(D12, EE, Nakahama Koku, Open) A wheely good time

[Yasuki Taraka]

With the fall of evening, the Nakahama Koku shone like a beacon of prosperity. The negotiations had been a wild series of both ups and downs. With that ride drawing to a close, as it were, it seemed only fitting to take a ride on the Nakahama Koku. Taraka bought a ten zeni to enjoy on the ride, and thought about how many times she had gone on this ride before, and how many she would again.

[Bayushi Hinata]

The handsomest (debatable) scorpion strolled around the harbourfront with a soft smile on his face. Wearing his more casual outfit, no weapons on his person besides his Wakizashi, it seemed he was taking the day for leisure rather than work. There were rumours that the ferris wheel had been blessed, and that those who rode on it were granted good fortune, and the young man sure was in the market for a prosperous near future. He counts the coins in his plush purse, making sure he has enough for the ride as he unwittingly steps behind one of the more succesful crab in the island.

He bumps into her gently, bowing profusely afterwards.

"Ah! Please forgive me Crab-san, I wasn't paying attention!"

[Yasuki Taraka]

The handsomest (debatable) scorpion strolled around the harbourfront with a soft smile on his face. Wearing his more casual outfit, no weapons on his person besides his Wakizashi, it seemed he was taking the day for leisure rather than work. There were rumours that the ferris wheel had been blessed, and that those who rode on it were granted good fortune, and the young man sure was in the market for a prosperous near future. He counts the coins in his plush purse, making sure he has enough for the ride as he unwittingly steps behind one of the more succesful crab in the island.

He bumps into her gently, bowing profusely afterwards.

"Ah! Please forgive me Crab-san, I wasn't paying attention!"

Taraka turned about to see who was talking to her.

She bowed in return.

"Not a problem.....Bayushi Hinata-san, I believe?" she said. "We haven't had a chance to meet yet, Yasuki Taraka, Flying Battle Carps."

[Bayushi Hinata]

Taraka turned about to see who was talking to her.

She bowed in return.

"Not a problem.....Bayushi Hinata-san, I believe?" she said. "We haven't had a chance to meet yet, Yasuki Taraka, Flying Battle Carps."

The man freezes as he is addressed by his name. Flashbacks to another crab having way too much information on him, his eyes look her up and down as she introduces herself with a worried expression. Then recognition flashes across his face, followed by relief. "Taraka! Yasuki Taraka! Oh kami, indeed we haven't! I've heard a lot about you from my clanmates!"

He bows again enthusiastically.

[Yasuki Taraka]

Scorpion!

Taraka grinned.

"Then you have me at a bit of a disadvantage, Bayushi-san. Bayushi Kazushi said you did security work and it was keeping you terribly busy. That's about all I have about you. I hope your clanmates have said good things about me." she admitted.

[Bayushi Hinata]

"I hope your clanmates have said good things about me." she admitted.

"Only good things!" He says with a smile. "They are quite enchanted by the Battle Carps competitions as I'm sure you've noticed. Security work... well it's my job, I still had the chance to compete for bid events, and the Oshidama tournament! A shame Kakita Hiroki-sama fell ill right after. Heatstroke's a mean thing!"

[Yasuki Taraka]

"I hope your clanmates have said good things about me." she admitted.

"Only good things!" He says with a smile. "They are quite enchanted by the Battle Carps competitions as I'm sure you've noticed. Security work... well it's my job, I still had the chance to compete for bid events, and the Oshidama tournament! A shame Kakita Hiroki-sama fell ill right after. Heatstroke's a mean thing!"

Taraka nodded.

"Centuries of Crane breeding have made them as pretty as the morning dew, and just as stable." she agreed. "Still, quite the pleasant person to speak to. Though he is....very Crane. Though the love of baseball was unexpected."

They came up to the head of the line.

"You ok with riding together, Bayushi-san? I'd love to chat with you as we gazed over the harbourfront." she asked.

[Bayushi Hinata]

"You ok with riding together, Bayushi-san? I'd love to chat with you as we gazed over the harbourfront." she asked.

"I'd be honored." He said. Stepping into the cabin with her without a hitch, his eyes still linger behind them in the line. Just in case a mysterious, ominous, predatory presence made it's way into the pod before the door closes.

"It's been quite the ride thse past couple of weeks. A myriad of adventures, wild and torrid affaris, heartbreak and betrayal, I even got shot!"

[Yasuki Taraka]

"I'd be honored." He said. Stepping into the cabin with her without a hitch, his eyes still linger behind them in the line. Just in case a mysterious, ominous, predatory presence made it's way into the pod before the door closes.

"It's been quite the ride thse past couple of weeks. A myriad of adventures, wild and torrid affaris, heartbreak and betrayal, I even got shot!"

The door to the cabin slid closed and the ride started moving again, it'd be an hour all told.

Taraka nodded.

"Hmm, Kuni-san mentioned you got shot." she said, looking him over. "Though you seem to be in much better shape than she made out."

[Bayushi Hinata]

The door to the cabin slid closed and the ride started moving again, it'd be an hour all told.

Taraka nodded.

"Hmm, Kuni-san mentioned you got shot." she said, looking him over. "Though you seem to be in much better shape than she made out."

"Kuni Junpei-sama right?" He said with an optimistic, incredulous expression. "Right?"


"But yeah! I was one of the volunteers. I'm not as resistant to radiant beams as most crab bushi. But I think I held my own pretty well!"

[Yasuki Taraka]

"Kuni Junpei-sama right?" He said with an optimistic, incredulous expression. "Right?"


"But yeah! I was one of the volunteers. I'm not as resistant to radiant beams as most crab bushi. But I think I held my own pretty well!"

Taraka shook her head.

"Honestly, I haven't heard the whole story. Just pieces of it you know? Like, I heard Bayushi Kazushi voice when Miya Kisha got the call that Moto-san was dead and that there was an incident at the so called Temple of light." she offered.

She smiled a bit.

"I know Scorpion horde information like a Yasuki hoards koku, but perhaps you'd be willing to tell me a bit more about what happened?" she asked.

[Bayushi Hinata]

Taraka shook her head.

"Honestly, I haven't heard the whole story. Just pieces of it you know? Like, I heard Bayushi Kazushi voice when Miya Kisha got the call that Moto-san was dead and that there was an incident at the so called Temple of light." she offered.

She smiled a bit.

"I know Scorpion horde information like a Yasuki hoards koku, but perhaps you'd be willing to tell me a bit more about what happened?" she asked.

"So he's the one who let her know...." He leaned back onto his seat, looking out the window as they slowly made their ascent. "It was quite sudden.... a hail of beams and then when I turned around." He lets the silence do the talking.

"I hadn't even spoken to her, actually I've not spoken with any of the other Bushi involved. Different reasons, same destination." He turns to face Taraka once again, the smile he's worn every time she's caught a glimpse of him isn't there, he seems serious if not dour.

"What would you like to know then? Specifically I mean."

[Yasuki Taraka]

"So he's the one who let her know...." He leaned back onto his seat, looking out the window as they slowly made their ascent. "It was quite sudden.... a hail of beams and then when I turned around." He lets the silence do the talking.

"I hadn't even spoken to her, actually I've not spoken with any of the other Bushi involved. Different reasons, same destination." He turns to face Taraka once again, the smile he's worn every time she's caught a glimpse of him isn't there, he seems serious if not dour.

"What would you like to know then? Specifically I mean."

Taraka looked out at the harbourfront. It truly was stunning.

"Hmmm, really just a more precise picture of what happened and why, Bayushi-san. A Crab magistrate, two Scorpion, and a Unicorn walk into a warehouse posing as a temple during a multi-clan negotiation process. The Unicorn winds up dead. As someone who's been boosting the Scorpion case for being Nakahama's premier trading partner as hard as if I ran around wearing a mask, I'd like to know what happened, and why so I can predict what that's going to mean for the Scorpion relations with Nakahama going forward." she offered.

[Bayushi Hinata]

He leans to the side and crosses his legs, cradling his head in his hand.

"I understand... It's a lot simpler and a lot more complex..."

He lets out a sigh, then meets Taraka's gaze. A disarming expression even if completely serious.

"My understanding is most of this shall go public due to the Karo's own actions... We had discovered falsified financial records related to the temple due to our own coincidental investigation, and that Umiko-sama was somehow invovled in their scheme, again on a separate investagation. Given our position, we deemed it best to offer the Karo a deal. We removed her from the conspiracy, and cover up her involvement, leverage for marriages, dowrys and a stronger bond between clans..." He looks wistfully out the window, watching the different people walk along the beach. "Idealistic? Certainly. We wanted the Karo to side with us, salvage her relationship with her sister... Child's dreams really. I delivered the letter to Umiko-sama, and got- um... intercepted...."

[Yasuki Taraka]

Kekaku!

For a moment, Taraka hoped Sumie was right, and that man was unwell. But certain pieces slid into place as he told his tale.

"Ah fortunes," she sighed, looking out at the harbor. "To put is less charitably, you found the karo was under a thumb, you decided you'd rather she was under your thumb, and in the ensuing power play, someone forgot what happens to thumbs when you wave them wildly about crabs. And by marriages you mean....ah, of course you do. I swear I knew that girl was all gas and no brakes. It was impressive at the rally, less so here."

It took a lot of business acumen to not facepalm herself out of the ride.

She looked back at the Scorpion.

"So have you managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, or is this something you were able to fix with a gift basket of really good taffies?" she said, trying to get a sense of just how badly they'd messed things up.

[Bayushi Hinata]

He continues to avert his gaze.

"The pieces fall where they may now. I did my part, I tried to ascertain whether Umiko-sama would be open to the idea of taking oir offer. But I think she just got it over with directly with the Governor. There are serious charges to be levied, ai doubt she'll hold her position as Karo for long." He lifts up his shirt to reveal a nasty bruise on his abdomen. "And all I have to show for it is this lousy gut bruise! It's been quite the ride."

He lets the silence hang, letting go and covering himself again. "The death of Moto Shiwahime was a tragedy. Am unfortunate coincidence. I do wonder what the other Yasuki was doing there... The one that's always carrying a plush and is followed around by a bodyguard."

[Yasuki Taraka]

Bruised!

Taraka chuckled wryly.

"That's why blackmail is such a terrible business model, Bayushi-san. You're betting on your client being willing to pay for silence in perpetuity. And unlike other businesses, competition moving in means prices go up. You would have had to completely wipe out the competition to guarantee the same silence as before, and while she may be a former actress, former idol, and now a money launderer, the kind hearted women who rallied people for First Market is not going to pay that kind of price." she said, amused. After all, as he said, it was done.

The mention of Yasuki Honoka was surprising though.

"Yasuki Honoka? In my experience, she's a very controlling sort of person, who demands to be the center of attention. Maybe she thought she could rescue Umiko-sama from her plight, or that she could take over the money laundering operation, or that the Temple of Light would be interested in serving crab at their services. Whatever the reason, she was there because she wanted to be the center of attention. But if you didn't even catch her name, it sounds like she didn't manage that either."

She looked back out the window, the lights on the harbourfront were mesmerizing, a promise of things being brighter, of being more. But there was nothing to grab on to, you could not put illumination in your pocket. They would be gone in the morning.

[Bayushi Hinata]

"Blackmail is a gamble, as is all forms of bussiness. We gambled, we lost, we take our chips and see what we can cash out." He checks his communicators. No messages yet... Perhaps he'd gone too far the prior night.

"Yes that was her name. Yasuki Honoka..." He had seen the most likely reason she was there, she was quite unsubtle about it, he wondered who else had caught a glimpse of that. "I think I've got a few theories... Once the pieces fall into place we'll see what was her angle." He leans back against the seat, eyes pried away from the ethreal lights.

"Are you unhappy with our partnership? I don't believe anyone in the delegation will blame you for deciding to drop out of our dealings. Evenb after so much investment."

[Yasuki Taraka]

"Blackmail is a gamble, as is all forms of bussiness. We gambled, we lost, we take our chips and see what we can cash out." He checks his communicators. No messages yet... Perhaps he'd gone too far the prior night.

"Yes that was her name. Yasuki Honoka..." He had seen the most likely reason she was there, she was quite unsubtle about it, he wondered who else had caught a glimpse of that. "I think I've got a few theories... Once the pieces fall into place we'll see what was her angle." He leans back against the seat, eyes pried away from the ethreal lights.

"Are you unhappy with our partnership? I don't believe anyone in the delegation will blame you for deciding to drop out of our dealings. Evenb after so much investment."

Taraka laughed at that. Not the teehee of a Crane. This was a good Crab laugh at black humor.

"So kind of you to offer me a chance to change my mind after I've already jumped out of the plane, Bayushi-san." she said, genuinely amused.

She shook her head.

"I've already backed you to the hilt, Bayushi-san. The only thing I gain by pulling out now is the opportunity to exchange the dwindling chance of my reward for....nothing tangible. I'll get that anyways if you failed, so no thank you. You do not get to run up a tab, and then get out of paying by being disruptive." she said firmly. "We are in this together."

She looked back at the Scorpion.

"You know, Kuni-san, that we were speaking of earlier, said you'd run up and ran out on a bill for a love hotel as well. But that is not your style, right Bayushi-san?" she asked.

No, she hadn't been talking about Junpei.

[Bayushi Hinata]

He slowly, agonisingly, turns pale. Even if his On remains intact. He folds his hands over his lap and puts on a smile. "I guess it's my fault for talking about blackmail huh?"

"She invited me over to one when she intercepted my delivery and retrieval of Umiko-sama's message. Mentioned something about a train looking room? She's probably mad I managed to slip away..."