True to her word, Shinko readies the sake in a warmer, setting out a pair of cups. Kasumi had been visibly...off. Shinko had taken a liking to the girl and...was this what having a friend her age was like. She leaves the door askew in preparation.

Why the fuck am I even here?

Because she wasn't mad at Shinko.

But she was pretty sure she wouldn't be terribly good company for the Togashi, and hesitated for a moment before scratching at the door.

"Hey there. Come in" Shinko slides the door open. "I have drinks Sumi-chan. How about you take a load off?"

Taura had followed Kasumi after the feast, it had taken the Crab more time to negotiate leaving than the Mantis. Taura never quite managed to catch up with Kasumi before she headed into the Dragon Clan's quarters.

She paused and watched as Kasumi was invited into one of the rooms. Interrupting would be rude but would she even get another chance to find out what was going on with Kasumi.

Taura waffled about what to do. She did not know any of the Dragons . . .

Kasumi, with a Mantis talent for Sneaky Shit, had noticed her tail, and hadn't thought to mind. She simply announced the Kaiu's presence aloud.

"Oi, Shinko-san, I brought a guest, might wanna find a third cup somewhere..."

Another guest? Taura looked around. The look on Kasumi's face clued her in that it was her. She carefully approached. "Ano, this one did not mean to intrude . . . but she had questions . . ."

"Don't we all."

Taura nods and bows to the Dragon. "Thank you for hosting this one. This one is Kaiu Taura. It is an honor to meet one of the Dragon Clan."

"Oh. Um. Sure." Shinko is a tad surprised, but moved around the room. The third cup is from a tea set, and doesn't match, but it holds the sake well enough.

"So, 'Sumi-chan...you've been carrying a weight today. Do you want to let it drop?"

"Dunno that I do. Some crap's best not dumped on those as don't have it coming."

Shinko is not the most subtle of people. But, among her skills, was to provoke people.

"Oh? Then who deserve it?"

"Give ya two guesses, an' th'first two don't count. Our gracious hosts're more subtle than I'm used ta, but even a thickheaded goshi figures it out after a bit."

Taura frowns, gently tilting her cup back and forth. "This one does not understand. What have the Crane done to offend you, Yukikaze no Kasumi-san?"

"Oh, nothin' too overt."

She knocked her cup back, emptying it.

"Just made sure t'invite a Mantis they can humiliate, since they're too weak t'handle the rest of th'Clan."

Taura takes a sip and then looks into her cup. "Why would they do such a thing?" He tone is not one of doubt but of a desire to understand. "This one has been focused entire on her tasks here so she has not been paying as much attention to what has been happing to others. For this, she apologizes."

"Why?"

Because we've been merrily looting and pillaging their coastline.

"Whaddya know 'bout Crane-Mantis relations, Kaiu-san?"

Shinko chimes in. "Well if what they say in sake houses is true, you kick their asses on the wages and do a damn good enough job in covering it that the masters of the court can't prove a thing"

Shinko sips her cup. "But I had not seen them go out of their way to slight you Sumi-chan, and the event was run by a bunch of Clans. What happened?"

"This one knows . . . very little about interclan relations that do not involve the Crab Clan," Taura says, and little enough about those. "It seems a lack this one should rectify."

"We been handin' them plenty of humil'ation. Anyhow."

Another drink.

"So. They invite me down. So I c'n ramble on like a deckhand an' fail at half'a what's set before me."

"They were not easy tasks," said Taura. "This one is surprised she did as well as she did and never once was she close to gaining a shard of Topaz."