(Moon 10, The sea, Early morning) Fishing, OPEN

[Hida Sayuri]

"Taking a bit of yer own destiny? Somethin' they couldn't arrange?" She lifts the oars again and leaves them up for the moment as they scoot forward, more slowly, with the boat's remaining momentum. "Not so complacent fer someone as says we can't know the Fortune's will."

"As to that, don't wanna be arrogant. But wouldn't they think yer stupid not to pick up on somethin' after a few years or so?" Her voice is curious. "I mean, born with a crooked leg. Yer not bein' arrogant ta figure the Fortunes might not change their minds and straighten it in yer sleep some night."

"Here'm I, long past takin' my name, an' no kids, neh? An' with that, who'd want ta tie their fortune ta mine so's I'd be likely to have a household to keep an eye on? Shouldn't I pay attention ta the path they've laid and plan to it?"

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

"Of course we can try to forge our own destinies. It's a different thing. Fortunes won't mind that. Then again, they might decide your destiny lies elsewhere." he explained as he leaned over the board to catch the floatation device that marked the first of the nets.

"And well, no. A cripple is not particularly arrogant if they think that Fortunes are not going to heal their leg. But, it doesn't mean they know what the Fortunes have in store for them. One of the Ide daimyo, was born a cripple. They said he could never ride a horse. He never did. And for us... that's probably as bad as it is for a Crab to be unable to hold their weapon. Yet, he became one of the most important men of our Clan during the Age of Warring Clans."

Pulling the net in, little by little the man was happy to notice that they had actually caught something. Some kind of smelts, by the looks of it.

"We caught something!" he informed the Crab, who could probably see the fish herself as well. it was not like the silvery, twitching animals were hard to see on the web.

"Well, you'd think so. But, stranger things has happened, no?" he told her, smiling kindly. "If a daimyo can become a ronin, and then Emperor again. If a dragon can come down from the heavens, to protect the Imperial city, if a seemingly normal Dragon can earns the favour of the heavens and transcend to the Throne. Why couldn't one Crab end up married?"
The man chuckled lightly.

[Hida Sayuri]

Stowing the oars, she quickly lends a hand to the nets, spilling the flapping, silvery river of fish into the boat. "Oh these'll be a nice addition ta the fare."

She listens to all the tales and examples without comment. "It's not a big deal, jess so ya know. Married is...no big thing now. What's the point of it? Just sayin' some vows ain't goin' ta serve clan nor Empire so well as maybe servin' someplace in the Legions? Why shouldn't I figure that's the path they've set me?"

There's a shrug as she helps shake the last of the fish loose from the first net. "If ev'rthin' went as I'd thought, I'd be fightin' on the Wall, an' raisin' more ta do the same, an' maybe dyin' young, maybe trainin' the youn-un's once I was missin' too much ta' fight. There's no stories of the Fortune's hands meddlin' there. It's often dull an' always dirty an' endless. Like sweepin' the porch. Ya do it every day, an' noone cares unless you don't. I'd've been happy with it. But who knows what I'll do here? Could be more interestin' than sweepin' the porch."

Competent hands carefully stow the net as the fish are released from it. No sense putting it away all tangled and a mess. "It's not gettin' kids that's a bit hard. An that's a bit more like the twisted leg--don't expect it ta change." Her tone is matter of fact, resigned.

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

"Well, most consider it a duty to fulfil, though. Though, that kind of involves getting children." he replied, speaking with a low tone. Infertility wasn't a happy matter after all. "Yeah, unlikely to change... I am sorry."

Pulling the net up little by little for the Crab to untangle, them man lapsed to a silence for a while, for once not knowing what to say. They had caught a decent amount of fish, the man noted to himself, pleased.

"Easier said than done.. but maybe Hida-san should then just try to forge her Fortune elsewhere. It may well be the path that's meant for you. Just, don't be certain it is. ...When we decide that things are something, and they turn out different, we get easily disappointed. Nothing is what it seems." he chuckled dryly. There he was, giving a spiritual advice to a Hida.

"And remember to thank the Fortunes for what you have. Like these fish here."

[Hida Sayuri]

After tucking the net carefully between the fingers of her right hand, her left rummages down among her bundle of breakfast and comes up holding a small bottle. Holding it up, she mimes tossing it to the shugenja, giving warning before she actually tosses it. "Ain't sake, but perhaps Isora and Suitengu'll accept tea in thanks for the fish?"

She chuckles as she returns to stowing the net. "Forge my fortune elsewhere? And ain't I just spent ten minutes tryin' to tell you I'm doing such and why?" Not like it was a surprise, really. Men so seldom actually listened. And even fewer listened to a Crab.

"Nothin's what it seems eh? Nothin' at all? That's a difficult way to maneuver through things. These fish seem like...well fish, and a welcome change in meals. What're they really then?"

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

Catching the container, the man nodded. "You give to the Fortunes what you have. it's all they ask for. You don't ask Doji maiden to charge against a Lion legion. Fortunes don't ask a poor man to burn expensive incenses."

Turning to the sea, the man bowed his head, mumbling a short prayer before pouring the tea to the sea.

Throwing the empty container back to the woman. "It was not that I didn't listen Hisa-san. I just noted that your reasoning was fine."

The last question he let lie. He was pretty sure she wouldn't be able to follow his explanation.

[Hida Sayuri]

"After arguin' the reasonin' for a bit, sure." Sayuri chuckles as she finishes putting away the net. "Thanks fer a proper offerin', Iuchi-san. Mine's a bit rough."

"Yer not helpin' me believe that yer listenin', really, when ya don't bother answerin' questions." She shrugs and leans out to snag the other net and start the process of hauling it in, showering them and the bottom of the boat with another stream of silver. "S'ok. I'm content with fish bein' fish and leavin' the worry about things not bein' what they seem for things like bog hags. Some things really aren't what they seem."

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

"You are welcome." he nodded.

"Speaking of questions, has Hida-san read the Tao?" he asked her curious.

[Hida Sayuri]

She pauses a moment, passing a corner of the net to him. Answering questions with a question? Wasn't that more a courtier trick?

"Once."

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

"Very well. Many things are written into Tao. Many wise men spend their lives trying to understand it. Yet few claim they do. Some principles are generally agreed upon. The same way as bushi might agree that a katana trough the heart is a mortal wound. "

Rubbing his chin with his free hand, the man continued. "One of these principles notes that, everything in the universe is composed of the five elements, air, fire, water, earth and void. This means that all we can see, is composed of the same matter. Men, birds, boats, trees... and fish. As Shinsei said 'All is one'."

"Most people do not stop to regard these things, and, I can understand them. Sometimes it seems that trying to understand, makes you only more confused. Well, most of the time, really."

"Fish, may not seem like man, yet it's made of the same substance that make up a man. If someone had the power to unmake the nature, they could take apart a school of fish, and assemble the elements to a human. Theoretically, that is."

[Hida Sayuri]

Sayuri continues the rote motions of hauling in the catch, stowing the nets. Trust a priest to get too tied up in their head to remember the work for their hands.

It may not look like she's paying much attention. But when the explanation is done, she hooks the net on the oar lock to free her hands; catches one of the leaping, slippery fish; guts and cleans the small fish with a few quick motions and passes it over. "Yer lunch here is a simple way of turning fish inta man, ain't it? It's water an’ air an’ whatnot...but it's still a fish. Ain't water pretendin' ta be a fish. It's a fish. That one’s yer lunch and that one there," she points aimlessly at the flopping mass, “ain’t. Both’re still fish.”

“Spend some time worried about stuff that looks safe but ain’t. Those’re the false appearances ta worry about.”

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

Looking at his lunch (nee fish), Iuchi pondered how to reply.

"Yeah, my lunch will be part of me, sooner or later." the man nodded. "And, if a shark eats me, I'll be part of that shark... Though I'd rather not experience that."

Nodding he added. "Yasuki-san told me such a story. She said she killed a bughag with a table." Xiao Hua sounded both amused and horrified.

[Hida Sayuri]

"No sharks here yet, though the fish guts might draw 'em." Though probably not; given that their small nets had caught only a tiny bit of the silvery school, and those still free were now happily devouring the remains of their doomed schoolmate.

In the middle of tucking the net away, she stops to stare at the Unicorn. And then she starts laughing. "A bughag, eh? Disguised as a beetle maybe?" Oh yes, Himiko was going to hear about this one.

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

"No sharks yet." he nodded. "Auspicious sign. Though, no dolphins either, which can be considered as a bad sign." the man chuckled. "Hard to say what the Fortunes want to tell us."

"Erm, as a drunk... something. Man I guess. Bugs don't get drunk. She was very excited." Unfortunately, Yasuki had been also somewhat confusing and skipped some crucial details. "Shapeshifter anyway."

[Hida Sayuri]

“Signs this way and that, sure. Nobody’s dead, seems auspicious ta me.” She’s still wiping tears from her eyes at the idea of a bughag. OK, bug-sized oni wouldn’t be something to laugh at, damn scary really, but this? Comedy.

Unseating the oars, she plans to start rowing back. “Now I can’t letcha live in ignorance, Iuchi-san. That sounds a lot more like a bog hag t’me. One’ll kill a person, strip off their skin, and wear it on back ta town. Could be yer best friend, or wife, or whomever. Looks just like ‘em, but it’s really a monster inside of their skin, see?” Hey, the Unicorn wanted to talk rabbit stew, turnabout’s fair play.

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

"Well, if we had someone dead by now, someone was doing something wrong. This is third day at sea." he smirked. "Hee, there is such a creature?" the man asked, horrified. Horrified and curious. "Why it's called bog hag then?"

[Hida Sayuri]

Her mouth opens, then shuts. There is no need to mention how many can day three days into the Shadowlands, and how peaceful it was spending three days without any sort of alarm at all.

"Would I tell you there was bog hags if there weren't?" Sayuri looks genuinely confused at the idea. "Anyway, as a Kuni. I expect they live in bogs when they're not stealin' skins."

Oars dip and catch. "Mind the steerin' then."

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

"Better avoid bogs then..." he nodded, making sure he was steering the boat to the right direction.

/scene