Kyuden Shika

His dead eyes met Unsei's.

"You've lacked a curiosity for such matters in all of our previous meetings until now. What has become of you? You act as if you are not yourself."

"Because I am trying to continue the conversation, Shosuro-san, without switching the topic." They answered in their neutral voice, though it seemed to go a bit more dead than it was before. The smell of smoke that surrounded them came anew as they shifted some.

"Despite that, I can't go further into the conversation you are inquiring about, so changing the subject seemed proper", he admitted.

"The conversation was less about the Scorpion and more your own feelings in it." They said before waving their hand dismissively. "Anyway. This is for you."

They produced a small rectangular box from inside their sleeve and offered it to him.

Inside of it was a small inked drawing of two figures under an umbrella in the rain. One figure was taller than the other, but they were both looking at each other.

"To being who we aren't."

His natural response was ready, the standard polite refusal was on his lips as his hand started toward the box, but he stopped himself on both counts.

"That is quite thoughtful, are you certain?" it wasn't the gift he was refusing.

"Why not." They said faintly with a shrug of their lean shoulders.

"Though, I believe this marks the longest conversation we've had without getting angry or annoyed with each other."

"Why not?" he echoed them and chuckled. "Of the many reasons we do things, why not often has a ring to it we don't explain, very well. Though..." he kept his hands in his lap. "You are perhaps wrong, actually." He reached out and took the drawing to examine it. "There was another moment, where we both took a different manner of pressure onto ourselves rather than fight, wasn't there?"

The painting was well done, though obviously not of Unsei's hand. Commissioned by some painter down in the marketplace. There was a little border around it, but overall was simple and plain in its beauty.

"True. Once. Yet that was when we were both pretending. Being who we weren't."

Much like now.

"If this is a simple gift of memory from Seppun Unsei-sama, then in the end I must accept." He said now that the ritual was more or less complete, if not put in stranger ways than usual. "Though, if I may", he said and scooted closer. "Might I share something in return as we are alone?"

They blinked and seemed almost spooked as he moved closer. Then they narrowed their gaze some.

"You aren't going to do anything weird, are you?"