Out of the Frying Pan...

[Corria Firegrass]

Tariq sighed, he wasn't really bothered that he'd offended Seiki but he was getting rather irritated with the man's tightness. He realised that this wasn't the situation to be cracking jokes in but he'd rather be able to get a response from the man that wasn't dictated by a sense of protocol, he couldn't shake the feeling that he could have been anyone else, said anything else and done anything else and he would have gotten the exact same reaction from the heir to the Adachi clan. What to think of Takuya he did not yet know, he hoped the apple fell decently far from the tree.

"I suppose I should tell you the whole truth." Tariq said "I'm originally from Essyrn, though until a year ago I spent most of my time on the ocean, going between my home nation, Connaloth, Serenity and a few smaller nations as a privateer. I was contacted with a job about transporting some gold across from Adela about a year ago, and as soon as I got into Ketra I was apprehended on account of having transported stolen goods. I was put in prison and after a year and three months I escaped. Given the fact that I was a prison escapee and a fugative I thought that running as far away from the town was the best idea. That was until I got into the sakura trees, and was attacked. Which is, I suppose where we end up now" Tariq spoke with a flow and an elegance that was characteristic of his home's best storytellers.

He turned to Seiki, and then back to Takuya "I am well aware that I've offended your son, he thinks me unrefined, and likely believes I'm unable to take things seriously. Truly I can't say I'm too fond of him either, but I owe him my life and for that I am eternally grateful"

[Anadwen]

Takuya smiled lightly at his words. "It appears that you have been, judging by your words, imprisoned unjustly. I, however, cannot judge that. You will have to be escorted back into Ketra, but I will make sure it will happen with maximum security, and your offence towards the state will be judged again. That much I can guarantee you." he explained, and straightened his back.

"As for intruding, the usual sequence is 3 days and nights in a cell. It will not be different in your case. Here Seiki will take you to your cell. And I apologize for my son, as he is offended quite easily and does not take humor and jokes lightly." Takuya appeared to be a more relaxed person than his son, but he was still an aristocrat with a sense of justice.

Seiki arose from his place, and nodded. "Very well."  The spell was lifted from Tariq, and he gestured to him to stand up. Takuya looked up once more. "Anything else either of you would have to say to me?"

[Corria Firegrass]

Tariq shook his head, there were many things he wanted to say but nothing he could really find the words to convey. On the one hand he was grateful for a slightly friendlier face and more relaxed attitute, one he certainly hadn't been expecting from Seiki's father. But the idea of being escorted back into town only to be unjustly imprisoned when Takuya himself seemed to believe that he hadn't deserved it seemed slightly hypocritical. Regardness, he didn't expect the big cheese would really acknowledge that.

He gave a slight bow to the man opposite him, relishing the ability to move his body "Out of one prison, into another" he muttered under his breath.

[Anadwen]

Seiki gave his father another deep bow, and took great care in escorting Tariq out silently and swiftly.

"Our residence's cells are different from the town prison. For once, they aren't filthy." he informed him on the way to the further wing, which had a few cells to keep people, who have committed an offence, in. They were all spacious and clean, with a single small square on the wall to let the air enter through, and a chair in the middle.

Seiki didn't handle Tariq brutishly or roughly when he led him inside. Everything was done with his natural elegance, even the motion of his hands as he locked the iron bars, forming one whole wall - to avoid creating a blind spot where a prisoner couldn't be seen. In all else, the cells were no different from any other room in the house.

"Three days and three nights. You will be given new clothes and food soon. The next time I will see you will be on the day of your escorting." he informed him before he left, and turned on his heel, walking away.

[Corria Firegrass]

Tariq sighed, he could sense distaste in every single one of Seiki's movements, he wished someone a little more agreable could have saved his life. Perhaps Takuya, who honestly seemed to have no issue with his prisoner despite the intrusion.

Tariq paused and cursed under his breath, this had been the second time he'd been imprisoned for a crime he hadn't been aware he was committing, he wondered if some invisible force was just guiding him from trouple to trouble. It was ridiculous. And in three days he would be escorted back to prison to be tried by another hack judge. To hell with this.

Of course there was another, much more pressing power, Tariq's spiritual power was dormant, he didn't know how it happened, he could sense power and he didn't feel entirely lacking spiritually, but he couldn't have accessed any more than three or four percent of his spiritual power if he couldn't even see spirits, this was awful. How was he going to captain his ship if he couldn't awaken his spiritual power? How could he summon Bahamut to his side? It was an issue that desperately needed addressing.

After sitting down on the chair in the cell Tariq's thoughts went to his crew, had he really gotten so close, yet never been able to reach them at all? What a tragic thought. He couldn't bear the distance, he missed them like hell.

Tariq lost track of time as he stared at the ceiling, wistful, and lonely.

[Anadwen]

A figure, carrying a small white pack, and a tray with food, appeared by the door of the cell. It was no one else than Shinobu. She walked so silently that from the chair, turned away from the door, she would be completely unnoticeable.

The door of the cell screeched a little as she opened it, and put both the folded white robe, and the food - consisting of a glass of water, a bowl of rice, and bread - down. "Food and clothes. I'd advise you to eat." she informed Tariq silently, and locked the door again. Surprisingly, she didn't walk away yet, and watched the prisoner with interest in her dark eyes. They were similar to her brother's, but instead of a midnight blue, they has a deep violet color.

[Corria Firegrass]

Tariq was brought out of his deep thought with a jolt as the door screeched open. He stood up from the chair and turned to the woman, smiling at her "Was your brother that opposed to attending to me? I must have done a fantastic job at ticking him off"

He sat on the floor, cross legged in front of the tray and looked up at the slight female, into her eyes. They were a rather beautiful colour, he studied the girl for a few seconds "I see... Thank you for bringing me this"

[Anadwen]

"That's alright. And Seiki doesn't serve prisoners on any occasion. He's too valuable for that..." she scoffed. "He's the second best warrior in the whole clan. He has other duties. He didn't look particularly angry when I saw him last... But he never does."

She kept standing, motionless and stern, and watched over Tariq. He was quite attractive... But nothing more. If one was to ask her, he wasn't serious enough. Too carried away with emotions.

[Corria Firegrass]

"You're the middle child, aren't you? You have that air about you." Tariq smiled at the girl "As for your brother, it's all in the eyebrows, he's got very descriptive eyebrows, they betray his whole face, and he does not like me."

He surveyed the girl again, she was pretty, slightly taller than the average female, small mouth, eyebrows without much of a curve, slightly less harsh than her brothers. Still, like her brother there was something unnaturally graceful about them, it was interesting. "I can't quite tell, but your house is a conflicted place"

[Anadwen]

"I am, indeed, the middle child, though I'm the oldest daughter." Shinobu agreed, giving him a slight nod. "And what you say about my brother is true. However, you must have really unsettled him to get even the slightest reaction."

At his last remark, she raised a brow. "What makes you think so?"

[Corria Firegrass]

"I'm not entirely sure, your house has an incredibly powerful prescence but it seems... Weighed down I suppose, heavy. With sadness or loss or something like that." He shrugged, perhaps he was being presumptuous.

Still, he thought back to Seiki, the way he walked, the way he talked, it seemed so... Unnatural of the man "Your brother walks like he's holding himself down"

[Anadwen]

"It's been twelve years. I agree with you considering Seiki..." Shinobu let out a heavy sigh, and squatted down by the bars.

"He's always been cold. But not this much." she mused silently. Since Kanami has died - and he almost, too - Seiki became even more subdued and calm.

[Corria Firegrass]

Tariq raised an eyebrow "Twelve years?" he studied Shinobu's face as she went down to his level, she seemed far more human than her brother, more willing to open up emotionally and spiritually.

"If you don't wanna speak about it you're under no obligation. I'm just a prisoner after all" Still he gave Shinobu a slight smile. As always, the genuine smile on Tariq's face brightened his face considerably.

[Anadwen]

She replied his smile, but it was only a weak, subdued version of it. "You had the bad luck to be caught by him. Others would have let you go, but Seiki is obsessed by law and justice." she explained. The truth was, he blamed Kanami's death on himself, and that was most likely the cause.

"I don't think I have the right to speak of it." she replied, concerning what happened back then, and shook her head.

[Corria Firegrass]

At the sight of Shinobu's smile, and how heavy it seems, Tariq reached a hand through the bars and rested it gently on her shoulder "If you don't have the right to speak of it then you don't have to, whatever it, I apologise for how it's affected your family"

He shook his head at the idea of it being bad luck to be caught by Seiki "I had the good luck to be saved by him"

[Anadwen]

Shinobu frowned a little when his hand touched her, and she softly, but firmly put it back. Physical contact like this was dishonorable... Her brother would see it as an insult. She wasn't as stern, but it still made her a little upset. "No touching. It is not seen as polite among us." she informed him, her voice taking a growling undertone for a moment.

But after all, he couldn't know it... She calmed down again. "Yes, maybe you were lucky. He's an expert fighter. Faster than the wind."

An expert fighter, but a horrible person.

[Corria Firegrass]

"It's not seen as polite?" Tariq shrugged "If you say so, I suppose that's a difference in culture. I apologise" Still, he felt slightly put down at the rejection of what was supposed to be a comforting gesture.

"I suppose you're used to talking about your brother as a fighter" Tariq said, with the unspoken implication that Shinobu seemed uncomfortable with talking about her elder brother as a person.

[Anadwen]

"It's the only way one can say something about him." she replied, looking away from him. "He's a warrior. A great captain, at that. He was the second youngest person to ever receive a Zanpakuto. And he is the fastest person I have ever seen."

The fact that he was a cold man that never loved even his own sister, and hardly ever looked at her, was another thing.

[Corria Firegrass]

"...And despite being a perfect warrior, you find him a thoroughly awful person" Tariq finished off Shinobu's unspoken thoughts. It wasn't that Shinobu was an open book, he could simply tell from her refusal to even talk about him as a person as opposed to some kind of fighting machine.

[Anadwen]

Shinobu stared at him for a moment in surprise. "That is... I never said so. I honor my brother and would never say something like that about him!" she burst out, standing up rapidly.

"He was ready to give his life for the safety of me and my sister. Don't speak about him like that, or about me!" Even her usually calm voice was bubbling with rage. What did this man think he was? To accuse her of such things!