Samurai House: Catching up on time lost.

Midori let out a sigh of annoyance, the third that night, as she rolled from her left to her right in her bed. She couldn't sleep yet again, catching maybe a hour or two at most since she came back to the samurai house, and sadly it was showing on the woman. She had begun to develop bags under her eyes, something she didn't care for, but nothing she had the power to stop. Rather then waking those around her, Midori simply rolled out of bed, and after dressing left the room, opting to wander in her waking hours before her duty time then lay in the bed and stare.

Eyes to the floor as she passed those Samurai that walked past her, she seemed to give those that passed her a wide berth so as not to come into conflict. Shoves and prods had become the norm for her since she had returned, her sisters options to pick on her and alienate her then welcome her back. She had no idea why as no one had told her or really spoken to her much at all. Even those she shared her assignment with opted to ignore her then even acknowledge her. She had known isolation the last time she walked the hallways of the samurai house, but not the veiled hostility she received now.

Leaving the hallways for the gardens she simply wandered, making sure as to not tresspass anywhere and before long, her feet brought her to a small garden within the ground, memorials no larger then half a foot tall dotting the ground to honor the passing of samurai. It took her a while to find it, but eventually Midori squatted down in front of the memorial dedicated to Chisou. She had known the woman only for a short time, but had been there when she had been disgraced, and though she had been in conflict with Kotori, had died honorably in the line of service. Thinking to her past, another marker caught her eye, the name something that was pulled from the second set of memories she had recieved.

She squatted down now in front of the memorial for Sumaru, knowing who he was though saddened she had never met him in person. He had been so eager and willing, and yet to see him here in the memorial garden, it was a little upsetting. It was there she would remain, trying to remember who he was, and more importantly she would try to remember everything else, mulling over the memories to recover just who she was. Should any Samurai pass, they would see the white haired woman staring off into the past.

Midori didn't hear the Samurai approach until she was just over her shoulder.

Kei had trained in the ways of eihei-no-insen, despite electing to become fukei instead. She knew how to sneak up on people, even when she was not invisible.

"He was Ketusuri Sora-hime's yojimbo," the tall Neko said, resting her hands on her weapons. She wore her full regalia, as hadn't yet been to bed. "He committed suicide."

"I tra-... The second me trained him, we sponsored him to Ketusuri Yui, giving our acknowledgement that he would up hold the ideals of our house."

She hadn't seen Kei coming up, but she hadn't jumped either. She knew of stealth sentinels within the Samurai order, knew what they were capable of. Looking over her shoulder now, she watched Kei as she asked her question.

"Why did he do it? What drove him to commit suicide?" She stood after she asked, turning part way of Kei. She was dressed in her own uniform. Knowing she would not be going back to her room and opting to be ready for her shift.

"He failed in his duty," Kei said. She kept her hands where they were. "The hime-sama was fatally wounded."

"And so he took his life... I remember he was a bit emotional. Or at least what I can see from my memories. It seems I failed him as well, did not have enough time to train him." Midori shook her head as she used the secondary memories she had gained to look and see just what sort of training had happened. Sadly there had not been enough time before they had left for the UOC, and she realized that must have been her mistake.

"You were the one who spoke to me at the gate the first time, right?" Midori questioned as she turned fully to Kei now, her wrist draping over her sword in a old familiar position that to her seemed like something from a past life.

Kei nodded. "Kôsuka-sensei thought it was good training for me, to learn to talk to people in uncomfortable situations. I am new to it."

She regarded Midori for a second, pupils widening. "How have I done so far?"

Midori let the ghost of a smile begin to turn the corners of her mouth up, slightly. She gave Kei a small nod before she spoke.

"You did well. Just the right amount of care and indifference in your voice. could tell that you knew to remain impartial, while still understanding my pain. I am glad a sister such as you came to greet me." She looked past Kei to where the barracks were, eyes searching the distance.

"I wish others were more understanding. They push me away as they did before, yet this time I know not why. I did not leave, I was weak and sought to fight it. I returned when I would not be a disgrace to the house. But they ignore and abuse me..."

Her gaze returned to Kei now, eyes searching her face.

"What have I missed?"

"Betrayal," Kei said, and sat down next to Midori. She took her time explaining the schism between Nadeko Ebi and her followers, and the clan, the attack on Ketsurui Kotori and Sora, and what the possible next moves were for the clan.

Those moves were few. Tsuya was cautious, as Midori had figured out all too well on her own. Little direction was coming from the clan mistress, who was attending to the problems of Empire. Kotori had plans, but Kei was not party to them.

"You see why they are cold," Kei said. "They are snake-bitten."

Midori listened to the story, eyes growing wide with shock as she heard what had happened. Her teacher had betrayed the Samurai and the very empire, no wonder her sisters were wary. Frowning a little she spoke up, her voice hardly hiding the disgust.

"That woman has been nothing but cruel, but I never thought her possible of that." Unconsciously Midori touched the scars on her cheeks, presents from Ebi. Her eyes hardened a little.

"I want to help, I want to track her and her students, her followers down, and I want to help kill her." Midori had been assigned as aEihei since her return and had been itching to work as more, but at the same time understood the need to work her way up.

"What can I do to help... I will do anything."