It had been a while she felt that she could truly lean back, relax, and fully think only of herself. And so when she noticed that there were servings of sake going around in the gazebos on the Promenade, well, it seemed a good time as any to seize the moment and partake in the celebrations of a beautiful autumn night.

As the other people around the gazebo all seemed to be young unmarried samurai, Utsusemi kept more to the edge of the gathering for now, even if that in itself was a little enjoyable too.

Otsuka had been enjoying the lovely night quite well herself and as the evening turned to night she debated between enjoying the moment or walking away. Her earlier companions had surrendered to Night's advance when she noticed something as she surveyed the crowd. Another Crane? No, wait I see a Dragon mon. Hmmm.

The Kakita moved over and offered the woman a bow in greeting. "Might I join you for a moment?"

Returning the bow with a pleasant smile, the woman nodded to the younger samurai-ko. "Of course. The moon and the maple leaves are here for everyone to see, and some would say the more the merrier." Her accent did seem to bear a lot of traces from the lands of the Crane.

"I am Agasha Utsusemi, formerly of the Doji. Would you care for some of the sake here, perhaps?"

"A pleasure. This one is Kakita Otsuka," she said sliding into sit with the Agasha, "Sake would be welcome on such a fine night. The moon is near full and the leaves seem set afire by his light." A mildly drunken grin passed her lips spoke of an evening that had already seen a little sake.

With practiced ease, Utsusemi found a clean cup and poured the sake for Otsuka.

"Ah, Kakita? You do seem to have the certainity in your posture that reminds me of my father and oldest brother, who both trained at the Kakita Academy," she nodded slightly with some appriciation. "Or am I mistaken in thinking you are a student of Kakita's art?"

"I have studied The Art," she assured her, "I do miss my time at the Academy." She glanced at her cup with a passing cloud of nostalgia. "I take it you trained elsewhere then?"

"I was much more suited to the art of diplomacy," she chuckled softly and refilled her own cup. "So I trained with the Doji, and later the artisans of the Kakita after one of the sensei there believed I had potential to be a great poet. Like yourself, I too miss my time in the lands of the Kakita, watching the bushi go through their daily training regimen as we went through our own training."

Utsusemi sighed wistfully. "It is a truly unique place, no?"

"It is," she replied happily, "The mingling between the various sorts of artists in the various art classes you can take is unmatched. The Hub colleges are interesting but your training gets so narrowly focused. Although my poetry classes there always ended up with a little sake," she looked around, "Actually, it was a lot like this only during the day." She giggled.

"I can't really compare it to the colleges, having never attended one myself," she shrugged, unconcerned with it. The Kakita Academy was superior anyway. "My marital duties have mostly kept me occupied these past years, though such duties do have their own rewards as well."

Utsusemi gave a friendly smile. "Though you do not yet to seem to have someone you are bound to?"

She chuckled, "Fourth daughter born just before the son. I am not my parents highest priority and I am relatively fine with that. Not that I am opposed to it! Life has just not fallen nicely into place towards it."

"Ah," her chuckle mirrored Otsuka's. "Being the middle child of five children, I can relate a little. Nothing wrong with enjoying one's current freedom while it lasts, of course; life is brief and beautiful and should be enjoyed to the fullest. We live in interesting times for such, considering the bold actions of Hantei-no-kimi that opens up many new possibilities for those eager to seek new paths."

"I feel left to their own devices it would be a matter of who is available rather than who appeals. So better they put their effort into my brother," she raised her cup, "I shall go off and see the world."

Utsusemi raised her eyebrow, but offered a refill to the Kakita. "You're a Kakita and a student of Kakita's art. There is no such thing as settling for merely 'who is available'", she scoffed. "Or have the state of the Crane changed so much since my own marriage into the Dragon?"

She held her cup out to be refilled. "Minor clans and the Phoenix are out because my parents would not suffer the slight of marrying down. Wars rule out the Lion and Crab. I am not high enough born to rule in the Otomo or Seppun. Kakita have some... issues that get in the way of a marriage with the Dragon," she took a sip rather than address the politics of marrying into the Scorpion. She shrugged, "Things can change quickly at court and my parents certainly would not hesitate on using me as a bargaining chip."

She chuckled briefly. "I can see the issue with the Kakita and the Mirumoto, heavens know my own father, being a student of Kakita's technique, have had a few comments himself on the matter. However I like to think that by facing such different philosophies, it is how we can truly evolve and grow, as we try to understand the difference while learning more of our own ideas and thoughts."

Both cups were refilled. "A Kakita and a Mirumoto together could create greater understanding between the two."

"It would be a lovely idea I am not sure if a marriage just between two duelists would have the desired effect. It might take a sensei and that might take another 600 years," she paused before taking a sip, "Unless you are playing matchmaker in which case I would not be opposed but I'd like to meet them first."

"Oh, I am merely speaking of possibilities, though I do happen to know young unmarried men among the Dragon whom could benefit from a good wife. Not that I am a matchmaker in an official capacity - only a married woman and a courtier who enjoys to help out where she can," she gave Otsuka a perfectly friendly Doji smile.

"One is my brother-in-law, a rather talented smith and creator - Agasha Sanjuro. He runs his own shop and smithy here in the city, called The Wheel. Another one is Mirumoto Kenzo, a rather friendly young man with some interest in drawing illustrations of various wildlife."

She smiled as she drank. Once a Doji, always a Doji.

"A smith and an artist? Interesting. I will keep an eye out I suppose. What of your husband?" she asked wondering about the appeal of these Dragon.

She sipped her own sake.

"Ryuden-sama is a well-respected sensei, and a friend of Hantei-no-kimi. We... are different people, but we both understood that married life does not instantly come with happiness - he is a good man, and we get along well and with the children too. I've found that the life among the Dragon is very different from the Crane, but they are honorable samurai with good intentions."

Not the best sell.

"The mountains are boring I take it?" she asked with a sly smile, "No theater to go to?"