Curtis
In one corner of the Scorpion gardens one could find a simple dojo. Little more than a roof and a raised floor, with shoji screens available, it served many functions. But when the little scarfaced killer came out, everyone knew to give her the space. 

She was working slowly through some traditional draws off the right hip. Her right arm was still slung beneath her chest and her feet were bare on the smooth boards. The flash of steel was a hypnotic, regular thing as she repeated draw after draw. 

To one side her servant was silently tending a small pot over a fire, ready to pour tea when her mistress was ready.
Nathan
Tomura had been in the dojo, kneeling on the ground and observing, it had been some time since he'd seen the small poisonous flower of the Scorpion and it would serve well to see if their dagger was still sharp. She was as dangerous as ever, good, they needed a tool for when words were useless. 

He sipped a small cup of Sake in silent observation, as if he wasn't even there.
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Curtis
Pausing to shake some lactic acid from her arm Kaori moved over to the water jug and took a drink. She headed back over and knelt beside Tomura. "Cousin dear, when are you going to join me on the floor?" She asked, her eyebrow arched coquettishly. "Take steel in hand so you can cut your own throats?"
Nathan
Tomura cocked his head and offered a simple shrug at that, his entire face today was covered by his Kitsune mask, just leaving a grinning fox staring back at her.

"Why my dear cousin, if I where to join you, surely I would taste defeat." He offered, "If I where to face one in battle, I would prefer to walk into something I know I would win." He giggled at that, "And it would only serve to disrespect you, to face such a weak opponent as myself, a woman of you caliber should only have the finest of challenges." Ever the diplomat

"I must admit though, watching you train... Is like appreciating an artist at work, simply exquisite."
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Curtis
The poisoned flower had no mask, she had discarded it after her trial and never resumed wearing it. She began rebinding her hair. "It's not about victory or defeat, cousin, it's about what you can do in the moment. Sometimes your best chance is to mark your enemy so that one like me can avenge you later. If you cannot win, abandoning the effort to live and focus on what you *Can* Do is the best thing to do." 

She rubbed absently at her right arm. "I would be *Very* Displeased to learn you were stabbed without any sort of resistance at all."
Nathan
"I suppose so." He looked to her, a small unsees smirk formed under his mask. "If someone comes close enough to stab me, I'll be sure to repay them in kind, I promise." He chuckled, "Perhaps my dagger would have a... Kick to it." He said a bit slyly, a little poison always helped, and it's not like he was a warrior, a small poison dagger as a last line wouldn't be too much, would it?

"I do believe that if I am ever pulled into combat however, I have failed in my duty, barring an ambush of some kind of course, I should find myself a yojimbo at this point." He sighed, "Just promise me, if I am ever killed... Make them *Suffer*, slowly, I want them to *Think* On what they did." He said with the utmost calm and eerily cheery tone he could.
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Stephen
"How kind," *Shosuro Kaze said, his footfalls quiet as he approached the training area from the garden.* "Contemplation is the gateway to enlightenment, after all. To give such scoundrels that opportunity to understand and overcome their karma in hope that they might find a better reincarnation under the auspices of Lady Sun's mercy is surely the mark of a compassionate and wise soul. Bayushi Tomura-san, is it not?" *He looked toward the shinobi next.* "And Bayushi Kaori-san? My we do indeed have a surfeit of excellent swimmers in the Shosuro palace," *Kaze joked.*

"I am Shosuro Kaze, a shugenja of the Yogo school recently returned to our City of Tales after some time apart from her. I would be obliged if you would both welcome me into the Clan's tapestry here. Perhaps beginning with allowing me to witness your training methods?"

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Curtis
"One day I shall see if you are as handy as you think," Kaori said cheerfully. "The thing about being stabbed is that one so rarely sees it coming." 

She glanced over at Shosuro and waved her fingers. "Shosuro Kaze -san, a pleasure to make your acquaintance. This one is Bayushi Kaori, humble student of the sword."
Nathan
Tomura gave a small bow to the newcomer.

"Bayushi Tomura, at your service, I was told their where new faces to the palace." He looked the Shosuro over. "If there is anything you need help with, please don't hesitate to ask, I'm simply a minor functionary but I hope we can work well together."
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Cory
Having seemingly built rapport with Kotori, all that was left was to demonstrate his competence as a bushi and yojimbo. He walked with her up the stairs into the dojo.

His light blue kimono and white hanoshi seemed out of place in a place where Scorpions gather to train, as did his light reddish-pink hakama and cream-coloured obi. The placement of his daisho on the left side was the only thing not out of place; marking him as a bushi.

The man gave a respectful bow to the other Scorpion inhabiting the dojo. Though he remained silent. It would be inappropriate for Kotori's yojimbo to speak before she did, and the Yogo was somewhat disinterested in any further socialising unless duty demanded it. *Ideally, they pay me no attention.*
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Nick
"Oh! Shosuro-san, Bayushi-san!" Kotori smiled upon seeing Tomura—he was familiar, at least. She offered a polite bow to Kaze and when she looked up, she noticed Kaori, and her eyes widened momentarily.

"And you must be Bayushi Kaori-san. It is an honor to meet you." She bowed more deeply to the other woman, this being their first meeting. She'd heard, of course, about both her deadly prowess and her beauty. "I am Bayushi Kotori."

Initial greetings done, she stepped aside and gestured to Yamori, but when she spoke, it was to Tomura and Kaori. No doubt Tomura was aware of the new man's existence, but she did not think they had yet met. "This is Yogo Yamori. He is recently arrived in the city."

After another look around, she moved closer to Tomura. After all, he was not a bushi, so wherever he was must be sufficiently 'out of the way' for those who actually knew what they were doing. 

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Curtis
Bowing to the new group Kaori gave the new swordsman a thoughtful scrutiny. She glanced over at the rack of bokken, and back, one professional silently gauging another's interest in a more vocal offer to spar. "It's a pleasure to meet you all," She said. Her face turned to the side slightly to downplay the scar that marred her soft cheek, where a crossbow bolt had shattered her mempo. "We're just enjoying a little tea and a little exercise. We are all Scorpion here and can rest comfortably in a bit of privacy." 

She studied Tomura again before adding, "With any luck you shall not need my services. I'm one of the very best in the city at what I do, but what I do isn't very nice."
Nathan
Tomura for his part, simply remained where he sat as the crowd seemed to gather, on the one hand, they where all Scorpion, on the other this was not work and thus he didn't mentally prep... Heh

"You are among one of our most prized assets, Bayushi Kaori-sama," He offered, "I can think of no other I could trust with your... Duties." He said, smiling under his mask before turning to Kotori.

"I did not know you had a yojimbo, Bayushi Kotori-san," He chuckled, he didn't have one, "What a valuable piece of the board you must be."
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Nick
"Bayushi Tomura-san, I already know you to be clever. I did not realize you were a comedian as well." Kotori smiled teasingly before taking a seat beside him. "I was merely showing Yogo-san the gardens, and he wished to visit the dojo."

An exquisite folding fan was produced and snapped open before she leaned over to whisper softly to Tomura. The last thing she wished was to distract the others. "Has Shosuro-san been training as well?"

She had the distinct impression that the Shosuro did not like her, and she did not wish to give him any additional cause to deepen that animosity.

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Cory
The comment from Kaori that *We are Scorpion in privacy* Did not escape Yamori's notice, nor the glance to the bokken rack. She seemed harmless, perhaps even weak. But Tomura's comment on Kaori's duties alongside the deep bow that Kotori gave to her suggested something else entirely.

"The fortunes smile upon me that I may enjoy such good company so shortly after my arrival in this City of Stories. Would you grant me the kindness of familiarising me with the dojo," Yamori glanced at the bokken rack also, hesitant to too openly accept an invitation that had not been formally given. Return his stare to Kaori, he addressed her with the respect that caution demands. "Bayushi Kaori-sama."

*No mask. An insult to the clan? Possibly, though she appears respected. A display of her true self? Possibly, though odd that others continue to bear their masks. Could be a junshin, but the duties alluded to betray that notion. An image she is crafting?* The Yogo left his thoughts there, careful to not get distracted. Positive first impressions were necessary for a safe life.

He smiled pleasantly at Tomura's comment. But held back a response, cautious not to speak to another before being directly addressed.

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Curtis
Her arm was still slung within her kimono, but her eyes flickered with interest as she considered the Yogo. Nodding faintly she moved back onto the dojo floor, scooping up a couple of bokken from the rack and holding both by the blade in one hand, offering the hilts to Yamori to pick one. "I am a bird with only one wing," She said to Tomura. "I shall not fly far yet in my duties. But still, perhaps while we have some peace we can exercise a little. I've seen our esteemed magistrate in action—he is ferocious when provoked—but I don't intend to provoke *You* Yogo-san."

A double meaning there, maybe even treble if one looked closely. Her soft mouth was quirked in a casual smile and her body language was relaxed. She seemed as innocent as a child inviting a friend to play.

How many had fallen to that mistake? And how would the Yogo respond? Certainly no one would fault him for being cautious at the way she put him on the spot so carefully and yet informally... Any decision he made would doubtless be analyzed by the mind behind those wide, opaque eyes.