Oguchi (C)

[Regantor]

Taking the scroll in hand, Shari darted a suspicious eye through the abounding crowds that had split apart in the brawl's wake. Probably would be a good idea not to unravel it in the open... For all they knew it was some kind of trap or contraband designed to get them in trouble with the Shogun. Paranoia was an ugly thing, but the inhuman minds they'd been facing were uglier. Nothing seemed out of the question anymore.

Righting herself with a slightly queasy stance, Shari just appreciatedly gave Kai and hand back up to his feet, and ended up just staring at him for an added pace. Why was he being so nice to her? At this point he certainly couldn't have much respect left for her fighting skill, stamina or code of honor. He made her feel so warm on the surface, but underneath that, bitter and filled with regret. The man certainly wasn't perfect, not a saint of any description; but his brief flashes of virtue seemed to just cement how much better of a creature he was at the core, despite what he had been through in the past. She almost couldn't take it. Even if it was a truly self-obsessed day dream, the implied scrutiny he carried around with him was unbearable.

Wholesale, that idea was crammed to the back of her mind for now. They had business to attend to.

Shari went into the closest convenient doorway, grunted slightly, then opened the scroll at arm's length. It did not explode... but she couldn't read it either.

"We need to pay someone to decode this." She remarked simply, showing them the unbounded strange scribbles and sighing heavily. "Shouldn't be too hard in a place like Yamaguchi, through."

[zizi]

Kai tugged on his hair thoughtfully. "That's true. I'm just a bit concerned it could contain ah, sensitive information. I mean, it is coded... could be um. Family business or something." He shrugged. "But I do think we should at least try to read it- I'm assuming you know of someone?" He asked, uncomfortably aware of how little practical knowledge he had of the area he'd spent most of his life in. He'd grown up here and yet he was still a stranger. Even his voice was off; the rounded out accent of a well-travelled man learned from his Master instead of the lilting tones of the rural areas of the sort of where he'd been born.

[Regantor]

"I might know someone we can intimidate, at least..." Shari responded with a sly smirk. "And I guess we can always make out that we are working for the Shogun himself if it is indeed sensitive. I don't think a lowly scribe would spread around his sensitive information in a place like this... What do you think?"

For an added pace, the cumbersome monk just regarded the group and shrugged. In a way, it was rather helpful that none of them suspected highly of her. With her slim connection to Oboro finally out in the open, some form of honesty towards them was finally within reach... It wasn't exactly a feature many of her previous allies enjoyed.

[Kodos]

Warping things ahead a bit because I don't want this lagging any more. If you assume anything important happened that night, just include post-facto mention of it in your post. Tired, so apologies if post is a bit shit.

It wasn't that hard to find a codebreaker in Yamaguchi, and the one the group found seemed trustworthy enough - she'd been in business a long time, presumably long enough to realise it's best for business if she actually doesn't read more than she has to do crack the cipher.

Settling down at what seemed like the safest inn and sleeping in shifts, the group managed to make it through the night without getting raped, murdered, or other molested any more than they already had been between the petty thieves and Hitomi's little... whatever that whole debacle was.

The next day the group made their way back to the codebreaker and got their results. She explained that the code was extremely simple and amatuerish and that honestly she wasn't sure why they were wasting her time with such simple fare. She'd claimed not to have read the actual letter, and simply handed the group a paper containing the cipher Hitomi had used.

It's been a while, hasn't it, Sogi? Or should I say Hoji? Or Kushi? Or Clever Fox? You've always had so many names, and I've honestly not been interested enough to keep up. I'm still just Hitomi, but you can call me whatever you'd like, sexy <3 Me and the girls have been fine, thanks for writing and keeping in touch these past few centuries. Oh, wait, you didn't! You went boring and then you stole our fun too!
But all of that's in the past, right Sogi? I'm not bitter or angry anymore. See, I got an idea! A great idea! It came to me one night, almost as if in a dream. I got some of the girls together, see (despite your efforts, we're still around, love), and I decided we'd have a little family reunion. That's right! You were always so fucking smart - as you always liked to point out - so I'm sure I don't need to spell things out for you. I was never very good at spelling, either, as you liked to point out.
Oh! Not only is there a family reunion in Oguchi coming, but guess what?! They made me empress! Well, I married the shogun, but it's the same fucking shit. I had to put some work into getting the marriage, but it was worth it. Besides, Sogi, I used one of your own techniques, only with a bit of my own, ah modifications.
I've lured some of your little lovers to Yamaguchi so I could deliver them this letter for me. They were very sloppy, and it wasn't that hard to find them or track them. Your underlings these days are pretty crappy, Sogi. I suggest you get new ones. Maybe make some? That worked out pretty fucking great last time, right? Fucking slut!
Hugs and kisses you boring, miserable, cunt <3
~Hitomi

PS: I really hope you make it to the reunion. I'm sure she's just dying to see you. Ahaha, maybe that's a poor choice of words? <3

The rest of the multi-page note consisted of complex writings which the codebreaker said were not within her ability to decode because they were, rather than simple code, complex arcane formula. She said you'd need to find yourselves an arcanist to handle that, and judging by the length of it, a damn good one.

WHAT DO.

Knowledge History check for Clever Fox and Kushi.

[Regantor]

Shari went through the letter first, was took on a vast expression of disappointment and apathy, then handed it along the line.

"For such a thick broad, that was a hell of a complex plan. Leading us here just for something so stupid..." The monk just shrugged, then went over the new information again in her mind. Not having to piss off the shogun was a good thing, but the implication that they'd be seeing Hitomi again was a terrible new concept altogether. "...How did we even end up with so many demented sluts for enemies?..."

Dammit, Master, just how many messed-up relationships have you been involved in over the years?... Shari brooded, instantly knowing exactly who the bitch was talking about, but keeping it to herself. There really was so much in Rin's past that the monk had never dared to question, but the more they began to peel at the edges of it as of late, the more that their leader's good ideals began to smell like hypocrisy.

[zizi]

Kai read the letter, getting increasingly more pale as he did so. "This... isn't good." He grimaced at the gross understatement and pulled at his hair. "I don't know that we should bother with an arcarnist; I'd assume our lady is more than capable of understanding it, and even if she isn't she certainly knows those that are. Besides, she needs to read this as soon as we can get it to her."

He looked at Shari and tried to smile, "It's our talent; at last count we've managed to get in the way of three countries, one evil cult, one or two groups of abominations, along with a vast string of royalty and other stray individuals. We just lose friends and alienate people everywhere we go. Sort of ironic, considering who we work for."

His half smile faded as he considered the letter again. "This isn't stupid, though." Kai thought of the 'fun' Rin had stolen, how she'd become 'boring'. "It's a threat."

[Regantor]

"The fact that the code was so amatuerish suggests that she wanted us to break it, too. Damn, am I tired of getting run around..." Shari just nodded in agreement with Kai, crossing her arms and closing her eyes broodingly, like she often did. "Yeah, we should probally just return to our master at this rate. Even if this wasn't a complete waste of time, something tells me that we are getting close to overstaying our welcome here."

There wasn't any sence of nostalgia or 'leaving home again', Shari had no love of this place. Even when she lived here, she was constantly getting drunk just to deal with the prediciment. This time it was even worse, in a way; She'd managed to feel emmotionally let down by two idols in one day.

"Let's just get out of here, before I finally loose control and put some of these shitheads out..." It was a vicious, spitefull bark, filled with all kinds of resentment brooding to the surface at once. "Whole damn place is a bad omen."

[Kodos]

For better or for worse, the trip back to Kusanagi from the groups cut-short vacation was far more uneventful than the 'vacation' itself.

***

As always, the motley crew's arrival at the palace was not a source of alarm or surprise, it seemed the guards were expecting them, somehow. In fairness, though, given Rin's habits, one imagined that strange groups of people showing up the palace was probably not that uncommon, all things considered.

As was often the case, as well, Rin met with the group in one of the rooms of the palace's harem, a lavishly furnished room heavy with the smell of incense and with Rin, half-naked in her 'clothes' as usual, greeting the group with entirely too intimate hugs, kisses, and copped feels.

"My but you're back early, lovelies. What's up? Couldn't resist me, that's it, right?" Rin laughed as she sat down and pulled Kai down besides her, resting her head on his shoulder and biting gently as his ear for a moment before continuing. "All at once, or are you planning to take turns?" Rin laughed as she draped her arms about Kai and did her best to rub as much of her ample Rinness against him, smiling at the rest of the group.

"Did you meet Akemi?" Rin asked. "Did you fuck her? Because she's wonderful. Like, seriously. But you're all wonderful too! You could be wonderful together!" Rin giggled to herself and pushed off of Kai and sat up semi-straight on her cushion. "I've been drinking, because one of my Hideki's alchemists just made this thing with dwarven ale and other stuff and I dunno what it is but it's fantastic and I think it burned a hole in one of the carpets but whatever."

Oh, Rin.

[zizi]

"Rin, you look as foxy as ever." Kai smiled, then added, "One of your relatives- Hitomi- sends her regards. She lured us to Yamaguchi to get us to deliver this to you," he handed over the scroll.

"I think it's time we were all a sight more open with one another, don't you?"

[Kodos]

Rin looked confused for a moment. "Hitomi?" Then she read the letter. "Oh, Hitomi. Oh." Rin looked like she might cry. Or throw up.
She didn't respond to Kai, either. She just sat there, dropped the scroll, and continued to look unwell, although somehow incredibly gorgeous at the same time.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."