Deborah
The Phoenix embassy was no place that Atsuko had intended to step foot in again.

The little ronin had never had much contact with Rokugan's so-called spiritual ambassadors before setting foot in Ryoko Owari Toshi. Perhaps that was for the best. As far as she was aware, they sought ronin out just as much as the other, more orthodox clans did. Which was to say for little more than convenient scapegoats for misfortune and banditry. Even walking to their gates with purpose, she did not expect a particularly warm welcome. It hadn't been too long ago that her first visit ended with her slashing open the arm of their ambassador over a matter of pride, after all.

But there seemed to be a carefully measured effort to mend fences going on within both the Unicorn and the Phoenix. Enough that they had managed to secure her the necessary patronage to continue her Fortune forsaken investigation into the yōkai menace that seemed to entrench itself more and more with every passing day. Even if they failed in offering her hospitality, that much she could be grateful for. 

The lightly guarded gate was a different enough sight from that of the Ide residence, but the number of ashigaru at the entrance mattered little enough to her. She only needed one to fetch the head librarian who oversaw the Phoenix's archives in the city. 

"Atsuko, retainer to Ide Kenza-sama. I come on behalf of the Unicorn ambassador. Your superiors should be expecting me."

||
Alexander
The ashigaru at the gate met the ronin with a guarded look until she introduced her purpose, then their manner quickly turned back business-like. One nodded and left to disappear into the first of the two smaller buildings within the embassy grounds, the other waiting at the gate with Atsuko.

Ever since Kita had been notified of the agreement that had been reached between the Phoenix and the Unicorn, she had been filled with a nervous energy waiting for the arrival of the promised book. She had made the necessary preparations for its safekeeping and had been filling the time since with busywork. She had anticipated working with other clans while here in the city-but being placed in a position to hold a book likely never before seen by her own clansmen, while curating access to their own collection for an 'eyes only' investigation-she was honored. She reminded herself not to become prideful herself; surely it was just pride in the steps her clan was taking to help recover their proper place within the city. 

Then the time had come. The guard knocked on the library door, notifying her of the guest waiting at the gate, "Asako-sama, Atsuko, retainer of Ide Kenza-sama, on behalf of the Unicorn Ambassaor is here to see you."

Kita looked up, eyes widening at the announcement. She tidied her wayward ponytail and smoothed the light orange kimono bearing the Phoenix mon, only just remembering to rub any damp ink off her hands into a rag first. 

*Atsuko. Of course it would happen sometime to meet her. She seems to be leaned on quite heavily by the Unicorn if she has been put in charge of this as well.* Kita thought as trailed after the guard back to the gate.

She gave a stiff bow to the small ronin waiting there, "Good day Atsuko-san. I am Asako Kita, curator of the Phoenix Embassy Library. I hope the day is treating you well. How can I help you?"

||
Deborah
The wait did not seem that it would take all that long, something Atsuko took as a blessing. Being made to stand at the precipe of the embassy grounds was almost as nerve-wracking as actually entering the building. From further within the compound, a woman some years her senior appeared with the ashigaru in tow, dressed in the trademark colors of the Phoenix. It was hard to get a read on the courtier, given the distance, though swift it did close. Nervous, perhaps? Or maybe it was simply excitement—she *Was* There to make a delivery, after all.

"It is good to make your acquaintance, Asako-sama."

 Atsuko offered a bow of equal depth to that of her samurai counterpart, albeit performed more swiftly and without the same rigidity. As she rose from her bow, she reached for the object tucked up beneath her arm. The tome itself was heavier than most of the literature she had been made to engage with since joining with the Unicorn, though to hear it told, it held centuries' worth of stories from lands afar. Stood to reason such a thing wouldn't classify as 'light reading'. The wave-woman held it aloft such that the Asako could investigate it.

"I believe we are to make an exchange, are we not? You will receive this copy of the, erm, Golden Histories? And I will be given access to your libraries. Is now a good time to make that exchange?"

||
Alexander
If Atsuko's discomfort in waiting was apparent, Kita didn't let on. Her eyes glued to the delivery as soon as it was presented. It wouldn't do to stand here drooling over it. She gave a quick shake of her head to focus her thoughts and turned her glance back to the small wave woman. 

"Yes, yes of course. Please, come in. I'll show you to the library."

She reached with both hands to take the book before Atsuko could move, seemingly not thrown off by the weight of it as she took it in her grasp. She tore her gaze away from studying the cover again as they made their way across the courtyard. 

"Shall I call for some tea? I can provide any detail you may need for the Golden Histories planned safekeeping, so that you can report to whoever you need."

||
Deborah
Though she did her level best to hide them, there were times when the difference in upbringing between Atsuko and her samurai peers became apparent. It went without saying that the foray into the Phoenix embassy was once such time. The way the Asako seemed to snatch up and cradle the book made it seem like the layers of glued parchment were some coveted treasure. Perhaps they were, to a more learned sort of folk. But the ronin had spent a long while among the avenues of the Merchant's Quarter and the bazaar beyond, enough to know what *True* Value looked like, and she was about as sure as anything that the manuscript she passed off wasn't worth its weight in gold.

"I appreciate the offer, but tea will not be necessary," She waved a hand to dismiss the notion, though she doubted her host would notice the gesture, "And I have every confidence in your ability to keep the book safe."

Perhaps a tad irreverent, but the Golden Histories—for as long as the Unicorn continued to deny her heritage—were not her own. If the librarian was already so very enthralled with the volume before so much as parting its pages, she was sure nothing undue would happen to it before it was time to collect it once more. 

"I would like to discuss my access to the library, however. I understand there will be a level of... Supervision involved in the process. I do not particularly mind if you overlook the information I inquire into. But given the importance of the matter, I would ask you to not hinder me in learning what I must. I've had my fill of that sort of thing."

||
Alexander
They had made their way inside of the library, where the stone walls had kept the growing warmth of the day at bay. Kita placed the large book on a reading stand for now, set aside for just such a use. Her hand lingered on the spine a moment before she turned her full attention to her guest. 

"Yes of course, the access to the library. They'll need to..."

Just now, she fully registered what Atsuko had been saying. Kita looked the wave-woman up and down, eyebrows raised and lips pursed as an incredulous look crossed her face.

"You? You-personally-are the investigator that will be in m-our library?"

The look was gone as quick as it had come. Kita turned to the shelf beside her, pushing and pulling various covers to line them up.

"As far as access to the library, I understand I am to assist however the investigator, you, need with the materials required. Of course, I'm still fairly new to this location as well. But I have tried to familiarize myself with the collection. So I'll do the best I can to help you find what you need. I have no intention to pry or hinder, but it may be useful to know the general subject you are looking for details on?"

She turned back to face Atsuko now. Her expression was one of calm helpfulness as she waited to see what the ronin would say.

 ||
Deborah
Atsuko made little effort to hide the way the eyebrow over her good eye raised when the Asako made her surprise known. It was not an unexpected reaction, given the context underpinning their interaction, that she would have her misgivings about allowing an unanchored wanderer access to the tomes that she so clearly cherished. What was less expected was the fact her superiors had not informed her of the situation in advance. The meeting that had established their collaboration was attended by another Asako, the ambassador's second, and the implication had seemed quite clear then. Perhaps Utaku Kazuko had allowed it to linger rather than state it outright. 

Were she a woman capable of amusement, that might have been purposeful. 

But it didn't matter all that much. What mattered was that the Asako before her was not half so interested in running interference as the Phoenix Karo had been. The offending brow lowered itself as Atsuko considered just what literature would help her in her quest. There were a dozen variables that she had been unable to isolate due to her ignorance of the subjects.

"Mm... A good start would be anything you have on various types of Yōkai and signs of their presence. Anything on long-term, widespread hauntings too. I'll also need a few volumes on disease, especially if you have anything on *Supernatural* Diseases and their symptoms."

She felt silly, asking for things that seemed to belong more in bedtime stories and kabuki plays than in conversation between proper samurai, had she been speaking with anybody else. But the Phoenix were alleged to be the foremost experts on anything remotely otherworldly in the Empire. If anybody could understand the importance of recording such matters meticulously, it would be them.

"Oh! And I'll also need to look into the history of the Empire pre-dating the Unicorn's return. Specifically, anything involving the minting of coinage before... Well, whatever year they came back."

||
Alexander
Well, at least her guest was willing to give her something to work with. Kita hadn't been sure, given the explanation of the request to access the library, how much she would be willing to share. If this was going to be the arrangement, she would attempt to be helpful. Or give the best appearance of such. 

The variety of topics Atsuko presented were odd, and she seemed almost embarrassed to bring up some of them. And in truth, the mention of yōkai and haunting made her think of the stories on the shelves at the back of Silkworms Whispers. But then again, stories generally originated from some place... 

"Let me see- wait here." 

She turned and started hunting through the shelves, pulling out one fat book, then another. These she brought to a low table near the door. Then she went back for more. Soon there were several piles of books. Some larger than others, on a variety of topics, waiting for Atsuko.

"I hope you weren't in a hurry. I believe there's more here on the topics you mentioned, but these are the ones I know off hand." 

*And that can be shared outside of the clan* She added silently.

|| a few books in the stack- feel free to add as needed
*Guide to Celestial Realms* Bound in embossed dark blue silk, this large book discusses spiritual encounters and basic spiritual principles 
*Of Creatures* A slim volume containing one samurai's journal of the creatures encountered in their travels 
*Gakiken* Another smaller, black-bound book covering everything from forest-spirits of the kitsune, to gaki, to malicious spirit-beasts and yōkai
*Acupuncture & You-correcting imbalances of the body*
*A Medical Guide* The 'fat' book, almost more of a textbook of sorts, lists various mundane ailments and treatments, but also includes a few references to spiritual maladies ||

||
Deborah
Whatever misgivings the Asako might or might not have had in assisting her, at least she made the effort to appear dutiful. One book became two books became three and four and so on, and as the covers piled up on the low table before her, Atsuko found herself dreading the workload that came with them. She had never been very much for reading. Of course, few in her position were. Life on the road did not leave one with much time for academic study, and few of those who needed to withstand the indignities of life as a wanderer had the temperament or inclination to partake even if they could. 

Yet, all the same, duty was duty. Somewhere in the ponderous piles of tomes, there were answers. There *Had* To be answers. 

"I cannot say I am *Not* In a hurry, Asako-sama, given the importance of the matter at hand. In that same spirit, I also cannot say I intend to leave empty-handed."

The little warrior rolled her neck to and fro as she prepared to settle in front of the table. It stood to reason that she could skim a few of them: only a mad woman would painstakingly commit every word of an encyclopedia to memory when combing for a specific piece of information. Her slim fingers plucked a volume out of the pile that seemed promising and began to leaf through it with an inquisitive eye.

Of course, as she scanned each piece of parchment for anything particularly relevant, she found herself acutely aware of the unattended Phoenix's presence. A fortunate thing she was particularly good at multitasking. 

"I do not suppose you know much of these subjects, Asako-sama? As much as I appreciate the literature, guidance would be more helpful in the immediate."

||
Alexander
Kita kept a watchful eye as Atsuko delved into the stacks of literature provided. She continued to mentally review what additional materials may be helpful for the requested topics as she hovered nearby. Her train of thought was broken by an inquiry from her guest.

"Huh? You need, oh..."

Her brain caught up with her ears. As much as she was reluctant about *Who* It was asking, she couldn't resist the genuine request for help. She gave a quiet sigh, her shoulders dropping as she relaxed a little, and moved beside Atsuko. She slid out one of the books towards the bottom of a pile. Opening it up and leafing to a page in the back half of it, she pointed to a passage.

"See here, it talks of creatures, beings, that hide on the fringes of society. That they feed on people, whether physically or spiritually is debated. I'm sure there would be some kind of signs."

She sat the book down between them and picked up another to look through it without glancing up,

"I'll admit, on the subject of hauntings, my personal reading of late has been on the subject. But the stories are supposed to be fiction. I'm not sure how much use that would be."

||
Deborah
It was difficult not to notice the shift in body language that followed her small request. Perhaps it was a tad mercenary to exploit someone's willingness to help, but with her circumstances, she needed every advantage she could turn up. Most samurai would not bother themselves to offer their aid to a lowly ronin, but plenty of samurai were willing to show off their expertise on a particular subject. Given the relative lack of information she had on the subject at hand, playing the part of a clueless drifter wasn't all that hard.

The harder part was figuring out just how much to reveal on her own end. She had gathered no small number of clues during her time investigating the so-called yōkai menace. Much of it was not the sort of thing one spoke about in polite company, the sorts of things that wouldn't migrate their way into fictitious tales about ghosts and ill omens. In the fact of the genuine peril facing the city's inhabitants, though, perhaps propriety could be breached to an extent. It wasn't as if all that much was expected from her in terms of manners, anyway.

"I can confirm that they aren't fiction, Asako-sama. At least, not the ones in this city. I fought one shortly after I arrived in the city. It looked like a man, at first, but revealed itself to be some huge, horrible... Centipede, thing."

She fought the urge to shudder. Not from the description, of course, but even mentioning the horror brought to mind the sound of its hideous joints cracking as it twisted in ways no human being was supposed to be able to.

"I haven't run into another like it, but the journal we found in its lair... I think it was once a commoner. Then he got sick with something, and not even jade seemed to be able to burn away whatever it was: it all just turned black and rotten." 

Her fingers almost dismissively flicked through the page of the book before her as she continued.

"Whatever it was, it consumed him until he was too jibbering to continue writing, and eventually turned into a monster. You'll have to forgive my hurry in that regard, as I've only recently learned that *More* Peasants seem to be falling ill with a similar malady, and I'm no closer to figuring out what it is to even begin fighting it."

||
Alexander
Kita had been studying the volume in her hand as Atsuko debated the requirements of propriety in this situation. As she described the creatures, the monster that presumably used to be a man Kita initially was still focused on her study there. Even as Atsuko refrained from a physical reaction to the story, the frankness of her tale brought Kita's attention back from the pages before her. Her eyes grew wider as she described the jade rotting away at its touch.

"Ah yes. An entirely understandable hurry..."
Kita seemed dumb struck for a minute, processing. Then she had questions.

"There's more of these things turning? How long ago was this? Do you know how long it takes for this transformation to take place once one has contracted it? And you think it's some sort of illness that causes it?

||
Deborah
It seemed her little tale had managed to at least capture the attention of the Asako. Whether it was out of interest, worry, or both, it mattered little enough. As long as she got the samurai invested in the situation, she could try and extract more help out of the Phoenix than the other great clans had proven themselves willing to provide.

"I believe so. The *Start* The situation was sometime last winter, and the trail went cold between then and around the middle of spring."

 There was more to say on the matter, but the scholar seemed full of questions, and who was she to refuse them? 

"I cannot say for sure. My only evidence is a half-illegible journal, and the Scorpion confiscated all the evidence after the inciting incident. I only still have records of it because the late Ide Nakato had the presence of mind to record testimony the evening it happened."

The little ronin allowed herself a small frown, though whether it was for the memory of the late ambassador, or out of dissatisfaction for how the matter had been handled, she did not easily let on.

"The reason I am here is to seek the answers to these very questions. I have asked aid of both the Crab and Scorpion clans, and received little to nothing in return. It is my hope that the Phoenix will succeed where they have failed," She let a small moment pass to let the point linger before she continued, "Do you think that is feasible, Asako-sama?"

||
Alexander
"Last winter you say? Were there other things happening at that time you believe may be related?"

Kita frowned in turn, unhappy to hear both that there were such dangers roaming the city, and that the investigation had gone cold.
But as the ronin continued to speak, she felt some of her worry turn to irritation. The manipulation this time was more blatant, and she didn't appreciate it. She kept her expression and tone neutral though as she replied, her eyes narrowing only slightly.

"It is unfortunate that previous attempts to uncover the needed answers have been unsuccessful. I am here to help as I can. I believe that with your knowledge of the situation and my aid to investigate of the resources available here in the embassy library, that we can surely come up with some answers that have eluded you so far."
Ada
*A Guide to the Celestial Realms*
```Nothing of particular note was found here, beyond the basics that most all who had encountered beings beyond this realm understood. They are difficult to harm by traditional means, often requiring concerted effort, shugenja, dozens of powerful omamori, or jade. Scribbled on the page is a brief reference to the fact that obsidian can be used as a last resort in place of jade to harm spirits.

The volume also speaks of a Realm's "Jealousy" Or its defining characteristic. If a being from one Realm spends too much time in another, they will begin to be affected by that realm. For most it manifests solely as shifts in mentality, but in extreme cases physical alteration has been known to occur.

There is no mention of natives to a realm that match the creature. All references to beings which were once human are limited to those poor souls who passed and were judged by Emma-O.```

*Of Creatures*
```It is difficult to discern where fact ends and pillowbook begins with this one. It is written from the perspective of a Lion Clan Magistrate in the sixth century, Matsu Shino, and mostly speaks of her time as a prisoner of "Copper goblins." Curiously, she speaks of these creatures as intelligent, relatively peaceful, and capable of a magic rivaling most shugenja.

Various monsters are described during her time with the copper goblins, most of which carry arachnid or other insectoid characteristics and could be inferred to have been encountered underground. Eventually, after gaining the trust of the group by saving them on numerous occasions, she is released from bondage. In an act of great selflessness and honor, she slays every last copper goblin upon having her weapons returned to her. Though they seemed harmless, they were not Rokugani, and thus a threat to the Empire.

In the latter chapters she is haunted by a talking lion who calls himself Adisabah, which she comes to believe is punishment for her cruelty. He convinces her to return to the site of the massacre, bury all her worldly possessions, and retire to a monastery. When she worries that someone may desecrate the burial place in search of her material things, Adisabah assures her the darkness of the deed performed will act as a safeguard.```

*Gakiken*
```The book attempts to explain that while the creatures within are real, they also embody an idea. Thus, many times the simplest way to defeat them is not to fight them, but to force them into a situation where their guiding principles will force a defeat. Bowing to a kappa, taking a kitsune's hoshi no tama, and others are mentioned.

Then again, some creatures are said to be impossible to reason with. The feared onikuma, for example, is unknown just how intelligent it is as none survive encounters with it. After describing common methods of defeating such gargantuan creatures (usually involved hundreds of spears, fire, and jade) it posits that even the most dangerous of yokai could be beaten with the right knowledge without lifting a finger in violence of understood.```

*Acupuncture and You—Correcting Imbalances of the Body, a Medical Guide*
```The descriptions of physical ailments and their treatments may as well have been written in High Rokugani, but some of the tips for aiding repetitive nerve damage did explain some of the things a young duelist may have seen their elders do after a particularly arduous confrontation.

Given that this edition was written at the tail end of the 8th century—not long after Iuchiban's second assault—a small section on identifying the difference between a curse and necromancy was added. It expounds on the differences, explains the dangers of burying bodies, and so on. It also describes the challenges inherent in identifying the source of a curse. Much like a shugenja's wards, most curses are affixed to an object and designed as one-time activations, after which the object becomes mundane. Some protective prayers and poultices are written to defend against both zombification and curses, though it is not certain how effective these really are.```
Deborah
"I see. That is reassuring, Asako-sama."

The ronin's lips curled every so slightly upward, yet the aforementioned reassurance did not quite seem to reach her eye. Perhaps she had overstepped in appealing to the librarian's sense of pride and worry. It could have been that those who tended the Phoenix's books were harder to placate than an errant Thunder Guard or palace official, but all the same, it was not the bookkeeper Atsuko had sought at the embassy. It was the knowledge held within the books themselves. And when it became clear her line of questioning had begun to exhaust the Asako's patience, she was quick to redirect her attention back to those very books.

Page by page, she scoured through the books. Some were quite dry—theology and medicine were never things she was *Passionate* About—but others were a tad more interesting. The tale of Matsu Shino might have even been something she would read in her own time, were she the type to read for leisure, despite its predictably sad ending. The quality of the story was secondary to the information within, however, and there was a breadth of information to sort through.

Connecting things had always been something she excelled at. Whether it was the careful combination of kata and how they flowed, to the way rumors and tales moved the value of goods at the markets, piecing together disparate parts into a cohesive whole was something she found herself drawn towards. The story unfolding in her mind's eye was a fanciful one, the sort that might well make for a good pillowbook in its own right. But she had seen firsthand evidence that such things were not beyond the realm of possibility, and unlike a humble, tall tale, had very real consequences for those involved. 

The little ronin was quick to read back into previous texts as she found new information, producing from the fold of her sleeve a small, neatly bound notebook and a length of graphite with which to write. Every so often, she would scratch something into the page, her handwork quick and messy, but legible enough for the only eye that mattered to read. The words themselves seemed a jumble, copper goblins, insects, fortune, a smattering of years here and there, and even a query into obsidian. 

Then she stopped.

"Asako-sama, forgive me if this is naïve to ask; I am no scholar nor mystic... But if creatures from other realms can find their way into our own, is the reverse true? Is it possible that there are places where a person might... Slip through into another world?"

It felt silly to ask, but she had grown up in Unicorn lands. Every little boy and girl in Turo-Kojiri knew of the Shinomen Mori. That dark place where the realm of man seemed to blend with wilder, darker things, where goblins, trolls, and worse lived, was where misbehaving children were sent to live. They had been silly little stories, enough to scare the young into listening to their elders, and perhaps to act as a warning not to wander too far into the wilds... But perhaps there was a kernel of truth in some of them after all.

||
Alexander
Focus turned back to the work at hand. Kita had taken a place at the low table not far from Atsuko. Time stretched as they dug through the stacks of books. In between her own reading, she was able to watch the ronin's research. Atsuko didn't seem the scholarly type, but the efficiency with which she sorted through the various books, cross referencing subjects, and making notes earned some begrudging respect. 

Kita flipped through the different volumes as they traded back and forth, occasionally pointing out a paragraph of interest. She was still looking through the guide of celestial realms when the little ronin became particularly affixed on the Matsu's journal.

"Did you find something of interest? Answers?"

Atsuko had stopped with a question. 

"Not naive, no. But I think this may speak to what you're asking. See here-"

Kita pointed to a passage towards the end of the book in her hand, turning so the she could see, reading aloud,

"It says transition between realms is possible. 
While rare outside of death, it is said that there may be ways to move from one realm to another by other means. 
While outside of one's own realm, physical or mental changes can occur in the traveler."

Reading bits of the page, she scanned the text further, trying to join more pieces to the puzzle. 

"I don't see why it wouldn't be like most any other passageway, if something can go in, surely something else can go out."

||
Deborah
Though she did not look directly at the Asako with her remaining good eye, Atsuko did listen intently to the librarian's words. She listened and considered, as she allowed herself to scan the characters thought to be brushed by Matsu Shino. Taken by themselves, the knowledge before her seemed an eclectic and unhelpful mix. But combined with the context of what she knew, the clues she had gathered, each little piece of information came together to form a more cohesive whole. Some of it was quite old, and perhaps even fictitious to begin with. But it was enough to formulate and theory, and a theory was good enough to investigate further. 

"I see," The little ronin raised her head enough to look Kita head on, her brow furrowed with determination, "I fear I will need more books, Asako-sama. Forgive me for what sounds like a foolish request, but I need to know more about 'copper goblins', and where they can be found. And... Insect spirits too. I believe there is a connection to be had."

||
Alexander
"More books we have."
A slight smile crept onto Kita's face; now it felt like there was progress to be made instead of blindly turning pages. She nodded, thoughtful, and scurried off to the back of the library. A minute later she returned carrying a long, narrow, wooden box filled with printed cards of heavy paper. 
These she started thumbing through purposefully, occasionally pulling one loose to review the details. She muttered almost more to herself,

"Let's see here what other titles might help us. Now that we have a direction. Insect spirits, 'Copper Goblins', copper?, dwelling underground..."
She looked up at the ronin, 
"You said you encountered one of these monsters in its lair, Atsuko-san. Was it underground as well?"

Continuing to hunt through the cards while waiting for an answer she had turned several sideways to mark their places, glancing up occasionally to where they would be housed on the shelves. After a moment's debate she pointed,

"Just over there, the second shelf. There should be a few books on mining. Could you grab those? It looks like there are a few more on spirit creatures and the like here..." She moved around the table the other way, headed for another row of shelves.

||
Deborah
While Kita went about the task of searching for books, Atsuko simply shook her head.

"I did fight *Something*, but I don't think it was a copper goblin. And the lair wasn't underground, but off in the Leatherworker Quarter's."

It had been months and she could still see its terrible visage in her mind's eye. While the creature she had battled against certainly had a higher mind than that of a simple beast, it did not strike her as the sort to form complex societies like that one described in Matsu Shino's memoir. No, it was far more likely that whatever she had done battle against was not some foul creature to begin with. She was more confident than ever in her assumption it was once a man—all that had changed was the vector by which he had become something more horrible than just a man.

"Over here? Ah, of course."

Ruminating over things did little to further their cause, and so the little ronin hurried over to the shelf in question, reaching down to pick through the volumes. Luckily for her, the Phoenix had not asked for a volume on a much higher shelf. The last thing she needed was to be scolded for clamoring up shelving like an enterprising monkey to make up for her lack of height. With the books cradled in her arms, she headed back to their increasingly cluttered table while Kita seemed to head off in another direction entirely.

"I don't mean to inquire into the taboo, but do you happen to have anything in regards to identifying curses? I figure if anybody would know the methods of finding and dispelling such things, it'd be the Phoenix, and something from *Acupuncture and You* Has me concerned."

||
Alexander
Kita continued searching the shelves, referencing back here and there to the cards she had set aside. She didn't fully turn her attention from the ronin nearby, turning back over her shoulder here and there as they spoke. 

"The Leatherworker's Quarters, hmm? I've heard things about that area. Yokai infestation was not one of those."

She pulled loose a few books, moving aside some of that had not proven useful to make room. Going back for another, she flipped through a few pages before adding it also to the newly grown stack. She nodded in approval as Atsuko retrieved the volume she had pointed out, and waved a hand at the one she had just laid down.

"You had mentioned something about early coins also? This one speaks of early minting, the Crane I believe originated the idea."

|| adding to the pile 
*The Spirit and the Supernatural* A volume describing creatures of an unnatural origin
*Phantoms* A ghost story, maybe fiction?
*Mineral Exploration and Mining* Discussing both types of important substances that can be found underground, and some mining techniques and safety
*From Rice to Koku* A dry explanation of the transition from barter to coin through the empire|| 

Referencing again a card in her box marked with a black line across the top, Kita stepped away to the back of the library to a shelf just out of sight. She came back with a smaller book, unmarked, that she did not add to the stack. Instead she sat across the table and opened herself.
"Let me see if I can find anything useful here."

|| looking into a book on curses before sharing (Investigation 4:Study)