Doji Shizue smiled fondly, as her gaze found the small figure seated at the foot of the stairs. Moving with a quiet grace she crept up behind the young bushi and silently knelt behind him. She was still a step or two above the youth, so she found herself bending low to reach the level of his ear.
"Is something the matter, Toku-sama?" she whispered, merely inches from his ear.
The young samurai let loose a shout of such intensity Shizue found herself flung back sprawling upon the stairs, and leapt to his feet. Whirling around, his right hand half drew his blade from its saya. The look of shock on Toku's face was too much and Shizue lifted a delicate hand in a vain attempt to muffle the laughter that came bubbling forth.
For a brief moment Toku merely stood, staring at the young Crane in incomprehension. Finally, the young samurai sighed and rolled his eyes, a rueful grin gracing his youthful features, as he resheathed his sword. For another moment he stood watching the young Doji's giggling fit subside, before taking a seat besides her, bumping her playfully for some room.
Shizue grinned at the youth as she leaned against the railing of the stairs, but a curious frown replaced her smile as she noted Toku's dour complexion. Lightly kicking the youth's heel, with her slippered foot, the young Doji asked, "What's the matter, Toku-sama? Does the weight of command hang so heavy upon your head?"
Toku managed a weak smile, and rolled his eyes as he shook his head, "I did ask you not to call me that, didn't I Shizue-san?"
Shizue's features took on a look of such intense innocence it could only belong on a six year old, or a clown, "Why, whatever do you mean Toku-sama?"
"Shizue!" The youth growled, bumping his shoulder against hers, "Don't call me Toku-sama. It's cool when the bushi, or some stuck up Cra..." Toku glanced at Shizue's arched eyebrow and waiting expression before continuing with a grin, "...er, Ikoma, stuck up Ikoma calls me that, but it always makes me feel weird when you say it."
Shizue traded her look of mock innocence for one of mock seriousness, "The Captain of the Imperial Guard should be referred to in terms of proper respect," she intoned.
Toku sighed and shook his head in resignation. He knew short of shouting for the Guard to throw her into the stockades, or beating her to death with his sword, that there would be no way to get the Doji to stop teasing him. And in truth, having a beautiful Crane tease him wasn't so difficult a trial.
With a sigh the young samurai removed his helm and ran a hand over his hair. Shizue narrowed her eyes, knowing full well Toku's nervous habits, "What's wrong, Toku," asked the young woman, all teasing gone from her voice, "You look tired."
Toku managed another weak grin and a shrug, "I only wish, Shizue-san, that everyone could treat me with the same amount of respect that you do. Most of the older samurai treat me as a joke. They all think my post is a symbolic one, just a gift from Toturi-sama to one of his loyal errand boys. Even that blasted Togashi keeps referring to me as the 'Exalted Water-boy of the Imperial Guard'."
Shizue knew that many thought Toku too young for his position, but she also knew that he had well earned his place. Shaking her head, Shizue decided to steer the conversation away from the missing Emperor Toturi and the lack of respect Toku received from the other samurai. Latching onto one of the first things she could think of she asked, "Togashi? You mean Togashi Koan?"
Toku grimaced at the name, "Yeah, Togashi Koan, that ratling chatterer."
Shizue grinned, she knew that Koan could be an onerous old man at the best of times and more than trying most of the time. But she, herself, had a soft spot for the old fool. He had been a wandering ise zumi once upon a time, though he'd been old when she was just a girl, and every once in awhile he'd stop by Shiro no Doji and spend an afternoon, or two, telling stories to the wide eyed adopted daughter of the Crane Clan daimyo, Doji Satsume.
Shizue chuckled and jabbed Toku with an elbow, "Don't take anything Koan says too seriously, Toku. He doesn't mean most of it, his mind is just... um, elsewhere."
Toku only snorted in agreement. Shizue grinned, then straightened in sudden recollection, "Hey, Toku, I saw your friend, Yasuki Garou, slinking around. I think he was even headed towards Koan's room."
Toku winced and his eyes searched the corridors wildly, "Garou, huh? Did he, um, did he say anything to you?"
Shizue shrugged, "No, actually. He bumped into me while he was sneaking around a corner. He just paused and stared at me for a second, grabbed his arm gibbering some kind of warning about his 'magical tattoo' and ran down the hall. Do you know anything about that?"
Toku sighed and shook his head, "Who knows anything about Garou. He's about as crazy as Koan. You said he was heading towards the tattooed man's room? I thought the two hated each other? What could they have to talk about."
Shizue laughed, her hand once again rising to try and stifle the sound. The look of incomprehension on Toku's face had her shaking her head and gasping for breath. When she had finally managed to regain control of her breathing she was leaning against the rails, holding on for dear life.
"You've never heard those two exchanging stories?" she asked.
"Yasuki Garou and Togashi Koan? They exchange stories?" Toku asked surprised.
"Absolutely," Shizue grinned, "They really don't like each other, each is always claiming that the other is as crazy as a ronin on a blind horse," Shizue failed to notice Toku's wince, "but they're the only people they can get to listen to their stories. So they spend half the day telling each other these incredible tales and then they spend the other half calling each other liars. It's hilarious!"
Toku shook his head in confusion, "I don't know Shizue, if I wanted to hear the ravings of a madman I could always go listen to Isawa Norikazu."
Shizue shook her head, "I don't think you get it, Toku. They maybe insane, the both of them, but they really can tell a good story," the young Doji grinned, a thought forming, she wriggled into a comfortable position on the stairs and studied Toku intently, "I spoke to Koan just a few days ago," she said, "Talking to him about recent events- The disappearance of Toturi-sama, the exile of the Scorpions and the looming threat of war. I expected him to scream something fanciful about 'kolats' and 'bloodspeakers', instead he told me the tale of the Silken Championship."
Toku only blinked, "Bloodspeakers and kumquats? What?"
Shizue sighed, rolling her eyes, "Sit back Toku, it's a really good story and you look like you could use some cheering up."