The White Lotus ((喫茶店のぉたす白い))

[Lolli Puppy]

Ah, the Tea House!
I have a lot of pictures for this thing, so, get excited for the Tea house everybody!!

[STHBen]

Ah the tea house. A jovial place full of life and people and yet it still held a very serene and calming air about it. It was also a place where the scorpion had spent quite a bit of time but not always in the most relaxing circumstances. Regardless, it was a place that she was becoming more and more fond of. After the previous events caused by receiving a few love letters, the samurai merely wanted to clear her mind of the distractions. As her brother would frequently remind her, it was the cost of her "charm" and being friendly. Even still, one profane letter had insulted her as she felt that whomever had sent it thought she the type to indulge in a roll about the sheets. Katsumi was far from that type of woman, but at this point she had let it pass. It seemed that the bothersome letter should no longer be a problem as she had discussed with the one who had been commissioned to write it her displeasure in such a thing. Perhaps she came off as a bit harsh, but she at least got her point across. But now was not the time to worry about that.

The samurai sat in the tea house, nursing an exquisite cup of Dragon Pearl tea, as she listened to the skilled musician playing the shamisen. It lent a soothing ambiance to the tea shop. Katsumi took a sip of the tea, then setting it down on the table in front of her, reaching into her sleeve, pulling out a small book along with a brush and ink. In thinking of her family, she remembered she needed to get back in touch with them. The young woman hadn't written back to her father or mother in the Scorpion lands since she had gotten to the city and hadn't sent her brother a letter in a month. She was certain that he wanted to know just what she had been doing as well as if this city showed promise. She was certain that her father would like to hear that there was a Tortoise in the city, perhaps intending to establish business with him should they not already be doing business together. A small smile graced her painted lips as she started writing. She had to play off the events of the month as something minor or her brother would worry and he had business in the lion lands. The last thing he needed to do was come to the aid of his little sister. No matter how much she did miss her family. She wrote to him about the potential "friends" that she had made along with the letters she had received. She explained the events that had occurred in the city and her personal thoughts on them. It seemed like a normal letter to home. She was not foolish enough to write anything that may look questionable in a public area. She had done well to earn the trust of a few members of the courts and wanted to maintain a fairly good reputation.

[Shiba Izo]

Izo placed a small bowl of rice inside of the modest shrine he had built, clasping his hands and asking his grandfather to watch over him today. It only took a short moment to complete the prayer, though he frowned slightly when he opened his eyes. "You deserve a better home, Kasai-jii."

The shrine was hardly what you could call aesthetic, it was made out of some dark stained wood he had bought in the market and not much else. It was styled like a cabinet, with the focus of course being the spirit tablet in the center. The face read 'Shiba Kasai' and included a few verses from the Tao that Izo thought were appropriate. Again, it wasn't much, but he had poured his heart and soul into it.

"Still." He mumbled, lighting a stick of incense. "I could do better for you."

He ate the rest of his breakfast quietly before grabbing his Daisho and leaving for the White Lotus. Kaiba-sama was busy with the other Shugenja offering prayers and blessings around the City, so Izo thought to meet up with his new found friends among the Crane. In particular, he wanted to speak with Jin about the events he had missed in court. With the arduous practice of writing letter after letter last session, he had gone unaware of the actions of the newcomer Tortoise. And, if rumor was to be believed, those actions were not good for the City, nor the Governor. So, if anything, Izo wanted to offer a few words of comfort. He had grown fond of Jin and Kyoko, and kindness was the very least he could offer in their time of need.

The tea house was bustling when he arrived, not to any surprise. The White Lotus had become a city favorite quickly, the Governor himself came by on a regular basis. The thought made Izo smile, he was glad to see their well earned success. There were a few empty seats, one of which was near a more than familiar face. Kastumi was busy penning some letter out, it's contents he could only guess. What Scorpions wrote to each other was not a thought that he wanted to entertain. Normally he would have started up some conversation with her, but given their recent game of Sadane he thought it would be best to keep his words to himself. Talking with her was akin to playing Go with an Akodo General, exhausting. He simply chose to order his tea and take the empty seat across from her, leaving himself open for chit chat, but only if she was willing to make the first move.

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