Despair and Wisdom: Imperial March

Adoka was on his way back from the area of the command group when he noticed his chui. That Crab was on his list, of people to meet without killing them. He approached and waited for an opportunity to present himself.

"Oh, Yogo-san!" says the somewhat portly Falcon, the clothing under his armor showing age and wear and his face showing a smile. "You've eaten today, right?"

"Blessings of Amaterasu upon you and tours, Toritaka -sama." He returned the greeting.

"Thank you for your care about my diet and yes, indeed I have broken my fast since the last full moon." He added.

"Good!" the Toritaka replies. "Hard to march well on an empty belly, after all.

"So, is there something I can help you with?"

"Depends." He responded.

"I have a couple of ideas, that I want to run by you, Toritaka -sama."

"Say on, Yogo-san! Don't leave a man waiting so!" comes the jovial response. "Life is short, after all!"

"For start I want to offer to you my services as a priest. I understand that commanding a Kaisha is a task that requires every assistance one can get plus most of my life I was my sensei's assistant. Hence I feel confident that I can petition for the benefit of becoming your aide." He explained.

"Given your family do you by any chance enjoy falconry?"

"Ah, Yogo-san, I thank you for the offer," the Falcon says, "but it is well with my soul.

"And as to the latter question, it's not been a sport in which I've partaken, falconry. We lack the mews for it, and the, say, minimalist aesthetics I learned at my mother's knee have stuck with me all this time.

"Why do you ask about that, Yogo-san?"

He made a strong whistle and soon Metsuki landed on his left hand.

"I happen to have a raven and I thought you might want to meet him." He explained.

"I'm sure it is no craven," replies the Falcon. "And it is a pleasure, raven-san, though I would have thought you more ghastly and grim than seems to be the case.

"But that being as it is, is something amiss, Yogo-san?"

"Not really." He replied.

"I just happened to see you and that was my lame excuse of being social." He explained.

"Ah, I see," says Shinji. "I know that I must seem dull to the urban and urbane, and perhaps I am so. But I don't think your socialization was hobbling along, myself. After all, your raven is a fair and fine figure. How did you come to meet?"

"He was abandoned by his mother because of his color. For some reason my sensei allowed me to keep him." He answered.

"Progressively he proved himself better than my imaginary friends."

"Imaginary...Yogo-san, how long did such friends attend on you?"

Shinji's smile has dropped, and concern is evident on his face.

"I believe one of them visited me the other day." He replied.

"Now since he brought me a gift, I am starting to worry about the possibility that he wasn't imaginary."

"That is...a concern, yes," Shinji agrees.

"What was left for you, and what 'friend' left it?"

He starts to finger a pouch tucked into his obi.

"A certain Shosuro." He replied.

"He collects oddities and often gifts them to me. This time it was an ugly chicken charm. Do you wish to see it?"

Shinji sighs. His hand does not leave the pouch, however.

"This certain Shosuro wouldn't happen to have had bells on when he called on you, by any chance?"

"We have a mutual imaginary friend?" Adoka was genuinely surprised at the revelation.

Shinji looks towards the skies, closes his eyes, shakes his head, and sighs.

"That depends," he says, as he returns his eyes to Adoka. "Is it Shosuro Fuwanan?"