First Request [Ishida - Haruka]

[Bayushi Haruka]

((OOC: Private RP, meant for 2 and only the most convincing pm will allow you in! Takes place shortly after Blunt Truth.))

A short time after Haruka and Senshi had departed from view, one of the Scorpion servants went seeking out the new Soshi out in the evening.

She came to Soshi Ishida with a small note and departed as quickly as she came, not even giving her name for the moment as her mon would shine briefly in the firelight before she seemingly slipped away.

The note was simple but elegantly written,

Soshi Ishida-san, I am sorry to disturb you or delay your journey into knowledge. I have acquired something curious that I feel your experience in the shadowlands and among the lost would assist in revealing the nature of. None of the other shugenja I have called upon have been able to uncover anything, I had sincerely hoped you might be able to divine what they could not.

Please meet with me outside the stables where my Utaku steeds are kept, no one will disturb us there. And I will be brief of course, I would not wish to impede your journey.

Yours most sincerely, Bayushi Haruka.

The twilight fell around the Scorpion lands as the sun faded and the red hue of the sunset faded to shadow.

((Soshi Kiso Yes that is indeed true, but for the most part she was asking Iuchi shugenja about it really and how good could they POSSIBLY be :3))

[Soshi Kiso]

(I'll note ooc quick she never asked this shugenja! But timeline wise I'm already running to Mantis lands)

[tadakasan]

Folding the note up, the man now known as Soshi Ishida nodded, setting it on the dresser. Closing the door to the small room he folded up his monk robes, stripping down to his fundoshi before taking the clothes that had been left for him out of the box they had been provided in. Looking them over he couldn't help smiling softly; they were quite nice looking, and the colors fit his mood at the moment for certain...

Slipping them on, he made sure the dark shugenja robes were set correctly, smoothing them out and making sure the pleats were straight. Looking back at the note, he thought of how much he should hurry or not, but came to the conclusion completing his work in here should come first...
-----------------------

Thus it was about a half an hour later that Ishida arrived at the stables; gone was Tadaka's beard, gone was the straw hat. Instead his hair had been cut shoulder length and dyed a deep purple color, almost looking black while in the shadows. It wasn't very hard to pick out the Utaku steed even before seeing Bayushi Haruka, the steed standing taller than any others in the stables. Walking up to Haruka he kneeled, bowing his head, "You requested my presence Haruka-sama?"

[Bayushi Haruka]

She stood alone as it seemed all of the other stable attendants had left for the night while she stood, stroking her restless mare's nose. It seemed his presence alone had unsettled the beast, but Haruka knew how to keep her quiet and still for the moment.

She would turn to him lightly with her eyes being the only thing that could be seen with her coverings. But they did seem intent.

"Ishida-san, thank you for coming. I will not keep you for long though I must say your new look is quite appropriate if only missing one key feature, that is a mask for your person.

I would be willing to acquire you one should you desire it, but for the moment I'm in need of your assistance. We both have come into contact with one named Oronkohiro. The man from the shadowlands. And by some strange grace he has gifted me untainted gaijin trinkets..."

She produced the one attuned to her as she held it by the rope. It was lifeless and otherwise magically unnoticed. But when she took it into her hand and it touched her skin, it suddenly seemed to come to life.

"Can you make sense of it?"

((You're welcome to pm shoju and just tell Haruka what you wish to instead of the horrible details depending on what you'd prefer.. it's his gifts after all ))

[Shoju]

OOC
Poking my nose in here:

The great big gaijin book of magic and nastyness has been opened and you will soon have an answer about your untainted gaijin bloodspeaker khadi trinkets.

Mr. Tadaka, with the information I have given you, feel free to go hog wild.

[tadakasan]

Ishida studies them, taking the one from her hand that had been glowing as he stood up. He peered intently at it, turning it in the air and looking at it from different angles. Chanting a soft spell he closed his eyes, chuckling to himself. He lowered the trinket and looked at Haruka, smiling, "Hm, they are certainly untainted and of gaijin origin. Khadi to be precise Haruka-sama. I can tell be the carvings on the clasp." He points them out.

"As far as WHAT they are... I cannot say precisely. They are are attuned to one another, and it seems one could not only locate the other one but communicate through to someone attuned to the other one if used correctly. I cannot say how to make them work or why you were given them... my only guess is they are a means of keeping track of you Lady Haruka, or a future means of communicating with you. Either way it is quite clear there is some agenda behind them; I cannot say to what end though."

Ishida held the trinket out back towards Haruka so she could take it back, "I could try to find out more, but that would be all I know of these gaijin artifacts off hand I am afraid. Perhaps some deal of help."

[Bayushi Haruka]

Haruka didn't seem completely satisfied by the way her eyes kept looking over the trinket. She took it back gently into her hand and studied it a moment herself.

"If you can learn anything more about it, I would be grateful, but do not trouble yourself too much on this matter."

Her eyes rested on it until she looked back over at the one formerly known as Tadaka, who had shielded Shoju from direct combat with her, or perhaps just as well her from him.

"That is enough information to make a proper assessment. I have been very curious as to their ability as they seemed otherwise harmless. I thank you for your wisdom on the matter Soshi Ishida-san.

If there was anything you wished to ask of me in return before you go, now would be a perfect time."

She didn't seem to be one who liked to have too much debt to anyone. Plus it was a rare chance to meet the infamous Tadaka as well.
She stowed the trinket on her, showing no fear of it compared to before where she held the slight caution of even bearing it, as now her attention was fully on him.

Bar lending one of her Utaku horses or taking on the taint herself, there wasn't anything she wouldn't consider if he had need of it.

[tadakasan]

Ishida merely shook his head, "Apart from learning, there is little I want for life. I would rather learn more about those artifacts than have any sort of reward or favor. The only thing stopping me is that this Oronkihio has not turned the crystal on; it seems to be waiting for a procedure to do so, linking it with a person. If I linked it with someone, it very well could be what he wants, but you would be able to know as much as anyone by doing so Haruka-sama.

It's just a matter of how much you are willing to risk for knowledge, how much of a chance you are comfortable with." Ishida smiles softly, a slight feral gleam to it, "Either way I suppose, if you were gifted with it there is no reason no to believe he intends to activate it somehow. You would just be speeding up the process in that regard... But I leave it up to you, of course."

He bowed slightly, looking up at Haruka for a response, interested to see what she would do truthfully.

[Bayushi Haruka]

Haruka seemed to meditate on his words for a time. Looking over her mare, who still had a most distasteful glare at Ishida, but this was little surprise as it seemed to be the look the mare gave to everyone.

She seemed to nod to herself. "I share the desire for learning and knowledge, but I will not risk myself or my future.." she seemed to hesitate a breath, "so long as this is not meant to permanently change my physical nature, nothing I could learn will ever harm me."

She handled the trinket again. "If you could help in activating it, I am unafraid of knowledge that it might contain, only the darkness that might try to claim my form. If my mind is all that could be in danger, then I am willing to try.

He gave me this for a reason, and for one who speaks openly about his desire to give himself for the empire, I see the enemy of my enemy. I see a possible ally."

Her voice seemed to lose a bit of emotion in that. Ishida would not know what might be meant by it. But of course he wouldn't know all of the details of the battle of Shiro Saisei.

She steadied herself as she waited and wondered what might possibly spring forth from this. He meant her no harm, but still the nature of Shoju was something to be cautious of if nothing else.

[tadakasan]

"I can do so then, if that is what you wish and you have no qualms of the possible consequences." Ishida holds out his hand, looking Haruka in the eyes. "I am glad you see me as a possible ally, though it is not something I feel I need. So long as I am not your enemy Haruka I will be content; so you have my word that I would do nothing to jeopardize that."

[Bayushi Haruka]

She nodded, but it seems her words fell in a strange way. She reached out to him with the trinket again, allowing him to take it as needed, as well as her should it be needed.

"Do not make me regret this, Tadaka-san."

Her toned changed, her intense eyes on his for the moment as she trusted him not to get her tainted. If she was to see something she couldn't unsee so be it. But falling to the sway of the darkness was something she both greatly feared and hated having to fear.

[tadakasan]

"Now now; I am only doing as you wish here within the parameters of the risks you considered acceptable. So just stand still and trust me here Haruka-sama." Closing his eyes, Ishida started a ritual to look for the activation phrase in Khadi, something simple but still time consuming. Fortunately, being a matter of simplicity and already having a general idea from the carvings, it only took him three or four minutes to feel the amulet come to life, glowing gently like it had for Haruka, Ishida holding it away from his body so as not to touch it.

He opened his eyes and looked at Haruka, obviously concentrating, "I will attempt not to touch you, but I will have to reiterate not to move here my lady..." Reaching out Ishida suddenly placed the crystal firmly against Haruka's chest, careful not to touch the crystal itself as he held the trinket in place. Haruka could feel an electric tingling shoot through her chest to her heart, almost feeling like it stopped momentarily. Ishida left it there though, and slowly the glow became brighter, Haruka's heart still not seeming to beat, a choking sensation of not being able to breathe overtaking her...

[Bayushi Haruka]

Haruka braced herself, she had not anticipated this... and yet she was unafraid. Her face didn't appear even pained or panicked, although inside she was absolutely screaming.

She looked placid as death, and though it wasn't registering in a outward expression of pain, her body was in silent agony. But still she would keep fighting.

Not here, not yet, not now... fight...

Her body was strong, her will was strong, but would all she had accomplished be enough to withstand the ritual.
She couldn't last much longer...

[tadakasan]

As quickly as the sensation had come it stopped, the glow in the amulet fading away. Ishida sighed and lifted his hand from Haruka's chest, closing his eyes and holding the trinket up by its chain. Haruka would be aware that she could feel the crystal even though it was no longer touching her, "My sincere apologies for having to touch you like that lady Haruka. But it is done; the trinket is open to you. You should be able to feel where it is if I am not mistaken. And even if I have not given you a direct answer, I believe you should have everything you need to get the answers you seek now; All I can do is be here if you have any additional questions or concerns and pray that I did the right thing."

Ishida slowly knelt again, holding the gaijin trinket up for Haruka to take.

[Bayushi Haruka]

Haruka breathed a sigh of some release. "You probably should inform those you choose to perform rituals on of what they might experience.. but you knew even if I had known, I would not have been deterred."

She very gently took up the trinket again, looking over it with a long gaze. "I pray for many things Ishida-san, that I do. But instead I will pray that the truth we gain will always be for the good of this empire, rather than ourselves. For without it, we would not be here."

Haruka's hand closed around the trinket soundly. "For now I feel I've kept you long enough, and for that I must apologize. But there are no questions that I will not have answered soon. I hope."

She bowed to him and thanked him again. She did not seem to wish to complicate matters by analyzing his reasons for aiding her, nor probing him for every detail in what he knew, though perhaps a more clever Scorpion might have, she seemed satisfied enough to know that he'd done this for her.