Ikoma Shiro, formerly Akodo Shiro, was late. Not that it mattered very much, since the Tournament of the Emperor's Favored was more like a cross between a series of small competitions and the political jockeying for position of Winter Court. Still, his recent absence from the activities of the Lion Clan leadership had left him uninformed about current events.

Fortunately, Ikoma Hitori--Shiro's cousin by marriage four times removed--was also attending the Tournament (as a chronicler and not a participant) and had made herself available to answer his questions.

"Your husband, what was his name again?" Hitori asked, "will he be joining you here? Or does duty take him elsewhere?"

Hitori wasn't entirely certain of Shiro's husband's place in the rigid but complex social order of the Empire, but it would be, temporarily, moot if he wasn't immediately present. There were many machinations surrounding the Tournament and its participants, and Hitori wasn't entirely certain what the effect of a new variable would be.

In reply to Kaze no Kage (msg # 1):

Shiro smiled as he approached his cousin. He felt bad being late to the Tournament, despite wanting to compete with his husband by his side for it.

"His name is Akihira, dear cousin. It's good to see you." He pulled her into a close hug.

"I'm glad you made it," Hitori replied, returning his hug. "Do you know which Tests you're planning on entering? I can introduce you to a few of the competetors--the whole point of this Tournament is building better relationships, and I'm sure you'd like a few of them."

In reply to Kaze no Kage (msg # 3):

"I had not decided which of the tests to enter. I would be glad to see what they have and enter, though." He smiled, at his cousin. "Have you seen Akihira at all?"

"Only the Test of the Badger has passed," Hitori replied, "the Tests of the Centipede, Dragonfly, Falcon, Fox, Hare, Mantis, Monkey, Sparrow, Tortoise, and Wasp are still to come. I know, technically, the Mantis are now a Great Clan while the Centipede and Wasp are now part of the Mantis, but that state is quite recent and the Mantis and Centipede have been part of this tournament since its inception."

"You don't know where your husband is?" she asked, "I assumed he was with you."

In reply to Kaze no Kage (msg # 5):

"Thank you, cousin. I am not certain which test to enter, but I will find Akihira. He arrived several days before me and I arrived a short time ago."

"You may enter as many or as few as you wish," Hitori pointed out, "next is the test of the Dragonfly--though I doubt that you have much experience with divination, so you may wish to simply observe and take the measure of the competition."

"Hmmm, I haven't heard anything about any gaijin in Lion colors, do you think he's gotten lost somewhere?" she frowned worriedly, "you should definitely go find him."

"A few words of caution before you go," she noted, "be cautious with the Crane and the Mantis--there may be a few who still have hard feelings over our ill conceived siege of Toshi Ranbo. OOC: see Volume 1 for details Just because the Lion were defeated does not mean we are forgiven. The Scorpion are likely too pragmatic to hold it against us. You should always be worried around the Scorpion, but there's no need to be more careful than normal. That being said, be particularly careful with our own Clan--especially the Matsu. They took our loss hard and getting involved in another one of their poorly considered crusades would be dangerous at this time."

In reply to Kaze no Kage (msg # 7):

"Aye. I will certainly be cautious after the failed crusade. Thank you." With that, Shiro heads out to find his husband, to talk about a private proposition between the two of them - that of starting a small family, and adopting several children.