[Day 7, Early Evening] Rumours

[Daidoji Fuichi]

Fuichi's jaw dropped. "And do the Inquisitors know of this possibility?"

[Isawa O-Washi]

"My youngest sister is now of their number."

Pride in her eased some of the Phoenix's distress.

"She agrees with my conjecture and, I am sure, sought the post for just that reason."

[Daidoji Fuichi]

Fuichi scooted closer, laying his hand over his lover's and offerring a reassuring squeeze. "Then all is in readiness. She won't be permitted to succeed." He sighed. "I know that can't make it any easier, though. It pains me that you carry so much pain, so I will do my utmost to bring you as much happiness as possible for as long as we have together."

[Isawa O-Washi]

"Arigatou, Fuichi-kun."

O-washi squeezed back, and then his usual smile slowly but surely returned.

"One more thing. My best friend is a man of the Crab and, I should warn you, not exactly in approval of relationships outside the expected norm. He'll give the both of us a very difficult time. Now, myself, I can just thrash him until he concedes to not talking about it, but you will have a harder time...his respect has to be earned by word or deed, he's always been that way. He's in the Legions, too, and is in fact how I got in to start with...don't be lulled by his being a Yasuki, he's still tough as stones."

[Daidoji Fuichi]

Fuichi's jaw sets.
"I have stood down Crab before, O-washi-kun. I may have sworn not to kill, but I am still Daidoji. A Yasuki doesn't frighten me."

[Isawa O-Washi]

O-washi grinned and clapped him on the shoulder. "Good man. Now then, there's a bit more to cover on more immediate concerns. On the ship, I'm still your superior. I won't favor you, nor can we act in any way on any interest. It's unfair to the rest. We've already caused distress to one of my kinsman with our display at the Embassy, I'm afraid, and I don't want that repeating. You've showed empathy enough to others that I have no doubts you'll accept the rules just because it's fairer to the others but I wanted it spelled out."

[Daidoji Fuichi]

Fuichi frowned. "I understand, and I wouldn't want to cause a disturbance, but does this mean you won't be taking me fishing?"

[Isawa O-Washi]

A cheeky grin appeared at once on O-washi's face. "Oh, that we might manage, once or twice...though do you know how to actually catch any? It's simply not done to come back empty-handed. I can do it, but I have to change into something else to do it, not exactly helpful, eh?"

[Daidoji Fuichi]

"I am not greatly skilled, no. It is something I shall have to learn."

[Isawa O-Washi]

"Then I suppose I'll be wearing a dolphin's skin again a few times." O-washi made a face. "Or we have to convince Sensuifu to fish and give up his catch, which takes some doing."

[Daidoji Fuichi]

Fuichi's eyes widened. "You can take the shape of animals?"

[Isawa O-Washi]

"I did tell you I had power influence with the mizu-kami, did I not?" O-washi's eyes sparkled in amusement. "It is a glorious thing to be able to soar with Sensuifu or to swim as a great whale...though I don't like being a true fish. The change from breathing water to air makes me feel out of sorts."

[Daidoji Fuichi]

"Well, we couldn't have that, could we?" He chuckled. "I am not so strong with the Mizu-kami, though the teachings of the Asahina tend to emphasize communion with them. Instead, I am almost as familiar with the Tsuchi-kami as I am with the Kaze-kami, and I feel my connection with Fire growing, though that has nothing to do with my training."

He paused. "If I could take the form of an animal, I think that I should like to be a Horse." He nodded. "Yes, a horse. What is your favorite?"

[Isawa O-Washi]

"The eagle is a glorious thing to be, but in truth? The most fun I've had is as an otter."

A great grin split O-washi's face. "You can't talk to the creatures you're around, you see, because you're not one, you just bear it's body. Otters, though, are curious and playful and don't care that you don't understand what their chittering means if you'll play with them. They remind me of village children of four or five who've been eating sweets all day, all energy and eagerness with no real sense but great creativity when it comes to making new games."

Turning to his friend, his brows rose. "Why a horse?"

[Daidoji Fuichi]

"I spent most of my years of training and nearly all of my adult life cloistered in Shinden Asahina, where running is not encouraged. To be able to have the strength and endurance to run without ceasing for even an hour would be an adventure beyond price."

[Isawa O-Washi]

"That's a good enough reason, I think. It's why I took the eagle, after all...I'd watched them, admired them, for years. When I first learned the sutra, it was the first form I took. I'm keen-eyed, as people go, but the sight of the hawk made it seem as if I was all but blind as a man. If you were to take the horses form, you'd gain it's strength and endurance, and it's good lungs, for the time of that change."

[Daidoji Fuichi]

Fuichi's wistful smile brightened. "I should like that very much." Then, with a measured breath, he changed the subject. "O-Washi-kun, has Yoritomo-sama informed you about yesterday's events?"

[Isawa O-Washi]

O-washi, who had been rather too hung over to pay much attention to anything the night before, blinked at Fuichi without a sign of comprehension.

"Which one? I've not seen Spooks in several days and the other lad only in passing. Why, what happened?"

[Daidoji Fuichi]

His face became grave. "Some of the city guards came to the Embassy just after..." a blush "...just after we made love. They'd found one of the Emassy staff murdered. Only...only when Yoritomo Kaito, Mirumoto Tomoe, Bayushi Kichirou, and I investigated, we found that the cultists murdered Asahina Narumi as well."

[Isawa O-Washi]

O-washi's reaction was very, very unpleasant. Anyone who thought the children of Water were calm and place who saw it would very swiftly remember the violence of tsunami, the rage of storms at sea. Really, it was very fortunate that it was Fuichi who had told him because any other messenger might well have taken the tensai's rage.

The large man shot off the berth, eyes suddenly glowing, twin swirling pools of blue in his face. "They did WHAT?!?!"

The muscles in his upper body bunched and he whirled toward the nearest wall, launching his right fist clear through it. Wood shattered, splinters flying even as O-washi's other fist followed the first, widening the hole he had made. The ship, so peacefully rocking, rocked suddenly as the waves outside rose with the power of the tensai's temper. "Kami-damned, flesh-eating, child-raping, goat-fucking sons of pox-ridden whores!"