Soga, City of Tsuda Empire- Early Summer 14 years AR

Sunada stood at the paper door of her father’s office, she’d already been announced by one of the servants. She stood with her head down, ears up, and tail still. Like any young lady of the Tsuda Empire, she would not let childishness bring dishonor to her in front of her father, patriarch, and prefect. She noticed a stray thread coming from the cuff of her long sleeved robe. The beautiful garment was a gift from her father, the patriarch of the Takana clan. The beautiful red fabric adorned with light rose pink embroideries in the shape of the rose flower itself. She debated while she stood if it was worth plucking the thread with her claws, to move after being told to wait would be disrespectful but as would presenting herself with the bare thread.

‘It’s quite the choice, which dishonor do you chose when presented with no other. I’ll discuss it with father at a later time.’ Even though she was about to meet with her father, within his official office as prefect of Soga, it wasn’t proper to discuss things of family or a personal nature.

Just as she had decided to pull the string but before she could act the door slid open in front of her, she didn’t jump or startle. She looked up as the Prefect’s assistant beckoned her in. She walked straight with her head held high into the room. After she entered, the door was slid closed behind her. She didn’t know if her father’s assistant was still present.

“Sunada Takana, please,” He was kneeling behind his short desk and gestured to the cushion on the other side. Sunada slowly lowered herself down onto both knees before lowering her head to level with the Prefect, then slightly lower than that. She did not say a word as he finished scratching some notes on papyrus. She realized a few things she would have to say when she met with him about her question of dishonor, for one his graying fur was well groomed but could use a treatment to remove the oils that had built up on it. As soon as he looked at her she spoke.

“Prefect Coda Takana, you honor me with your invitation to your seat.” She said and prostrated herself on the ground in front of him, touching her snout to the floor.

“Rise,” he said and she did, resuming her previous position, “I have called you here for a matter of family and state. I’ve been given an order to travel to the Lotus Empire to the East as part of a diplomatic mission ordered by his Eminence. From there other nations will be my destination.” He paused at that point, giving her a chance to speak.

“His Eminence has graced you Prefect Takana. You have brought honor to yourself and your clan.” she said, having grown from the main line of the Takana family it had been important to learn the proper way to speak.

“I’ve called you here to extend an invitation to join the delegation as my aide.” his aide, but to hire one’s own daughter for such a position. Possibly a formality or a test?

“I must decline, Prefect Takana, but you bring honor to this one by your invitation. Nepotism would bring dishonor to my clan.”

“It is only nepotism if one is selected because of her heritage, there is no dishonor in selecting you. I request you except this invitation as it is given based on your merit.” She wasn’t sure but it would be disrespectful to refuse him twice.

“Then I graciously accept the invitation Prefect Takana,” He rose suddenly, causing her to have to as well. She couldn’t be seated while he was standing.

“Follow me,” he said and turned to walk out the rear sliding door, she followed without a word, raising her head again as she walked. He led her out the back into the gardens of the prefecture palace and into the cherry orchard that was no longer in bloom. He waved off a couple of the guards, servants, and gardeners.

“Now let us speak plainly… You look well my daughter,” as he spoke his near regal posture relaxed. The gardens were still part of the palace but part of the residence, there was no need to be so formal here. That didn’t mean she would be impolite.

“Thank you father, you do as well. Although I wish you would let me procure a tincture to remove the oil from your fur,” He blew air out of his nostrils and raised his ears high, their kind didn’t smile but that was the equivalent. They obviously could show their teeth but their teeth were very different than the humans that shared their lands. They were Inari, although she knew the people to the east often called them foxes. She was highly insulted by the term until she finally saw one of the little beasts. It was strange looking at the small quadruped version of her kind. It didn’t make the term any less insulting as they were still comparing her to a simple beast. Imagine, running on all fours like some animal. There were plenty of other dishonorable things their neighbors across the sea said bout their kind. She noted that if they weren’t comparing Inari to animals, they were acting like animals themselves, making crude comments.

“This mission is likely to take some time, there’s word out that the far east is slowly being overrun by some monster infestation. His eminence thinks it prudent to ascertain what we can from the situation on the far side of the continent,” He didn’t say it like it was a fools errand and even if he thought that, it’d never be voiced.

“So we are to journey to the far east?” Inari wasn’t sure how she felt about that, she knew little about the strange brutish peoples that lived on the far side of the continent.

“No my daughter, we are just to broker an agreement that will open avenues of trade in regards to information. That is all,” he said correcting her, she lowered her head and ears in shame as she realized she had made assumptions. He put the back of his clawed finger to her jaw and lifted her head, “There is no dishonor in asking questions. Although you must take better care of your garments... We’ll be leaving within the month. Please ensure you are prepared, my assistant will give you a list of everything you need. You may go, I must return to my work.” Her ears drooped as he pointed out the loose thread.

“Yes father,” She spoke and turned to leave the gardens and return to the Takana estate. She’d made it out of the palace and looked down at her sleeve, it still had the bare thread. She should have just pulled it before opening the door opened rather than hesitating. She stopped walking and pinched it and gave it a sharp tug, causing more thread to come loose and the hem of the sleeve to fall apart slightly. She drooped her ears a moment again to acknowledge her shame before returning them to a neutral position and continuing on home.

‘ Had I inspected the sleeve or used the proper tool it would have been the lesser but that isn’t necessarily the correct choice. Acting rashly to correct dishonor may lead to a worse outcome, curious.’