[D5 EE] Lord of Shadows

[Bayushi Mineichi]

"Sometimes?" he offered, leaning his back against the table. "Not as often as you might thing. Some find me intimidating." he added, lifting his cup to a toast before taking a sip. "There are all sorts of rumors out there. Some claim that I am some sort of monster. Rawr." Mineichi chuckled, wiggling his 'paw' at her. "I used to be married and whatever you might hear, I did love her dearly." There was a pang of sadness in his voice. "How have you managed to remain single? You'd think that nakado would be pushing you around by this point." Someone like Yakumo was political capital, after all.

[Susumu Yakumo]

"Intimidating, huh?" You don't say..., the thought kind of echoed in her head because it was oddly quiet in there now. Intimidating wasn't something she had considered before this meeting, but afterwards? Absolutely. There was something wrong here.

"Oh, you know how it is. The matchmakers have interests and ideas, but those with the moneybags see conflict of interest with that." Which wasn't untrue, as there was a certain appeal in her being single for the public image, and marriage would keep her busy and not out there working. But Yakumo knew that wasn't the whole truth... though she suspected it was only a matter of time before the nakado swung the axe on her freedom.

Another sip from the cup while a finger traced down from his neck to his chest. "But calling you a monster? Why would anyone do that? Unless it's just some idle chat from the criminal rats, scared of the cat's dangerous efficiency...?"

[Bayushi Mineichi]

"I wonder why." Mineichi jested, shaking his head softly. "No, it's perfectly fine. Everyone has their preferences." he quipped, lifting his cup to his lips once more. "Whom am I to judge people." There was a short pause, lord magistrate tapping his chin with his index finger. "Who have done nothing wrong, at least."

"Mhmmh. And the more famous you become, the bigger those potential sacks grow. I suppose that makes you an investment." he grimaced. "Sad as that is. Yet, we all serve as we can. I am just glad I was never in your shoes like that. That said, I know the nakado are working behind the scenes. A man of my position can remain single only that long."

"Well." he took another sip from his cup, glancing at the ceiling. "Let's say they don't call me crimson-clad for no reason." He seemed avoidant, his tone distant, almost as if he was ashamed of his kenning. "I have shed quite some blood in my line of duties. The media has had field day with it. Rumormongers took care of the rest."

[Susumu Yakumo]

Yakumo chuckled, reaching up to brush some of the hair that had been messed up from the passion earlier, as she could still make it out in the dim light. "I assure you I am completely innocent, officer." At least she was fairly sure she'd never done anything criminal, but after what those two had just done - well, naughty was probably more accurate than criminal.

"Something like that, yeah. Guess we're both in a similar boat in that regard, as it's only a matter of time for me too I guess." Two single people sharing in their future loss of the single life. "As for Crimson-Clad... the media here likes to get wild in what they talk about, it seems to me, it's hard to tell if there's anything true at all in what they say." A small giggle. If she got as busy as the rumors wanted to make it out to be, she'd never have time to appear in public or work on her music. "I didn't think that the Scorpion would make it a bad thing to do what you must do for the sake of duty?"

[Bayushi Mineichi]

"Well." Mineichi looked at Yakumo, licking his lips. "What do you think? Am I a wicked-wicked man that preys on the innocent?" She was many things, but he did not think anyone would have dared to call her innocent - not after what he had seen. "I mean, there was this one revolt." He began to tell the tale. "Some smart-ass heimin in a kami-forgotten steel factory took some samurai hostages. Demanded better wages and housing. You know, the usual complaints." Mineichi scoffed, sighing. "Well. We stormed the place, but they had turned off all the lights. Dark, claustrophobic, noisy. Messy. When I walked out with the head of the rebel leader in my hands, well. My armor was a mess. Someone got a picture of that." Grimacing, he drained his cup dry, trying to see if Yakumo needed more. He sure he felt like he did. "Rest, as they say, is history."

"I mean, duty, yes. Some said it was bit excessive. There are a lot of softer voices in the city these days. People who would understand the heimin." Mineichi sighed again. "We live weird times, little bird. Weird times indeed."

[Susumu Yakumo]

Yakumo accepted a refill, even if she was slowly feeling like she probably should try to keep her wits about her. There was still that eerie silence from her usual companions in her head, it made her feel oddly alone.

"I see... a shame, really, that the media was there to make such a thing out of it." Samurai being taken hostage, things would've been handled much the same back home she was sure. Heimin there were mostly too frightened to even think about lifting a hand against the samurai though. "Wouldn't think that the World of Dreams would have people that... what, want some improvement for the heimin? But I suppose that is a dream of sorts too."

[Bayushi Mineichi]

Having filled her cup, Mineichi hastily filled his. With Earth 3, he was far less concerned about getting tipsy. Besides, he felt the weight of past on his shoulders, his ghosts less substantial, but in a way just as real as hers. "Here, media is everywhere. As I am sure you have noticed." he murmured, taking another sip, grimacing softly as the sake burned his mouth. "Some of them have drones flying around. In case they might catch something interesting. It's not always strictly legal, but hey, World of Dreams for you." Sometimes laws were just guidelines. "It's rather far-fetched dream. Seeing how miserably some of the ji-samurai live and how little space we have." Mineichi shook his head. "I suppose there are kind souls among the Scorpion too." There were, they were called junshin - and everyone despised them. "I doubt life on Spider worlds is much different." Life on most Spider worlds was in fact very different. Spider had no worlds like World of Dreams - their heimin living under oppression that would have made many a Lion blush. "That's one thing I love about this place. You can get almost anything from anywhere, if you have the means. Crane teas? Crab sake? Unicorn biscuits? Anything you could desire, all within your reach." he reached towards Yakumo, his fingers brushing against her arm.

[Susumu Yakumo]

Kind souls were a rare thing among the Spider, so rare Yakumo was sure she could count them on one hand after missing a few digits. Sure, there was Wakana... a radiant exception. Too bad she had to be married to the melted Daigotsu. She didn't count herself as one of the kind ones (narrator: she was one of the better ones).

"It is more or less the same," was the more diplomatic reply, as she couldn't quite say just exactly how harsh it was for those beneath the samurai. "At least when it comes to the order of things, but... yeah, nowhere near anything like this world. I can see why the call it the World of Dreams." He could feel her soft skin, still warm from before. The jade-green tattoo shimmered ever so faintly in the dim light. "Makes it feel like, hm, I don't know... like a living dream of some sort. That it's not all real."

[Bayushi Mineichi]

"That's what a lot of people tell me, when they come here for the first time." Mineichi noted, idly stroking her arm as he talked. "I haven't had the chance to travel a lot, but I have been on Rekishi and Green Carp. I was actually born on Black Mask. A small-ish agricultural world. So I have some idea how one might feel, coming here for the first time. The city can be quite overwhelming." World of Dreams never slept, its many vices available for the samurai around the clock, the city always alive with noise, violence and sin. "Rest assured, though. It is all real." His hand roamed a little higher, his fingers tracing her tattoos. "These must have hurt quite a bit." Mineichi added almost absentmindedly. He had no tattoos, his skin pristine if not but for few scars he had earned in his line of duty.

[Susumu Yakumo]

"I didn't take you for a country-boy," she teased while caressing his thigh lightly. "But, it's the same with me there. My homeworld is Shiragiku, one of the most important agri-worlds the Spider have." And home to other things too. The first thing you smelled there was the incense of all the shrines, temples, and overall spiritual protections - then the stench of fertilizer hit you. She had seen some big worlds the past year, but this one was impressive...

Feeling his hand over her tattoos, she nodded. "They did, but so must these have?" Yakumo's hand traced over one of the scars he had, one that she had noticed while they were exploring one another. "I didn't know a magistrate, especially one of your status, would face such dangers in the line of duty... was this from that factory you mentioned earlier?"

[Bayushi Mineichi]

"I haven't been a country-boy for years." he chuckled, glancing at the window. "It's a big galaxy out there. It's pretty easy to feel lost or out of place, that's for sure." Mineichi brought his cup to his lips, sipping softly. "We are not even entirely sure how many people there are out there. Of course we have official numbers, but some people always fall through cracks. Diplomats and traders go missing. Suddenly there's a new ronin on the streets." he shrugged.

Feeling her touch him, Mineichi tensed for a moment before allowing himself to relax. It had been a while since anyone had touched him in that way. World of Dreams was very much a world of make believe, where the illusions and lies were as true as people's trust in them. Lord Magistrate was a fine looking man with pristine skin - and so assumptions were made, despite the rumors. Somewhere in the artistic circles of the city, UG renga depicting an illicit relationship of the Lord Magistrate and his right hand man Bayushi Satsohi, was extremely popular, both men depicted achingly beautiful in the art. Achingly beautiful and utterly unable to keep their fingers off each other. "Leadership is a curious thing, birdling." he explained, letting Yakumo explore his body, his hand falling on his lap. "Your people are far more eager to follow you, if you are willing to go through what they go through. So I was taught and as far as I can see, as much is true. I rather lead by example than by fear. Even if quite a few people do seem to fear me. Rawr." Curling his hand into a 'paw' once more, he brushed his hand against her chest.

[Susumu Yakumo]

"Hmmm..." the thoughtful sound was pleasant and almost melodic, fingers tracing the lines from his thigh over his hip. The "cat's paw" made her gasp softly, and then giggle.

"You make it sound like a lot of people fear you. Not just... because you're the Lord Magistrate, and thus hold much power over their fates, but as if you make people jump in the streets as you walk past them." Yakumo's fingers continued their path from his hips to his stomach.

[Bayushi Mineichi]

Her giggle brought a soft smile on his lips, the neon lights of the city dancing on his face. "Some do." he murmured, looking down into his sake cup. "I suppose people have their secrets. Everyone is afraid of something and I represent the forces that unearth the secrets. It Lord Governor people should be afraid, but I suppose I do just as well, acting on her behalf most of the time." A soft, unmanly giggle escaped his lips as her fingers roamed over his belly. "You do have lovely hands..."

/fade to pillow-talk?

[Susumu Yakumo]

Yakumo wasn't afraid of him as such, as she didn't think he would be a danger to her. But there was absolutely something terrifying about something around him - or him directly.

But for now, she pushed it aside, focusing on enjoying the moment and to make sure he didn't suspect that she thought something was wrong.


/fade to pillow-talk
/scene!