(D11, EM, Taraka's apartment) The Morning After

[Yasuki Taraka]

Taraka sat up groggily. Ah the pleasures of waking up after heavy drinking. The drinks certainly had snuck up on them last night. That was the problem with cocktails, you could really get in to trouble without realizing it before it was too late.

She got the tea kettle working. These sorts of mornings required the strongest black tea to kick away the haze of the previous night. And given the coming evening festivities, she'd rummage some frozen pastries from serenity bakery, and got them reheating. The Crab knew the importance of building a wall to defend against the forces of Boozeaku.

She looked about the small efficiency apartment, complete with unconscious Miya, wearing Taraka's fancon t-shirt, sprawled out on Taraka's futon. They'd been so certain the Miya could make it home with just a change of clothes, but she'd made it a couple steps to the door before being out like a light.

[Miya Kisha]

At the sounds of the kettle and the reheater, Kisha begins to stir. Her eyes open briefly, then squint closed.

"Ugh," she says, and rolls over, the shirt she has borrowed rides up, showing just how slight a woman she is.

The shisha manages to gain her feet and stands with one eye open.

"I guess I fell asleep," she says. "Sorry about that."

[Yasuki Taraka]

Taraka shook her head.

"Better here than in the street. What kind of hosting clan would ignore a Miya in need rather than rendering aid?" she said with a small smile.

She gestured about the small efficiency apartment.

"Toilet's over there, sink's over there. Tea and pastries will be ready soon. You'll want them both to help get ready for tonight." she said.

There really wasn't much else to look at in the apartment. The informator was switched off. There were a couple of pictures scattered about: one of Taraka in military uniform, and one of a wedding reception. Other than that, the place was very empty.

[Miya Kisha]

"Thank you," Kisha says, and she makes first for the toilet. Such privacy as it offers is employed for a time, and Kisha emerges from it somewhat disheveled but dressed, and with the borrowed shirt folded neatly.

"Again, thank you," she says as she sets the shirt down on what seems to be a convenient surface.

She checks her communicator, sees a missed call from Bayushi Kazushi.

"Hm. Bayushi-san called," she says.

"Anyway, what's tonight?" she asks, and rubs her head. "I know it's Bon Festival, but I guess you've got something in mind."

[Yasuki Taraka]

A couple of dings heralded the completion of the tea and the pastries.

"It's a bit of a tradition here to drink to the departed." she admits, putting for her darkest black tea and a pastry that smelled warmed and sweet despite the reheating.

"I couldn't tell you the exact history, but with the Crab's known strength of Earth and a samurai's competitive nature it became a competition over the years. Offer a simple toast to the departed, down a drink, repeat with stronger drinks. It's a way to honor our ancestors and gives folks an release from their grief on this day." she commented.

She took up her own pastry, tearing it to it.

"So we should build a wall. A wall of carbs and wash it down with a moat of black tea, to prepare ourselves for the onslaught."

[Miya Kisha]

Kisha nods, if slowly, her head clearly paining her.

"That all sounds good," she says. "And if there's some aspirin or something to help, uh, fortify the wall, that would help, too."

The Miya rubs her face.

"I haven't done that much drinking in a while," she adds.

Then, a thought striking her, she looks at Taraka with widening eyes.

"Did we...do anything?"

[Yasuki Taraka]

Aspirin was retrieved from a small medikit kept in the kitchenette, and added alongside the Miya's buns.

Taraka couldn't help but grin at the question.

"Ah, what didn't you do last night, Miya-san? Pine for a half dozen other women? Cry over your sad fate? Snore like a lion? How could anyone resist such a display?" she teased.

Her grin widened.

"There was one thing that happened last night that is not washed away by the forgiveness of alcohol." she admitted.

[Miya Kisha]

Kisha's eyes widen, and her face pales.

"What did I do?" she asks, somewhat tremulously.

She wouldn't know the word, herself, but that doesn't mean it doesn't fit.

[Yasuki Taraka]

"Welll, it's the f word, Miya-san." she said, taking a sip of her tea.

"After a goodly number of drinks, you declared me a friend." she said,

She held up a hand forestalling protest.

"I know, I know, I suppose I could let such words slide. But it feels to me like you could use more friends in your life than followers, and so it's a burden I'm willing to take up." she teased.

[Miya Kisha]

Kisha starts to answer, then shuts her mouth and shakes her head.

"I guess the wind tunnel's open," she eventually gets out. "But, even stone cold sober, I'm glad to call you a friend."

She sighs. "I was worried something else might've happened and I missed it."

The Miya takes the aspirin, chasing it with tea. "I feel like I missed something, anyway."

[Yasuki Taraka]

Taraka nodded.

"Though if you're going to stand by that, please do use my chosen name." she said.


She took a tear of the pastry.

"You said as much last night. I suppose that must be a peril of your lifestyle. You spend so much of your life watching others, and you know, not wanting to wrap others up in your online lifestyle in case things don't work out, you feel like you're watching life from the sidelines." she suggested.

[Miya Kisha]

"Well, Taraka-san--and please, call me Kisha--it's true," says the Miya. "I do stand to the side and watch a lot. Part of that's the work, of course. Some of it's the Families. We always have to be careful about being too involved. It gets easy to read into it that the Families or the Throne favor one thing or another.

"Each of the Families deals with it differently, of course. Seppun tend to keep to themselves and focus on their things. Otomo get creative. The Miya make sure we help as many people as we can."

She sips at her tea again. "Anyway, whose reception's in the picture over there?"

[Yasuki Taraka]

Miya!

Taraka followed the Miya's gaze.

"Ah, that's my older sister, Mizuki's marriage to Kuni Kenji. He's the heir to a fairly large medical concern. They helped secure the loans my parents needed for flying battle carps, and her marriage into their family sealed the deal." she offered.

She sipped her tea.

"Happily, the two have been heads over heels for each other for years, and Mizuki-san never was particularly interested in the family business. She IS, however, a master of running an estate. I really wish she could have found time to compete directly in the Jade chef competition, rather than just sending me a binder of recipes." she explained.

[Miya Kisha]

Yasuki!

"I'm glad she's found happiness," Kisha says. "And I'm glad she's able to be a good wife.

"But, yeah, the chef contest was quite the thing," she continues, popping a bit of pastry into her mouth. "Tasty. Anyway, I thought I was doing alright with my bit, but the way some of the folks here went...I guess I show how much I'm on the road."

She shrugs. "It will be a while before I settle down, though. I think, anyway. But I may have to ask you for that binder sometime!"

[Yasuki Taraka]

Binder!

Taraka shrugged, fetching the binder from the kitchnette unit.

"Why wait until then? I'll just end up recycling it before long. They're just simple recipes, I'm sure if you follow them, they'll turn out well." she said presenting the binder.

"I just pushed too hard trying to elevate them into something they were never meant to be for the contest. Sometimes simple is best. The ice cream came out well though." she offered along with the binder.

[Miya Kisha]

Presents?

Kisha replies "I can just snap quick copies of them, Taraka-san. It's not a problem, really."

She reaches for her device to do that. The unheard message from Bayushi Kazushi reminds her of itself as she does.

[Yasuki Taraka]

Taraka nods.

"Sure, go ahead, Kisha-san." she said, letting her friend work. She sips her tea, the strong bitterness working with the sweet of the pastries to get the brain working.

[Miya Kisha]

Kisha spends a couple minutes doing just that.

Then, the unheard message grating on her, she finally says "Excuse me," and she steps a little bit away to play the message.

Even though it's not on speaker, Taraka will probably be able to hear

It's Kazushi. There's been an...incident at the Temple of Light. Moto Shiwahime-san was there. She...didn't make it.

Kisha drops to her knees.

[Yasuki Taraka]

Kisha spends a couple minutes doing just that.

Then, the unheard message grating on her, she finally says "Excuse me," and she steps a little bit away to play the message.

Even though it's not on speaker, Taraka will probably be able to hear

It's Kazushi. There's been an...incident at the Temple of Light. Moto Shiwahime-san was there. She...didn't make it.

Kisha drops to her knees.

Maybe she did, maybe she didn't. It'd certainly be rude to acknowledge listening to someone's call. still, the Miya dropping to her knees got an exclamation, catching Taraka off guard.

"Jizo!" she swore, setting down the tea mug and moving over to the Miya.

"Are you ok, Kisha-san?"

[Miya Kisha]

"It's Mo...Moto Shiwahime," she manages to stammer out, grief already welling up in her voice.

"She's...she's dead."