(D9 LA) The Flower-Crab and the Spider-Crane

[Miya Nishida]

He shook his head slowly, "I haven't heard from her since. I guess she, like me, got a new communicator." He was silent for a moment before his eyebrows drew together again in anger, "That little scamp Bayushi Akagi, a lowly pilot in the Scorpion fleet, a man without rank, name or pedigree, has stolen the only uncorrupted diamond this fungus-infested planet has produced." he fell silent again for a moment, befor concluding: "The scorpion will pay, sooner or later".

[Susumu Yakumo]

Yakumo perked an eyebrow at that, slowly bringing her teacup back up for a sip, saying; "revenge is a good thing, Miya-sama, but do you think your beloved would like that?"

People really needed to learn to love and let go. At least in her opinion.

[Miya Nishida]

"..." he fell silent. "Yes,... no,.. i,..." he averted his gaze onto his tea cup.

Inwardly, he struggled with himself. Chiruha was the first person Nishdia had really come to love, he fondly remembered the conversations they had, the tea they shared, the hours they spent programming and tweaking bots together, the walks in the park, the day she took time to learn Go from him.

She probably wouldn't want that, but what could they do now? He couldn't, no, he didn't want to let go of the warm thoughts that gave him some comfort, some support, there was no one but her who ever tried to understand him.

plop

A drop of water hit his tea. Tears? No, that couldn't be, samurai didn't cry, didn't show any feelings! Where was his on?

Stoically, he tried to regain his self-control and remained silent.

[Susumu Yakumo]

Most people would panic if they saw an Imperial cry. Yakumo on the other hand, had her hand in scarier things these days, so it didn't frighten her. Rather, she felt sympathy for someone who had become struck by obsession, and hadn't realised it until now.

Placing down her own teacup, she said nothing as she placed a gloved hand near Nishida's thigh on the bench. Not touching him, but offering her presence and support.

"Obsession can take hold of the best of us, Miya-sama," she said softly, that almost otherworldly beautiful voice speaking in comforting tones. "You can still bring the cruel ones to justice, those responsible for what is happening here, but it needn't be out of a desire for a revenge that would only hurt yourself."

[Miya Nishida]

He did not know what to say or what to feel. The last months were only filled with the thought of seeing the scorpion, no, Bayushi Akagi suffer.

Not a second had passed in which he had not thirsted to punish the one who had snatched his supposed happiness from under his nose. He had set plans and things in motion, collected or falsified evidence and tried to break alliances, to incite the peasants to revolt, all he wanted was to see the Scorpion fall.... for what?

How was it that he was sitting in a hotel room with a superstar from the Spider clan and now his house of cards was collapsing? Was it fate?

He was, per se, not a small man, few crabs were particularly small, but right now, at this moment, he probably never felt so small and vulnerable as now.

He continued to stare at his teacup, filled with anger, shame, sadness, confusion, and a sense of loss. Samurai are not supposed to show emotion, so why was the damn dam broken?

[Susumu Yakumo]

Worried her words might push him too far this time, Yakumo opted for silence and simply sat there, waiting for Nishida to come to terms with these newly discovered feelings and thoughts.

The hand remained close to him still, while she did not look directly on him anymore - giving that room for him to feel like he wasn't losing face in front of her. It was the least she could do, Yakumo felt.

[Miya Nishida]

"I gained a new insight today." he finally says, after a while, breaking the silence. "I will have to think about it, though.... Alone" He said and suddenly stood up.

He didn't know how best to say goodbye just then and turned to leave unceremoniously, but would that have been right?

Halfway walking, he turned around again, "Thank you Susumu-san, would it be.... would it be all right to have tea together again?"

[Susumu Yakumo]

"Insight is a virtue, Miya-sama," the Spider songstress said with a touch of piety to her tone. It was, after all, one of the virtues of Shourido.

She rose from the bench and offered him a bow. "Of course. Let me know any time, and I will happily accomodate you."

[Miya Nishida]

He gave her a bow back, "Thank you for your time," he said and said goodbye.

He would probably take a long walk.

/exit

(Thank you very much )

[Susumu Yakumo]

Yakumo heard the door to the suite close, and went down the stairs in silence. It seemed Nishida had really departed.

With a sigh, she sat down on the lower steps of the stairs, arms crossed over her knees. "I hope he finds the guidance he needs," she murmured, partially to herself, partially to the ghosts who were almost always listening.

Another time, in another place, in a different situation, Nishida would have made a good Spider, Yakumo thought. If it weren't for his background as a Crab, that is. A Crab would balk at the mere idea of worshipping Daigotsu, not to mention learning about the final blessings a Spider hoped to gain at the end of their life.

Rising to her feet again after a moment, she returned upstairs to the enclosed balcony, and moved to look out past the plants that concealed a lot of the industrial view outside the glass. Thinking about the end of her life, it put some things in perspective. She hid it well from everyone else - even Rei, Koyuki, and Mineichi. But she felt it every day; the deterioration of her body, how every day she seemed to slip closer to the dead that lingered around her.

At many points in her life, she had reasoned she'd get married out - being too weak and unworthy of those last rites. But, now she wasn't certain anymore.

"Alright, time to clean this up and prepare for tonight," she said to herself, turning back to the cups and teapot.


/scene (thanks a lot! )