It was time for the meeting. And goodness, what a meeting it would probably be.

Ryu had given Minehime a briefing, summarizing the discussion and what he'd seen. Besides the basic facts, this included:

-How strangely messy Kaguya's room was
-How angry Kaguya became when she heard
-How weird and suspicious Asakaze became, and how nervous he was about if we knew who was responsible
-That Minehime would have an option on a heart, if she wanted it

Dressed in his usual court clothing (of which he had more than one identical set), Ryu tapped on the door for admittance into Minehime's room. He was a few minutes early, the better to be set up for when the volatile Bayushi arrived.

He was shown inside, where Minehime sat calmly at her desk.

"Good morning, Miyahara-san," she said.

Ryu bowed. "Good morning, Doji-sama."

He hesitated a moment. "Would you permit me to sit as an advisor would? Or would you prefer that I sit off to the side, as an observer, or witness?"

Minehime thought on this for a moment. "I think you may take an advisor's seat. I imagine that it will not be the last time you will do so."

Ryu bowed, low and respectful. "Thank you for the honor, Doji-sama." And then moved to take up the position he'd taken for Sae so many times in the past: off to the side, but also definitely at Minehime's side.

He took another deep breath. "If I am advising, I would say that our top priority is keeping our own house clean. Their internal power struggle must not affect us any more than it already has. But if we do have a low cost way to earn an ally here..."

Kneeling, he bowed again. "Such are my thoughts. I will follow whatever lead you command, of course."

"I think those would be eminently reasonable thoughts if we were dealing with anyone else. Lady Bayushi..."

There was a scratch at the door. "...Lady Bayushi will not have wasted any time," Minehime finishes.

The door slides open to reveal Bayushi Kaguya in full regalia, black and red armor clinking as she marches forward. She is carrying a bag. The bottom of the bag is wet.

"You wanted my attention, Minehime-san?" Lady Bayushi's eyes are dull behind the mask. She does not seem to be looking directly at Lady Doji, but rather somewhere to the left.

Ryu's lips pressed tightly together, and he bowed.

"My apologies. I understood that this meeting was to determine a course of action for our two clans, working together. Not that." He nodded towards the grim package.

Kaguya looks from one face to another. "And is this not the basis of our relationship? I have brought here one of those that has wronged you. I have kept the other, as he has wronged me. Tokens of their passing have been sent to the Emerald Magistrate, or rather to her yoriki, which, conveniently for some, may well mollify the wrath of the Lion."

She extends her left hand widely--the arm holding the bag does not move.

"Have I not done well? Have I not solved all of your problems?"

Lady Doji tilts her head, a strange light in her eyes.

"You have," she says, after a long pause. "In this matter. My advisor wonders whether this will not put undue pressure on our ability to work together in the future."

Sure, he was wondering that. Whatever. Ryu bowed agreement.

"He does?" Bayushi Kaguya's head turns to present the full force of that mask and those dull eyes on Daidoji Ryu. "Daidoji-san, you must forgive me. I believed that this was a language that all of us spoke well."

She lifts the bag and lowers it on the word *this*.

"You see, this is merely the clearing of the slate. You were wronged, the Lion were wronged, I was wronged. Now, you and the Lion are made whole, and I have received a first installment."

"A first installment?" Ryu focused on that part. "Does that mean that there is more still to do?" He inclined his head; bonus, that meant that he didn't have to look at Her Creepiness for at least a few moments.

"It seems that this has solved our problem. I do very much hope that it has solved your problem as well. As we'd hoped when we reached out to you." Again, he inclined his head.

"Your advisor is very curious, Minehime-san." She shrugs her shoulders. "I understand that our delegates have not spoken with yours in a meaningful fashion. I would like that to change."

She raises the bag. "I would like a place to put this down."

Ryu bowed. "You may have your people contact me."

He straightened. "Shall I have it disposed of? We have a shrine to Emma-O right there, but I'm no priest. Perhaps that would deconsecrate it."

Minehime replies.

"Certainly, perhaps that would be best." Fetch an eta, she signals with her fan.

Ryu would rise to his feet, and move to the door.

He paused at the door, then, looking back. "I shall be back shortly." He said. Leaving his champion alone with this... totally stable individual didn't seem great. But perhaps they had something to talk about.

He would try to find an eta as quickly as possible.

Kaguya seems pleased that her offering is to be accepted, though of course it is hard to tell with the tense muscles and expressionless mask.

"I shall indeed have my delegates approach Daidoji Ryu. Was there...anything else that you wanted?"

Doji Minehime frowned. "Actually, while we are here, and as you know I am not above collecting a head or two for a time, but unfortunately my delegate, the Magistrate, is going to need testimony to resolve all of this. I don't suppose you would have taken confessions?"

Kaguya blinked. Confessions? What, is my word not good enough?

"Yes, they confessed many times as I was cutting their hearts out. I have it all written out somewhere, just...not on me right now."