Despair and Wisdom: Imperial March

It was closed to midnight. He had found the perfect spot for his rituals. He walked to that spot. It was a deep crevasse on some cliff of some mountain, whose name he hadn't bothered to learn. It was far from the camp. None would see the fire. He had gathered wood on his way. He placed them around the small silver statue of the Lord Moon.

Tonight was a full moon.

He started pouring salt in a circle around the statue. The Yogo family mon was eventually formed. He stared at his eyes and motioned to him to fly high above. It croaked and lip to the dark sky.

He whispered to the fire kami inviting them to burn the wood and the salt.

[Ooc: Thread. All Sc Pc have received a ciphered note inviting them to join Adoka in prater at midnight at the designated spot. If any non Sc feels that he can sneak my raven under a full moon is welcomed to try.]

Cyphered notes, secret invitations. Scary is this about now? He hadn't found Kheree to tell her, but also hadn't seen she was sent a note as well. As he approached, he skulked, as was natural in the night. Soon though he caught sight of thr bird overhead. Was that Khar? Wad Kheree already there?

Climbing up the long way, he got a look at the hooded man, who was practicing some ritual.

A Yogo. Greeeaaaaat.

Instead of causing a ruckus, Hikimasu all but slithered out of hiding and made himself known. "Well, this is not what I expected."

He laughed with the Shosuro's lack of imagination, but made his best theatrical bow.

"Shosuro -sama, it is a pleasure that you managed to make it." He greeted him without any tone in his voice.

"Since you were the first to join me, shall you share with me your expectations and your cup?" He asked as he prepared his tatami mat outside the circle of the burning salt.

"You look like a cold sake man. Did my intuition work?" He added another question as he filled his cup.

A cup with three dancing foxes was supplied for filling. Hikimasu sat and returned the favor for the Yogo.

"I expect, we'll be late to the Wall, but that's not saying muxh."

He filled the offered cup and returned it.

"It ain't any quantity beverage. It might induce some sort of mental trip for you." He informed the Shosuro.

"I expected that your wife, would be joining us. She lacks the ability to read scripts?"

"It takes most some time to get accustomed to a new cypher", Hikimasu reminded him. "And yours was fairly complex for a simple invitation." He sipped very lightly from the drink. If what the Yogo said was true about it, he didn't want to think he was being chased by something that wasn't really there on his way back.

"I am Shosuro Hikimasu, as you know. Your script was signed with 'A', but what do I call you, and what is it you wanted?"

He was certain that he had broken at least three rules in order to facilitate communication, without compromising security. It has been a long time since the cosmos stopped amazing him with how stupid people could be, so he omitted touching the subject. He just took a sip.

"You can call me whatever you want. My name is Yogo Adoka. I am a priest and a preserver. Prior to this assignment I was the assistant of the keeper of the Temple of Amaterasu at the City of Stories. If you have heard about the guy, who went on coma while serving under Lord Yojiro, I am that guy." He introduced himself and removed his hood and mask to show the mess that his skull was.

"Your evaluation of my invitation was false. It wasn't a simple invitation. That was me providing a space, where we could all swim. Apparently t shouldn't have bothered." He explained without bothering to hide his disappointment.

"I suppose it will be a much slower process."

"Swimming is what we do when the ship is sinking, Yogo-san", Hikimasu said tiredly. "Is there something you know about the path ahead that requires careful planning to survive?"

He didn't wear his mask again or his hood. He had also been stripped from the way down. The fire made his various scars and henna tattoos look more frightsome than they were. Adoka was taught by Taiyou-sensei to use anything for a little edge. Some shadowplay always supplemented his theeatrics.

"Are you aware of the prophecies that forced the hand and a couple of other body parts of the Master of Secrets on the matter of his significant other?" He inquired.

"You probably don't by in any case a couple of or most respected elders have advised him on the subject in order for our clan to survive the incoming calamities. In short, until our beloved Emperor, long may he reign, has fully assumed the throne we are exposed to the other Clans, and our moves are scrutinized. I was transferred from my temple to this poor excuse of a camp to secure and observe someone and I assume that all four of us would have equally strange orders." He explained.

"Then again you think we ain't swimming in strange and unknown waters."

Hikimasu didn't need to tell the Yogo he wasn't born under a rock.

"Yes, we watch and we wait for orders", the Shosuro agreed. "You say you've been sent to watch someone, are you asking for help?"

"Not yet, but I would love to know whether it is offered and in exchange for what." He responded flatly.

"Sadly we ain't familiar as far as I know or can remember." He added as an explanation.

Hikimasu shrugged. "We don't know one another, we are both Scorpion though", he said thoughtfully. "If you need assistance you can call on me. As for what's in exchange." He looked into his cup for a moment. "I'll have a think about it, but I won't ask for anything outside of your ability."

Leaps of faith were for imbeciles. Adoka wanted to enlist the Shosuro but as he said, they were unfamiliar.

"In that case I need people to assist me in being within range attack distance of a certain Otasanuchi no Karen. My shinigami already observes her and I should be alerted early enough to interfere." He explained.

Oh, that one.

"Well, I see." Hikimasu thought maybe he should politely decline after all. Not that he was against surveillance or wasn't interested in why it could be important...but the woman seemed like a frustrating mark from all accounts. "Would I be looking for anything specific?"

"My orders are to observe and protect, without compromising myself." He responded.

"I intend to swim beneath her, thus the last bit should be considered a non issue for me.

"Should I reach out to your wife, or you will handle that?

"Including Kheree-san is not good operational security at this point", Hikimase said evenly. Though he really wasn't terribly against the idea for multiple reasons. "If it becomes necessary or I feel she could get close to the mark in a more natural way, I will speak to her."

"That is acceptable. Just bear in mind that unless she is involved that means that we should share her walking hours." He pointed out.

"It would allow us both more me time."