special reason to forgo such a privileged to marry to each other." It could have been love, but of course it would be naive to think so. Perhaps they were desperate for a family or one was coerced to marry the other.