Private Meeting Room

When she found herself dropped in a room before a table she was extremely uncertain - trying to figure out what was going on. Her breaths came out in short, almost whimpering bursts - she struggled to keep from quivering.

She found her knees and tried to sit up - she found herself kneeling before a man. A man far too high in stature to be just an official. Her heart sunk into her stomach and she forgot how to breathe. She even forgot her etiquette, staring up to the man and directly in the eye as the reality of the situation sunk in.

Her head would lower as she humbled herself at his feet, carefully letting her damaged hands rest on the floor with her head to the floor. And she didn't dare move or make a sound.

Her next breath came out hard after having been holding it, ensuring she shivered a bit. She had no idea how to take this. Lying down before a lord wasn't advisable, even at his offering of the option. The best she could do was ease up into sitting, gingerly letting her hands rest on her knees. She ached terribly still but at least she wasn't sitting across bamboo rods. She kept her eyes down, almost fearing to look at him.

Speaking was even harder than she thought, what with still being in a state of shock. "I... m-my lord, I..." Much to the disgrace of her training, of how strong she had once been, she was petrified right now. What exactly was she to say?

Nakatani sat down on her knees before the sliding doors before she slid them open. As she came into view op Genji she bowed her head down before picking up a plate with a teapot and cups from outside their view and moving herself into the room before closing the door behind her again. "I have arrived with tea my Lord." again she bowed her head.

She then got up gracefully and walked in small floating steps towards him. She placed a cup in front of him and gently poured in the tea, knowing exactly which flavor he preffered.
Only then she turned herself towards the woman in the room. For a small second she was taken aback by how she looked, evne felt sorry for her. But soon got back into her etiquettes.

She moved towards her and placed a cup in front of her and gently poured it in. "Tea will do you good." she said and bowed down for her as well with the respect towards a guest and smiled a gentle smile. She then took the empty plate, leaving the teapot in the middle of the two in case they wanted to enjoy more tea and bowed towards genji again. "Is there anything else you require of me my Lord?"

    "That will do. Thank you, Nakatani-chan," Genji replied, his use of the casual honorific signalling further that he was manufacturing an informal environment in which Ketsueki could feel more at ease. Then there was the fact that she had rapidly elevated herself to his favorite among his house staff... She was so skilled, he thought with admiration, how she knew exactly when break composure, allowing those tiny sentimental flecks of personality to shine through and illuminate her with an endearing charm.
    He could smell the tea... green with jasmine, and just a hint of blackberry. Its aroma would be the first of pleasant smells Ketsueki would enjoy in many days.

    Genji turned back to the prisoner. This whole thing had given her mind some time to reel, organize, and recover.
    "Well?"

    Genji believed her, but knew there was much more to the story. She had been sent as a prisoner from Xuandao, dismissed as common rabble to be thrown to the badlands of northern Tokhung. A disgraceful end to one's name.
    "Well, I don't suppose your intention was to come into my meeting room... I suspect something went.. wrong... along the way. You know, it is good that you were honest, because the yoriki who filed this paperwork, Kiyomasa-san, just saved your life."

She had no idea what to say first. And it became clear of that when she opened her mouth to speak and then closed it without a sound. Twice. But the kind gesture of a simple friendly touch from the woman helped to ground her. It made her tense initially, but it was immediately clear Nakatani wasn't someone to hurt her.

"I... I hope I do not offend. If you are referring to that man that spat upon my trade... called me vermin, scum, worthless; I fail to see where he saved my life. Where..." She had to stop and try to breathe - her anger was starting to flare up again, and her strength wasn't what it once was. She found she ran out of breath much to easy, and had to calm down. "Wherever I'm doomed to be... he was happy to send me there."

Against every thought of this being an ill idea, she flicks her gaze up to the man for just a second. "... is this... where I am to be sent? What awaits me?"

She couldn't tell if he was just being very sarcastic, or attempting to be humorous. Either way she just felt confused.

"... my lord. I... I don't understand. You, you're looking to take in Katashima samurai... I was never one. What is going on?" she asked, leaning forward enough to brace her arms on the table - she was beginning to feel a little worn down. At least indulging in a bit of tea helped a little.

... no. No, no. Reisui - she'd managed to pick up the name just enough times to tell her what that was. That prison held a notorious reputation with the name... and exile? Were these really her two destinations upon arrest?

But he was talking about inducting her into the way of a samurai? She was beginning to feel that maybe the man was a bit mad. But she went very quiet and listened to him speak. The more she let his words resound in her head the more she began to realize - he was trying to pry the information out. Albeit wasn't by cruel methods... certainly not by the ones of the Shogun's ninja. The thought made her cringe inside and out - she had to stop thinking about that.

Well... she was feeling dangerously optimistic today. "I... I did come from Katashima. I came here for a new home. I spoke aloud of my... my previous work. I was arrested for it. The Sh..."

<i>Relax. Go around it.</i> She took a breath to steady herself, trying to will her hands not to shake. "It was made clear... I couldn't do that. That it wasn't right. But I was arrested... put in jail. They transported me here."

She went quiet in a bit of an awkward sense, not sure what else to say but feeling that there was something she hadn't said. Then again, she'd left out quite a bit on details - some of which she didn't want to relive. And some of it, unsure how this lord would perceive it. "The, the man called my work as a shinobi vile. Untrustworthy."

Her heart sunk but not with a hopelessness. She had a feeling this man was easily referring to himself as well - another refugee of Katashima. Well... not the average citizen of a refugee.

She opts to take a moment to drink her tea before setting the cup down, her hands around it to settle with one palm over the other hand - trying to keep from putting unneeded strain on her fingers. And she found it a little easier to look the man in the eye as she spoke.

"... I was the only child of my father's name. Akiyama house had been employed for... at least a generation or two - I can't remember the name of the employer. But my fa-"

The abrupt cut of her words was followed by momentary silence, and her expression became a bit fearful. "I... I must beg that, no matter what I say... my family must be left out of this. They, they're no part of this."