* HKenji leads Patrick out into the garden, which is actually somewhat 
sparse, almost zen-like.
* Patrick observes the zenitude. Nifty and zentastic.
* Alcinoe is in the garden, but some distance away. She's looking up at 
the moon. Perhaps she is growing her zen.
* HKenji walks over to a large pond with one of those adorable water-
clock setups.
<Robin> [ The water clock goes *toonk*, right on time. ]
* Patrick walks along with Kenji. You can feel the zen.
<HKenji> Is there something I should know about your excursion this 
afternoon, Patrick?
* Alcinoe looks over at hearing Kenji's voice. She walks thataway.
<Patrick> Mmmm...  I could go into specifics, but the long and short of 
it was Tia inadvertantly offended a samurai and Istvan, in trying to 
defende her, did something *really* stupid that Takara had to lie to 
cover up.  Unless Tia really is the daughter of an earth dragon.
<Patrick> (Which I doubt)
<HKenji> It must have been particularly stupid.  Takara is visibly 
shaken, and by all accounts, she is a skilled courtier.
<Alcinoe> What's goin' on?
<Alcinoe> (That's me!  Stealthy!)
<HKenji> Istvan did something stupid, apparently.  This is hardly 
surprising.
* Alcinoe nods. She looks at Patrick.
<Patrick> Hardly, but the extend of the stupidity is...  Well, ya 
remember the pick he has?  Titan's Pick?
<HKenji> Yes.
<Patrick> It can control the earth.  And I think he used it to swallow 
whole an offending Samurai...  Now, mind, I don't have proof, but 
that's the only thing around that could do it.  And Takara had to 
confront him to get the Samurai out of the ground before he suffocated.
* Alcinoe stares at Patrick.
<Patrick> Normally I'd let petty things slide, but this was just stupid 
of him.
<Alcinoe> Why'd he do that?
<HKenji> ...
<Alcinoe> Ah mean, what'd the samurai *do*?
<Patrick> Tried to chastise our group, said Tia needed 'training', and 
quite frankly was rude as all hell.
<Patrick> Doesn't excuse trying to kill the man, though.
<Alcinoe> So... he... *what*?
<Patrick> Basically had the ground swallow the samurai whole.
* Alcinoe looks back towards the building, takes a deep breath, and 
asks, "Ya sure he wasn't gonna let the guy out?"
* HKenji slowly, carefully moves between Alci and the door back into 
the castle.
<Patrick> I'm not sure.  He lied about the pick's powers to Takara, 
though.
<HKenji> No he didn't.
<HKenji> He thought he lied about the pick's powers.  Istvan couldn't 
tell a competent lie to save his soul.  Takara saw right through it.
<Patrick> Okay, he *tried* to lie.
<HKenji> Where is the pick right now?
* Alcinoe fingers the hilt of her sword, but she goes back to watching 
Kenji and Patrick talk.
<Patrick> He's still got it.  I didn't see it fit to cause a huge 
comotion in the middle of the town.
<Alcinoe> You probably wouldn'ta anyway.
* Alcinoe says that matter of factly.
* Patrick shrugs. "The thought really didn't cross my mind, no."
<HKenji> There were witnesses?
<Patrick> Yes.  The Pick's powers weren't obvious in their origin, 
though.
* HKenji gestures through the door to a nearby servant and sends him in 
search of Takara.
* Alcinoe takes another deep breath and lets it out. She's clearly 
tense.
* HKenji says teasingly, "You know, this would be easier if we could 
simply torture a confession out of him, Alcinoe."
* Alcinoe *eyes* Kenji, then... sticks her tongue out at him. "Yer such 
an asshole sometimes."
* Patrick smirks.
<HKenji> Instead, we will handle this calmly and rationally.  We will 
have to take the route through the armory, however.
<HKenji> I need a new daisho.
<Patrick> Was wondering when you'd get a new set of weapons.
<HKenji> I was waiting until I had time to go into the storage 
chambers.
<HKenji> But in an emergency, whatever we have in the armory will do.
* Alcinoe nods.
* HKenji turns as Takara walks in. <Ah, glad you could join us, Takara-
san.>
* Takara appears in the doorway to the garden. She nods to the servant 
who led her there, who bows and hurries off to perform other duties.
* Takara smiles at Kenji and bows to him, then walks over to the lot of 
you. "<Kenji-san. A lovely night, but I doubt that's why I'm here.>"
<HKenji> <Of course not.  Tell us about the incident in town today, 
please?>
* Takara glances at Patrick, then fixes her eyes on Kenji again.
* Patrick smiles at Takara.
<Robin> ( May the ^_^ be with you. )
<Takara> <It was a mess of incredible proportions, to which I partially 
attribute gaijin customs and partially Istvan-san's apparent 
tendencies.>
<HKenji> <Please, just the facts, Takara-san.>
* Takara lets out a heavy sigh. "<I assume you've already heard this 
from Patrick-san.>"
<HKenji> <Yes.>
* Takara nods. "<I will, then, confirm what he no doubt told you.>"
<Takara> <We were leaving a tavern to get Istvan-san's shield.  Tia-san 
ran into a samurai - a Matsu - and then helped him to his feet.  He did 
not react well.>
* HKenji waits.
<Takara> <I told the gaijin to apologize, but they did not quite 
understand what I meant.  That failing is mine, I suppose, so it was 
that I would apologize myself to save them further disgrace.  The Matsu 
was... less than kind, and Tia-san quite upset, as is her way.>
<Takara> <And then the ground opened and the man disappeared.  
Seamlessly.>
* Takara shudders slightly. "<Something in Istvan-san's voice made me 
think... I turned to the gaijin, asking them what they did. Though 
Istvan-san's words did not indicate such, it was clear, to me, that he 
was the culprit.>"
<Takara> <I went along with his lie and convinced Istvan-san to bring 
the Matsu back by offering a way to solve the situation.>
<HKenji> <Commendable.>
<HKenji> I think that is all we need to hear for now, yes, Alcinoe?
<Alcinoe> Ah think so.
<HKenji> <Please come with us, Takara-san.  Patrick, Alcinoe.  A short 
moment's stop in the armory and we will be ready.>
* Takara looks away, but at Kenji and Alci's words, she turns back to 
them and says, "<Wait. One more thing about the gaijin.>"
* HKenji blinks.
<HKenji> <Yes?>
<Takara> <Istvan-san, he->
<Takara> <The most chilling thing about it is that he whistled 
afterwards.  He was pleased by what he did.  I don't know if this is 
because he was pleased by what he did, or if he did not realize the 
extent of the trouble he caused, but... I doubt it was because of the 
shield.>
* HKenji looks at Alcinoe.
* HKenji looks... troubled by that.
* Alcinoe stares at Takara for a long moment, then turns towards the 
building. She's gone from fingering her sword to being ready to draw 
it.
<HKenji> <Let's go.>
* HKenji heads back into the castle.
* Alcinoe nods and walks right back. Takara does, too, and in the same 
pose!