Trembling of the Gong [Shishiyuki, Kasha]

Shishiyuki did certainly notice that Kasha had become a touch more chipper, but she would not call him out on that particular matter. It was, after all, rather rather that any among the Koizumi were allowed to be particularly confident in a compliment offered them. She was perfectly willing to let him enjoy that moment.

"I think it is unreasonable to concern oneself with it. It is not something about myself which I have any control over, is it? It would be every bit as worthwhile to be insecure in the color of my eyes."

Of course, she knew that was more than a tad bit less important a matter than who one found attractive, but the principle of the matter was unchanged, and Shishiyuki was confident that Kasha would understand the actual purpose of the comparison. He was certainly not unintelligent.

"I suppose most my age would certainly not need to worry about these matters, hm? Consider it a failing of my position, I suppose."

There was a faintly bitter tone to that last observation, one which Shishiyuki certainly could have hidden, but had chosen to let remain. It was just the faintest bit more direct a criticism of their family's nature, and one she would be interested to see his response to.

"Why's that? Didn't you just imply that to judge based on the age of something is folly? Why would it be a failure on your part as family head to be concerned about what you like?"

He asked, more out of genuine curiousity than anything. He could've easily just left it to be ignored but he decided that he did want to hear her response. Strangely wondering why he said it in hindsight, he thought it was a lot more like a tease but that wasn't something he did often.

"It sounds like something most people would worry about, or do you purposely try and dehumanise yourself to try and appease other people?"

That was a little snippy. He probably shouldn't speak so forwardly to her but he had became comfortable that she wouldn't reprimand him for speaking his mind and so he began to talk a lot more like how he would talk to his teacher. Not wasting time mincing words for that harsh, vulgar and lazy pain in his ass.

"It is, yes, and I stand by that statement. Consider it an admission of my own fault."

Shishiyuki allowed herself the faintest smile at Kasha's observation, far from any sort of irritation at his tone or even the borderline mean nature of it. He was, after all, quite on target with what he had said, and she simply chuckled humorlessly as she moved another piece forward on the board.

"You are much younger than I, but I think that you are already quite aware enough of the nature of the Koizumi, and what is expected of that name, to know the answer to that question."

How refreshing this was, to speak with someone of her own family in a way that resembled earnest conversation. None of the layers upon layers of poetic masking of intent, no roundabout words used to hide true intention. It was still not as straightforward as it could have been, but Shishiyuki supposed that was inevitable, when one had been raised in this household.

"And who exactly is going to oppose the words of Koizumi Shishiyuki as the family head if you wanted it to be otherwise? I believe the story goes that you remained unchallenged during the selection process. If they didn't have spines then, why would they or their children have developed them now?"

He stated it admonishing himself for sounding like his teacher, of course she'd want the route that caused the most strife just to get a chance to inflict her messed up idea of aesthetics and art. Burn scars were like strokes of paint an artist made on the canvas - the canvas just happened to be the flesh of another human being.

Regardless, turning his eyes back on the board he gave a faint smile. He expected to lose in three more moves given the position of the pieces that were thoroughly out of his favour but he had also put them into those positions in the first place intentionally.

"None would, I suspect. I think, both on account of my authority and my own prowess, that I would have no issue in simply enacting whatever changes I wished. But that is not my role as the head of the Koizumi."

Shishiyuki doubted that Kasha had allowed himself to be placed into such a disadvantageous position purely on accident, but she had also chosen to let the game of shogi become secondary to the conversation itself. Perhaps it was his having mentioned the story of the selection process, but there was a faint fire in her voice when she next spoke.

"It is true that I went unchallenged on that day, and I have held that knowledge in mind every day since. However, I also swore to myself that I would serve as the ideal head of this family. There are precious few in this family who would truly fight for their own beliefs, for their adherence to our traditions. Is it not my role as the head of the family to fight on their behalf?"

It was hypothetical, at least to a degree, but it was quite clear that Shishiyuki expected an answer. She wanted an answer, not out of anger, but out of a genuinely vested interest in his stance. He was, after all, a Koizumi that she had sworn to serve.

"That's a stupid stance to have."

He hid the fact that such an answer is what she had come to actually angered him, maybe he was biased for his lack of appreciation for their secretive nature but even in a vacuum he thought that answer was an awful stance to have as a leader.

"So the ideal is to remain completely indifferent? To exist as just a face? Your logic makes it sound like you're obsolete and that it doesn't actually matter if you're just there to appease public majority. I don't even recall our nobility system being democratic, it's aristocratic."

"Tell me then, for what purpose does a leader exist if not to lead? A leader who is not willing to make changes or pursue what they view as something that will better the people who follow them but let them remain in the same position indefinitely may as well have just never taken the mantle in the first place. "

He moved his piece without looking, just keeping his eyes locked with Shishiyuki's while he played his second move. Just one more remaining.

"Does a good leader force others into a situation which they do not desire? Perhaps you and I might wish for that change in the status quo, that I enforce my wishes upon our family. But does this not set dangerous precedent if, for instance, another member of our family one day comes to challenge me? I may be in perfectly acceptable condition now, but it is no secret that I am older than many. There will be younger Koizumi who, in time, surpass me. If they see differently than I, and take my position, they now have every right to make their own changes as they see fit. Do you think it is good for a family to be beholden to the whims of individuals in such a way?"

Shishiyuki found Kasha's angered tone rather favorable, and she did not give him any indication that he ought to stop. If anything, she nodded in agreement once or twice, conceding that he was not wholly incorrect.

"What do you think ought to be done if I enact these changes, and our family does not agree with my decision? Simply let them simmer in discontent, allow resentment and ill plots to fester? Or do I strike down all those who disagree, and rule over those I love with fear? It is not so simply as enacting my will and letting that be the end of it, Kasha. I must account for every Koizumi, both now and in the future."

Sliding another piece forward, it was clear that there was no small amount of bitterness in her tone, at the idea that this was simply how things were. She did not like it, and she wished that it were so simple.

"You're viewing it from a selfish manner where you're looking at people individually. I'm not, what benefits the Koizumi and what benefits people of the Koizumi are two different things and that's pure ignorance if you have faith in future successors."

"Just as there's no way to know who will inherit your position, that could happen today. My teacher could walk up to you and challenge you to a fight because she was bored on a whim and if she beat you then that selfish wretch wouldn't give a damn about anyone else, Koizumi or not."

He smirked a little bit when he made his final move. Losing the game with barely any resistance while he kept his gaze locked on Shishiyuki.

"I lost this game because I offerred you no resistance. You speak about the Koizumi that would be upset if you did something, how they may grow tired of and resist you but honestly all you do is neglect those that don't agree with those traditions that existed before you. You create those issues in the other party and I think the only reason people haven't challenged you is due to fear of you, the position and responsibility itself or that they won't actually change anything in the end."

"Those traditions are not the ways decided by the Koizumi here nor in the future, they're relics of an age that doesn't exist anymore when noble families ruled this realm."

Despite the lack of effort he displayed in trying to beat her, actually letting her win like it was his intention to lose from the start. He still played the game until its end and rightful conclusion even if it was set ages before by any decent player.

"Is that so."

It was strange for Shishiyuki to allow herself to display any sort of irritation with a family member, but the edge to her voice as she offered that response made it quite clear where she stood at present. She and Kasha had already lowered the facade typical of their family, but he had now had the audacity to simply hand her a victory. To do what every branch head had done to her ages ago.

"You are bold, Kasha. And quite intelligent. I would tell you that you would do quite well in my position, but I doubt you would wish to hear it."

Despite her frustration, she conceded that he was correct, at least in some respects. That she was still carrying herself as if the Koizumi were pillars of the Soul Society, as if their role was immutable for the sake of the whole realm.

"I will take your advice into account, then. I suppose I have proven to be rather disconnected from the younger members of our family after all, despite my intentions. I will assume that, when these matters become contentious, you will offer your vocal support. Am I correct?"

It was not a threat. After all, if it had been, she would not have veiled it at this point in the conversation. No, it was simply a straightforward challenge.

"Thank you for the compliment. My teacher did well to raise me, I suppose."

As much as he hated her guts, the old scumbag did at least do that right. She didn't have an ounce of a maternal nature in her but she could somehow raise him enough before they became at odds with one another by having completely antithetical ideas and worldviews.

"I think that's incorrect. I would be awful at it because I don't care about the Koizumi as a noble family. Leading people and leading a noble family don't fall into the same scope to me. As for my support, I technically have not succeeded my teacher yet. I don't know how much sway you think I would command as a student of the Phoenix Crown Fist but I would support you if I thought it was appropriate."

He did agree that he'd be a decent leader though, just not in the position that she was. He also was a bit skeptical about vocalising himself. It wasn't like he was particularly famous and he had the ire of his teacher to contend with given his unorthodox ways of applying the style he was supposed to inherit in its entirety. He really did not align well with traditions in the slightest, be them in the greater sense of the family or his own styles.