As the massive downpour of rain finally let up in the afternoon, a certain Scorpion in the city thought it was a good time to venture out to do an outing. Bayushi Mariko, according to her agents, was still dealing with her bouts of food poisoning. She might have been in a medically-induced nap at the moment so that she can at least have a chance to muster an appearance, at least that's the cover she was going with.

Putting on an old outfit, she ventured down to the Pear Blossom Dome. The streets were still coping with the downpour and this was evident in the number of puddles found on the corner of each crosswalk at the outskirts of the dome. Modern technology did a lot of wondrous things but unfortunately, mundane pedestrian hazards are not tracked by the communicator's portable map software.

Tomorrow might have been a better day for this...

She wasn't far, and on the same side of the road even. Koyuki had come from the arcade with an intent to get herself 'fresh air' as she knew it in her mind. This meant jumping down into the places others of more refined tastes didn't like to go. Where there was the hint of danger around any corner, the need to keep alert. Counterintuitive as it may seem, places like this helped Koyuki actually relax.

So it was on the side of this road that Marino's path would cross her, and Koyuki was not ashamed to be caught staring. Dressed down, somewhat incognito, it didn't quite matter as it wasn't who she was that first drew Koyuki's attention. It was the semi-constant checking of her map in this neighborhood that marked her as different, uncomfortable on the streets.

Koyuki waits until Mariko notices her staring, and waves. In a somewhat reassuring casual manner. Perhaps, if only because it wasn't a Kuni who would be threatening in such a way, in such a place.

Mariko would look up at her communicator and raise her brows at the peculiar Kuni on the street. Then again, all Kuni were always a little peculiar, where they? She would straighten her posture and stash away her communicator in her coat pocket, minimizing her cluelessness. It wasn't her first time here but to say that she knew these streets here very well would be a bit of a lie.

Was it better that she caught the attention of a Kuni than some creepy random ronin? She wasn't too sure which one she wanted to take her chances with. Nevertheless, she would approach Koyuki casually. "Good evening, Kuni-san."

"Evening, Samurai-sama," she says, arms crossed where she'd been lean almost leaning against a wall but not quite. With Mariko approaching more directly she couldn't help but take the opportunity to see what she might notice. Regardless, she makes a subtle indication to the coat pocket where Mariko had stored her communicator. Leaving a second of time if the woman would be quick to answer, but she was almost certainly not the type to speak to such a subtle gesture.

"Are you trying to find your way somewhere? I've spent some time here recently, I might be able to help?" she asks. There's a hint, only a hint, that Koyuki's offering out of the spirit of avoiding being alone. For reasons that were certainly not safety by any measure from even the barest look of her.

Mariko would raise a slender brow at the Kuni before she crossed her arms in a similar manner. While the Kuni wasn't exactly a shady ronin or heimen who was hanging around these parts, she supposed she wasn't entirely sure about her. However, Mariko still maintained her confidence here despite being around the stranger.

"Yes, and I know my way around here." She said cooly as she gave a casual look around her surroundings. "It's just that the avenue I usually take seems to be flooded with ankle-deep water. There's no way I'm taking that way in these shoes. I'm just trying to look for another way to get to where I need to go. I'm sure it's around here. If you want to come with me, I'm not going to stop you, Kuni-san."

Reading the woman, maybe it was her sense of mistrust, maybe it was just this sudden idea she couldn't get out of her head. Like she's seen someone kinda like her before. Which would be weird, right? But it was just the faintest idea of something that she truly couldn't manage to place. Koyuki's brow knit itself a tad in that bit of thinking as she stand straight, and steps up toward Mariko at a comfortable distance as to denote her intent to walk by her side.

"I am Kuni Koyuki, attached to the embassy here for the time. Work as an attaché, so my responsibilities find me all over," she says. Giving Mariko another look over at that moment, checking the hunch to see if Mariko's guard lowers even slightly.

As Koyuki stepped up beside her, Mariko would start walking again. However, her pacing was more casual and aimless, less intent as she had been earlier. This had turned into more of a conversational walk than one where the destination was the goal. She couldn't exactly take this woman to where she was going just yet, not without having a better idea of her at the very least.

"An attaché? I kind of imagine that your responsibilities would have you attached or escorting a diplomat or courtier from meeting to meeting. Standing in the middle of a street corner is a bit of a new one unless your ward is somewhere around here." She said without needing to look about, she got a feeling that wasn't the case. While she was a Scorpion and a courtier, she wasn't so involved in politics to think that she was a target.

"Mariko. Bayushi Mariko." She would say as her own introduction.

An introduction which brought back one singular mental image. One Usagi Rei moments after she'd bumped into him at the club that one night. The intonation seemed wholly and impossibly similar. It was.. different, as far as methods of introductions go. Putting your chosen name first only to repeat it afterward. Could be a district vernacular kind of situation but to put anymore thought into it would risk overthinking this way too much and she wasn't about to waste her effort on that.

Meanwhile, a purely banal explanation covers over the thinking that was actually going on. "I am not someone's keeper, or yojimbo. Think of it more alike to that of a glorified assistant. I have a particular lived experience that proves beneficial to those at the embassy, having served in the expeditionary forces. That said, no- I'm not here on behalf of anyone right now."

Funny Koyuki was so keen to find similarities to Usagi Rei's introduction when Mariko had indeed taken it upon herself to mimic that format of introduction. It was apparently Winter Court season and diplomatic attaches were all the rage. At least, that was an idea she was amusing herself with. The catch wasn't so trivial as Koyuki might have thought, albeit harmless.

"Expeditionary forces?" She said as looked at both sides of the street to make her point. "That's peculiar. It's quite a change of scenery for you, isn't it? The World of Dreams isn't quite a rock ball or an unstable proto-planet the force must be used to. Some streets around here are pretty bad but I don't think you need an environmental suit, just barely maybe."

"Had you an environmental suit you would have not had to take this detour," she said. That tone of hers never portraying the humor like one would normally expect, creating something of a "straight-man" bit of comedic effect, whether it was intentional or not.

"I am a shugenja. Among the Crab, Kuni shugenja are often sought for various insight and also our skills. My time in the expeditionary forces serving directly in one of our fields of conflict has given me some insight into security details that come into use. That, and considering I was lost on a planet once I suspect they didn't want to risk putting me back out there. However, I believe I have offered a fair bit of myself. Enough to support my reasons for being here. What brings you here, Bayushi-sama?" She said with almost a rush of the words. Like she wanted to have that bit of her history said, and move past it quickly. Lest the obvious mental connection to the idea that she could reveal herself to be unstable in similar stressful situations be too directly revealed as to be commented on.

"No, I guess I wouldn't have." She admitted. But I might have needed one tonight at the arcades if I wanted to go incognito. I can't believe my disguise didn't work! "Perhaps they should consider making a more fashionable line of environmental suits, especially if there is ever going to be a chance of people flocking to more rough places or frontier worlds."

"I have some idea of what Kuni Shugenja do." She said plainly on the matter. Her gaze seemed to hold on to Koyuki after her response. While there was some need to quickly explain her situation, the Scorpion most certainly felt some need to compensate. Potentially, compensate for weakness?

Her lips creased slightly in a faint smile, perhaps as a small how of understanding, and she nodded. "But, you've been found and you're now with me, that's a change for the better. I'm a little more grateful for the escort now. As for me, I live here, born and raised on the World of Dreams. Would you find it strange if a local needs to expand her horizons and explore other parts of the city sometimes?"

At the concept of fashionable environmental suits, Mariko was treated to a rare Koyuki snicker. Having a somewhat casual rotation to where she was focused, on the surroundings. When Mariko focused on her for a moment it naturally drew Koyuki's eye for a second. There was no raise of a brow, and yet it felt like it was there. Almost like the particular way Koyuki looked back could convey the very same message with far less movement of facial features.

"I wouldn't. Having grown up on Hide Prime I'm sure there are things back there that have always been and I still haven't seen them, regardless of the wandering over all the years I spent growing. Leads the mind to wander." Koyuki pauses for a moment, slowing in her step to dig out her inhalator. Raising it up with another one of those looks to Mariko as if to ask permission of it in her company. "Glad to be of the service," she said, and for what it was worth it was quite true even if the source was perhaps different than it sounded.

"Though, you did mention having had a particular destination in mind. So, that begs the belief that perhaps this isn't just an idle curiosity?"

Mariko would give Koyuki a casual shrug of her should at the unasked question regarding the use of her inhalator. She most certainly doesn't mind, especially with some of her own bad habits. "So, you sort of understand the need to wander off from time to time, even against your better judgement. Life is already a bit too predictable that we need some excitement in our lives from time to time. Well, as much as we can fathom. I would never survive in the expeditionary corp, even if I've played a medical technician in a show more than a few times."

She raised a brow at Koyuki and then nodded, making it seem that she just remembered that fact (even if it was unlikely the case). "Oh, I suppose, I did. If you want to know, I'm just looking to find a certain shop around here. They specialize in custom crafts. Do you perform any crafts of your own?"

With another draw from her pocket she loads a cartridge into the device. Mariko's answer came, and a brow raised, but Koyuki's expression seemed to muddy if it was actually a direct cause or purely coincidence at first. Something about the way that Koyuki almost half stopped paying attention while she was loading that cartridge. Holding the inhalator between her index and thumb for a moment while she glances more directly to Mariko as they walk. Lips slightly twisted as if deciding on whether or not to share a thought.

"No," the answer came rather flatly. "I don't really have the hand for it, unfortunately. Maintaining my training, keeping active with my duties, it all keeps me rather busy. Only got a little time to spare on maintaining myself and I like to spend it actually relaxing than trying to build something." Koyuki takes a drag from her inhalator. Letting the smoke slip down into her lungs she held it there a moment before letting it go with a controlled exhale.

"What kind of custom crafts?" she asks, quickly as if it was an afterthought but with a tone that implied anything but.

"Mmm, I figured not." She nodded in acceptance at that, perhaps expecting the answer but disappointed at the same time. Then again, a part of her was hoping that the Kuni would surprise her and shed some light on some hidden creative talent. Was this the truth or some Crab secret? "I imagine that military duty doesn't exactly give you much time to pursue things that might be considered fanciful. Then, what would you consider expression or creativity? Do you have anything to fill that void? If it's even a void you have to fill?"

Mariko might have been aware of the question posed by Koyuki but she didn't seem to acknowledge it as of yet.

Behind her inhalator Koyuki hides the grimace that arose in the wake of the avoided, or delayed, question. Taking that moment for another slow drag from the inhalator, another controlled breath, and the somewhat pepperminty scent to fill the air and make one almost forget they were in the slums for half a second. Inhaling fresh air following, Koyuki's shoulders got a bit of a rise and she let the breath go. What was there to lose in following the conversational trail where it went?

"I have no void to fill. I can, and do, appreciate the myriads of art created by others but they are not a talents I find myself driven to develop. I spend most of my time pursuing curiosities," she says, looking more directly to Mariko. "People. Both, when I am afforded the opportunity."

"To look at anything and anyone you can for any little deviant details?" She looked at Koyuki expectantly, getting the sense she was likely right about that one. "In a way, that's more or less finding voids in people rather than occupying yourself with something that might fulfill you. Then again, I might be wrong there. There's nothing unfulfilling about Duty, that's something both our Clans are familiar with. That's admirable but people aren't only made up of admirable qualities, are they?"

She slowed her walk and turned to fully face Koyuki, trying to get a sense of her reaction and give her full attention to her response.

After a line like that, Koyuki was all too ready to do exactly the same. Coming to that full stop Koyuki's arms came up to cross over her midsection. Silence. There wasn't a response immediately forthcoming from Koyuki and her inhalator sat dangling off from her side beside an elbow. Eyes narrowing on the woman before her, as the suspicion was already evident in the rest of her body language she saw no reason to hide it. Moment shifting into a brief standstill as the distant sounds of a bustling city overtook the auditory realm around and between them. An eerie kind of quiet non-quiet as they would look at one another.

"Just exactly who is Bayushi Mariko, anyway?"

It wasn't quite the same to be stared down by a Scorpion compared to being stared down by a Kuni. The Kuni admittedly had the advantage of stirring the guilt that you could be doing the wrong sort of things that went beyond dishonour but the corruption of the soul. However, despite that, Mariko seemed to have found it a little easier to stomach her eyes and the uncomfortable silence that she seemed to weaponize with her body language alone. Maybe she was used to getting in trouble. But in trouble with a Kuni? Mariko merely seemed to be impassive and was waiting for the answer to her perfectly reasonable curiosity.

"...you might have to elaborate there, Kuni-san." She said with a brief smile. "I'm a servant of the Scorpion Clan and an actress. An actual celebrity to many. But I'll admit that I'm not exactly a perfect person, nobody is. I have fears, concerns, and yes, even hobbies. I was just curious about yours, seeing you caught me on my lonesome."

She nodded after a beat. "And I caught you on your lonesome."

Koyuki's lip twisted into a dangerous looking smirk, one that she hadn't gotten to wear in quite a while. Something that was made to appear even more dramatic by the face paint she wore. There was that little rush she could feel in her veins. Came with being right but also was also probably just a bit of adrenaline flowing through her system as she finds herself on edge. Right where she felt best, as it were. Unfurling her arms she brings up that inhalator. Matching eyes with Mariko the whole while she takes another hit from the device, letting it fill her lungs. Releasing that pepperminty smoke cloud between them as she takes one step closer. Just enough to impose that height difference between them as she looks down at her without invading her space too closely.

"You know I thought I was gonna give up smoking. Whole reason I bought this stupid thing," she says, with none of the playful mirth another in her position might have. Voice was that Crab steel that had a sharp edge to it. "But it's a habit. Hard to kick old habits like that, and I always did have such a good eye for the details. But I'm still missing the plot of this movie here, what happens next to these two lonesome samurai down among these dirty and broken roads?"