After arranging a meeting with her, Nishida went to the hotel she mentioned. The mere idea that she was staying here all the time spoke for her. The hotel was extremely luxurious, though not nearly as grand as the Imperial Embassy, but still impressive enough.

His bodyguards were in tow, but he had no intention of taking them to her. Instead, he was clarifying in the lobby how they could be accommodated.
After a small discussion with a lowly samurai, the bodyguards were offered a seat in the lounge while Nishida entered the elevator and rode up to Yakumo's floor to lulling elevator music.

Once upstairs, he waited for the servant who had been sent ahead to announce his arrival and escort him to the room.

Escorted to the room, the heimin did the measly task of opening the door for the Imperial samurai, as Yakumo had already been alerted to his arrival. Just inside the spacious suite, Yakumo stood to receive him with a bow. "Miya-sama, welcome. My apologies if these locales are not quite up to the standards worthy of your station."

Even if he wasn't Imperial by birth, Yakumo always opted for erring on the side of extreme-courtesy when it came to Imperials. Compared to the designer wear and immaculate ensembles the diva had usually been seen in out in public, she was now dressed comfortably, in a black short-sleeved sweater, with black shorts - and her trademark black gloves and thigh-high. "I have tea and refreshments prepared, would you care to partake in the garden?"

The suite was quite impressive. Families lived in smaller space on the planet, without even coming close to amenities and luxuries that was on hand here. Everything was kept neat and tidy, and separate doors led to what was likely the bedroom, bathroom, and a closet. A short staircase led up to a loft with a balcony, where there even was a miniature garden for the guest to enjoy, with a couple of plants and a little pool complete with a shishi-odoshi.

Overall, this was a spot of luxury in a cramped city, for those who had the money to afford it. And more importantly it was also private, as well as neutral ground, away from the embassies.

He waved his hand and shook his head, " No, no, it's more than sufficent" he replied and bowed his head in greeting, "I wish you a wonderful day Sususmu-san, it's an honor to meet you again. I would love to share tea with you in your garden"

"Wonderful," she smiled, gesturing for him to follow her to the staircase. "Would you like to practice tea ceremony together, and I lead this time?" Yakumo asked over her shoulder.

"The hotel provides a proper set to use, so I cannot boast of providing my own personal tea set for the purpose, sadly."

"I would love to witness your tea ceremony" he replied, following the diva in a serene gait, "Oh, is that so? Too bad" he replied to the comment about the tea set and made a mental note.

"How have you been? I find the rain a delightful change from the tyrannical heat of yesterday" he initiated shallow smalltalk.

"Oh, I've been fine, but I am so agreed about the weather. It is a bit of a hassle to bring an umbrella with you everywhere, kami knows how many umbrellas I have lost on different worlds, but yes... it does bring some blessed reprieve from the heat. My homeworld has always been a bit more on the tepid side, so high temperatures rarely agree with me." Yakumo did do small talk very well.

It wasn't a long walk up the stairs, and while the closed-in balcony with its miniature garden wasn't terrible large or impressive, the fact that the hotel had a spot like this for its wealthy residents that was already bigger than some apartments was just overstating the luxury of the place. The balcony had a low bench with a matching table present, where Yakumo had already laid out the implements needed for performing tea ceremony.

"And you, Miya-sama? Surely you must've been very busy since we last spoke?" gesturing to the bench, she let Nishida pick the seat of the one being served tea.

He followed her to the balcony, it was something special to be exposed to such luxury. He was not poorly on the road with the Yasuki, but even he did not deny that it was a very different step when he became a Miya.

"Of course, of course. The mills of the Empire never stand still and there is always much to do, solve and learn," he said with much emphasis on the last word. "For example, the whereabouts of a certain sword, the mystery about some cruel stones, and the story of a rather tragic figure."

Yakumo's eyebrows rose in surprise, sitting down opposite of Nishida. The enclosed balcony gave a sense of privacy and quietness, only interrupted by the pleasant clack-sound on occassion from the shishi-odoshi at the little pond.

"Really? Tragic stories seem to be in this season..." she said with interest, going over the utensils for the tea ceremony once more to prepare herself. "I've heard some tragic tales too, but you first, Miya-sama."


-----

D9 LA Tea Ceremony/Void with Nishida. TN 15 | 5k3 ⇒ 10 (TN: 15)

"You mentioned the sword of the Lord Magistrate, it is now back in the hands of Soshi Haru. According to a Shugenja, it is not currently possessed by any spirits. Whichever gaki dwelled in the sword is at large," he said, studying Yakumo's ceremony.

It was beautiful, but Nishida felt that the topic of conversation ruined the harmony that usually accompanied such a ceremony.

"As for the stones, perhaps you have heard of the rumors?"

Oh that was a troubling development. "So the spirit, or part of it, is free and at large... that worries me a great deal," while she maintained her cool on the outside, her motions tensed somewhat, spoiling the natural fluid motions that should accompany a proper ceremony.

"Would you happen to know anything more about the sword perhaps? Maybe... it can be used as a focal point for sealing the spirit again?"

Her routines for the tea ceremony seemed more to have been learned second-hand through observation of someone performing it for her many times, than actual schooling in the artform. At least the tea would still be nice and frothy, but the serenity was not present.

"I'm not knowledgeable about these stones at all. Is this related to that excursion a group of samurai had into the Desolation?"

-----

OOC: If Nishida wants to attempt any of these, feel free. Or can try on Day 10 (that seems to be a light day for rolls ).

OOC:
1) What exactly does Miniechi have partially possessing him, and how is it cured? Second half more important than first, but I figured this might count as 2 questions.

2) Now that we have the name of the sword, can we find anything useful in looking up its history?
1) Lore: SR TN:20 Raises likely needed.
2) Lore: History or Lore: Bushido TN:25 Raises likely needed

"Maybe, I'd have to look into it more though" he replied to the question with the sword.

"Yes, a Roinin who participated in it told me, that, as it turns out, these Glimmerstones are fragments of souls created during the Desolation cataclysm. " he explained, taking his tea gently.

--
OOC: Gonna roll D10, no VP left and my rolls are all over the place today

"Thank you. At this point, I think it will require the efforts of many good people to get to the bottom of this." She and the others had been stumped on the topic earlier, so it was time to reach out and see what could be found.

Sipping her tea, she considered the implications. "These... Glimmerstones, I have not heard of them before. Is it something people are trying to dig out of those ruins?" It sounded almost akin to plundering a mass grave of sorts. "For what purpose?" Yakumo low-key dreaded the answer.


----

OOC: That's fine!

"The Glimmerstones are used as a focus by shugenja. Many shugenja seem to acquire them on the black market, I acquired mine through similar channels and had a shugenja check what was inside." he explained "Apparently you can only do this a few times until the battered soul fragment is banished to Meido."

She grimaced slightly, already regret a bit she had asked. "That sounds... pretty terrible, no? Isn't that borderline blasphemous, and... or illegal?" Yakumo knew blood magic was illegal, but using the souls of the dead as a magical focus sounded way too close to it to her.

"There are two possibilities: Either the scorpion knows about it and goes against it in the shadows, or the more likely option: He simply doesn't care," he said dryly. "I was trying to learn more about the expedition and the participants to get witness statements to open a case before the Imperial Court, the things happening here are terrible and apparently no one in the Empire cares."

"Could be a combination of both - not knowing and not caring to know." Plenty of officials followed that line of thinking. "Wouldn't be the first time such is swept under the rug... especially to avoid some scandal. The Scorpion could potentially lose its allies with the Crab and Dragon, as I don't think either of them would like the idea of using souls of the dead to fuel magic."

The Crab would probably call it borderline-maho, and the Dragon would object over the spiritual implications. "Perhaps you should seek people higher up? The Crab ambassador, or perhaps the Imperial ambassador? Not something to be done lightly, I know, but this could cause quite a scandal."

"Maybe. I could try the imperial one first, I think they would flog me if I run to the Crab ambassador without speaking to them first." He explained, "But the things the scorpion do here is unexcusable!" He said, angered, "I had my grievances with them before, but this,... tasteless and outright wrong behavior solidifies it" His hands pressed on his teacup, wich protested slightly under the grip.

He took.a deep breath, "Please pardon me, I should compose myself,..."

Oh my... mentally Yakumo was fanning herself over the escandalo that seemed to be hiding behind the Imperial facade.

"Of course, Miya-sama," she lowered her eyes demurely, as if she hadn't seen it happen. "... This seems very personal for you. Did they do something to you here?"

Maybe they had ensnared the poor Imperial carp in a plot???

"..." he was not sure if he should open up to her, but decided that Yakumo was, at least till now a more trustful person than imagined.

"The Miai, I've went a few months again" he began trying to not sound sad, "I've met a,... lovely samurai there. I was first inclined to take her hand as a political and business move,... " he looked away in shame,... "But,... I've met her a few times,... and she grew on me,..." he gulped, before he continued.

"A scorpion took her from me" he said with hatred in voice and face, "Out of the blue, without warning, he took her."

She had heard of these kidnappings at the miai, so her first concern went to that. No, wait... that had been pirates. Not Scorpion. Unless the Scorpion have pirates too?

"Oh... I'm so sorry," she offered at first, more out of reflex than anything, though it was no less sincere. "It sounds like it had been a dramatic miai, from other accounts I've heard from Asakaze. I'm sorry for your loss, Miya-sama."

He seemed like a good person, and didn't deserve the heartbreak. "... Do you know if she is doing well now though? Is he kind to her, at least?" Yakumo wasn't sure if it was something Nishida could take comfort in, but she could try.