[D4, ME, common room, expecting] Just one drink

[Matsu Ishioka]

The Stone Matsu was late. Not really late, in the way that normal people who haven't gotten somewhere by an appointed time are actually late. He was late in the sense that he still had time to make it to the play on time, but finishing the drink in front of him was going mean he'd need to hurry. He was late in that he could no longer be early.

But he was going to finish this drink. Because the evening plays in this town were... a mixed bag, certainly, and processing them with a more relaxed mind seemed a better strategy.

[Seppun Unsei]

If only Ishioka had decided to drink somewhere a bit.. safer. You see, dear readers, for a terrible creature had decided to make this room theirs for the middle of the evening. The creature came from their from their room, their arms full of charts and a divintation kit. As their honey-colored eyes looked over a place to sit, they fell heavily upon the Matsu that was just trying to have a drink.

Immediately, they made a beeline for him.

"Hey there! I'm Seppun Unsei! How ya doing?" She asked cheerily before bowing. Then without asking, she just sat down at the table with him like she somehow knew that he wasn't going to get upset at her for being so rude.

[Matsu Ishioka]

The mid-sized imperial was indeed unlikely to see a bothered Lion, for the Stone Matsu was the exceptional sort of Matsu who acted calmly and patiently, barring truly exceptional events. Unsei and her charts were far from unsettling to the tall man - they stirred a bit of curiosity, in fact - and so he looked at her with the same unremarkable visage she'd seen as she approached.

"Good evening, Seppun-sama," his deep voice rumbled, assuming any imperial was worth showing extra respect. "I'm Matsu Ishioka, nikutai of the Lion embassy guard at Kyuden Hida," he says without much warmth, though he does respectfully bow his head. Amid the bland facial expression, his eyes seem to give a flicker of curiosity to the Seppun. "This one was near to departing if you wish the table to yourself."

[Seppun Unsei]

Unsei had completely forgotten to give out titles, but she shrugged to herself. They weren't needed. Her greatness was known to all anyway. Not really, but..

"Oh, no. I had actually come here to speak with you. You seem of an interesting sort, plus I think you might be that one Lion my cousin chuckled to me about one day. Something about a Matsu that never showed emotion or something and gave her a nickname. Stoney Balls or something, was it? Stone Foot? Stone Tongue? Stoned Eyes? Anyway, Stone was definitely in the name. Was that you, by chance?" As she spoke, she set down her charts and took up most of the table, but was at least polite enough to leave the Matsu enough room for his drink and any plate he might want.

Or maybe she did it to make sure his drink didn't spill on her charts.

Whatever the reason, there was still some room for him. It just wasn't terribly much. Her charts were important after all. However, her divination kit sat at her side.

[Matsu Ishioka]

The bushi's head tilts almost imperceptibly to one side, and the eyebrow on that side rises.

"You want to speak to the Stone Matsu," he says, the deep rumble of his voice lightly dusted with incredulity. "Why would that be?"

[Seppun Unsei]

"I don't know. Like I said, my cousin knows you or something like that and you said you also were at Kyuden Hida. I just figured. Also might've taken a few hints from the stars. They occasionally like to be more helpful than usual." She shrugged and unrolled one of the charts, starting to look it over with a keen eye. "Plus, you seem of an interesting sort, like I said before, and I'm always looking for interesting people to talk to."

[Matsu Ishioka]

Ishioka's eyes narrow suspiciously at the imperial as their story seems inconsistent.

"Seppun-sama, and/or the stars, may have directed you to me... Or not," he says, trying to grasp the situation he's now in. The play had been forgotten, probably in the midst of the unflattering variations on his nickname. The man exhales heavily from his nose, the act moving enough air to flutter a page of Unsei's charts.

"What does Seppun Unsei-sama do with all of this," he inquires, raising one eyebrow.

[Seppun Unsei]

Unsei seemed perfectly innocent, if not a little air-headed, as she sat there and smiled sweetly. It didn't seem like there was much going on in that head of hers.

"Do with what? The charts? Or the stars? Or, well, I guess they're the same thing in a way. The stars are on the charts, but they aren't the stars. It would be nice if they were though... I love stars so much." If it wasn't obvious from the embroidered stars she had on her robes. "I'd love to be able to keep a tiny star with me, but I know it deserves to be up in the sky with the rest of them."

[Matsu Ishioka]

Ishioka's narrowed eyes blink with an intense slowness that reflects the speed with which he's understanding this situation. Which is to say, he is not understanding this situation.

"Seppun-sama, perhaps start for me with what an astrologer like you does."

[Seppun Unsei]

"I use divination to see portents and omens in order to protect the Emperor from supernatural and future threats. The Miharu protect him from physical threats in the now. We protect him from supernatural threats now and later. Also to help the Miharu plan for any attacks and such that aren't supernatural." As she explained, she spoke a little slower now so he wouldn't get lost.