Kyuden Shika

Running around all day, Inoshishi hadn’t had much time to eat. After saying goodbye to Ishioka for the night, some ramen, tea, and mochi sounded exactly like the right thing to her. And who knows, maybe someone would pop in for a late night snack.

Someone had, there was food to have and Hikimasu's day had been a long one. Entering the dining area, though it was more dim than usual, he could see someone was present.

Did he smell mushrooms?

He got a closer look and bowed.

"Oh, Agasha-san, it's you. Taking care of your needs, I see. Do you mind company?" flat dead eyes asked the question politely enough.

Shosuro Hikimasu wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 01, 2021 1:32 am

"Oh, Agasha-san, it's you. Taking care of your needs, I see. Do you mind company?" flat dead eyes asked the question politely enough.

Inoshishi smiles at the dead-eyed scorpion. “I don’t mind the company at all! Although I suppose I might have to say that this is not a need.” Her hands gesture at the food. “This is more of a smart decision than a need. The Dragon often deprive themselves of what others think they need. What brings you down here so late. Mushroom?”

He left the idea of depriving one's self alone. It just reminded him again of just how his day had truly gone. Sitting down across from the Dragon he gave her thanks with a muttered prayer and accepted the mushroom.

Of course mushrooms, why not mushrooms? You know, Matsu Ishioka-san, in another life, is terrified of these and apparently this woman lives off them. Interesting, that.

He ate the mushroom.

"That aside, how has your day gone to lead you here in this moment?"

Inoshishi considers carefully.

“Well, I spent no small amount of time doing some work for a mutual acquaintance, black eyes, wears a red ring? But it was interesting at least. And I would have done it without the arm-twisting, so feel free to pass that one up the chain, I doubt she will.

Went for a walk in the garden, took a bath, you know, the usual. I’m not certain why I’m so hungry so late.”

"Ah...", he considered all that, not so carefully, but he did replace his mask since he was done eating the mushroom. "You seem different than the last time we met, I admit. Though it was some days ago and I suppose I might be fairly different than then, as well..."

He seemed to get a little lost in that notion, brow creasing in concentration a bit.

Inoshishi raises an eyebrow slightly.

"As I recall, I was drinking a tea quite to myself, turned around to get something from my pouch, probably a candy cap if I'm being honest, turned back and BAM, Shosuro-san!" There's a faint crack and a whiff of fireworks as she uses one of her subtle noise enhancers.

"And while I like you well enough, and I do, you seem like you are more interested in me than for my...use, I am still suspicious. The last...three times? Three times, I've had interactions with your clan they haven't turned out well. Once for your clan, once for me and your clan due to a third party, and again for me later. So I apologize if I've been avoiding you.

Her voice turns sardonic. "Shosuro-san, have you considered that perhaps Hiroto and Kakita Reina should wed?"

Her eyeroll could be used to teach a masterclass, if anyone were interested.

D11LE, Agenda, Hiroto and Reina to wed, Fire/aesthetics | TN: 2 | Success: 0 / Opportunity: 3 / Strife: 0


Which is probably why she comes nowhere close to success and gives away, in her over-the-top contempt for the topic, the fact that someone is forcing her into talking about the marriage.

"I've heard about it", he said deadpan.

Had a bad run in with Minae-san, have we?

"I'm pleased you can tell the difference between myself and my clanmates", he told her and shrugged. "I'd never claim them to be nice people, it sounds as if one of them has used their particular brand of charm, though."

Shosuro Hikimasu wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 01, 2021 4:52 am

"I'm pleased you can tell the difference between myself and my clanmates", he told her and shrugged. "I'd never claim them to be nice people, it sounds as if one of them has used their particular brand of charm, though."

Inoshishi isn't about to let her guard down, but she is damn well tired of being treated like an unwilling tool. Does she wish it were wielded by a Scorpion? No. She prefers to be a self-using kind of tool. But in the end, the goal, here at least, wasn't so far from her own desires.

"I apologize for it taking this long. I just don't want to get deeper into the web. Right now, I'm the lucky fly that landed on the very outside. If I flap hard enough long enough, I might just break free AND attract more flies in the doing. The thing that gets me, honestly, is that I would have done what was asked and more besides if it were a nice ask. I've ridden with the Mantis. I know what those people are capable of."

Inoshishi's face turns momentarily into a weather-beaten mask, tired of the world and it's cruelties. Then the light shifts, and she's as she always has been.

A short moment passed where Hikimasu played it out in his head, and he knew he didn't like it. Honestly he didn't care for people like Minae. They were hardly exclusive to his clan. People who had a tool they just had to use, indiscriminately, for whatever wanton purpose they had.

Of course, the Scorpion also needed such people, to keep the wheel turning as normal. Hikimasu's sort of Scorpion was usually summoned when that method failed.

The Shosuro were nothing if not helpful, after all.

"And so you are here, with an agenda not of your own, given by a certain person, telling it to someone who knows the matter, and you are fed up", he nodded understanding. "What will you do about it?" He took another mushroom, and lowered his mask to pop it in his mouth.