Bayushi Satomi
Unwanted Betrothed
Scorpion Clan
Posts: 1,080| Likes: 322
Rings: Earth 4 * Fire: 5 *Air 3 * Water 1 * Void 3
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Post by Bayushi Satomi on Jun 13, 2014 19:55:46 GMT
You know… 'Speaking the truth' reverts against oneself most of times. The trial at Yasuki Yashiki made this predicament quite fresh in everyone's mind. What if he had a Scorpion ancestor? She shrugged. It's a crime in some circles…
Since I'm the Scorpion responsible for making sure that Shosuro Mai's death will be properly investigated, I'm expecting to receive updates and reports about the investigation's progress until this crime has been properly solved. Are you taking charge of this investigation, Tsuruchi Kasumi-san?
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Post by tsuruchi kasumi on Jun 14, 2014 10:31:43 GMT
"I've been put in charge, yes," Kasumi said, "I have a Kitsuki assistant who's doing whatever it is they do with their 'kitsuki method' and another who's gathering all the servants. I hope one of those will at least give us a starting point. But two of the same type of assassinations in such a short time is strange. Is it the same group or just someone who uses the same idea in the hope that the investigation would go in another direction, I'm not sure. But I'm going to try and get to the bottom of this."
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Bayushi Satomi
Unwanted Betrothed
Scorpion Clan
Posts: 1,080| Likes: 322
Rings: Earth 4 * Fire: 5 *Air 3 * Water 1 * Void 3
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Post by Bayushi Satomi on Jun 14, 2014 12:24:58 GMT
Uhn, the Kitsuki method… She thought how it would "reverberate", as Naseru-sama was now engaged to a Kitsuki woman, their wedding scheduled to take place during summer. Not sure that I understand it entirely, but I understand it has everything to become a trend in the next years… So we shall oblige.
Very well, Tsuruchi-san. We Scorpion are glad that you are the person in charge of this dire investigation, and we have faith you will do an even better job than you did at Yasuki Yashiki. However, I believe it goes further than merely questioning, and maybe not so quick to solve… The Imperials of course will press for a quick response... And our clan also wishes this brutal crime's perpetrator revealed as soon as possible... But the Tsuruchi are known by both their resolve and swiftness, right?
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Post by tsuruchi kasumi on Jun 14, 2014 19:14:31 GMT
"We try, Satomi-san," Kasumi said, wondering why the scorpion wanted her on the job. She had the feeling that Satomi had had some crash courses in how to be a Scorpion on the way here, as she was starting to sound more cryptic all the time. Not at all like the Kaiu she first met. "If you would excuse me, I'm going to question some servants," she said. There was nothing she could do here at the moment.
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Bayushi Satomi
Unwanted Betrothed
Scorpion Clan
Posts: 1,080| Likes: 322
Rings: Earth 4 * Fire: 5 *Air 3 * Water 1 * Void 3
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Post by Bayushi Satomi on Jun 15, 2014 17:04:08 GMT
She bowed to the Emerald Magistrate and allowed her to proceed with her investigation, wondering what she was going to do when she discovered that the last person visiting Lady Mai was her fiancé The Wolf.
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Post by tsuruchi kasumi on Jun 16, 2014 17:50:30 GMT
Kasumi walked back to the room where a couple of eta were just taking away the body, while some others were cleaning up the room. "Tsuruchi-sama," Kitsuki Katsuo said when he saw her enter, "I've some findings." She motioned for him to continue. "She was murdered," Katsuo said, "I've found marks on her wrists which have been made by a rope, a silk one actually. It's impossible to cut yourself when your hands are bound. I've also noticed that the victim had her left arm broken when she was young." "And the room," Kasumi asked, "anything there." "Some scratches at the window and what looked like a muddy footprint," Katsuo said, "The footprint is useless to identify someone, but those scratches have not been there for long."
She thanked him and sent him to check in the gardens if he could find more of those footprints. It was a long shot, but mud meant that the assassin had to have come through the gardens. She herself went to the spot where the servants were kept. "I'll take a room a bit further," she said to Kakita Mistuko, "I'll interrogate them one by one. Keep them from talking too much and listen to what they're talking about. I'll have some Seppun guards escort the servants to my office."
She requested a room which she was given and she had the Seppun bring the servants over one by one. She all asked them where they were last night and what they had seen in the room of Lady Mai. She quickly learned that her husband to be, Sezaru, had visited and while there had been a chaperonne for most of the meeting, they had been alone for about five minutes. They had heard Mai's voice when Sezaru had left, but they hadn't entered the room. Two servants thought they had heard something later, but according to them it turned out to be a cat. It was logical, but still it was a coincidence she could do without. At least they were all consistent, that was something although it didn't help much. Well, time to move on.
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Bayushi Satomi
Unwanted Betrothed
Scorpion Clan
Posts: 1,080| Likes: 322
Rings: Earth 4 * Fire: 5 *Air 3 * Water 1 * Void 3
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Post by Bayushi Satomi on Jun 17, 2014 12:15:06 GMT
Oh, that means the kemari match and seeing that gorgeous Moshi Kalani in action was a bad idea? The only good thing of this spring visit to Kyuden Seppun's Hanami? Also, Kyuden Seppun is quite small for holding a proper court. These events are bigger and bigger nowadays; besides it's overcrowded and please, tactically it's a bad to defend an Empress. Wasn't Otosan Uchi an enough lesson about maritime attacks?
Her thoughts wandered to entirely different things when Satomi left the Scorpion quarters, allowing the magistrates to have their work done without interruption. Meeting the Shogun by chance in the corridors of the castle made them both a bit embarrassed, however a bit later she got a message from Hida Kuon to talk about a matter of common interest; she obliged.
That's, of course, about Takai and Kuon's decision on legitimizing him as his son. The Shogun told her part of his conversation to Asako Chisato, but by the Thousand Fortunes, Kuon had no idea on what lengths that damned Asako daimyo would go to have his accursed book complete. They talked a bit, and Kuon showed his displeasure telling her quite bluntly that he had plans to have her as part of his staff, but Sunetra "devilishly" countered proposing Paneki's name instead, as he was a quite accomplished Imperial Legion Shireikan and served the Empire for years by now. "I'm fine" and "whatever my Champion wishes", she said, and both knew it was a lie.
Satomi was starting to get concerned, what in Jigoku Bayushi Sunetra is planning?
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Post by tsuruchi kasumi on Jun 18, 2014 9:58:35 GMT
As she didn't have many leads, the only thing Kasumi could do was to check those she had. With that in mind she went in search for Satomi, who seemed to be the Scorpion contact point for this issue. It took her some time but in the end she did find the new Scorpion woman. "Satomi-san," she said, "I have not much news, but we have found a footprint at an unlikely place. Also according to my colleague she was murdered, as her hands were bound and it's impossible to kill yourself that way. One little question, did the Lady Mai ever break something, like a leg for instance?"
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Bayushi Satomi
Unwanted Betrothed
Scorpion Clan
Posts: 1,080| Likes: 322
Rings: Earth 4 * Fire: 5 *Air 3 * Water 1 * Void 3
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Post by Bayushi Satomi on Jun 18, 2014 11:56:20 GMT
Satomi didn't hide her surprise, there was no use for it. So…Footprint… And a silk rope. Silk rope is a quite refined thing for a brute murder, I guess. Did you found it actually or the Kitsuki Magistrate has experience with tying people around with silk ropes o know just by looking some black bruises? Also… What sort of sorcery is it? How can he know that she could have been breaking a leg in the past? Satomi wasn't the only one completely astonished by the Kitsuki methods. Whatever the means your team got to come to such conclusions, I guess I can't affirm she has broken a leg, unless I find a way to check it up with her parents… and they're not around here right now.
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Post by tsuruchi kasumi on Jun 19, 2014 5:33:33 GMT
"I don't know about these things, but I assume it's because the broken bone wasn't set correctly," Kasumi said, "the talk with the servants didn't yield any results either. This one is harder than the one at Yasuki castle, but I haven't given up hope yet. I'm now going to see Sezaru-sama to see if he wants to answer a few questions. Do you know if he has been informed yet?"
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Bayushi Satomi
Unwanted Betrothed
Scorpion Clan
Posts: 1,080| Likes: 322
Rings: Earth 4 * Fire: 5 *Air 3 * Water 1 * Void 3
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Post by Bayushi Satomi on Jun 22, 2014 14:04:30 GMT
I believe so. Bayushi Paneki-san told them about this unfortunate happening. We can try and appoint a meeting to Sezaru-sama and listen what he has to say. Satomi was sure it wouldn't be the harder part, listening to the Wolf's testimony, but she commented, nevertheless.
I know many groups would gain with Lady Mai's death, and some indeed thought this match as improbable, to say the least. She was polemic as her books, but behind the appearances she was a very sweet and selfless person; and the Scorpion choose her carefully to match Sezaru-sama as the most suitable spouse to him, in every sense. However, Tsuruchi-san, Sezaru-sama was just as polite as necessary to his wife-to-be, if you know what I mean...
Of course, as polite as necessary was the norm, so mentioning it was just like saying "not even polite enough".
I won't be surprised if someone took his detached behavior as a clue that he was unsatisfied with the Imperial Nakodo's choice, and decided to "help the destiny"… Zealotry is not uncommon around Imperial personages...
Well, do you need my help to fix an appointment to Sezaru-sama?
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Post by tsuruchi kasumi on Jun 23, 2014 7:25:01 GMT
"I don't think that will be necessary at the moment, Satomi-san" Kasumi said, "but thank you for the offer." What magistrate would she be if she couldn't get a meeting with Sezaru without Scorpion assistance, especially now she was a direct assistant to the Emerald Champion. "If you would excuse me," she said, leaving Satomi. She left Kakita Mistuko to oversee the wrap-up of the investigations at the scene of the crime and she went to look for Sezaru, requesting a meeting with him to discuss the events. She made it clear to the karo that she was here to get his testimony and that he was in no way a suspect. She didn't add the 'yet' and even managed to conceal that fact.
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Bayushi Satomi
Unwanted Betrothed
Scorpion Clan
Posts: 1,080| Likes: 322
Rings: Earth 4 * Fire: 5 *Air 3 * Water 1 * Void 3
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Post by Bayushi Satomi on Jun 24, 2014 20:20:30 GMT
Satomi returned to her room, after Kasumi's departure. The whole situation reminded Satomi of her husband death at the last Winter Court, and how both Togashi Moeru and Moto Arandaru were essential to unveil the reasons of his assassination, contacting his ghostly soul and discovering it was much more than a simple political move.
She started writing in her journal, keeping track of the events and letting the specialists do their work. She put her theories in paper as well. A strategist must cover all possibilities...
She used to feel exposed when she was without her eyepatch, which was the same as saying she was feeling exposed since she adopted a Scorpion visage. But she felt a slightly shift in the ambiance's luminosity... For one half-blind as Satomi, any light percentage was important.
What the f...! Is it my imagination or there is someone in here with me?
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Post by tsuruchi kasumi on Jun 25, 2014 10:02:59 GMT
After some time, Kasumi was allowed in. She bowed deep, as this was a brother of the empress, and a full brother at that. "Thank you for seeing me on such short notice, sama," she said, "and my condolences with your loss. As you might know, I was the magistrate who investigated the attack on your brother and his bride in the Yasuki lands. And since the two cases seem rather similar, I was also appointed here as well. Although I know you are grieving for your fiancee, in order to find the killer as quickly as possible, I would like to have your testimony on what happened that evening."
While Satomi had said that they didn't exactly liked each other, or at least that he didn't like Mya, it would be impolite to even imply this and the case was difficult enough without her antagonising a potential witness. And Satomi could also be mistaken. Or misled.
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Bayushi Satomi
Unwanted Betrothed
Scorpion Clan
Posts: 1,080| Likes: 322
Rings: Earth 4 * Fire: 5 *Air 3 * Water 1 * Void 3
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Post by Bayushi Satomi on Jun 25, 2014 19:07:57 GMT
"Thank you for your kind words, Tsuruchi-san. I don't understand how the two cases can have similarities so far. Are you saying Shosuro Mai-san was assassinated? "The Wolf's face was inscrutable under his mask, though his voice was passionless. His retinue, impassible as statues, just observed. --- Now that's weird... Satomi stood up, decided to check it as any Crab would do. A bit of searching proofed she was right. Someone was spying at her through a well concealed passage behind a decorate panel_ well, not well hidden enough for a Kaiu engineer. Getting the nearest weapon available, the Bayushi woman went to explore the secret passage, aware she would have a hard time explaining her insolence to her hosts in the future, in the case it led her to a forbidden place within the castle. Few steps into the obscure and narrow passage, Satomi felt a sudden assault to her neck, and a subsequent shock crossing every cell of her body...
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