Kyuden Shika

Koi was quiet for a long time, just resting in Neeshin's arms physically and emotionally tired. She said softly at first barely more than a whisper. "I am abused.."

Koi stopped, licked her lips and whispered. "When my Father died it wrecked my family, and for many weeks I helped shoulder my Mother's weight. I am the oldest, you see."

She creases her brow. "Except my Mother cries the weight of a living nightmare that feeds her anger and rage like something I can not imagine. She began to turn cruel, and I took the blunt of it physically and emotionally."

Koi chewed her lips. "It went on for several years, and still happens. When I passed my Gempukku and the experience with Allul, I felt for just a moment to finally have the strength to have enough of it."

"During the time, a ronin troupe was performing in a village nearby so I fled from home and joined them." She said, and sighed. "Four years I learnt from them, enjoyed every second because they made me feel like I mattered. They protected me, and allowed me to heal some of the..." She couldn't say it but tried and sobbed as she stuttered to speak.

"I hate all this -" She choked, and sobbed again.

Oh.

"Oh."

Nesshin says nothing. There is nothing to say, really. So he holds her tighter.

Do we know about this? he wonders. Do I report it?

Koi didnt hear him, how could she when she was unloading grief and pain she's been holding for so long. "Then my Uncle was sent to collect me, and bring me back."

She spat. "Do you know how humiliting it is-" She coughed, her throat dry from crying before she stopped herself. "Never mind." She whispered, and blushed. Yeah dont tell him the only way for you to escape her is to get married far away, like some unwanted whore.

Koi rubbed at her eyes and groaned at the mess of her make up before she sat forward. "During my gempukku I was trapped in Yume-do for a long time, and a spirit called Allul came to me. A create like a cat and a moth.."

Focusing on work started to drag her out. "It saved me, protected me before helping me cross over to our realm again a few days later. I dont remember what else happened but in the years following I found myself changed from the experience..." She touched her eye. "But they spirits have changed and are being..darker...and I want to find out what is happening. If its isolated, if its spreading and to do that your Lands could help me achieve that. It's what I was doing last night, I tried to sing to summon the baku spirits and I got that..."

She rubbed her face. "Kami, I don't belong here."

Nesshin pulls a cloth from inside his sleeve, offers it to her.

"I think you do," he says, still softly. "You sound like someone who needs a new beginning in happiness. And we do that, here.

"That doesn't mean what happened hasn't happened. But it does mean that some of what you need to face it, you find here. And if there are things here that can help you, then you're where you need to be."

He gives a rueful smile. "I'm glad you feel safe enough with me to trust me with it."

Koi held out her hands. "I was in love with a ronin called June for four years, when my Uncle came she ended things and gave me a sword but took her love away." She sighed, and wiped her face. "Thank you." She whispered.

"Yes. I am hoping my research to your Daimyo will give me time to remain if all goes wrong and I dont find myself a partner." She smiled thinking for a moment. "Ney, though it might mean I do have to see you get married and taken away from me perhaps. Look at me with my girl crush, Nee-kun."

D2 LE. Agenda Roll. Water/Theology. Tn 2. | TN: 2 | Success: 2 / Opportunity: 1 / Strife: 0 Agenda Point Gained. Opportunity to sound adorable.

She flapped at herself, for a moment. "Gomen for unloading you.." She whispered, bowing her head low to the floor.

"No, don't apologize to me for being who you are," Nesshin says, putting his hand under her chin to raise her up but not pressing. "I'll still do what I can to help you," he continues, "although I'm no June, no 'she' for you to love."

He grins, his playfulness reasserting itself, however untimely it may be. "I prefer women, too. Can't blame you for it."

Koi laughed softly. "You are so touched by Water, Nee-kun. With out fluid you are with your flirting." She winked, and followed before leaning forward to softly kiss him. "I am very fond of the water kami, and it suits you."

She shook her head. "June made her choice, and I realise that it was only a fantasy to distract me from reality. It was not going to last." She paused. "I have found the time spent with both genders do not matter to me, I love all and those that choose to share similar emotions with me will have my love."

She took a moment to regain her composure. "Right, enough of that. Let's get to work."

Nesshin leans into the kiss, of course. He does rather enjoy kissing, after all. And other things, so when she makes her comments about loving, he shakes his head and a grin spreads across his face.

"What work do we attend to this evening?" he asks. It's clear there's an answer he'd like, but the question is sincere.

Koi raised two fingers. "One, I need you to help me scourge up history and folklore from your clans library. I need more information in order to proceed, I simply cant keep walking into the dark."

She turned to Neeshin seriously. "Now, I understand these are your clans secrets and I very much want to respect that boundary as it would be dishonest if I did anything else."

"Can you look into it? Find anything that might give me a boarder sense of the spirits, and folklore that is tied to this city and especially the Akemi Forest. Be as selective as you can, if you can provide any details that's great but if it is breaching your clans secrecy than feel free to minimise what I learn. I leave you as the arbiter in this situation." She said calmly, genuinely.

"Secondly after.." Koi leant over to Neeshin ear and whispers things involving a lot of stretching, interesting breathing techniques and a strange thing involving a lantern, some oil and a silver bell. "Because I want to not be able to sit properly tomorrow." She finished, and smiled.

"My," Nesshin says when she is done, "your travels were instructive!" And it seems a sudden shift, but I'll not argue.

He adds "I'll do what I can on the lore, though I'll point you to Koi at the Blushing Maiden for some of it. There's not a lot she doesn't hear. Similarly Goto in the market. Can't promise I can find much I can tell you, but I'll look."

And I'm sure I'll find something of interest from all this.