The New Winds

Nobuko had not planned to spend the night in Wyn's room. But a spirit had transported her there and left her in an otherwise scandalous position. So instead of leaving in the middle of the night, she borrowed Wyn's perfectly serviceable and completely nondescript travel clothes and left his room in the morning with a teapot in hand. Any that saw her and inquired about why she was there so early, she would simply tell she had come to visit her cousin to share tea before the dawn. Which was not entirely untrue - it just left out a lot of the details.

She hoped that her appearance in clothing clearly intended for general out and about business and the teapot she carried with her would be all she needed to keep suspicions from arising. Particularly because it was known the two were friends - at least among their friends, of which half the competitors were.

As such, she made her way out of his room with a bow and a murmured, "thank you for allowing me to share Lady Sun's breaking of the day with you," and slid the door shut behind her so that Wyn could have his privacy once more, then turned to walk leisurely down the hall and towards the public area of the Inn as if nothing untoward had happened. Because it hadn't.

The bare-chested marvel of the Mantis happened to be right there in the middle of the corridor –– a tight corridor due his large shouldered self –– as he watches the scene unfold with curiosity in his eyes. He takes inhales some air to appear rather more proper, and provides a bow to the Imperial as she crosses.

Nobuko smiles at Kokyou and bows in greeting, "Good morning, Kokyou-san. It is good to see you have arrived safely. Have you had rice today?"

"I have not. Thanks for asking. Did Otomo-sama receive her blessings?" He asks in traditional Rokugani.

"Not as yet," she replied, glancing down the hall toward the common area. "Miya-san and I were sharing tea and greeting the dawn together. But I have not started the day outside of that. Would you like to join me in seeing if there is any food prepared already? We could partake in our meals together."

"I would love to, Otomo-sama. Yet, I have invited someone to share food with me, too. If you're ok in having someone else." He says, smiling.

That someone comes along shortly. A small peasant girl, a little older than Kokyou, scratches at the door.

"Excuse me, samurai-sama's. I was sent for?"

Kokyou nods to Nobuko to ask a moment so he could address the arrival.

Nobuko paused in her steps and nodded, "of course. I have no where to be for another half an hour. I can take the time."

Kokyou pulls up a kimono to cover his arms and chest, then moves toward the peasant. "Good mornin'. Ye're Chen's sister, I suppose. I told 'im I would get ye some supplies here at th' inn, 'n since ye're here, I would invite ye t' share a meal wit' us as long as I stay. Would ye care t' join me 'n Otomo-sama, 'n tell us a bit more o' how life be goin' around Tsuma?"

She looks quite surprised at the invitation but enters.

"T...thank you, samurai-sama!" she stammers.

"I am Erina. My family is gone, just my brother Chen and I. He did not return home yesterday. Have you heard anything of him?"

"Aye. He's wit' th' Crane samurai. Wasn't clear when he would return. In any case, I told 'im I would look aft his family 'til then. So, be me guest. Are ye well stocked in th' house wit' grub 'n clothes?" He nods a couple of time, omitting the fact Chen got arrested for stealing a loaf of bread and heading down to check what meal was being prepared this morning for them.

"We have very little, samurai-sama. Our parents recently passed and it is just the two of us. We are lucky enough to still have our home, but food and other items are hard to come by."

"We'll 'ave that taken care o'." Kokyou nods, then looks to Nobuko, trying to figure out that she would like to sit and eat while the get near the meal area. Then, he asks the Erina, "Wha' be yer profession, 'n yer brother's?"

"Our parents were weavers, and passed on their skills to us. Chen doesn't seem to have the patience for it though, and I am more often gathering the reeds and materials to weave than actually weaving, so we have had little goods to sell at the market."

"If he has no patience for it, then he should be doing the gathering and allowing you the time to weave," Nobuko said, having finally caught on that the 'guest' Kokyou was speaking of was apparently this Erina girl and not another samurai.

She led the way into the common area and to a corner where they could sit comfortably and Erina could have a spot next to the wall without drawing attention to herself.

Once they were seated, she clapped her hands and gave a quiet prayer to Inari and then waved an Inn servant over to take their order.

Kokyou nods, adding, "Indeed. He best be th' one runnin' errands while ye produce. A brat, he be. Now. Let's 'ave a meal, 'tis fer th' supplies. If ye needs more, let me know."

Once they are seated, Kokyou waits until their order is done and delivered before offering a prayer. He asks, changing accents, "So, Otomo-sama, who would you like to have as your Topaz Champion?"

Nobuko had never engaged in a prolonged conversation - and this was rather prolonged for her - with someone outside of the kuge or buke that was not also a monk. It was not necessarily a bad experience, but it was a new one and she wasn't really sure how to proceed. In this case, she was having to follow Kokyou's lead a little more than she was comfortable with. The boy had a habit of being too free with both his affections and actions than was good for everyone around him.

She picks up her chopsticks to have a bite and politely start the meal for the three of them - being the highest status among them it would be rude to delay - then answers him, "I would, of course, be very pleased if Moto Ichiro claimed the title." Because of the marriage thing. "But I am not opposed to any of our fellows from Hirosaka..."

Well, with the exception of one.

"Ginkarasu-san would be a good choice, should he be able to make it through the Iaido portion. As would Kenji-san, Kazuko-chan, or yourself."

She takes an uneasy seat with the two samurai, clearly a bit uncomfortable at the kindness she is being shown, and very reserved in her movements and partaking of the food.

As the topic turns to samurai business and the Topaz Championship, she goes as quiet as a mouse.

Unknown to the Otomo about his rather potential Kuge status, being the son of his father, after all, Kokyou's eyes brighten a bit, "I would like Kazuko-san to get it. She's beaten me at iai. She's very good, and I would appreciate someone better than me, at something, to get it. Although, I have to confess, I never saw a courtier or a shugenja get the title. Mai-chan, and Lady Otomo are also in my thoughts. No particular order, though. Including Kazuko-san." For odd some reason he didn't mention his own name this time.

Kokyou smiles to Erina as she goes silent and looks back to Nobuko to get her reply.