Bellena-sama had told her there would be stresses and it would not be easy.

Lady Sadahako had told her she needed to be brave.

But also that she made her proud. That she made her father proud.

Wata-kun had asked after Ran's father, and it weighed heavily on the new Tortoise's heart. And so she tended to her bonsai, and when it was ready, she brought it to the new temple.

It was not up to Ran's standards, just barely acceptable. She had taking a cutting for one of the indigenous trees of the island. She had trimmed and trimmed and damaged the tree. In her search for perfection, she crested her ability, and much like her talk with the nadako Miya-sama in Dragon's Guard City another lifetime ago now, she ended up making an error that should've easily been avoided.

But Lady Sadahako was a kind Fortune, who encouraged and exalted the best in those who chased her. Ran would try again. Failure was not an option. Not with her position as supervisor of the temples construction, and not as an artist of the Someisa.

D9 Awa/Artisan:Bonsai Void 1k1 2 CR TN 25: 7d10o10k4 24

A Lion naval officer was visiting the temple that morning and was contemplating the image of Sadahako painted above the little shrine.

"Ahh, good morning," the young Lion said to Ran as she arrived. His eyes slid momentarily to the sad little tree that she was carrying, but flicked away quickly as he tactfully pretended not to have seen it. "I'm Ship Captain Kitsu Keiji. Quite nice what they've done with the temple so far, don't you think?"

"Ohayōgozaimasu, Kitsu-sama," she replied with a bow from her waist.

At his approval, she smiled, and wiped a whisper of grey-brown hair back from her freckled features, "Hai, I am proud of what we've accomplished here thusfar. Forgive me, this one is Muhaki Ran, First Mate of the Stingray and supervisor of the cult of Someisa artisans and this site's construction."

She found a place to set down the bonsai, where she would retrieve it before she left, to cultivate it back at her abode - or, more likely, to thoughtfully neglect the miniature tree until it regrew its shape and she could start trimming it once more.

"I'm honored to meet you," Keiji said formally, with a polite bow.

"Ahh, Stingray," he said, in a more conversational tone. "Captain Asahina Tori's ship, I believe? Forgive me for saying so, but I had thought her First Officer was a Heichi?"

Ringo arrives at the temple. Spotting Ran and Keiji in a conversation already he stops a polite distance away from that and gives them both a silent and polite bow. He remains quiet so as to not interrupt them.

She nodded in confirmation, a subtle movement of her head. "I have made many gains since my arrival on this island, Kitsu-sama, the Prince's decision to come here has been good to me." Ran admitted.

She then spotted the giant Crab, and bowed at the waist to him next.

"Hida-sama. Ohayōgozaimasu."

Wataru wakes behind Ringo, without the giant noticing, behind him not even Ran can see him. The samurai pops out from behind the Crab when he bows and greets Ran. For the special ocasion, the samurai wore a Montsuki of 3 mons, bearing his clan on the back, explorer school on the right hand and family on the left. It was fully black, the most formal wear of a samurai, with the sleeves attached to the kimono body all the way down, though it didn't seem uncomfortable for the courtier to wear.

"Ohayōgozaimasu, Muhaki Ran-sama." In such a formal occasion, Ran was the priestess of the place and was deserved a special treatment. As she was, she looked like a vision from heaven. "I am honored in seeing you and in stepping into the temple of Sadahako no kami."

"Ohayo Muhaki-sama. Have you had your rice today? This is quite a lovely temple and this spot is rather picturesque." Ringo returns the greeting.

He nods to Wataru's arrival. "Ohayo Wataru-sama."

Turning back to Ran. "Are you now in charge of the temple?" He asks.

Wataru peeked out from behind the giant Crab in his appearance, and Ran immediately softened her expression towards her betrothed.

"Wataru-sama," she said with a quirk of her lips into a half smile, and she bowed at the waist to him as well.

Then back to the Crab's question, "Hm, hai, I am in charge of the Someisa cult as well as overseeing the construction of the temple here."

"Someisa cult?" Keiji asked curiously. "I confess I'm not familiar with the term. Is that what they call the disciples of Sadahako?"

"Before we left Dragon's Guard City, Muhaki Zazu-sama offered an opportunity to swear fealty and become a Someisa for any artist creative and adroit to meet the challenge of the Imperial Year of Arts and revering Sadahako-kami through their work.
That is simply what I mean, Kitsu-sama." Ran nodded in an explanation.

"Someisa? My apologies Muahki-sama. I am not familiar with that family. Is it related in some way to your new pet that Sadahako-kami gifted upon you?" Ringo asks.

"I think the family was created at the time that the Imperial decrete raised Sadahako no kami to fortunehood." Replied the Mantis as he came up to his wife-to-be. Staying at a proper distance as she now represented a cleric, a formal setting that required respect. "Neh, Muhaki Ran-sama?"

"In fact to clarify, Lord Muhaki created the Someisa family and appointed the Lady Sadahako as their first daimyo. She passed, and has since been raised to fortunehood, hai," she nodded to her betrothed, he was partially right, at least.

Ringo nods. "Is that so. That is quite the ascension then. You are also most fortunate to have met her in person."

She bowed deeply to the giant Crab, "Thank you, Hida-sama; I am fortunate to have met her. It has changed me for the better."

"The great Fortune just saw one who was worthy of her name in the Empire, and that was Muhaki Ran-sama."

Ringo studies the temple project thus far. "So how is the construction coming along Muhaki-sama? This seems to have been built pretty quickly."

She graced Wataru with a smile, colour blushing her cheeks then.

"Oh? Oh, it is going well, we near completion, I believe. It is an exciting time."

Wataru looked around, most of the ritualistic aspects of the rokuganí shintoism were there. He could see that Ran had applied some new things to them, probably guided by the Fortune Sadahako no kami to make the building of her liking, and a symbol to her alone. They were small details, ones that only those who had grown in temples understood properly, but he could spot them.

"I can see that Sadahako no kami likes her shrine to be a symbol of arts, as she is the guide to artists. Have you thought a way of inspiring these unpolished locals?" Ran could tell that he meant to say a harsher word to refer to the locals of the island, probably a word such as uncivilized, idiotic, savage...