Kyang knotted her brow up at Torako's change of tone and her head went back a bit. She raised a hand slightly. "Alright, alright, no need to get too lady-like. Not with me, Torako-dono."

At that point, Kyang wouldn't have minded if the topic wasn't pursued. Even she could see the subtext in Torako's reaction. This guy across from them, however, added one last detail. Two little words. Upon hearing those two little words, a click sounded in Kyang's thoughts that heralded her tensing up and entering a complete, wide-eyed paralysis. A wanted poster flashed across her mind's eye, depicting a sketched portrait, a sword, and a very dangerous list of deeds. Kyang turned her head slowly so that it was at the minimum angle to spy Torako's face and sword without angling her head down. [i]Oh...[/i]

Everything else flew by Kyang's active consciousness without note; the boy's presumptuous comment about Torako's monetary situation, the arrival of her meal, the smell of the venison across the table. What snapped her out of it was a question directed at both herself and...well it was the Tiger Lily now.

Kyang's head jerked suddenly to address the boy. Remembering herself, she grinned widely. "Who, me? I'm just looking for work, I'm good with writing and language. Er, actually..." Kyang leaned her head forward, "Would you know where to find the headman, or the abbot, or the mayor, or someone who might have work in that area? Oh, and I'm Kyang, by the way. I didn't catch your name?"

Kyang tried not to glance at Torako or show any sign of suspicion. If she could get the information she needed, she could leave with no provocation, as quickly as she could. She probably would not see Torako ever again. It would be a shame to leave this soup behind, though. It smelled delicious and it had that little stringy fungus that Kyang liked.

Still, there was some clarity in Kyang's mind that questioned whether this well dressed, slightly ditzy human sink hole was who she said she was. She didn't look like a cold-blooded killer or a master swordswoman. She just seemed too friendly. If anything, the one everyone was shouting about - challenging the temple's masters - fit that bill much better.