After the, somewhat stressful encounter with the Ronin, Nishida decided to enjoy some tea in the tranquility of the garden. He poured an old crab tea mixture and waited for the right moment to serve the tea.

His Bodyguards standing around, taking in the garden by themselves.

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D1, MA, Tea-Time Tea-Ceremony/Void | 5k3 ⇒ 22 (TN: 20) - Regained 1 VP!

If the man was looking for refuge from ronin, perhaps today was not the best. After all, it was one of the few places on the planet that were free.

Okuri's nose twinges from a distance and swivels his head to look, stopping cold as he notices the armed guards...and an Imperial?

The ronin clasps his hands in front of him and bows. "I wish that the day finds you well, dignitary of the Chrysanthenum court. Please pardon my presence. If you wish, I shall depart at once."

For a ronin though, this one at least is doing his best to appear as a samurai: clean, if worn and unpretentious clothings, and an effort to keep his appearance in good order.

"It seems that the fortunes are asking me to listen to the waves today." he answered and again gave the order to the guards to clear the way.
"With whom do I have the honor?" he asked the ronin.

"They are fickle things, the Fortunes, that they are." Okuri rises from his bow. "This one is known as Okuri, guide and broker to place the unrespectful into the hands of the respectful."

"Seat yourself, Okuri-san." he made a gesture beside him, "I'm Miya Nishida, humble servant of the Imperial Service Revenue and you're in Luck, i'm abaout to make some tea."

"It would be rude to excuse such an invitation." Okuri does his best to gracefully sit.

" If you pardon my saying so Miya-sama, my lucky isn't typically so good, I can scarce believe this turn. " Okuri offers a wry smile.

"Well, Okuri-san, the emperor smiles down on everyone, and even if his glow doesn't always touch everyone, it's the little moments that should be cherished."

At that moment, Nishida began to fill two cups with tea and pour in the hot water. A moment of silence fell over them both as he performed the old custom perfectly.

"You don't seem to be a conventional ronin, though, Okuri-san."

"I take your words as a compliment Miya-sama." Okuri patiently waits and dips his head in thanks as Nishida serves the tea, doing his best to wait for the polite opportunity to accept the serving.

"It is of ill odor to speak of what life one may have had before become a wave-man. However, I find a simple statement true: you must embody that which you wish to be. My hope is that in attempting to embody an honorable samurai, than one I shall me, in this life or in the next."

Okuri sniffs. "And if in doing so, I may partake in an excellent blend of tea, then all the better. I don't know if I can place it. Oolong with chrysanthemum petals?"

"That's right. Are you also a tea connoisseur?" asked Nishdia while handing a cup to Okuri and taking his own cup.

"The Fortunes plan our lives and throw challenges at us. I am sure that if you live an honorable life, you will be rewarded," Nishida replied.

"However, I have already noticed that the waves on this world are running high".

"I wish I could say that I was. Tea houses tend to be excellent surveillance points. A samurai may sit for hours, meeting with many sorts of people, and it will often go unnnoticed, often without any whispers of vice that a sake house or oiran might" A rueful smile manages to touch Okuri's on for a moment. "When you spend enough time around that many, more of the pungent fragrances worm their way into your long term memory."

Okuri sips the tea, pondering the final remark. "As a tax expert, you probably understand economics better than I ever could, but I remember one particular individual. He called himself Graverobber, for fairly obvious reasons. He claimed "For every market, there's a submarket". That was his excuse: that he existed because, there were people from whom his services were acceptable. Not that it saved him, of course."

"But if the waves are indeed high, I think it indicates that someone is churning out a great deal with their wakes"

"There is truth in your statement. It's like every winter, the fabric of power, like the seasons, is in the process of renewal, and the waves that wash up on the sea bring you either good or bad," he took a small sip of his tea.

"Do you bring good, Okuri-san?"

The ronin takes another sip, appearing to savor both the tea and the question.

"I like to believe that I used to. These days?" Okuri takes a deep breath. "Shinsei says that you cannot con an honest man. I would only amend that it's possible, but far easier to bring ill to the indolent, to the greedy, to the lustful, to the corrupt. To pay such onto those who would do so in turn isn't quite the same as bringing good. But it's the best I can manage."

"To do the best you can, despite the conditions, is very honorable," he said, drinking some of the tea.

"Have you been on the World of Dreams for long?"

"I have been here for a few years now." Okuri replies. "Long enough to learn a few of the moving parts in the dark recesses of the planet. I honestly do not believe a hundred theives could skulk in every shadow if they had a hundred years to do so."

He studies the Imperial. "What brings you to such a place Miya-sama? Is there someone who you need to audit?"

"My lord thought it would be a good idea to send my husband and me here for the Winter Court. Besides the usual scramble that takes place at these events, I am also inclined to find some of those who owe the crown koku."

He sipped his tea and looked to OKuri to eye the man.

"You would think that in a world where taxes are already very low, there would be no reason to avoid them," he said dryly.

Okuri can't resist a snort. "If a dishonest merchant believes they can steal one grain of rice from every bowl they sell, what is stopping them from taking two? If they are stealing two, what stops them from taking three?"

"The simple answer is "until the costs of doing so outweighs the benefits.""

Okuri looks over the man.

"Do you require an "unoffical" audit of anyone's books inspector?"

Nishida chuckled a little. If Okuri knew what Nishida did before he joined the IRS, but maybe it was because he was so good at his job.

"What good would an official audit do? As soon as you announce an audit, most of the evidence disappears anyway," he said, grinning at Okuri, "It would be a shame if someone did an unofficial audit."

"Truly it would be." Okuri pulls out a card and slides it across the table. "If you ever need an asset to get an uninterrupted look at someone's books, please let me know."

Alas, that day would never come.

Nishida nodded. Okuri would be a good assest.

Unfortunately, he would not be able to reach him. That's how it was with wave people, they come with the tide and go with the ebb.