Bayushi Mineichi sat in his personal study by a low, red mahogany table. A small brazier sizzled on the table, the grill flanked by thinly cut vegetables and cuts of white meat, allowing diners to the meal fry each and every morsel to their liking. The cooks of the castle had prepared several dipping sauces, varying from tangy to hot. Several tokkuri of sake sat on a tray along with three cups. Mineichi was wearing a rather casual garb, mostly to remain comfortable. Despite rather good air conditioning the tall towers had tendency to heat during the daytime - and most rooms by the windows would not cool down properly before the night. Mineichi sat in solitude, poking the embers of the brazier with a small metal rod provided for the purpose as he waited for his guest.

A solitude soon to be broken.

It would probably be for the last time now that Yakumo came over to visit in the late hours on the magistrate's invitation. For the occassion tonight, she opted for more traditional garb herself, as the black yukata with spider-lillies also had sleeves that covered up unfortunate bruises from last night's excitements. Scuffling around with gaki wasn't without its costs, even with a dedicated guardian, especially for someone unused to such dangers who also didn't handle minor bumps all that well.

Shown in again by one of the servants, Yakumo approached and offered a bow. "Good evening again," she smiled, glancing at the spread he had arranged. "My... you really seem intent on spoiling me once more."

"Good evening, Princess." he called out Yakumo, beckoning her to enter. "I am glad you had time for an old man like me." The glimmer in his eyes told her he wasn't quite serious with his claim. "It's not spoiling you, really. I am sure you are used to far better with the Otomo." he added, downplaying his efforts. "Please, come and take a seat. I hope the Fortunes have been kind to you?"

She chuckled with some surprise at his choice of words. "Old?" He seemed anything but old last time. Smoothing out the yukata as she sat down, Yakumo of course looked over him with a knowing smirk. "Fortunes have been kind, yes. I trust they likewise have shown their generosity to you?"

As she said that, she was trying to keep her sense peeled for anything out of the ordinary. Not that she expected it was exact science, but she hoped that the disturbing presence wouldn't show up anymore.

"Yes, one can hardly complain. I have one of the most beautiful women of the Empire here with me tonight." Reaching for a tokkuri, he poured Yakumo a glass, leaving it close enough so that she could return the favor. "Little birds tell me that you have been very busy." he looked at her, tilting his head to the side. "Up to all sorts of things. Things one might not have expected." She could see him smiling through the thin veil he wore.

Her hand, gloved as usual, reached out and picked up the tokkuri to pour for him as well. The words he spoke brought a natural pause to the motion, her gaze avoiding his as she swiftly recovered and poured the sake.

"Hmm? What do you mean? Goodness, I hope you're not surprised that I went to that Escape Room-experience... it was quite a lot of fun." A lot of screaming and panicking, but fun.

Mineichi chuckled. "Alas, you really think someone like you could sneak to the Desolation without being seen, hmm?" He looked at Yakumo, smiling softly. "Well, the guards thought they saw a certain rather popular monk." There was a pause, Mineichi shrugging softly. "They still do, really."

"However, I checked the security feed and and... well." Mineichi's smile turned into a grin. "I asked the temple too. They assured that the little group they sent was doing important work. So don't worry, I am not going to handcuff you." He took another sip from his cup, laying it down on the table. "Unless you want me to."

Oh fuuuuuuck... she hadn't thought that Mineichi would ever check the security feeds. Why would the Lord Magistrate check them anyway unless there was something to look for specifically, right?

Yakumo's lips pressed together for a moment, placing the tokkuri down again to pick up her own cup of sake. "We could probably consider that later," she smirked lightly, still avoiding the real matter of the subject. "But yes, I... suppose I can say that it was important work." Her violet eyes lifted to meet his gaze now. "I'm surprised that the Lord Magistrate would spend his time looking at security feeds?"

As it happens, there had been a report of portal opening - so Mineichi and his spiritual advisors had gone through security footage to see if they could figure out what had happened. Even with dozens of miles of fence, there were only so many guard towers that allowed passage to the desolation, allowing them officials to have some idea of comings and goings at given hour.

"I suppose we could." he nodded, reaching for a pair of chopsticks, picking up a piece of egg-plant and flicking it on the grill. "Keep your secrets, then." Mineichi poked at the slowly frying egg-plant. "Well. There was a report about unusual spiritual activity. Several really. So we were poking around. Just in case. Curious coincidence, I would say."

"The Clan of Secrets isn't the only one who has secrets," she chuckled at the wonderful irony of knowing something a Scorpion didn't.

"Spiritual activity, huh?" Yakumo asked while picking out some meat to add to the grill. "Only out there or...?" Was this city a hotbed of gaki?

"I suppose so." he nodded, prodding the now wilted piece of eggplant with his chopsticks, picking it up and dipping it into one of the small pots. "I know you all got out too." Mineichi did sound please with that. "Well. I can't discuss details, for obvious reasons." Tugging the eggplant into his mouth, he chewed down into it, mirth glimmering in his eyes. "But let's say that I am fairly sure that you know more than I do."

"Of course." Neither of them could really reveal it all, at least not without some serious promises that there would be no repercussions. And she wasn't sure if she could ask that... at least not without leverage.

"But who knows, maybe Yakumo didn't get out, and I'm a spirit in disguise," she teased with a playful grin as her voice dropped a bit lower, "come to trick the magistrate into doing my bidding, hm."

With a devilish grin, Yakumo picked chose a spicy dipping sauce for her seared meat, while her eyes remained focused on Mineichi as the small but spicy morsel was devoured.

His eyes widened, Mineichi sighing. "Please, that is not fun." His mood soured, his smile turning into a frown. Lord Magistrate huffed, then chuckled bitterly. "Let's say I have some past with spirits." Going straight for his sake, he downed his drink, pouring himself another. "Sorry. A lot of past." Another sigh escaped his lips. "I know you didn't mean it like that, but..." Morose, his head slumped down.

It had been a joke in poor taste, she had to admit. Though, seeing his reaction, Yakumo felt it confirmed more that he had never been the one who had called the gaki, or had wanted it there in the first place. He was, truly, a victim of it too.

"Sorry," she murmured, taking the full blame of it. "I... yeah, that was gauche of me, you don't have to apologise." As he went for the refill, she was quick to offer to do it for him. The way Yakumo seemed to take the blame for it readily, she might've seemed like she knew more than she let on.

"You know how I told you last time how my mother's spirit is still with me?" She didn't blame him if he had forgotten, as she figured he probably did not care too much about the personal details of their lives they shared in between the dining, drinking, and carnal pleasures. "It's... part of why I had to go out there. Kind of guiding me, to confront something. Something that had hurt people, and was still hurting them."

More meat was added to the grill as Yakumo sighed softly, her expression more contemplative and distant, as she navigated the difficulties of speaking of what had happened. While she had held up fairly well during and right after the fact, thinking back at it now was terrifying. Remembering the injuries Koyuki had sustained, she knew she wouldn't have even survived one touch of those terrible talons.

"It's fine." Mineichi murmured, sighing as he reached over to touch her shoulder as if to let Yakumo know he was now fine. "Well. I suppose you've figured out what happened then." Another sigh as he accepted the cup she poured for him. "It's something that's bit hard to forget, as little as I remember."

"Mhmhm. I do remember you mentioning that." As it happened, Mineichi had rather keen interest on such matters. As far as he knew, he had been carrying a possessed sword without knowing any better for years. You did not need to be a Scorpion to become a little paranoid after the fact. "Well, whatever your mother had to say, seems have been right. The odd spiritual signatures dissipated a little before you returned. A man less trusting might assume that you had something to do with that." he looked markedly at her, his mood slowly improving.

Crossing her arm across her chest, Yakumo touched Mineichi's hand with hers against her shoulder. "Yeah... some of it." Probably a lot more than he thought, and in some cases more than he knew.

She averted her gaze slightly again, stirring the meat before picking it up. "And if I had something to do with its disappearance...?" her eyes returned to look at him as she posed the question.

"Maybe?" Mineichi asked, bringing cup to his lips. "As I said, I don't believe in coincidences." Smirking, he laid the cup on the table. "I am sure you understand we are working to understand what happened." Which meant that the Scorpion were combing security feeds in hopes of identifying the three women that had entered the Desolation. "Truth has uncanny nature to eventually crawl its way out, no matter how deep one might bury it. Even the truths you might not want to admit to yourself."

"That is true. Someone will always be able to dig up the truth, sooner or later." Like she and the others had done. Though she had her doubts if the Scorpion wanted to admit that a Spider songstress, a Mantis shugenja, and a Kuni, had single-handedly walked into the Desolation and fixed their Gaki-problems. Certainly not publicly.

Because there had never been a Gaki-problem. Publicly.

"But," Yakumo shot him a playful smile, trying to settle on a dipping sauce this time, "it seems to me you're very curious tonight. Should I have dressed differently for your... interrogation?"

There was indeed an issue with ever admitting that Mantis and Spider had done anything remotely useful. The matter would be brushed under a carpet and a large statue of suitable fortune would be proverbially dragged on that carpet to ensure that the truth, whatever it was, never cam out. It was in best interest of everyone involved to keep the matters such way. As far as everyone was concerned, World of Dreams had no problem with gaki - and had never had.

"Hmm? What might you mean?" Mineichi asked, leaning closer even as he picked up another piece of egg plant, moving it on the grill. "Do Spider treat their suspects in some particular manner?"

Yakumo laughed a bit at that. "Honestly I wouldn't know. Never had to deal with law enforcement in anyway before to be honest, neither back home, or travelling around. Unless you count security detail, but that's about it." A naughty girl she might be, but overall the Spider diva was on the right side of the law all her life.

"I was thinking more if you had burning questions we could probably make it more interesting to get answers, but..." she settled on trying the spiciest dipping sauce this time, "I'm also fine with enjoying a good meal with you. Maybe you could tell me just how easily you recognised me on that security feed." She had thought she was pretty well-disguised, but perhaps not good enough to fool him.

It took a moment or two for the spice to really hit her taste buds, and it was a bit hotter than she had expected. Yakumo's eyes widened as she reached hurriedly for her sake.