Kyuden Shika

Official announcement letter in hand, a very, very confused Otter comes scritching at her mountain's doorframe at first light.

Bo lets her in. The big man's expression is hard to read - joy at seeing her, happiness at what could be, and sorrow at what stands in the way.

"Uh... come in... I think we need ta talk."

He gestures to a number of papers spread out in the room.

She ducks inside - and her heart drops at the sight of the Emerald Magistrate's seal on so many papers.
"Shit," she whispers, and swallows a lump in her throat, as her vision goes white and a faint threatens. She sways on her feet and rubs at her temple.

Bo takes a deep breath. Wording things carefully was not his strong suit but this was important so he had prepared and repeated it in preparation for this moment.

"I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He does his best to offer a smile then gestures to the papers again. "But something needs to be done about this sword over your head."

He says what he says and that's all it takes for the dam to break. Tears fall and Narumi takes a deep, shuddering breath and nods slowly. "It's unfair that they put this on you. I wanted to tell you, I just didn't know how, I- I-" she stutters and can't find anything further to say, shoulders heaving with the weight of what he now knows about her.

He carefully folds her in his arms and holds her close, "It's ok... It's... well it's not ok but it is what it is."

He pauses considering what to say, "Ummm so Asahina-sama is a magistrate and I reckon I picked up a little more than I thought I did. I think we can help you. You were young and im... impres...doin' what ya were told. We'll need ta pay back the lost taxes in koku and ya can expect to be demoted and I reckon put under house arrest." Here he forces a smile as he looks down at her, "Demoted to an izakaya and under the watchful honor of yer husband...."

The smile wavers again a little, "The only problem is... about yer uncle. He's as imp..implic...named in these documents as much as you, if not more, and he'd be held ta higher 'sponsibility for his actions. I... I can't see a way outta this for him that's not death or exile. I'm sorry... I'm so sorry I spent all mornin' tryin' to figure it out."

She melts into his very large embrace and clings to him, he'd feel her nodding against his chest.
"But I wasn't young, I was literally up to this shit three weeks ago," she clarifies. "Demoted?" she frowns. The idea of house arrest cuts deepest, "I'm not good at staying in one place long."

Regarding her uncle, she pulls back a little to look way, way up at her mountain. "There's nothing for you to apologize for; we knew what we were doing. The Otter are barely a minor clan, we don't have the same luxuries as Great Clans, we have to make due with what's available. We're very good at what we do, and what we do isn't always very nice."

He nods, "Well I reckon it best if we find you another path goin' forward since they'll know to be lookin' at you anyway... another plus of the izakaya. As for house arrest... if the house is movin' you're not really stayin' in one spot are ya?"

She doesn't look thrilled with the idea, and her lips form into a thin line.
"House arrest," she grumbles, momentarily hating the idea. "But it's better than anything else. My aunt will never forgive me. I... Can we put this away?" she let's go of him and goes ahead to begin gathering up the evidence, taking moments to look over them quickly, skimming the damning transcripts of interviews and interrogations.
"I'm the one who owes you an apology, Bo-san. To be saddled with me.. and this," she shakes the papers, "-it's changed the way you look at me. I can see it."

He looks puzzled, "Um... why'd ya think that? I fell in love with you this doesn't change who ya are. I mean I don't want it bein' what you do goin' forward but if I'm stakin' my honor on you not doin' so... well I know you'll protect me by not doin' so. So why would what happened in the past change anything?"