Sakura gathered her best yukata, a sturdy rain coat, and her poor, weak umbrella as she braved the short distance to the esteemed Imperial Embassy.

Tonight's talk was half-strategizing, half-schmoozing. She was asked by Rei and Koyuki (were they a couple perhaps?!) to help their firend/cousin/resident troublemaker Eriko hunting down a group. As a former ronin, she heard of the Scions, but hey, favors are favors!

Besides, Hotaru-sama implied she would be helping out with the contractual and taxation paperwork after the library project was finished, and apparently, Nisida WAS a Tax Man. Better get friendly soon!

She notified the servants of her appointment, and waited patiently.

It was not usual for Nishdia to receive visitors so late. Mostly because he was asleep at that time. But today was different, especially because Eriko had written to him. Better he tried to get to know the people who would wander with him through the dark alleys of this city, at least then he would know whose bloodlines he could haunt as a ghost should he be found stabbed somewhere.

Sakura would be led through the pompous halls of the Imperial Embassy. As someone from a minor clan, special care was taken to lead her through an area that was extra, extra grandiose to remind her how small the Firefly was compared to the Empire.

She was eventually led to a separate area of the lobby, a small meeting room, where Nishdia sat on a cushion in front of a small table and boredly flipped through his Densai. "Ah, Hotaru-san" he said and stood up, "Have a seat, have a seat" he offered and quickly sat down himself. "I hope you like our humble abode?"

Sakura, being born a ronin and then adopted into a minor clan, was suitably impressed. Her mouth was hanging open. She looked down at her best Yukata...and really felt shabby.

Suitably humbled, she bowed deeply to the Imperial. "Miya-sama, thank you for receiving me at this odd hour, on behalf of our mutual...friends." Friends, surely?!

She took an offered seat. "This place is amazing! So beautiful." She looked around the room. "I am sure your closet is bigger than my old apartment." Wow, what a line to start with Sakura!

Nishida cleared his throat, "Do you mind a strong tea? I'm usually asleep by this time and my eyes fall shut," he said, already putting on tea water.

"I can't help but marvel at the embassy itself, but it's always open to the Firefly. After all, the scope of your undertaking is not to be underestimated. In a former life, I often auctioned for the truckloads of ores you mine. As for our mutual friends, I'm always amazed at who she drags through the cat flap next," he had a grin on his lips, "But that's the way she is."

----
D9 ME Tea Ceremony 2 / Void 3 | 5k3 ⇒ 36 (TN: 15) +1VP for Sakura & Nishida!

Sakura smiled. "Ah, a former life Miya-sama?" She smiled i na friendly way. "I know some of that. You know...Matsu-san?" Wait, there were two Matus involved. Erm..."Hide-sama?" She tried to guess. Why not?

"This tea is wonderful, and this far into winter court" second week, Sakura "I feel any boost is worth its weight in ore."

"One down" he said with amusement, "It's Eriko-san I'm talking about, she used to be a Kuni in case you didn't know, just like I used to be a Yasuki." he smiled and took the first sip of his tea, ah caffeine he thought to himself, "While we're defrosting old stories, what did you do in a past life?"

"Aaaaah, I see, Hide's wife, Eriko." She smiled. "Hide-sama, I mean, Matsu-sama, is very fond of her." She blew on her a bit, and then took another sip. "Odd jobs, mostly. I was simply known as Sakura, no family name. Just a lowly ronin girl, who was at hte right place at the right time."

""Oh a ronin then, are you from here then?" he asked with interest as he drank his tea with relish

Sakura nodded. "Born and raised, hai. How is Miya-sama enjoying court so far?"

"Interesting, you'll have to tell me later how you came to join the Firefly" he said, looking at Sakura with more interest this time, "So far the court has been very extravagant, I assume you've also attended some of the balls and banquete? The masquerades were very enriching, even if there was too much focus on the sake from time to time..." he sighed "Not that I would disdain a good sake, of course."

Miya Nishida wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 27, 2022 2:04 pm

"Interesting, you'll have to tell me later how you came to join the Firefly" he said, looking at Sakura with more interest this time, "So far the court has been very extravagant, I assume you've also attended some of the balls and banquete? The masquerades were very enriching, even if there was too much focus on the sake from time to time..." he sighed "Not that I would disdain a good sake, of course."

Sakura smiled. "Well, briefly to say, Compassion has its own rewards." She smiled mysteriously. "Hai, I've attended a few. Sake and secrets, a World of Dreams custom, I would say. I assume Miya-sama is not exactly surprised by the popularity of masked parties on a Scorpion planet?" As a former Crab, she assume dhe wasn't averse to some nice sake.

"I'm not surprised, on the contrary, I even expected them. But they've already bottled me up at two of these events, and after that I've hardly been able to attend the parties," he said, lamenting. "At the same time, one so rarely gets the chance to participate in such,..." he wanted to say wicked at first, but held back "extravagant festivities."

Miya Nishida wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 27, 2022 7:00 pm

"I'm not surprised, on the contrary, I even expected them. But they've already bottled me up at two of these events, and after that I've hardly been able to attend the parties," he said, lamenting. "At the same time, one so rarely gets the chance to participate in such,..." he wanted to say wicked at first, but held back "extravagant festivities."

Sakura smiled, and giggled. "Hai, the parties on the World of Dreams are certainly..their own thing, I guess. I am sad to hear that Miya-sama has been too busy to attend any more parties, perhaps for the next one, I could accompany Miya-sama, help him get acquainted perhaps?"

Hotaru Sakura wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 27, 2022 9:18 pm

Sakura smiled, and giggled. "Hai, the parties on the World of Dreams are certainly..their own thing, I guess. I am sad to hear that Miya-sama has been too busy to attend any more parties, perhaps for the next one, I could accompany Miya-sama, help him get acquainted perhaps?"

"I wouldn't say no to that offer," he said, tilting his head slightly, "Tell me, if you were once part of the Wave, do you know a ronin named Hato? Or Yurei? Two very explicit specimens I've seen a lot in the last few days".

Miya Nishida wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 27, 2022 10:12 pm

"I wouldn't say no to that offer," he said, tilting his head slightly, "Tell me, if you were once part of the Wave, do you know a ronin named Hato? Or Yurei? Two very explicit specimens I've seen a lot in the last few days".

"Sakura smiled. Settled then, Miya-sama. Ah...Hato-san, I have heard of her. Yurei-chan, I am quite familiar with." She flashed a smile, a fond smile. "She truly is one of a kind. Has Yurei-chan been helping Miya-sama?"

Hotaru Sakura wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 28, 2022 5:58 am

"Sakura smiled. Settled then, Miya-sama. Ah...Hato-san, I have heard of her. Yurei-chan, I am quite familiar with." She flashed a smile, a fond smile. "She truly is one of a kind. Has Yurei-chan been helping Miya-sama?"

He nodded, "One could say that"" He looked through one of the windows towards the city outside, "She is strong-willed and loyal to her customer. She almost died on the job I gave her, but she did it dutifully".

Miya Nishida wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 28, 2022 6:10 am

He nodded, "One could say that"" He looked through one of the windows towards the city outside, "She is strong-willed and loyal to her customer. She almost died on the job I gave her, but she did it dutifully".

"I see, so that's what happened." She smiled ruefully. "I had to patch her up a bit a few days ago. Well, she is nothing if not stubborn, true." She chuckled. "Has Miya-sama met anyone else of interest at court so far?"

Hotaru Sakura wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 28, 2022 6:12 am

"I see, so that's what happened." She smiled ruefully. "I had to patch her up a bit a few days ago. Well, she is nothing if not stubborn, true." She chuckled. "Has Miya-sama met anyone else of interest at court so far?"

He chukled, "Ah this city is so big, but yet so small, huh?"

"Some interesting samurai I have met, Susumu-Yakumo and Sumiko-san for example, the antitheme for everything you think of the spider, Kuni Koyuki-san a strong woman, she will accompany us tonight, Soshi Kioku-san, the loving researcher of the Sancturary and many, many more" he said and took another sip of his tea.

Miya Nishida wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 28, 2022 6:22 am

He chukled, "Ah this city is so big, but yet so small, huh?"

"Some interesting samurai I have met, Susumu-Yakumo and Sumiko-san for example, the antitheme for everything you think of the spider, Kuni Koyuki-san a strong woman, she will accompany us tonight, Soshi Kioku-san, the loving researcher of the Sancturary and many, many more" he said and took another sip of his tea.

Sakura smiled and nodded. "I have met them, they are quite polite and frendly." She smiled widely. "Soshi-sama is quite kind, especially considering.." no, it wasn't her place to say.

"Just in general." She smiled. "Miya-sama is certainly not someone I would think when I would think of a Miya, or a tax collector." She bowed deeply. "Miya-sama's joining of this endeavour is quite telling."

Hotaru Sakura wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 28, 2022 9:31 am

Sakura smiled and nodded. "I have met them, they are quite polite and frendly." She smiled widely. "Soshi-sama is quite kind, especially considering.." no, it wasn't her place to say.

"Just in general." She smiled. "Miya-sama is certainly not someone I would think when I would think of a Miya, or a tax collector." She bowed deeply. "Miya-sama's joining of this endeavour is quite telling."

"I'm settling a debt." he said, "Not that I don't like Eriko, but I rarely put myself in open danger for anyone." he said, trying to sound as cold as possible, though not particularly convincing. He cleared his throat, "Besides, it's less tax collecting than auditing. In these days of automatic remittances, it's harder to not pay taxes than to simply underpay."