Animals & Bugs (D1, Late Evening)

[Soshi Taira]

"Oh. So those are the ones your clan rides into battle?"

He admired the beasts, and added, "I'm sure a charge of your warriors on the backs of such must be fearsome indeed."

[Otaku Kitakuhime]

"I hope you never get to watch it." She taps the horse's forehead and turns to him. "Thank you."

[Soshi Taira]

Taira considered that quietly, and then chuckled.

"I wouldn't mind watching it on display, I think. Perhaps from a distant hilltop."

With a faint shrug, he added, "Though if rumor is to be believed then watching we Scorpion at our 'arts' or Lion and Crab at theirs must also be equally impressive, yet undesirable to witness first hand."

[Otaku Kitakuhime]

She cocks her head back with a slight frown, trying to understand him. "Oh. Martial arts. I'm not familiar with yours, or theirs."

[Soshi Taira]

That drew a raised eyebrow. "Oh, so you haven't heard the rumors? I may as well warn you, if rumor is to be believed, my clan is best known for sneaking about at night, climbing castle walls and leaping through windows to stab the innocent bystander. You know how gossip gets."

[Otaku Kitakuhime]

Her eyes widens –– fixated at him –– and her hand slowly goes down to reach the obi.

"..."

[Soshi Taira]

Taira examined the movement, raising an eyebrow.

He said nothing, curious just what the woman had in mind.

[Otaku Kitakuhime]

She also raises an eyebrow. Her hand just stays there: not much of a threat, but definitely showing positioning.

"Are these rumors true?"

[Soshi Taira]

"Are the Unicorn uncultured barbarians?"

Taira quirked his head, expression bland. The question admittedly somewhat loaded, but the idea clearly stated under the surface.

How much stock to you give to rumors?

[Otaku Kitakuhime]

"Some individuals may be," She replies in all honesty, "Not the Clan."

[Soshi Taira]

"Exactly."

A faint sigh.

"If you listen to rumor, the Crab are culture-less thugs, the Lion warmongering bigots, and the Scorpion honor-less assassins. Yet here we all are, decent and courteous and trying to get along. I won't lie; there are many foul rumors, we have accepted the role of 'villain' but do not think us such. We would not be a part of this empire were we not loyal servants of the throne, samurai, with all of the duties and discipline that entails."

[Otaku Kitakuhime]

"We teach the ways of the Kami. We are also responsible for any offense." She adds up. "What do you do to correct these... wrong-doers?"

[Soshi Taira]

Taira chuckled. He gestured with one hand, toward the yurts that made up the camp.

"First... you need to understand slander and rumors. They are chosen carefully... to choose a suggestion that seems like it might... possibly be true."

Tucking his hands in his sleeves, he continued, calmly. "So we Scorpion who are not... nice... are an easy target for such rumors. We have made it our business to be sharp. To expose hypocrisy and corruption, to seek out the wicked and silence them. As a clan we sacrifice not just our lives, but our reputations, our glory, for the empire. We are not nice, but we are kind. It is a harsh kindness, but there are no friends more loyal, more reliable, than scorpion."

Glancing at the Otaku, he went on, "Therefore, when someone accuses us of assassins, they forget that we can far more easily assassinate their character by revealing the transgressions they have committed, rather than leaping from rooftops like monsters out of a children's fable. And in that, I admit, we are quite guilty. We often expose the wrongdoings of others to humble the foolish and the wicked, and in so doing play our role as villain. As for deadly acrobats in black? Should we ever find anyone like that, I assure you, we would execute them for murder."

[Otaku Kitakuhime]

Wait-- what-- bu-- that's a...

"I don't think I understand. Forgive me." She replies, visibly confused with his lengthy explanation.

[Soshi Taira]

Taira's expression turned pensive, and then he finally said, simply, "We are not stealthy murderer's who sneak through the night, Otaku-san. We are samurai, who do our duty."