Akemi presented herself to the castle at the appointed time, wearing her usual suit.

She was mentally prepared for some hours-long scolding, like when grandpa was disappointed, but had no idea what the final punishment would be. Probably a bit more than cutting down her pocket money.

Well, when you spill sake, if you want to save your ledgers, it's better to sponge it than to rage over it as they say in the family. So damage control, ho!

Yul was there as well, in his formal uniform. It was a bit stiff, and he wore it a bit stiffly, but it nevertheless seemed appropriate for the situation.

Yul gave Akemi a brief bow, then settled in to await their fate.

A young and a slightly nervous servant would meet the two samurai at the castle, bobbing her head deep as she beckoned them to follow, fidgeting as the walked. The anxious servant would lead them through labyrinthine corridors that were result of the shiro having been expanded time after time, some parts of the corridors running along what once had been the outer walls. Eventually they would arrive at nondescript purple door, the servant knocking and pushing the door open, revealing a young-ish woman dressed in a prestine uniform, sitting behind a rather wonky wooden desk. Several densai and no fewer than two computers sat on the desk. Several posters, presumably portraying known fugitives hung on the walls white walls. Three pillows were set on the floor, one rather comfy with embroidery depicting the five elemental dragons and two worn pillows showing the logo of Asako BioPharma.

Yul bowed, natural grace warring with being somewhat unused to bowing. "Good afternoon, Phoenix-sama. Shinjo Yul, reporting as per magistrate's request." No doubt that was requested and required, but hopefully everyone was going to be polite about it.

"Please come in." The lord-magistrate beckoned the two samurai. "And take a seat." She seemed rather calm, all things considered. At least for the time being.

Yul bowed again, lower than before. "Magistrate-sama." He acknowledged.

He did as directed, still maintaining his fairly stiff formality, even if he was a little uncomfortable.

Akemi went through the standard exchanges of salutations and bowed in turn:

"Hide Akemi of the Crab, similarly here at your invitation. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

She then took a seat as instructed.

"Very well." the magistrate bobbed her head as she waited the two to sit down, her fingers hovering on the keyboard of her compute. Then she pressed a button. "Welcome, Shinjo Yul and Hida Akemi. The magistrate's office requests a testimony from you two." While she said 'requests' the word was pronounced more as 'requires'.

"Hida Eriko-san that you two accompanied her to the wreck of the Kiyonami and thus desecrated the grave of the Imperial Explorers... three days ago. Correct?" Kaori eyed the two samurai, expecting them both to speak.

Yul bowed low. "Correct, Magistrate-sama. I deeply regret my trespass, and any injury to your clan was the furthest thing from my mind." He spoke honestly, if stiffly.

Akemi also bowed:

"This is absolutely true and we have no excuse for that."

"Very well. Your testimony is this noted." Her fingers danced on the keyboard for a moment, the young woman frowning as she hammered the keys of her computer. Looking up, she turned her gaze to Akemi. "There were only three of you, correct?" Kaori asked, wrinkling her nose.




______
OOC: Hida Akemi and Shinjo Yul lose honor as if they had committed Blasphemous Breach of Eiquette.

OOC: Sincerity (Deceit) / Awareness to lie if you want to lie. If you have 'Can't Lie', well. I think you can figure out how that works.

Akemi remained prostrated:

"No. But I've promised to keep their names silent and I keep my promises."

Yul just glanced at Akemi, and then tilted his chin upwards, gaze straight ahead.

"Your testimony, Shinjo-san?" Kaori asked, sounding frustrated. "Shinjo-san does not need to make this hard. Hida-san has already admitted that there were others present. Now I would want names." Her fingers drummed the table.

Yul cleared his throat. "Magistrate-sama, it was an issue of honor that lead us into the ship, and an issue of honor that now seals our lips. I will hold nothing else out, but I beg you, please don't put us in in a position where we are forced to compromise our honor further."

Akemi kept prostrated:

"It's not like Agasha-sama, in all her wisdom, didn't know the answer to that counting question already. By now her platoon must have purged the place of its zombies' infection, and found traces of our passage. Her soldiers have already counted our footprints up to our true number."

"I have no actually heard from my men yet." She huffed. "But they only just left. So." Kaori looked markedly at the Hida. "Now, as outrageous as Kuni-san's tale was, well. We took precautions. However those precautions took some time." Militant shugenja did not grow on fungal stalks and while the city had a small cadre of battle-priests, the men and women had insisted on sanctifying everything, including the ATV's and the weapons. "However, that is besides point. What matters here is your transgression. Redeem yourself. Give me the names and show you have an inch of honor in you."

"These people put their very honor on the line to help a Crab restore her own family honor. They did not falter when faced with the living dead. They stood side by side with the Crab in a fight that was not their own. They agreed to let us report the matter to Agasha-sama because it was the right thing to done, even though their crime could maybe not ever have been discovered had we elected to keep quiet.

They trusted us, and I intend to honor that trust. You won't get their names from me."

"Very well. Shinjo Yul-san. Are you as obstinate as Hida-san here?" Kaoru asked the Unicorn ace, her tone cold as ice.

Yul clenched his fists, nails digging into his palms. "I accept the responsibility for my actions. For the others, coming forward or not is an issue of their honor. But I would be compromising mine if I broke my word."

Yul bowed his head. "I accept what punishment you give, and hope that I can redeem my honor to the Phoenix. But I can't bring others into punishment, even if it would lessen mine."