Some time later that day, Lysandra, aka 'Lilac, the Flower of Sylvania' Dragomir has been relieved of her duties with a request she remain on the Tsuguri family grounds. She has chosen to spend her time in the gardens, puzzling over the unusual flora and fauna. Indeed, as Master Long Tooth arrives, she's hunched on one of the bridges peering down at the koi.

The elderly Kiriga Lilac saw from the Tsurugi dinner shuffles down the one of the garden footpaths, kinked tail trailing in the dust after him with only the white tuft on the end held up. His hands are clasped behind his back contemplatively, and a long pipe is clenched in his teeth, puffs of smoke issuing from the corners of his mouth. He looks for all intents and purposes like he's merely having a stroll, but he does seem to take note of the young human woman watching the fish slip about in the garden brooks, little flashes of vibrant orange.

The woman sniffs suddenly. Seconds later, her ears perk and swivel, locking on to the old man. She then sits back, turning her head to regard the Kiriga. "Oh, you were speaking with Lady Umeko earlier, at the party," the woman remarks in her accented Standard. Even her choice of words sounds foreign to the old master; who around these parts would call such an event a 'party?' She leans forward, sniffing. "Am I needed?"

The sniffing finds tickly scents of tobacco, a cloud wafting up from the Kiriga's nostrils, though politely aimed away. "Ah, no. Dinnah iss ovah. I juss walking offa food." If Lilac's Standard is accented, the old master's is mangled, but as thick as the accent is, it's mostly intelligible. "Jou playah foh Umeko? She cheeah up any?"

"Oh, I did, but I think she's still sad." The human woman stands up, brushing off her borrowed kimono and stretching out her odd bat wings. She offers the Kiriga a deep bow – it seems she only has one mode of bowing: deep – and then tucks her arms in her sleeves. "She told me to remain her, so here I am. I hope I'm not in anyone's way … " she glances around, then shakes her head, breathing, "Jadai! I can't believe I'm in Jadai," to herself, apparently.

The reptile quirks a brow, one long white wisp flipping up and wiggling. "Jou seem sooprise."

"Surprised?" Lilac asks, sounding surprised. "Oh, well, ah … you know a bard's life! Always filled with adventure! You never know where you'll turn up next." She smiles at the reptile, although it seems a little forced.

The old man scratches his throat, craggy face looking up as he reflects on more than a few unexpected trips. "Mm… dattah make sense. It happen to me too. Den where jou come from?"

"Ohhh, where didn't I?" She waggles her fingers at the elderly man, trying to look mystical. With a sweeping gesture, she waves towards the direction of the sea. "Why, I hail from Sylvania, only the most mysterious, adventurous forest land in all the world."

Long Tooth looks off in the direction Lilac indicates, as if expecting to see the northern shore. "Ah? I tink I been deh. Cold, place witta lot of clocks. I fight big man, clock keepah. Nice-ah fellow." He puffs on his pipe some more. "Had good wine."

"I think you're thinking of Chronotopia," Lilac insists, sounding a bit deflated. Frowning, she asks, "So are you one of the Lady's relatives? I have to confess, I have no idea what was going on at dinner."

The old man scratches his chin. "Hmmm. I not sure. Was north and cold." He shrugs, taking the pipe from his mouth to let out of gust of smoke. "I am Umeko-chan's teachah. I teach her to fight, to be strong." His whiskers droop slightly, and another plume of smoke issues forth, this with a sigh. "But she-ah in high born family. Make to marry this… this… " Tooth's nose wrinkles up. "… man. Pah. Dinnah was to present Umeko-chan."

"Dinnah was to … " The woman blinks. "Oh! Dinner was to. I got'cha. I'm still getting used to everyone's accent, here. I've only been in this city a few days." She puts a hand on her hip and shifts her weight to one leg. Behind her, her kimono flicks, as if something were batting it around. "I heard about the wedding, though. Lady Umeko told me. She seems pretty sad about that, but, I don't know; I don't want to say anything." Leaning forward, she asks quietly, "Was that him? The painted man? At least, i think it was a man. He had a deep voice."

Tooth's nose wrinkles again at the mention, but he nods gruffly. "Jes. Heah ahtist. Make painting and poem foh royal family. Nevah show it to anyone else. Umeko-chan issah too good foh him. She issah sad because she haffa no choice."

Still whispering, Lilac nods, and asks, "Is it really so hard for her to leave?" Eyes widening, she adds, "I've never met nobility before. I'm still not sure I'm not dreaming, except I woke up this morning, and that usually precludes dreaming. I mean, I've never seen that," she points at a koi, "or that," she points at a tree, "or all of this," she gestures to the grounds at large. "This is all new to me. But, of course, the unhappy bride is an old, old tale. I've told a few of those, in fact."

The old master sighs again, smokeless this time, which he begins remedying again with another long drag off his pipe. "Mm. Foh nobles, a dutiful daughter must marry into… how you say… high class. Bring family honah. It issa only way, or so dey tink. Iffa she leave, Tsurugi lose face, Lord Tsurugi very angry." He looks down into the koi pond, the breaks a small piece of sesame cake he saved, and flicks a piece into the stream, which boils briefly as the orangy fish excitedly go for the treat. "Jou come here explore? To see Jadai?"

"Um, well, of course I'm here to explore – to see the world! It's not like I woke up on a ship and just happened to come here from, say, a port near Abu Dabi or something so ridiculous as that," the woman insists, huffily. Suddenly, she starts walking around, hands tapping at her sides. "I just hate staying anywhere too long. I like to roam around, see the sights. A bard's life is adventure. I … " she begins walking around Long Tooth, circling him, " … I can't disappoint my family."

Tooth looks over his shoulder to follow the strange human's manic pacing, long flexible neck turning nearly 180 degrees. "Mm. Choo in… say how… "same boat". What jou family want?"

"Ohhh," the woman stretches her hands for the sky, as if basking in it, "they wanted me to stay home. Weave, they insisted. get married. Take care of the animals. Learn a trade. My town is boring. If those gypsies hadn't come along, I'd still be here. I took one look at them and knew I wanted to travel and entertain." She stops long enough to point at herself, "And here I am! Jadai! Home of … um, all this!" she waves to the grounds again. "AND I'm playing for a lady, who is caught in a tragic marriage! How more successful and dramatic is THAT?"

The old master squints at this curious creature. "Hhnnm. And now what jou do? Where jou go?"

"Umm." The woman stops dead in her tracks. Apparently, she hadn't thought that far. She reaches up and scratches at one of her long ears, tilting her head towards her scratching hand. "Well." Scratch, scratch. She shakes her head out and shrugs. "I'll remain here. If there's a wedding, maybe I can hire on. Jadai is looking better these days."

Tooth tips his head, long eyebrow flipping over his nose briefly. "Jou jussa say you not like stay one place."

"Um, well, not that long. I've only been here a day, and Jadai a few days. Plus, there's food here." The woman's emphasis on the word food makes it sound like a rare treasure. "Food and shekels! I can stay a while. You bet." She finishes another lap around the man, then leans against the bridge railing.

Well, appreciating how scarce food can be is something the old coot can relate to. He gives Lilac another appraising look, then nods, and begins resuming his stroll. "I haffa talk to Umeko. I sure we talka jou again, Missa Lilac. Jou might findah more good luck soon… "

"I can always use more good luck," Lilac insists. She smiles at the old man, then drops down on to her haunches and leans back against the rail. "If you need an entertainer, I'll be here. Have a nice night."

Tooth rasps, "I sure we will." It's under his breath that he mutters, in imperial, "Maybe not exactly for entertaining." With that, the old Kiriga hobbles off, trailing smoke on the air and tail in the dust.