Back to Back[D4, Black Elephant, Midnight CLOSED]

[Rixy]

"Shu...what?" Poor Jada was now the one confused but she smiled sadly at the last. "Things were better before. Dada tells tales of when all Houses were still great, all respected. Then war came and one House was thrown down and now this war spreads...many many Houses gone." Looking around as if she expected eavesdroppers, she said, "Many Maharaja in small time. Ill fortune."

[Bayushi Hoshi]

"There isn't just one maharaja?" Hoshi brought up curiously, as she thought that was the title giving to the grand ruler of the Ivory Kingdom, may they're closer to being Clan Champions?

She scratched her neck with partly closed eyes. "That's terrible that many of your Houses fell. I don't think we would do well...in the long run if a Clan fell in Rokugan. That's not a very good sign at all, maybe an omen of...collapse? What will you do if they come to take Lanka?"

[Rixy]

"Not all at same time. Death, then new one, then death." The girl sighed. "Most die, I think, unless have ship or surrender to invaders with much...proof?"

[Bayushi Hoshi]

Maybe like an Emperor after all. "Oh." Escaped from her lips in realization. "Then is a very ill omen for the Kingdom. There aren't a lot of ships left and I don't know why you would need proof..."

"You seem like a good girl Jada..." She tiredly ran a hand through her hair to keep it from bothering her. "It's a very unfortunate thing for you to go through all of this turmoil."

[Rixy]

"No, no...is like...like..." She furrowed her brows, then made a complicated gesture that ended with her forehead pressed to the floor. "Like when swearing to a House. Must prove sachchaai if hope not to die."

[Bayushi Hoshi]

Hoshi, a samurai bushi, looked bemused at that concept. "...It still sounds like surrender. And I don't think the enemy here are going to be merciful at all."

[Rixy]

The girl shrugged. "If to rule, must have...slaves?" She scowled over the lack of a proper word. "Reason to rule. If live, maybe fight again. If die, only hope for good karma."

[Bayushi Hoshi]

Hoshi released a small breath as she drifted her gaze to elsewhere in the room, it was her small show of exasperation. Considering surrender as a viable option was shameful as an act. It could be more valuable for a Scorpion to live than die honourably but swearing to the service of another was undeniably an act of betrayal. Oh the gaijin around here...

"Do you think whoever is coming will want slaves?"

[Rixy]

"I am not knowing." She shrugged and took another pull from the pipe. "Only earned my blades last year, no one says much to young ones."

[Bayushi Hoshi]

I don't think they're leaving anyone behind... The act only reminded Hoshi to follow the same motion with the pipe, she must have not been relaxing enough if impending doom was her concern. She eased into a tired smile once she released her share of smoke. "But you're very good at them. I don't think it's because you've made it a habit to wander into trouble either."

[Rixy]

"Father was sardaar, taught all that he could. Had my first blade of reeds when very young." She held up a hand, marking out the height of a child of three or four. "I knew...joy...in sword. Spent much time to grow...talent?"

[Bayushi Hoshi]

Hoshi chuckled dryly when the word choices were met with her approval. "Hai, you are very talented with the sword. So this came from you and your father? I think many were still playing with toys that young." She gave a few small nods, now wondering if dada was a related elder.

[Rixy]

She nodded. 'Yes. Father gone, now, but will use his sword to please him, help his karma." Jada looked very determined, or at least as determined as the smoke allowed. "Who gave your...what is weapon called? Very odd."

[Bayushi Hoshi]

"Good Jada. You honour his legacy well." She nodded in approval.

On first reaction when given the question, Hoshi glanced to the general direction to where her daisho we kept but then realized that she meant the kusarigama that saw much use tonight. "Oh." She breathed out softly in realization.

There was a lazy motion toward the weapon. "That's the kusarigama...My sensei gave that to me. He never favoured common weapons and something about them being so easy to be used against you...He's the one who taught me its use." She barely stopped herself from stumbling with her sentences. "It's not a very common weapon in Rokugan and not very good for fair fights...I don't fight fair."

She gave a point to the daisho. "Mm...my daisho was passed down in my grandmother though, and a much proper weapon..."

[Rixy]

"Ah, so you too do swords!" The girl beamed. "One time, test fight, maybe?"

[Bayushi Hoshi]

Hoshi gave the girl a quick blink and then broke off into a stunted giggle, finding the young girl’s battle eagerness adorable. It subsided with a content sigh with an uncertain wave of her hand. “Oh...I don’t know. Maybe someday, but I’m likely to disappoint.”

Placing the back of her hand to her lips, she suppressed a yawn. “Gomen...I think I’m done for the night Jada. Is there a place I could lie down here?”

[Rixy]

"Yes...sleep in with me. Like sisters, yes?" The girl giggled and rose, leading Hoshi at last through the curtained door, which turned out to be a hallway with three other small doorways. "Otherwise, must sleep with Dato. Good boy, but very..." She held up a hand and waggled her hand about in a wavy motion. "Not good for sleep."

[Bayushi Hoshi]

As a child Hoshi never slept in the same room with her sister, but understood what Jada was getting at. With a carefree mood, she followed her lead further her house. She smiled sheepishly at the offer, "-Ah...I think I'm fine with your room without disturbing anyone else."

[Rixy]

"Not...what is word for noisy in sleep?" She mimiced a loud, raucus snore, then giggled. "Dada does. Wakes himself sometimes."

The girl's room, when they reached it, was mostly dominated by a single large bed. Not a futon, but an actual bed, with a feather ticking mattress of vast size settle in a frame upon ropes. Three people could probably sleep in the thing without touching.

Jada, not at all self-conscious, started peeling off layers, putting on a very old, very threadbare shift with no sleeves that fell to her hips. "Want thing like this for sleep or stay in that?"

[Bayushi Hoshi]

Hoshi slapped a hand on her lips in effort to fight off the urge to laugh at her impersonation. Eventually she managed to quell that urge and only give a few shakes of her head.

Her slow gaze took notice of the bed, it was perhaps the first thing that popped up at her befitting of the merchant district. (she assumed?). She felt tired and lazy but made a point to not be a terrible guest and potentially ruin the loaned clothes. After some hesitation she breathed out, "If you're willing to lend another..."