Thomas
Once the food was handed out, Tomura and Kotori returned to the Shosuro Palace. Their was an audit afterwards of course, Tomura made sure everything was kept accounted for and that it was noted the ratio of the Hinin taking, women, men, children. 

Once everything was said and done, he took out a vintage of Sake he had been saving and, after sitting down, poured some for Kotori and then himself. Lifting the cup, he offered toast.

"Let all Good deeds remain unpunished." He chuckled, removing the lower portion of his mask and taking a shot
Cheryl
Kotori let out a sigh, letting her posture relax into one more comfortable. She was glad that she and Tomura were spending more time together—it was even beginning to feel like they were friends, and she liked that. 

Taking the small cup, she smiled at him and joined him in the toast. "Hear, hear, Bayushi-san. I hope we shall be able to enact many more in the future." She, too, drank from her cup, but she did not down it all in one go. She was still a proper lady, after all.

"And may silly guards learn to chew their food." She poured another cupful for Tomura, taking a quick look around for Baka. Wherever its master was, Baka was sure to follow, and she'd grown fond of the little cat.

||
Thomas
Tomura gave a smile at the pour, giving her a polite nod before merely sipping this time. He finally seemed to unwind, his posture becoming less rigid and controled and just... Letting go in a sense. Sure enough, Baka peeked out of some hiding place, looking towards them and making his way to Tomura, nuzzling his leg a bit before going to do the same to Kotori.

"It's pathetic really, must *Everything* We do in their small little minds be part of some grand conspiracy." He chuckled, "But you handled it well, I saw you wrapping that guard around your finger, very smart play, I don't know what use he would be in the future, but I hook is a hook I suppose."
||
Cheryl
With a smile, Kotori reached down and gave Baka a little scratch under the chin. The feeling of soft fur beneath her fingers so soothing, comforting. 

"I would have been more surprised if they had not viewed us with such open suspicion." She sipped at her sake again, letting out a relaxed breath, tension draining away. 

"As to that guard, it is not necessarily for future use. But a show is a show all the same; it was important that we control the damage, whether real or not. Not only did that guardsman see my deep, genuine concern for his well-being, but all his fellows did as well. And so did all of the hinin. Had anything escalated further, I am fairly certain the guard would have intervened on our behalf, at least long enough for us to have made our escape."

"Scorpion do not always sting. Some may be quite docile and easily handled, so long as they are not threatened." 

||
Thomas
He chuckled at the Scorpion 'docile' but it was true, they don't always sting.

"Sometimes I feel like it's too easy," He smirked, taking another sip, "The part that is, the scary villain keeping the Clans disunited, it's a good role, one I enjoy... But it can be isolating at times." He looked down to the Sake. "I'm just as loyal to Hantei as a Crane or Lion... Prehaps even more so, for I know my place, a tool for the greater glory of the Empire, but if I must be distrusted to work, then so be it." He sipped again the looked to her.

"What about you, do you find it... Hard sometimes?"
Cheryl
"Isolating is an apt word for it." She nodded in agreement, using her free hand to dangle a tassel hanging from her obi in front of Baka in offer to play. 

"And yes, I do find it hard. Being constantly met with suspicion would wear on anyone, I think. Nor do I think saying as much is questioning one's place or duty. Just as bushi must grow weary after training and accumulate bruises and cuts, so must we. The difference is that our injuries are all unseen, invisible. Our wounds become cicatrices upon our hearts until scar tissue is all that's left." She gave him a smile that was not quite sad so much as it was tired. 

"I don't think it is a selfish thing to mourn that loss, even if it is in service to the empire."

||
Thomas
Baka meowed in delight at the tassle, trying to hop up and swat at it, such fun prey!

"Indeed," He smiled, taking another ship of his Sake, "On the one hand, their is something... Satisfying abour turing expectations against them, to keep them constantly guessing... But then their are times when, just by vitrue of wearing a mask, you find yourself the lonliest person in the room." He gave a small sigh at that.

"But, no matter what, I'm proud to have born a son of Bayushi." He smiled, "It's not for the faint of heart, and although our bodies are weak, our hearts are strong and our minds stronger, wouldn't you agree." He looked at her, his eyes gleaming from the slits of his mask
||
Cheryl
Kotori giggled, bouncing the tassel about and delighting in watching Baka swat at it. Cats were such marvelous little creatures.

"I try to remind myself that our masks are a test, of sorts. If one cannot see past it, how worthy of my loyalty can they be?" She looked up at him, still smiling. "Not to confuse beneficial acquaintances with actual friends, of course. They may be synonymous, but certainly not always."

She sipped her sake again, finishing her first cup. "I, too, am a proud child of Bayushi. What strength our bodies may lack we more than make up for with our resolve."

"To being able to swim, despite the best efforts of others." She held her cup out for a refill, smiling back at him. She liked that Tomura seemed to be growing more comfortable around her, more relaxed. Some day, she might even see his entire face. 

||
Thomas
"I like to think I count... One or two Samurai in this city as friends," He admitted, "Three maybe, as I would like to think of us as friends." He chuckled lounging back a bit.

"But at the end of the day, the game we play is political and everyone not us is a potential rival, it's something to keep in mind, for all we know our friends could become threats to the scorpion."
||
Cheryl
"I like to think that as well." She grinned and went back to waving the tassel at the little cat, making quiet little 'nyan' and 'mew' noises at it.

"Your words are true, and I shall remember them. But on happier notes, have you seen any plays recently? Come across any interesting books?" She'd never get to know him better if she did not gain a better understanding of his interests, after all. 

||
Thomas
He sipped his Sake again, emptying it again as he thought on that.

"I saw a play a few weeks ago... It didn't end like I hoped it would," He muttered, pouring himself more.

"As for book, I read this delicious story about a Lion lord whose son, who you follow from childhood as the story progresses, becomes colder, callous, and more odd as he grows, eventually becoming a detached killer, turns out, his wife was decided by an oni that took her husband's form years ago, it was a delightful ending." He chuckled 
||
Cheryl
"It must not have been a very good play, then." Of course, *She* Had no way of knowing what had transpired at the play. 

But if had ended in a way that had been unexpected and so displeased a Scorpion—paragons and patrons of the arts that they are—it must have been a poor showing, indeed.

Kotori listened to the description of the book, nodding along and making appropriately surprised faces. She preferred pillow books, tales of romance and poetry. "An oni? How frightening! To think that an oni could remain undetected for so long... It chills my blood. Next time you go to the booksellers, I would like to accompany you."

||
Thomas
"It was a decent production, but the desired effect on the audience didn't take." He said simply, but then he smiled as he saw her reaction the tale, yes, shock value!

"I think what Tainted Seed more accurately shows, is the horror of how, no matter what a man looks like, inside can be a soul just as depraved as an Oni... Although personally, their are tales that display the malevolance in men that don't even require a supernatural elemant or Taint," He said this topics in private with ease, after all, she was a friend. He went up and to a small cubbard, they where drinking in his room at the moment, and took out some books, "Thise collection I've been building since before I was sent to the manipulator school," He came back with a pile of books.

*Midnight Meat Carvan, Jigoku Bound Heart, Kwaidan, Yotsuya Kaidan, Books of Blood, Desire's Price, Wailing, Girl in the Well, Honor's Price* Such names where among those in this strange collections.

"I also have some woodcuts and paintings," He was grinning now that his mask was off, the Sake helping his own masks slip
||
Cheryl
Kotori finished odd her second cup of sake while Tomura retrieved his books. When he brought them back over, she picked them up carefully one at a time, reading the titles.

"Bayushi-san, you have quite the variety of interests." She even blushed at a few of the titles, wondering if they were *That* Kind of book. But when she came to Kwaidan, she paused. Fingertips glided over the cover carefully, remembering how she'd read a copy of this book several times every summer when she was alone, giving herself a right silly scare. It had been a lonely time, and her books and music had been among the only things she'd had for companionship. So even though thus book had terrified her, it held an odd place in her heart.

"May I borrow this one? It has always been a favorite of mine."

"You are correct though... Men can be just as vicious as any oni or spirit. By extension, that makes them far more dangerous and frightening both."

"Do I dare ask about the woodcuts?" She teased him, just a little, flipping through the book *Desire's Price* Absently. Okay, so she *May* Have been trying to discern if it was horror or erotica.

||
Thomas
Tomura's grin only widened as she reacted not with repulsion, fear, judgmental looks, but genuine interest.

"Of course," He beamed, "I find it to be a more trivial one, but a classic none the less, I must admit I have a particular fondness of the *Jigoku Bound Heart*, of course, *Midnight Meat Caravan* Also provides a disturbing allegory for what sacrifices are made to upheld tradition." He went on a slight tangent, energetically going over the books, as Kotori would find, while some of them are simply horror, many are... A disturbing blend of horror *And* Erotica...

"The woodcuts!" He rushed to another corner, digging through things, as if to kept them hidden, then coming back, several woodcuts... Of the same variatyr, some horror, some erotic in nature, and some a blend of the two. "I know to many it would seem... Unnerving, but the blend of fear and delight... Is intoxicating!" Is seems, for the moment, besides the physical, he is no longer wearing a mask
||
Cheryl
"I think perhaps I may scare too easily for some of your other titles." She laughed as she stacked the books neatly, leaving *Kwaidan* Off to the side. Even if she wasn't necessarily interested in the books, she was interested in making Tomura feel at ease in her presence. It was too rare a thing to find those to whom one could show their true face.

"Oh... Oh my." Kotori flushed scarlet as he brought out the woodcuts. 

She'd seen terrible images in woodcuts before, but those had been of a more historical nature, depicting famous executions or battles. And she'd seen erotic prints before too. One misguided young noble had been so foolish as to send her a collection of *Shunga* Prints. What she had never seen before, however, had been a combination of the two. 

"You certainly were not exaggerating when you say you pursue your passions, Bayushi-san." She looked up at him curiously. "What about the combination of those emotions thrills you so?" 

||
Thomas
Tomura simply looked them over, gliding his hand over one peice as if to feel the image.

"Well... It's like," He paused, as if to think on the question, "Well, think of it, both are rather the strongest emotions that guide us, we leave things behind for a fear of being forgotten, love for a fear of being along, fear is one of the motivators of life, desire as well, we desire companionship, we desire for acceptance, even something as trivial as a warm hand to hold..." He went back to one of his books, flipping through the pages.

"The two of them, combined, it could only serve to heighten both, and almost taboo flavor... It's a window into the human mind almost, that feral animal brain that only can call itself civilized thanks to the Order brought by the Kami."
||
Cheryl
While he spoke, she refilled both their cups again. She had the feeling she would need a bit more liquid courage if they were to continue the baring of souls. 

"That's true." Kotori nodded as spoke of fear and desire. She had her share of experience with both of those emotions, even if many times they went completely unfulfilled, for better or worse.

"What things are *You* Afraid of?" She cocked her head to one side. "And none of these 'failing to do my duty' or 'disappointng my lord' answers." She waved a finger at him in playful reprimand; the sake was clearly affecting her, too.

"Considering we spend so much time in shadows, I wonder how many of our kinsmen fear the dark." She mused even as she pulled *Kwaidan* Into her lap and began flipping through it, pausing here and there and different illustrations. 

||
Thomas
He sipped the drink, already getting a bit tipsy all things considered...

"What am I afraid of..." He repeated, giving a few chuckles at the duty and honor responces, "I would have to say... To live a boring and mediocre life... To not sample everything the world has to give me... And to die alone I suppose." He shrugged, "So... Just living a life unfulfilled I suppose," He moved over and leaned over her shoulder, looking at the illustrations.

"This one is a rare edition, the illustrations where barely able to make it past censures, this is a rare copy with the ones that where deemed too graphic, spent a pretty penny."
||
Cheryl
"And here I am afraid of snakes." She giggled. "Of course, I want a fulfilled life as well, but that is such an abstract concept, you know? Something like snakes or spiders or storms are more tangible." 

She arranged the book so he could better see it as he leaned over her shoulder. The body heat and proximity was nice. She wondered absently if this was what it might be like to have a family, to be comfortable being close to another person.

"It is a beautiful book. Very high quality." She ran her fingers over the fine paper, admiring the dark, even ink of both text and illustrations. "A fortuitous find indeed." She flipped one page, landing on the famous image of the *Gashadokuro*. 

"Have you ever wondered how much of these drawings were created from something the artist actually saw, or just what they have heard or imagined? Maybe the Crab could retain their senses after seeing something so horrible, but could the average human?" She mused absently, an alcohol induced flush settled high in her cheeks. 

||
Thomas
"You'd be amazed what you will find shuffled away in the back of a bookshop." He mused, most of his collection was found after an hour of digging through places most would over look

"Hmmm... I think the artist based it more in the nightmares of his own mind... Perhaps translating some pain of fear that was within his own heart?" He didn't really think on it that much, but now she got him thinking and it intrigued him

"It's why I enjoy the woodcuts... Someone, from their own mind, had to imagine such an image... What kind of mind is that?"
||
Cheryl
"What kind of mind, indeed. Perhaps not the kind I would wish to encounter on a moonless night. After all, it is not the darkness itself which is frightening, but that which it may conceal." She laughed a bit, turning another few pages. This time she stopped on the *Yuki-onna*.

"I think, should I ever be cursed to become a yokai, I would like to be a snow woman." She gestured at the image of the beautiful woman blowing a freezing wind at an unworthy samurai. "She can wield such power without the necessity of causing fright. And I have read that freezing is a calm death, like going to sleep. That sounds a far better end to me than having one's entrails ripped out or blood wrung from them, no?"

||
Thomas
He nodded along, smiling a bit at thr Yuki-onna

"There is something... Romantic about it, no pain, no torture, she doesn't eat you, just a beautiful woman letting you sleep... Peace, and she's not a blood thirsty beast, the woodcutter broke his promise after all." He mused

"I would suppose... If I had to be cursed to be a Yokai... Maybe some dark form of Kitsune... That way I can still use of my wit, even if it means manipulating and destruction, still, could be entertaining."
||
Cheryl
"I could see that." She grinned and turned to him, cupping her hands slightly and placing them near the top of his head. "Fox ears would suit you well, as would a tail, I'm sure. Unless you already have one you're hiding." Playfully she leaned to the side, as though to look behind him.

"We should make this a more frequent occurrence, Bayushi-san. The sharing of sake and books and ideas." She hiccuped as she sat back—an almost cute sound, thankfully—and she immediately covered her mouth with her sleeve. Still, she giggled. "A thousand apologies."

Yes, the sake had definitely taken effect.

||
Thomas
Tomura blinked slightly at the sudden closeness, sure he was hovering above her shoulder but this wasn't exactly registering yet he just wanted to see the book.

"I'm sorry, all nine of my tails are hiding, it takes a cunning mind to see them." He chuckled then leaned back and fell on he floor. His back laying down and eyes staring at the ceiling.

"I would like that, we're the faces of the scorpion and we should work hand in hand... Metaphorical," He looked at her with the hiccup.

"Please, think nothing of it, this is the palace, your home as well as mine, hiccup to your content."
||
Cheryl
"All nine? I hope to see them someday. I am sure they are soft." She giggled again, imagining Tomura with fluffy tails and pointed ears; it was an amusing thought. What color would they be? Black? The typical orange-red? Mm, with Tomura, black. The darker tone would suit him. 

"I think we work well together, Bayushi-san." She leaned on one hand, not joining him on the floor, but twisting her body to look up at the ceiling. 

"And home or not, I'm still a lady and should comport myself as one." She managed to say this with admirable gravitas and poise.

And then she hiccuped again. 

||
Thomas
"Riiiight, a lady who-" He hiccuped himself, and with his already drunk state, his mask fell a bit, now hanging off his face to expose his upper face a bit.

A hint of slightly unkept black hair, small bangs reaching to his eyes, smooth skin, almost... Pretty in a way.

"Huh... They are infectious it seems..." He blinks, "But yes, we a clan that thrives in court... I'd dare say we're the important pieces in this shogi set... That was a horrible metaphor..."
||
Cheryl
"What is so terrible about it? At least shogi pieces are distinctive, unlike go stones." She glanced down at him, admiring his face. He really was pretty. While she couldn't see his entire face, it was not unlikely that the two of them could not have actually passed as cousins. 

"And yes, they are contagent. Contingent. Contagious." It took her a moment to find the correct word, which caused yet another bout of laughter. "I think, Bayushi-san, we should get some snacks to soak up this sake, else we both regret it come morning."

||
Thomas
"Perhaps... But it sounds so... Basic," He made a small sigh of disappointment,"Important... Important..." Did he always overthink words like this, "Important... Bah, it's the Sake, yes, I do think we should get some snacks, I don't need a hangover tomorrow." He lifted himself and the mask fully fell off, without the mask to keep them in check, it seemed the bangs fell to slightly cover the top of the eyes, his hair, which usually could be seen to fall on the back of his neck, was otherwise long around the front and sides, unkempt, almost like bedhead. Smooth, clean shaven, and young, a courtier of twenty one who could be described and pretty and delicate, if anything he also had some features of the Doji along with Bayushi, to those who eye such things.

"Oh... Fuck." He muttered... Did... He he just curse, "Of course the damn thing," He looked down and picked up his mask, looking at it... Then registered he was unmask. "Kami Damn it!" He exclaimed, "I apologize... Don't tell anyone, please!" 
||
Cheryl
"Taking care of ourselves is important. Especially for us, as we're both not the paradigms of health as it is." She did not bother correcting herself; who knows if she even realized the error.

But when Tomura's mask fell off she was stunned. He wasn't just pretty, he was *Beautiful.* Were he an actor, he easily could play the onnagata in any kabuki production. 

But then he seemed to almost go into a panic, using words Kotori had generally only heard shared among bushi during moments of bravado or moments of drunken, bawdy reverie.

"Bayushi-san, for what do you apologize?" She got to her feet and approached him, and lightly placed a hand on his which held his mask. Yes, she was violating proper decorum by touching him, but it pained her her to see him so suddenly upset.

"Shall I help you fasten it back in place?" Her voice was soft, as gentle as her touch. "I do not mind." 

||
Thomas
"My mask," He muttered, "I apologize for my nakedness," He chuckled, but pushed the mask away, "It's fine... Your the first person in this city to see my face." He admittedly like an interesting tidbit, then looked at the hand, "Think nothing of it... Sake, good company, let's say Geisha house rules, what happens in here, never happened, so think nothing of it." He smiled, which now with the bear face, his eyes just seemed to add to the easygoing nature of it.

"And if I can't be me with my dear cousin, well, how can a Scorpion survive if he can't rely on his clan?" He went to another cup of Sake, taking an easier sip... Then looked to her, "Well, I showed you mine." He smirked, looking to her own mask
||
Cheryl
"Bayushi-san, absolutely nothing happened here tonight save that we enjoyed some sake. And perhaps shall also enjoy some snacks." Kotori smiled reassuringly at Tomura, giving his hand a little pat before releasing it. 

"I'm afraid my reveal won't be quite as impressive." She laughed softly, reaching up and removing her mask. Without it, she looked younger and, even with the sultry makeup, she looked somehow innocent. The cosmetics she wore certainly enhanced her already stunning looks, but it was likely she was just as beautiful without—perhaps even more so. She stared up at him calmly, evenly. Yes, with their pretty, delicate looks and fair complexion, they could pass as family. 

"Now, as I don't know my way to the kitchen or store rooms, will you show me, or should we summon a maid?" She grinned playfully. 

||
Thomas
"If we are to head into the kitchen," He picked his mask up, fixing it again to his face. "I'll fetch some food, somehow watching people take and eat food did nothing to alleviate my hunger, how strange." He stood up and gave her a bow 

"Please, care for Baka while I'm gone, when I leave him alone I'm fearful of what havoc he could do, for all I know he plans my death... Or even the destruction of the empire." He said almost comically solemn before heading out

Baka for his part simply looked at Kotori as if to say 'feed me'
||
Cheryl
"You must take better care of yourself, Bayushi-san. That includes eating at proper times." She frowned at him, almost more of a pout. If his health really was as fragile as her own, he was imperiling himself by abstaining from food. "I will watch him, do not worry."

Kotori smiled at Tomura and settled herself down comfortably, once again dangling the tassel in front of the little cat. "He will be back soon, and maybe he'll bring you a treat." Then, she had a better idea. She pulled her handkerchief from her kimono and draped it over her hand, making skittering motions across the floor in the attempt to engage Baka. 

||
Thomas
The cat's eyes widened as it fell on the floor, chasing the strange thing around, was it food, prey... Why it no catch, need to try harder. The kitten was delighted by the chase, but confused why he couldn't seem to catch it.

It wasn't long until Tomura arrived, and with Mochi! Settling down next to Kotori, he again took his mask off and, after taking some, bite into it, giving a satisfied hum as he did so.

"Ugh, that just hits the spot," He sighed, taking another one, "Who knew charity of all things can drain a person so?"
||
Cheryl
She giggled happily as she played with the kitten, watching it bound about the floor and pounce on her hand. She would pause frequently to pet Baka, smiling. At one point, she picked the little feline up and placed it upon her lap, wanting to feel the cuddly warmth, if only for a moment or two.

When Tomura returned at removed his mask, she grinned, especially when he let out that hum of pleasure. She plucked up one of the squishy treats and took a bite, making a similar noise that bordered on lewd. 

"Mm, these are so good. We'll have to get these again, next time we do this." 

||
Thomas
He nodded along, too wrapped up in eating a bit at first... Then the sound came that bordered on lewd, then he shivered.

"See, pleasure of all kinds before we die, let the Bushi taste the battlefield and be sung of, this, this is our reward." He laughed, "And now, my evening has been made, that... That was music." He smirked, playfully cocking his head. "Sake night... I think it's the start of a wonderful tradition, we should think of ways to... Make each one better then the last." If that was a flirt he was not admitting it.

Baka, for his part, swiped a bit at Tomura's mask as it lay on the floor, so used to it resting on his master's face
||
Cheryl
"You want music? I can go get my lute." Kotori either did not hear Tomura correctly, or misinterpreted what he said if the innocent smile on her face was anything by which to judge.

"We *Should* Make this a regular tradition." She agreed before taking another bite of her mochi, holding it between both her hands like a cute, small animal. 

"What do you think we should do next time, Bayushi-san?" This innuendo seemed just as her beyond as the first. 

"Oh, I know! Next time we can play a game!" 

||
Thomas
Tomura just laughed at the lute comment, but proceed to pick up Baka and nuzzle him a bit, just enjoying the relaxed atmosphere of the evening.

"Courtier sake night, where we can bitch, moan, complain, and just shit talk all the stupid Bushi and the other Clan's courtiers!" Ladies and Gentlemen, Tomura's filter has left the building, "I mean, you can wield a sword around, big whoop, if being a fighter is all it took to be powerful, Akodo would have been emperor... And the Empire would not have lasted five years." He nodded, taking another sip of his drink.

"Give my a rumor mill over a sword anyday, it takes *Skill* To use nothing but information and words... But a game," He paused, considering, "Anything in mind?"
||
Cheryl
"Bayushi-san!" Kotori sounded absolutely *Scandalized* At his crass language before devolving into a fit of giggles. "You are swearing like one of the fishermen at the wharves!"

"I think those that wield a blade or bow are deserving of respect. Without them, those like you and I would be easy targets. They are the pincers, we the stinger." She crooked a finger and made a striking gesture. 

"Though I still think my particular form of venom is harmless." This time, she spoke with no self-derision, merely poking fun at herself. "Unless lulling one into a state of relaxation is a form of poison of which I am unaware."

She nommed one the rest of her mochi, pink tongue darting out to lick her fingertips. It wasn't proper manners, but they were drunk, Tomura was swearing, and the mochi had been very tasty. She considered the question seriously, looking upward and pressing her finger against her chin in thought.

"I am proficient at go and shogi and konpira fune fune, though my experience with the last one is more limited."

||
Thomas
"So?" He asked with a shrug, "If I have to be polite to people all day, take shit, nod along, and pretend to give a fuck about them, then damn it woman, I'm going to fucking be free in the comfort of my own quarters, within these small walls, I am the Daimyo," He lifted up Baka as if to imitate a scene from a certain movie, "And I have the blessing of Baka-sama!" He said triumphantly... Then flomped back down.

"Shogi sounds nice... And yes, lulling to relaxation can be a poison, a false sense of security is something that, when set, can make one ignore the knife already in there back."
||
Cheryl
Tomura was almost *Silly* When he was in his cups. Kotori had barely stopped giggling at his antics and foul mouth; she felt like a child breaking the rules away from the watchful eyes of adults. When he lifted Baka, she bowed low, touching fingertips to the floor.

"Baka-sama is a mighty Fortune, indeed." 

"And shogi it shall be, then. I'll have to brush up on it." 

When Tomura flopped down, she looked around the room until she found a small cushion, nudging the side of his head with the pillow teasingly. "Come, lift your head."

||
Thomas
Tomura gave a deep sigh and lifted his head, looking up and her.

"Baka, Fortune of Unending Cuteness, be warned, I hear charming women often find him to be too adorable, it is a terrible and awe inspiring power." He pushed himself back up fully. "So, speaking of charming women, I'm sure in the time you've stayed with us, surely you've had to have *Some* Attention one way or another." He cocked his head and smiled.

"Come now, we're info dealers, what gossip do you have to share?"
||
Cheryl
She pulled her knees up to her chest, folding her arms across her knees and pillowing her head upon them as she looked back across at him. 

"I do not know if it qualifies as gossip, to be honest. I have been forming, um... Something of a friendship with a Unicorn." This she spoke shyly, glancing away. The flush in her cheeks was from the sake, right? Right. 

"And a new Mantis has arrived in the city. He is quite charming, and very shrewd from what I can discern. And I played chess with a Lion some weeks ago. And had something called 'ice cream' at this wonderful little shop. Have you ever had the dessert, Bayushi-san?"

||
Thomas
He nodded along, frowning a bit at the mention of the Unicorn.

"Be careful," He said simply, from his voice it was clear it was a place of genuine concern for her, "The Unicorn are our principle rivals here... I won't trust the hand of friendship from one," Then he noticed the flush, chuckling, "Remember, every smile and pretty face might have a dagger behind it... We don't want you getting cut now do we..." He gave a small hiccup, "Well, without negotiations and safe words, but something tells me you have no idea what I mean by that, so *Anyway*, yes, Unicorn sus, please, be careful... In fact I met a particularly rude one the other day, man said I *Must* Have been looking for a book...*About masks*, if your going to insult someone, *Please*, find something better then a steretype, it's like asking him if he wanted a horse book, or the Crab a book about walls!"
||
Cheryl
Kotori remained quiet as Tomura warned her against the Unicorn, but... It seemed very difficult to imagine Takeda harboring such duplicitous intentions. Was it that she couldn't believe it, or didn't *Want* To believe it. 

But, Tomura was more worldly and experienced than she, and surely he would not steer her wrong intentionally. ...Right?

"Maybe he doesn't know better?" She hiccuped again, loosening her posture and half laying down to reach the sake, refilling her cup. Sure, she *Could* Have gotten up, but that seemed rather a lot of work at the moment. "Are not many of them removed from the Empire? Like... Really, reeeaaally far away? And what are safe words? I thought most words were safe in the right circumstances."

||
Thomas
He waved away the 'safe words' thing.

"Don't worry your pretty little head about, just something about a hobby is all." He grinned, then reached over for another cup. "Listen, the Unicorn want this city, they want us to fail, we're the only clan not invited to their Bazaar, and they're doing everything they can to undermine us... I'm just worried for you ok, your a new face in a big city, clearing looking to make her mark and live her life... I don't want seeing my dear cousin hurt is all." He muttered, sipping his Sake, "I don't trust most other Clans... But in this city, the Unicorn is our enemy." 
||
Cheryl
"I will be cautious, Bayushi-san." She cocked her head as she gave him a rather serious look, which was a bit impressive given the amount of sake they'd both consumed. "I know that many do not wish us well and would like little more than to watch us tumble further."

"But wouldn't it be better if we could befriend them? Or maybe, um, at least not be enemies any more? How can we hope to do that if we don't talk to them?" 

Ah, the innocent heart. How much simpler the world might be if such solutions were actually practical. 

||
Thomas
He gave a sigh, the kind of sigh the tired drunk gives when his brain is working weird.

"Listen... I'm not saying don't see a Unicorn, it could be very useful to do so, and I do agree that we need to work with the others clan... But, I also know none of them would mourn if we crash and burn... So, while I would cheer being able to work hand in hand, I'm also cautious of those I don't know, especially the very Clan that wants to unseat us here." He gave a pout.

"Just remember, every smile has an agenda, even if it's as simple and trying to seduce or some shit," He gave another hiccup, "Remember what we said, fear and desire, everyone's actions are based on these two principles."
||
Cheryl
"I know." Kotori pouted just a little, the way a child might when being chided by an older sibling, tracing her finger around the rim of her cup.

"It is your turn now, Bayushi-san. I have told you about my meetings—what about you? I'm sure you've charmed plenty of people in the city so far." This gossip thing might be better than she thought, so long as she didn't have to be the only one disclosing secrets.

||
Thomas
Tomura took a sip of his drink, closing his eyes as if to think on it.

"Well... Of those in the city I can think of one or two I can call frined, Yasuki Rei and Matsu Rin... Not sure on the Matsu anymore though," He sighed, "Yasuki-san is a teahouse owner, also a consummate gossip, if you befriend her, you'll have your finger on the city's pulse... However, she is a matchmaker and I've found it's a *Passion* Of her's to see couples set up and wed, so be wary wit her... Maybe the most dangerous woman in the city." He sipped his sake again.

"Matsu Rin is... A charming woman, has her head in the clouds in some regards, but good company." He said, a bit too simply
||
Cheryl
"Yasuki Rei and Matsu Rin..." She repeated the names quietly in an attempt to place them. She knew she had not yet encountered Rei, but the second name... Something about that stuck out.

"Oh! Was Matsu Rin in attendance in the friendly, um... Spar is it called? The sparring match between Rokugo-san and the Unicorn?" She bounced a little in excitement, her empty hand flapping twice as realization struck. "She seemed intensely interested in the match."

"And has Yasuki Rei tried to arrange a match for *You*, Bayushi-san?" She teased again. It was slightly difficult to imagine Tomura having trouble finding companionship, but even drunk, Kotori knew that companionship and marriage were not always synonymous.

||
Thomas
"Yes, Matsu Rin was one of those in attendance." He nodded his head, "I thought they where going to be testing blades," He sounded mildly dissaponted at that, "She's... She has a naive view of things, charming in it's own way, but she may find herself getting into trouble, something to keep an eye on I suppose." He shrugged, then his cheeks became flushed.

"She has not tried yet, as far as I'm aware, but I doubt something would happen of it, if I'm to be wed it will be to further the Clan, untill then... We'll, I have Baka at least." He shrugged, taking a shot of his Sake
||
Cheryl
A naive view of things... The same could be said about Kotori herself. There was much she did not know when it came to many subjects. 

When Tomura flushed, she grinned at him, once again pillowing her head upon her arms. "If she as as formidable as you say, I bet she is compiling the *Perfect* List before she would bring it up to you." Clearly, she was teasing him. 

"And yes, we have the mightiest of Fortune Baka to comfort and guide us. We are fortunate indeed." 

||