[D1, LE] What a day, what a place (Open)

[Daidoji Kenzo]

"So what do you think of the island so far? The beach is beautiful if you haven't checked it out yet."

[Shiba Yukari]

"Oh, I was just there with Miya Akari-sama! It's really quite lovely- and the Salamander Cove is a fascinating place, too. Have you been there?"

[Daidoji Kenzo]

"No have not, not yet. I spoke with Akari-sama this morning and she mentioned among other things that some people here have tried eating the salamanders and I think that threw me off the idea of visiting right away. I may see it tomorrow, she has offered to show me a place where I can dive for clams and pearls so it may be near there. Would you like to join us there, do you like to swim?"

[Shiba Yukari]

"I, ah... wouldn't mind joining you, but I've had little experience with swimming."

And her mind was trying to hash out what one wore to go pearl-diving.

[Daidoji Kenzo]

Kenzo got slightly serious now, but only slightly.

"Well we are on an island swimming is an important skill to be confident in. While I would not presume to teach you I would be happy to help you strengthen your skills. It could save your life or that of another."

[Shiba Yukari]

"Well, I mean... unless I have other duties, I can't see a problem there..."

[Daidoji Kenzo]

"Most certainly, duty before all. I hope we can find the time but I'm certain it's something Miya-sama and Moto-sama would approve of, if nothing else it's good exercise which I sorely need right now."

[Shiba Yukari]

"Oh? I do suppose you wouldn't have had much space to practice aboard the ship..."

[Daidoji Kenzo]

"No not at all and I was on the mend just before coming here so I feel a bit...soft right now."

[Shiba Yukari]

"On the mend? That sounds... How bad was it?"

[Daidoji Kenzo]

He gestured to the eyepatch he was wearing. "I was very lucky to off as lightly as I did, it doesn't even look very bad." He lifted the eyepatch and aside from a very faint scare it just looked like he was winking. After a moment he lowered the eyepatch. "If I could manage to keep the eye closed all the time it wouldn't need to wear this thing but sometimes I open it reflexively. Plus I was told it looks dashing." His smile returned.

[Shiba Yukari]

"Well, it has a certain piratical charm, but I'm sorry to hear you've lost the use of your other eye..."

[Daidoji Kenzo]

"I thank you but considering the other option was death I'm pretty happy with things. I mean sure having both eyes would be great right about now but I don't have room to complain because it was entirely my fault."

[Shiba Yukari]

She blinked.

"Your fault? That sort of thing happen often, then?"

She was trying to piece together how losing an eye could be one's own fault.

[Daidoji Kenzo]

He looked slightly embarrassed. "The short version of the story is that I fell into a trap someone laid for me. Which is particularly embarrassing considering traps are part of my job. I will spare you the detail, it isn't a very nice story." He was clearly hiding a lot but his explanation seemed truthful.

[Shiba Yukari]

"Traps? Like, for animals?"

Yukari's knowledge of warfare was pretty well nonexistent. Her knowledge of the shadier aspects of it? Genuinely nonexistent.

[Daidoji Kenzo]

"Are you sure this is a story you want to hear, it isn't nice and honestly makes me look rather bad but I will tell it without reservation."

[Shiba Yukari]

"Only if you want to tell it. Otherwise we can go back to talking about art. Or puppets. Or swimming. Or something else entirely."

[Daidoji Kenzo]

"No it is all right, I just hope you don't view me too harshly. It involves the Lion, I was stationed in northern Crane lands near the Lion border. The Lion are the greatest military power in the empire outside the Imperial Legions, they also hate us. The only reason the Lion haven't destroyed the Crane a hundred times over is because we make it too costly for them. To Doji do it in the courts, the Kakita do it with duels and we among the Daidoji do it with our tactics. My duty to the clan often involves manipulating the terr..."

he paused, seemingly unwilling to use flowery language.

"I create traps and impediments to slow Matsu formations, making it harder for them to advance into our lands. These trap are very deadly and some times, when my superiors think the Lion are up to something they will send me into their patrol areas and their drilling fields to set traps to disrupt their routine. One of these traps took the life of someone very important to someone very important and they became very upset. I can't say for certain but I think they brought in a specialist to deal with me and they baited me into an ambush. They took me captive but I escaped, violently. During the chase that followed the specialist fired an arrow at me."

he leaned back and rubbed the back of his head.

"If I hadn't turned to check on my pursuers the arrow would have killed me, instead it took my eye and I escaped into a river that took me to safety. The Lion, of course, were very mad but since I wasn't handed over to the Matsu it must have been settled. I should say, I'm not proud of what I do but I take pride in doing my duty. This is, unfortunately, what I am good at."

[Shiba Yukari]

"That's... a lot to take in."

And she understood almost none of it.

"But I'm glad you weren't killed."

And sorry that someone else had been.