Susan
Upon leaving the two others to walk the halls of the palace, Masaru continues his step with the diminutive Kotori. He walks a short distance behind, no great distance but enough that were he to need to be defensive, he could do so with relative ease. 

His voice is lower as they walk, private for the environment as their mobile conversation passed through the halls. "My thanks for your tour, and showing me to my quarters, Bayushi Kotori-sama. I have little enough to do there, and am eager to see everything related to security here. May I ask you... And I apologize for my ignorance having just arrived... Are there many security incidents here?" 

The man turns a face framed in delicate black hair to glance at her as he asks.
Ty
"No thanks necessary at all, Bayushi-san. It is among my duties to make you feel welcome, and I am glad to do it." She flashes a smile at him over her shoulder as she leads him through the halls, taking a leisurely pace.

The inferior halls were dimly lit, as one might expect for a palace of the Scorpion, lanterns spaced only near enough to keep one from tripping over their own feet. Masterful scrolls decorated the walls at intervals; fine sculptures and pottery were nestled in alcoves. The decor was elegant and expensive, but not garish or gaudy. 

"It is easy to get lost in these halls, Bayushi-san. The palace was designed with that intention. I found it helpful to orient myself by way of the scrolls and artworks, to learn my way around." 

"As far as security concerns, we have had none since my arrival, and to my understanding, very few before that." Another glance was given him, her vulpine eyes glowing gold in the warm, but low lighting. "Very few are brave or foolish enough to attack a Scorpion in its own nest." 

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Susan
Masaru looks with appreciation at the fine scrolls, occasionally pausing to read one of them, before falling back into step. "A most sensible design. It seems as though it would do well to keep problens at bay."

Masaru returns the look meeting her striking eyes. "Foolish indeed... And how long have you been here, Bayushi Kotori-sama, if I may ask? I would know more of you right now as the... Caretaker?...Of this place than the design of the place itself."
Ty
Whenever Masaru paused, she did as well. Ostensibly, she was showing him around. In reality, she was hoping the tour may allow him time to relax. Immediately upon his arrival, Masaru had been whisked inside and Yuto had gotten straight down to business. 

"Indeed. Though, as I said, it can make learning one's way about tricky." She smiled at his assessment of the palace. Many people found the Palace of Shosuro to be unsettling, the feeling of constantly being watched ever-present. But, for Kotori, that was reassuring. She had nothing of significance to hide aside from her modesty, thus she would make a terribly poor choice for extortion. And, as she was neither bushi nor significant bureaucrat, what reason would anyone have to target her for physical harm? As far as she was concerned, the little Scorpion was harmless. Whether others agreed, she had no idea.

"Me? Oh, well..." The question seemed to catch her by surprise. "I arrived in early spring, so I have only been here a few months. I am most often in the Scorpion Garden, overseeing the bathhouse and providing music to guests. Do you enjoy music, Bayushi-san?" 

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Susan
"I very much enjoy music... Though for me it must be as one appreciates a blossoming tree; I can no more create it than I can sprout those beautiful blossoms." He smiles below his mask, the light creases appearing even despite the covering.

"I have often wondered if I might ever be of service in the creation of a song... For I do practice the poet's craft, though of only humble skill." 

"Are you a musician, Bayushi Kotori-sama? You have... Certainly the lithe fingers that would speak of a musician." It is not unclear in such a comment that Masaru is in no way immune to an admiring gaze at the other Scorpion.
Ty
"And I have no gift for poetry." She uttered a soft laugh and did not hide her smile behind her sleeve. It was a relief to see his eyes smiling, even if his mouth remain concealed.

"We must collaborate at some time in the future, Bayushi-san. I would be most interested to know what words you might set to some of my compositions." Even her voice had a musical quality, bright and clear and very obviously excited by the prospect if collaboration.

She held up one small hand and wiggled her fingers, her smile turning into a playful grin. "I am indeed a musician. Perhaps later this evening I may play for you if you should like, after you've had some time to settle. The first night in a new place can often make sleep an evasive thing." 

Along their journey, Kotori paused to point out the locations of various rooms in which the bushi may be interested, from the library and archives to different reception rooms, the formal tea room, and so on. Many of the other important facilities such as the armory were located in another wing to which she seldom ventured. 

"If you should like to visit the bathhouse later, please do let me know. I would be glad to show you the way there." 

||
Susan
Masaru would indeed notice that the tour focused mostly on places that fed the soul and mind, and he would appreciate those greatly, but he would be curious as it would seem things like the armoury would be on their tour. 

"Shall you lead me to the store of weaponry, and the training areas of the Ashigaru? Or must I suffer a different guide for those?"

"To your other offers, there is little that would please me more than to combine our skills in harmony. I gladly accept your offer of music, since as weary as I may be from the road, I believe sleep would not find me were I to miss out on hearing your playing immediately."
Ty
"The armory?" She stopped momentarily, placing a finger against her chin. "While I can offer no guarantee that I will take you by the most direct route, I most certainly can guide you there." 

She changed directions then, taking him down another hallway with more turns than seemed possible given the typical layout of a castle. "I will look forward to it. Perhaps we might do some moon-viewing as well."

"Are you skilled with a bow as well as a sword, Bayushi-san? Please forgive me if the question causes offense, but as I said, I know almost nothing of the martial arts."

The artworks decreased in frequency as they continued, replaced in niches by war items like helmets and tessen. Scrolls now depicted various battle scenes or famous warriors, including the mighty kami of their clan. 

"I think perhaps this may be it..." Kotori stopped at one door and slid it open to reveal... A store room.

"...Or not."

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Susan
The warrior found himself laughing lightly as the door slid open to the store room. "I have little skill with a bow, I am afraid. Rarely a day goes by that I am not training with the sword, though. That is where my skill lies... As you heard when we first met. Being able to act as the steel that backs up... Well... That backs up people like you, Bayushi Kotori-sama."

After looking at a particularly masterful sculpture of one of the ancestors delivering a subtle strike, he looks back. "I sometimes think everyone is trained in some manner of battle... It is easy to be so blinkered when one is a bushi. Yet you seem to have avoiced such a thing. Your question of my knowledge could come as no offense, and shall be at your service."
Ty
The little Scorpion laughed at her error as well, sliding the door shut again. "Well, should you ever need to know the location of a store room..." She left the statement unfinished, clearly meaning it as a jest. 

"I think it a marvelous thing that you train so diligently. Of course, it is my hope you will never need defend me with your blade." She stepped up beside him to look at the same sculptures, studying it with an appreciative eye.

"It was decided early on that my skills would be best suited to other disciplines." There was an odd hollowness in her voice as she said that, like it was a phrase she'd had to provide many times before. 

With a slight inclination of her head, Kotori indicated they should continue onward.

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Susan
Continuing onwards, he follows the thread as well. "We all have ways we are drawn to serve the clan, and they have shaped us as much as the hands that formed the sculpture. I meant no slight to ask about your lack of martial training; I find it to be a strikingly interesting quality."
Ty
Kotori smiled up at Masaru as they walked. "No, I take it as no slight, Bayushi-san. It is highly uncommon for those of our station to lack entirely in any such training. Perhaps some day I will be able to tell you why."

She managed to unveil another store room before opening the door to a spacious room with polished, bare floors. "We must be getting closer, now. I believe this is meant to be a practice room."

"Shall we see how many more store rooms I might find?" She smiled ruefully, a not unpleasant expression on her lovely face. One could be forgiven had they expected Kotori to be arrogant, but either that quality was lacking or masterfully hidden. 

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Susan
The laughter once more comes easily, as this is clearly becoming a series of such affairs. "I certainly can think of many things that would be appealing in such an exploration..." Masaru says, as he trails off leaving it to be interpreted as either suggestive or chaste. 

"Perhaps after a few more such storerooms, we should return to the more decorative corridors. My appetite for seeing to the accoutrements of this new position wanes with the hour. You spoke of seeing the moon... Is it very high now? Perhaps it is to that gazing we should go."
Ty
"Just a little further, Bayushi-san. I would be remiss in my duties if I did not see you to your destination, and there cannot possibly be *That* Many more storage rooms." Another smile, another twinkling laugh. 

Indeed, they must have been getting closer, from the air began to take on a faint scent of oil and steel. With one final attempt, another door was opened, and this revealed a sizable training room, replete with practice weapons organized on racks, wooden sparring posts, padding and so on. The entire far wall was compromised of shoji doors, likely leading to the exterior training grounds. Voices outside indicated there were others finishing some later afternoon training sessions. 

"Ah hah!" Kotori smiled triumphantly, stepping aside to allow Masaru to enter.

"I believe this is what you sought." Only after he entered would she step in, looking around with open curiosity.

"The moon is not yet at its height, so we have time yet."

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Susan
The other samurai lightly bows in recognition of the accomplishment in reaching their final destination, and he steps into the room. Noting Kotori's curiousity, he gestures towards one of the sparring dummies, clearly recently replenished with fresh shoots. 

"You have shown me many sights tonight, and I would repay your performance with one I might manage. Do you often get to see the art of iajutsu, Kotori-sama? There is..." He lays a hand against the dummy..."Something of poetry to it. I could demonstrate, if such a thing would not seem garish to you?" He raises a brow with the question as he looks back towards her.
Ty
"Oh! I would be honored to see a demonstration!" She clapped her hands together once in her excitement, smiling brightly.

"Iaijutsu... That is the single strike technique from a sheathed weapon, yes?" She cocked her head, unsure of her terminology. Or maybe iaijutsu was a single strike from an *Unsheathed* Blade. She bit her lower lip for a moment, wishing she could remember.

"Ah, where should I stand, so I am not in your way, Bayushi-san?" 

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Susan
He considers for a moment and then helps her to line up in a spot that will be angled towards himself, but not fully so, so as to keep the dummy in full view as well. "About here... I think," He says, nodding with satisfaction that there is a sufficiently wide area. 

He steps back and moves towards the dummy, bowing perfunctorily, and laying a hand on the hilt of his katana, lowering himself into a more centered stance. His voice, as he speaks, is quiet; as though he is narrating. He circles the dummy.

"A strike that comes from a sheathed blade; a single blow. But that is not where we begin. We begin... With appraisal. A muscle twitch indicates which angle the sword will slide from the sheathe. A remnant of metal on the hilt causes a shift in weight; the blade's location can be predicted. The breathing... Your opponent breathes but perhaps just one breath is too deep as you reach the spot they wish you to be in..."

He reaches back to the point he left, facing the dummy. "The pulse reveals when the moment comes. The eyes try to keep their secrets but you know..."

In a blur, his sword flashes out and two ends of the shoot fall to the ground just as his blade disappears back into the sheathe. Were they limbs, the opponent would have lost them. 

"You must be faster than the strike can be measured." Another perfunctory bow, and he rises, taking a step towards Kotori. "I hope it was a satisfactory demonstration."



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Ty
Kotori moved herself out of the way as Masaru directed, standing absolutely as still as possible as she watched. 

The bushi took this demonstration very seriously; she had no idea if he would have been so focused were she not present, or if this was all show for her benefit, but the more he spoke, and circled, and studied, the shallower her breath became and the faster her heart began to beat. He'd spoken of pulses, minute twitches. Kotori wondered for a moment if others could read her in a similar fashion. It seemed likely. 

When the blade flashed out, she had barely even *Seen* It, but when the now severed posts clattered to the ground... She let out an audible gasp, covering her mouth with her sleeve. 

"That was both awe-inspiring and terrifying." The little Scorpion uttered a nervous laugh, a bit of color rising to her cheeks. Remembering herself then, show bowed politely to Masaru.

"Thank you for the demonstration, Bayushi-san. Your skills with a blade are fearsome, indeed." 

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Susan
Masaru had indeed been elsewhere in his moments of narration, as he walked through the process of delivering the blow. "That method of dueling encourages a certain separation of mind and body, to be able to read your opponent effectively. Even if it was only in sport,"

He returned the bow, his eyes drawn to the color rising in her cheeks. "I hope... I hope I did not startle you, Kotori-sama," The warrior said quietly, earnesty hoping he had not upset the other Scorpion. He cursed himself inwardly for a braggart, and worse, some indelicate sword-hand.
Ty
"It was startling, but... It was also exhilarating. Such speed and power are incredible." The color that had settled into her cheeks rapidly faded, leaving her slightly sallow—not the typical porcelain of her complexion, but something faintly sickly. 

"How... How long have you—oh!" One moment she was smiling up at him, and in the next, the world was suddenly on a tilt. Kotori swayed on her feet and staggered, dropping to the floor; she caught herself with one hand which prevented her from smacking her face and head against the hard wooden boards. 

"P-please forgive me, Bayushi-san. I sometimes am prone to fainting." She bowed her head in embarrassment, even as spots began to encroach upon her vision. "I just... Need... A few minutes."

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Susan
Without truly stopping to think, certainly without stopping to think of the propriety, Masaru immediately takes to one knee, reaching out deliberately to help steady Kotori in whatever direction she seems most prone to fall, offering his arm, or hand, should she need it, but steadying her nonetheless. He would not insult her by assuming that she needed his intervention, but he would also do what he was able.

"Kotori-sama... How can I aid you? What do you need of me?" 

He looked around to make sure that no one was nearby, as he listened. He would find a way to secure the situation to allow her to save face if he heard footsteps.
Ty
"I'm so embarrassed..." She uttered a breathless, humorless laugh, blindly reaching out and grasping his forearm. Her weight, slight as it was, leaned against him for support; it was a certainty she would have fallen flat without his assistance. 

Her mask concealed most of the faint sheen of sweat that beaded on her brow, though her hands had become almost clammy. Propriety was a word that did not register in her brain at the moment.

"I am so sorry, Bayushi-san. And after your wonderful demonstration." Kotori tried to straighten up, but swayed again and went right back to leaning on his arm. 

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Susan
He glances around quickly and spies a low cushion to the side of the training area, probably intended for spectators who might wish to watch a few strikes. He walks with her yo those, and helps her to them. 

Moving quickly off, he returns moments later with his hands full of two things; one, a small draught of water taken from a nearby stand, and the other a screen taken from... Somewhere. He would undoubtedly retun it later, but for now he erected it around the two of them.

He resumed his seat, now taking back the support he had offered. "There is no need for embarassment," He says, as he proffers the water.

||
Ty
*What a kind man.* Kotori could barely hear her own thoughts above the high pitched whine in her ears, but this she knew without question. 

Even now, Masaru showed concern for their reputations, arranging a screen to shield them. While one could argue such a thing would immediately draw *More* Suspicion, it woul take only a glimpse of the little Scorpion's face to know she was unwell. 

Shaking hands accepted the water and she drank it gratefully before collapsing onto the gathered cushions. After a few minutes of laying supine, her color began to improve and her breathing evened out. 

"I am very grateful to you, Bayushi-san... I do not like to think what may have happened without you here." 

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Susan
Seeing her condition much improved in the intervening moments, he hazarded a smile as she spoke. He had waited and watched, keeping brief vigil over her reclining form.

"It was my honor to be here to aid you; you seem well on your way towards recovery now, unless I am mistaken?" The last rises in a question, as he does not know the exact nature of what befell her. "Is there anything else I can get for you? Or do for you, Kotori-sama?"

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Ty
She turned her face away from him, humiliation taking hold. While not an arrogant woman, Kotori was proud as should befit a daughter of Bayushi. To be quite literally laid out was terrible. Perhaps this was punishment by the Fortunes. 

"I am feeling better. I have..." A soft, trembling sigh escaped her lips, "...Thin blood, as the physician describes it. Sometimes I grow faint, like this. In the past, I have fainted away entirely. It has left more than one knot on my head."

Vulpine eyes closed for a long moment before fastening upon him again. "If... If you would just stay here, for a few more minutes, then... That is all I ask." 

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Susan
He had never heard of the condition, and he suspected it was because of his own school that he had not. Such a condition would not cause one to last long in positions of battle, for such a thing would lead too much to the enemy's advantage.

But one thing was clear, and that was the distress that the manifeststion of this ailment caused. Not, he noted, the condition itself so much as its ancillary effects. 

He remained where he was, offering his physical support, arms bearing up whatever weight is given him to carry. There was no discontent on his part in doing so. 

"As long as you wish, Kotori-sama. There is... Nowhere else I would choose to be." The last words were offered with something of a gesture of comfort. It was truth, and truth was a precious coin among the Scorpion. Inadvertently, a truth of hers had been revealed, and so he traded one of his own. 

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Ty
Had her mind been clearer, Kotori might have responded to Masaru's stark honesty with a playful smile and a waving off of such flattery, but given her current addled state she just looked up at him, doe-like and gentle, another little blush rising in her face. 

"You are very kind, Bayushi-san. I am again very grateful to you." 

"This doesn't happen with any sort of regularity. Sometimes it just... The only warning I get is that my ears begin to ring and my vision goes grey." While probably unnecessary, she could not help but offer up excuses and explanations, even though he hadn't asked for any. "

"I meant to ask for how long you have been working at delivering such impressive strikes." Once again using his arm for assistance, Kotori sat upright, the fingers of her other hand pressing to her forehead. After another moment, she began to get to her feet, hands held out for balance.

"I hope this will not color your opinion of me in a negative light, Bayushi-san." 

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Susan
"It will not colour my opinion of you in any way that is negative... But neccessity drives me to ask if you would like me to lead you back to *Your* Quarters," He says as he remains nearby, continuing what help is required.

Speaking low, still, even now in private he addresses her question. A return to normal ground, perhaps. "Nearly all of my life, Kotori-sama. I don't recall a time, to tell the truth, when I did not hold a sword. First wooden, then iron, and now... The katana. You may find it amusing... The real reason I write poetry."

He smiles once more, remembering - and sharing - a fond memory. "As I trained, the poets' studio was the farthest room from the training grounds. When I needed to... Be elsewhere... It was to there that I retreated. Never for long," He hastened to add, "But just long enough to find the appeal in ink as well as steel."

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Ty
"Yes, I think that may be the best thing. Besides, your quarters are on the way to my own, so your escort shall serve two purposes." She smiles very softly, taking small, slow steps as she did. Once or twice, she staggered and grabbed onto Masaru's sleeve; she smoothed it out immediately after to remove the wrinkles. 

Retracing their steps took almost as long as the trip to the training hall, and yet, it seemed it was not the same path at all. There were different artworks, albeit the halls themselves all looked similar.

"Iron? Goodness." Kotori tried hard to imagine the weight of swinging a metal pole, executing the countless practice swings demanded of swordsmen. "I shudder to think how exhausting that must have been to wield, and how painful upon contact." 

"I think such a reason carries a melancholy poetry of its own." Kotori commented softly at his explanation, "Is there a particular form you favor over others?"

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Susan
Masaru thinks back to the long hours enduring the training that would hone his muscles to the point where they could deal such deadly blows. They were grueling, indeed. "The skills gained came at a price, and it was one I was certainly willing to pay. It has brought me here, to this new place and this new role. Well... The role is new, at least." 

"For form... I favour *Haiku* As I rather briefly demonstrated in our first meeting. But I also enjoy *Tanka* And... With a suitable partner, *Renga*, if you know of the form. How delightful it is to talk of this form rather than others!"

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Ty
"*Renga* Is challenging but rewarding. The hearts and minds of the composers must be in harmony." She smiled again at his expression of pleasure regarding the discussion of his more artistic pursuits. "I appreciate the skill and beauty of haiku, but perhaps it is the musician in me that enjoys the longer forms." 

"I suppose haiku are similar to trying to convey all the depths of a song in just a few notes. Of course, I know they are not the same." A breathy laugh escaped her as they turned a corner in the seemingly endless halls. "I hope to hear more of your poetry in the future, Bayushi-san." 

She then stopped in front of a set of doors and slid them open. The chamber within was spacious, fresh tatami mats laid out on the floor and a wide window allowing ample light in through the paper partitions. There were standard furnishings provided—a table, desk, a number of cushions, and so on—and his luggage had likewise been carried in.

"These will be your chambers, Bayushi-san. My room is just a bit further up the hall." She gestured he enter. "The bedding is in the closet and a servant will lay it out for you, should you so desire. Do you notice anything lacking? If so, please tell me so we may have the deficiency remedied." 

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Susan
The samurai takes a look into the room, seeing his sparse luggage, the comfort of the room and nodding in appreciation. "This will do nicely; it is most generously appointed. If there is anything I need, I shall certainly let you know. You have been a most gracious host on this most... Eventful evening."

With that said, he turns his attention back to a previous line of conversation. "Perhaps, we might collaborate soon on a work, when our respective duties allow. I know this had been a treasured respite, but I fear upon the morning's light, I will need to attend to the matters of security." 

"But for now though, will you still allow me the honor of seeing you to your room?"

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Ty
"Of course, Bayushi-san. We also must take an evening for moon viewing." 

She barely managed to contain her sigh of relief when Masaru declared his room suitable. With three news arrivals in such a sort span of time, it had been something of a mad rush to make sure everything was ready to receive the newcomers. 

She waited patiently until he had the chance to give his room a quick inspection before she stepped back out into the hallway. Three doors further down and on the opposite side of the hall Kotori stopped again. 

Upon the opening of the door, Masaru might catch a glimpse of the feminine domain of the little Scorpion. Several musical instruments—all of a string variety—were arranged on stands; stacks of paper were piled on the low desk, presumably music; there was a painting scroll depicting fiery red maple trees hanging upon one wall; and the whole room smelled vaguely spicey-sweet, like cinnamon and vanilla and orange blossoms. 

"Thank you for seeing me back here, Bayush Masaru-san." Another sweet, albeit tired smile settled onto her lips. "I feel much safer knowing you have joined us." 

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Susan
He smiled once more, below the mask, and bowed. "And thank you for a most enjoyable night." He begins to turn, and then turned back. "It occurs to me... That if you should feel... Uncomfortable... Again as earlier this evening, it would be wholly appropriate for me to investigate. I will remain vigilant. Until next we meet, Bayushi Kotori-sama," He says, turning to return to his quarters.

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Ty
"Thank you, Bayushi-san. I wish you a pleasant evening." Kotori bowed politely to Masaru before she stepped inside, offering up one final smile before their encounter ended. "And... I shall bear that thought in mind. Good night."


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Susan
|| I thoroughly enjoyed as well! Thank you