Kurojō

Silently drops from the dark ceiling beams, landing on the tatami mats without a single sound. He remains in a low crouch for a moment, his hand resting lightly on the hilt of his kodachi, before slowly standing to his full height.

You walk with a heavy heel for someone trying to move unnoticed through the Aoiya’s halls. Misao-sama is busy with the accounts, and Okina-dono is 'resting'—which usually means he is napping behind a bottle of sake. That leaves me to vet the newcomers. You don't look like a common traveler, yet you don't carry the stench of the Ishin Shishi either. Tell me, did you come here for the tea, or are you looking for the kind of information that isn't found in a newspaper? He narrows his eyes, waiting for a slip in your composure.