Tsuyo lounged on one of the comfier couches with her densai, absently tossing a small, hard ball that a pale purple spine drake would chase and return with. She flipped through news feeds, which seemed to hold a fair bit more activity since court had started.

A pot of tea and takeout boxes of dumplings and a spicy noodle salad were collected on the table.

Hotaru Tsuyo wrote: ↑

Mon May 02, 2022 7:01 am

Snip

There's a polite clap from the doorway as a ronin announces herself.
"Hotaru-sama?"
And bows.

Yūrei looks more tired but better dressed than the last time Tusyo had seen her. Then again, age tends to work that way up to a point.

Tsuyo pries the little ball out of Ume's mouth, careful of the sharp little teeth. Before tossing it, she offers a bit more than a nod in lieu of a bow. "Hey, Yurei-san, pardon me if I don't go the full formal gettin' up and bowin', that'd take a bit."

She waves toward the table before pulling out her communicator, "there's extra dumplings." Typing to Sakura.. "Yurei's here."

Hotaru Tsuyo wrote: ↑

Mon May 02, 2022 7:12 am

Tsuyo pries the little ball out of Ume's mouth, careful of the sharp little teeth. Before tossing it, she offers a bit more than a nod in lieu of a bow. "Hey, Yurei-san, pardon me if I don't go the full formal gettin' up and bowin', that'd take a bit."

She waves toward the table before pulling out her communicator, "there's extra dumplings." Typing to Sakura.. "Yurei's here."

"Not at all, I didn't know you had a drake! Aren't you cute! Aren't you?"
It's a sign of how cute Yume is that Yūrei even considers them for a few moments before practically blurring over to the dumplings and, after checking if Tsuyo wants any, beginning what can only be described as an extermination.

Sakura came out, dressed..nicer than usual. This was a sort of work meeting, after all. Light make up and professional suit and all.

"Tsuyo-sama, Yurei-chan, greetings." She let out a low laugh at Yurei inhaling the dumplings. "What, you already ate the lunch I prepared for you?" Professionalism out the window for now, she couldn't let a good line go to waste.

The ball goes bouncing *donk, donk, donk* along the floor past Sakura, followed by a swoosh of scaly scrambling--very professional scrambling--by Ume. "Sakura-san!" Tsuyo waves and sips her tea. "There's still noodles?" she says with a chuckle.

With a swipe, she powers the densai down and sets it across her knee.

"First lunch yes, but what about second lunch? It's been a busy day and I'm almost famished."
She raises her legs to allow Ume to dash underneath

"Brunch was first lunch, this is already the second one...not gonna fit in my suit by the time I head home at this rate." Tsuyo pats lightly at her middle as Ume nearly skids into the wall and reverses to follow the ball that's rolling back the other way now.

"Thanks for organizin' all the food, Sakura-san," she adds. No sense letting her think it wasn't appreciated, expanding waistline or no. "And the biweekly report, and the court action summaries... Appreciated the congratulatory blurb in the embassy newsbrief this mornin' too. Glad folks can go see the footage finally."

"How've things been with you, Yurei-san?" Seeing as she'd last seen her in the Grove, with all manner of rather big revelations, she asks with some genuine concern.

Hotaru Tsuyo wrote: ↑

Tue May 03, 2022 5:18 am

"How've things been with you, Yurei-san?" Seeing as she'd last seen her in the Grove, with all manner of rather big revelations, she asks with some genuine concern.

"Oh..uh."
There's a half second of hesitation before the ronin relaxes again.
"Good, I think. Your advice really helped. I got the answers I was looking for, and maybe they weren't the answers I wanted but...didn't do anything too silly. Well, by my standards. I hope the court has been treating you better."

Sakura smiled. "Just doing my job Tsuyo-sama." She refilled te drinks as appropriate, and chuckled a bit at Ume, but otherwise she was silent for now, just observing the two conversing.

She'll make a great mother.

Tsuyo nods a bit. "Sorry they maybe weren't, well...what you'd thought the answers were as a kid," she kept things vague between not knowing what she'd told Sakura and not knowing how many bugs the Scorpion had in the Embassy lobby this week. "Change anythin' about what you'd hope to do with yourself moving forward?"

"Court's been fine, really. Less work than spendin' most of my time up on the rock. I'm not deep into all the politickin', and that's fine."

She chuckles at Sakura. "Fine job you're doin'. Proved yourself 3 times over this season, at least."

Hotaru Tsuyo wrote: ↑

Tue May 03, 2022 6:17 am

Snip

"Yes...I think, I'm just waiting on some news. Planning to make a new woman of myself, somehow. Might have something more for you in a day or two."
She clears her throat, turning her attention to Sakura

"She's the best, isn't she? I knew Sakura-chan would hit the ground running. Not as fast as me, but still quite fast."

"Not too new, threre's plenty to like in the old woman." She replied with a smile, offering the poured drinks to everyone.

"Ah...I'm just trying my best minnasama."

"Hey now, I'm the only 'old woman' here." Tsuyo shifts to curl her good leg under her as Ume comes back toward the group, gnawing the captured toy.

"Glad you've got something'in the works then," she says to Yurei before glancing at Sakura and back again. "Both doin' well if rumors are any indication...or doin' well at setting up the rumors maybe."

"Sounds like court's been busy. Crane havin' less power to push agendas here on a Scorpion world seems to've shaken things around a little."

"Oh I get by, really. But I also pay my debts."
She takes out a small notepad and slides it across the table

"There's what I learnt at the party with Sakura-chan. From what I hear it's an insignificant addition to the Firefly collection this season. The streets are abuzz with the Hotaru name."

Yūrei wrote: ↑

Wed May 04, 2022 12:54 am

"Oh I get by, really. But I also pay my debts."
She takes out a small notepad and slides it across the table

"There's what I learnt at the party with Sakura-chan. From what I hear it's an insignificant addition to the Firefly collection this season. The streets are abuzz with the Hotaru name."

The heavy mug is lifted in the younger Firefly's direction. "If they are, it's largely Sakura-san's work. She's had the connections...and the hustle. I mean, bringin' you to the party was her plan too. Hotaru-sama oughta give a raise, or at least a winter bonus for all the work. Haven't been to a court quite like this before, and I admit, I've been surprised how much we seem to have gotten done here."

Leaning in, she sets the mug down with a thump and pages through the notepad, skimming. "Huh. That's interestin'" With a push, she slides it across the table to Sakura. "Thanks for bein' observant. And sensible enough to know what's worth listenin' to. There's a few at this court look like they've barely got three fire kami in a pinwheel spinnin' inside their heads. Hard to learn much from what they remember."

Sakura blushed again, and started looking over the details. "Innteresting, quite interesting." She smirked. "You always had a good ear, Yurei-chan."

She glanced up at her friend. "Thanks for being my plus one back there. Kami, it feels like it was ages ago, hasn't it?"