Tetsu is waiting in his room, trying to listen to voices and sounds in the hallway. He has been trying to get a quiet moment with Isawa Sora the last few days, but the time never seemed to arrive. Tetsu wants a word.

Sometime later a young Phoenix returned, carrying a scroll satchel on his shoulder. Seeing the Crab, he bobbed his head, though said little. The man was not a shugenja and was so beneath his notion.

"May I help you Phoenix-san?"

"No, I am fine." Sora peered at the man. "Crab-san. It's my room." he pulled out the keycard from his sleeve, slowly moving it before Tetsu's eyes as if he couldn't read.

"It's our room Isawa-san. Come on, I'll help you." Tetsu helps with his own key card. "Can I get you something to drink as a nightcap? I have some sochu packed away."

"Oh, I think I am fine." Sora waved his hand. "And that would be Isawa-san, Crab-san." he added, frowning. "It has been a long day."

Tetsu pauses as Sora repeats his own title. He seems piss drunk, which support's Tetsu's job just fine. He turns on his holorecorder, hoping to capture what happens."I did want to check on you. You had talked about a plan a few days ago, and now there's a rumor going around that you pissed off a horde of the women on the miai. What happened?"

"Me?" the young Phoenix looked at Tetsu, incredulous. "Nothing. I mean, I have my plans still." he tapped the side of his nose. "Slowly working on them, that's all." Looking at the Crab, Sora frowned even as he took a step back. "Kaiu-san would should not believe such baseless rumors. People say all sorts of things." A faint smell of incense clung to the priest.

"Oh, I would take all rumors with a grain of salt..which is why I'd would be worried if I were you. It means that greater attention is going to be paid to how you play the game." Tetsu pauses. "Speaking of which, this plan of yours."

Tetsu sits down, pulling out a bottle of sochu and pouring a cup for himself and one for Sora, in spite the latter's insistence that he doesn't need one.

"I heard a rumor that the target of your affections has, let's say, run into trouble in the arms of another man. In the family way." Tetsu holds out a hand. "Now, if that's part of the game, you're playing with fire friend."

"Pfft. I trust the people know better. It's me they are talking about." Sora jabbed his thumb into his chest. "Now, Kaiu-san might not know it, but I graduated among the top three of my class. My name was on the both honor rolls." he added. "People surely know better and well, if they don't." he shrugged. "Their loss. I don't care about people, there's only one person on my mind."

Sora politely refused the drink, waving his hand as if to dismiss the whole idea. "That? I think I told Kaiu-san what I think about such rumors. I met her few days ago. I am pretty sure she'd have told me if she had someone. And she didn't." he snapped his fingers, the sound resembling that of a go stone hitting a board. "Did Kaiu-san want to talk about something besides baseless rumors?"

Tetsu does his best not to grit his teeth and appear as genial as possible.

"What I'm saying Sora-san, is that if this isn't part of your game, someone is trying to trap you. Think about it: You finally meet the target of your affections. Immediately, there is a rumor that she is "off the board" and at the same time baseless rumors are spread about you. I am trying to watch out for you, and it seems like you might have pissed someone off. Maybe that Spider or one of the Cranes."

"Trap me? What does Kaiu-san mean? Idle rumors are idle rumors. If all the rumors were true, I'd have been bedding all of my teachers, including Isawa Naoki-sensei and he is ninety-six." Sora chuckled. "A man of culture does not pay heed to such things. We are not Scorpion, are we?"

"But this is their realm, isn't it? We might not believe it, but who knows whose thoughts they can poison?"

Tetsu sighs. "I would feel a lot better if I knew what your plan was, so I know you have everything under control"

"Kaiu-san please, we are on Asakaze, not on World of Dreams." Sora sighed. "People talk. All the time." He turned his palm upwards. "I am not really sure what Kaiu-san is suggesting. And my plan, is none of Kaiu-san's business."

Tetsu sighs, downing the rest of his drink. "Fair enough. Don't say that I wasn't watching your back."

"I've got friends a plenty, don't worry about me, Kaiu-san." Sora smirked. "I've got more friends than you can imagine." Relaxing, the young priest fiddled with his sleeve. "There's quite a few of Crabs here, all things considered. I am sure that the governor is impressed with your dedication."

"We're one shorter than we used to be" Tetsu replies dourly, the memory of Koryn's funeral fresh in his mind.

"Right, that." Sora nodded solemnly. "Horrible accident. I will read a prayer for your kinsman tomorrow." he even seemed to mean what he said.

"I'm sure it couldn't hurt. Like my suggestions." Tetsu tries to offer a smile

"Kaiu-san is awfully certain about things." Sora mused, tilting his head to the side. "Is Kaiu-san perhaps a courtier?" he glanced at the swords the man presumably wore.