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Tepet Hinata	"I'll be out of the office!" A collective groan seems to roll through the Office of the Upright Magistrate, Threshold Region, Great Forks Division. They hear that phrase typically at least twice a day - once if they're lucky - and at this point, many don't even look up to see the exit as Hinata, the Magistrate in question, abandons her post yet again. She's out the door, out the city gates, and off on an adventure before any clerk can even file the necessary paperwork to designate an Acting Magistrate on her behalf. On her part, Hinata never feels better than the moment she walks out of those doors without a speck of responsibility on her shoulders. No: she's out to sniff up trouble, and for once, trouble seems to have found her. Rumors float through parties, drift through smoky opium dens, and alight on the pillows of lovers about the unrest in the area. Normally, it wouldn't concern her, but with an Immaculate shrine involved, not only MUST she involve herself, she thinks the whole thing might be great fun. After all, who better to deal with this? And so it is that she finds herself approaching the shrine, hopping off her horse not too far down the road from the area and leaving it to graze as she approaches, badge of office worn as a sash across her robes.
Maheka Youko	It's a curious sight- usually so close to Great Forks, an immaculate shrine would be fairly roundly ignored by the majority. But as word spreads of conflict in the Realm and the possibility of a loosening hold, a few of the rowdier (and drunker) members of the local communities have banded together. There's a fair gaggle of them, chaotic and disordered, clamouring around the shrine. Already there are marks from things being thrown, chips and cracks from strikes to the simple-but-sturdy carven image of the dragons in unison. Well this simply won't do. There seems to be one or two counter-protestors, and one additional figure that seems to be keeping the crowd at bay. She's obvious for what she is with the leaves in her hair and the like- which perhaps explains her current stance. She holds her staff in two hands, pushing back and forth with a pair of the ringleaders of sorts, who seem to be demanding she get out of the way with her little walking stick- though a more sober eye might note the thing has seen more... robust usage in the past. The wood aspect, for her part, doesn't look frightened so much as... thin on patience in this moment as she attempts to speak and is consistently spoken over.
Tepet Hinata	Tepet Hinata approaches the crowd from the rear, drifting across the ground as a jellyfish might drift above the sea-floor, untouched by petty concerns of whatever lies beneath. She slips her hands into her sleeves as she walks, affecting a non-threatening posture. Nonetheless, she gets the sense that she should be exuding authority, here, and as she reaches the rear of the crowd, she takes it in for just a moment, eyes drifting across the persons present, then clears her throat... then clears it a second time, when she doesn't get anyone's attention the first time. She chooses to make this one a good bit more serious - a wind carrying the scent of the sea blows through the air as she begins to speak, even as the blueing of her skin deepens, and the dew on the plants in the area seems to grow thicker, denser, and the plants seem like they've just endured a heavy rain. It is with the thundrous power of a storm that she demands, "Would one of you like to tell me what's going on here?"
Maheka Youko	It's likely well-timed that Hinata acts when she does- as she glided about the crowd, the front of the crowd graduated from petty pushing to one of the leaders being held back with the butt of the staff being pressed to a pressure point in his shoulder- perhaps a familiar one, to an immaculate-trained martial artist. The other dragonblood seems about out of patience- until the louder shout booms out. The crowd as a whole freezes, and slowly begins to turn around to see the source. The tone, overall, shifting abruptly from riotous to cowed. Finally, one closer to Hinata that catches her eye feels compelled enough to speak anyways. "We, well. Had some monks pass through trying to stop how we do things. Didn't think it was too welcome. Maybe, ah... maybe got a little into it." A definite sheepish tone.
Tepet Hinata	Tepet Hinata doesn't remove her hands from her sleeves - she doesn't need to, for something as simple as this. She frowns, a sight that has broken the heart of a thousand hopefuls, and declares, "Even the faithless should know better than to accost a Prince of the Earth," casting a quick glance at Youko as she does. The perceptive members of the crowd might follow her glance as she admonishes them further. "I should have each and every one of you arrested," she growls, the unused jito hanging from her side suddenly seeming a lot more prominent, "But I'm feeling generous, this time. Who led this merry band out here? Step forward, or be pushed forward by your peers." She doesn't seem as though she's going to back down from that sort of declaration: her hands leave her sleeves, now planted on her hips in a defiant, angry stance.
Maheka Youko	In that moment of glancing, the robed Wood Aspect- not a Dynast, by the looks of her- can be caught smirking despite herself. There may or may not follow a nudge from her staff to get the two directly accosting her to step through the crowd. They're not hard to puzzle out- a passingly handsome pair, a woman and man, who get a certain sort of familiar attention as they make their way forth. Their gait adds a fairly clear note of being in their cups There aren't any words from the pair- though despite appearing thoroughly defeated, there's a certain something in how they draw themselves up after walking, heads intentionally high, that suggests mixed feelings.
Tepet Hinata	Tepet Hinata looks over the two who've presented themselves as leaders, and although a part of her cries out to just take the whole crowd back into town for a rousing night of drinks and shenanigans, she can't just abandon her job now that she's being watched by a peer. She seems to mull over the facts for a moment, eyes taking in the damages to the shrine, then shakes her head, slipping her arms up to cross her chest. "This is a first offense, and I'm feeling generous. You'll collectively pay for a craftsman to fix the shrine..." She trails off for a moment, looking to Youko, then adds, "... and find the craftsman for me. Send them here within the day, and I'll consider the debt paid. No need for any further paperwork or processing..." Now, her lips curl up into a winning smile, a sparkle in her eye as she adds, "Right, friends?"
Maheka Youko	The words seem to send a veritable ripple of relief flowing across the crowd- and there are a variety of murmurs and mumbles as people find excuses to leave -now-. Among them are the ringleaders, quick to scamper. Not many want to get too involved with the scary dragonblood. Which gives an opportunity for the other Prince to weave and wind her way through the dispersing crowd. She's fairly average, in many ways, aspect markings aside. Much more calmness now that the situation is defused. "Many thanks, my new friend. I'm afraid my skills for... crowd management do not end nearly so tidily."
Tepet Hinata	Tepet Hinata casts a glance at the fleeing crowd, calling out, "Before day's end!" as a reminder, before turning to address Youko. She offers a small bow at the waist, nothing over-done, but a polite enough greeting among peers. Her hands slip back into her sleeves, clasping one another as they hide within the layers of fabric, and she smiles. "I'm surprised you haven't a gaggle of soldiers to deal with crowds like this. I'm reading you right, aren't I?" She stifles a giggle at her guess, though she suspects she's not far off, even as she glances down the road, as though expecting her demands to already be met. "Better that they walk away without any throbbing heads, this time," she muses, eyeing Youko's staff. "Tepet Hinata, newly-appointed Magistrate and Ambassador from Her Most Harmonious Scarlet Empire," she offers, clearly expecting a return.
Maheka Youko	A smile from the woodblood, and she mirrors the bow. One hand remains at her side, the other holding her staff upright. She straightens fully- indeed in the manner of a soldier or martial artist. "Maheka Youko, Shonai of the Lookshyan Field Forces, on foreign posting overseeing a nearby holding until planning is complete for its handling. I handle medical affairs more than battling ones- but I owed an old mentor a favour."
First Socket of the Heavenly Garden	It seems the crowd or at least some collection of the crowd had taken the threat very seriously. It has hardly even been enough time for someone to walk back to Great Forks, certainly not enough time considering just how deep in their cups the ringleaders were, when there is someone coming to the temple presumably to effect repairs. Almost always busy with some sort of project or another, she had been working on fixing a cart when she had suddenly been accosted in the road. The smallish girl from the SouthEast had responded first in some strange language, then in decidedly oddly accented Riverspeak to the drunks who when she said she worked on lots of buildings before was suddenly presented with a bag with a little collection of sixteenths of a dinar inside, and then she found herself almost being shoved out towards this building that is apparently about to collapse and is in desperate need of repairs at this very moment or someone is apparently going to have their head chopped off? Socket is very confused about exactly what it is they were trying to tell her. And so it is that she finds herself approaching the shrine, hopping off her horse not too far down the road from the area, leaving it near the other horse which was grazing. It of course stops entirely motionless instead of grazing itself, but the smallish girl in somewhat oversized attire that has clearly seen a great deal of use along the road and working on things approaches, rather surprised to see a building that doesn't look too terribly damaged at all.
Tepet Hinata	Tepet Hinata tilts her head to the side in curiousity, asking, "Shonai?" before tapping her lower lip in thought, trying to recall some little snippet of information. "Ah... like a scalelord?" she asks, not quite hitting the mark. Nonetheless, she doesn't seem to balk at the different locales, and keeps a big smile on her face. "A pleasure to meet you, Shonai Youko, if I might be so bold. Hinata will be fine," she adds almost as an afterthought, as her attention is drawn to the new arrival. It takes her a moment to realize, of course, that the -thing- now standing next to her own horse is not, in fact, a horse. Her brow furrows in consternation, but things must be taken in a certain order, or chaos reigns. And so she introduces herself again, skipping the bow this time, feeling no need to greet a peasant with so grandiose an act. "You must be the craftsman I ordered - your punctuality becomes you."
Maheka Youko	A nod of the head from the Lookshyan, and she smiles faintly. "Shonai is a title for lead officers in field specialist roles. I act as a medical officer in field engagements. Only occasionally do I step onto the front lines, truth be told. So no soldiers- I direct the triage. And a pleasure to meet you, Hinata." She shrugs it off for the moment. She has a slight frown as well as she watches what the newcomer is up to, head tilted. "Quite the arrival to make, I must say," she notes, curiousity in her voice. "I must admit some interest in the intention- a stone relief is a strange thing to mend without our more earthen cousins on hand."
First Socket of the Heavenly Garden	The girl is tilting her head a bit as she looks at the structure and seems confused as though she arrived at the wrong place, then she is greeted by Tepet, as she pauses for a few moments there, then responds, "Yes... hello. I am. Sorry, I had thought there was some danger of collapse. It seemed very urgent." she seems very much confused, "But, yes, I can fix things." she adds in a confused tone, wondering if she wandered into some weird game. Are they going to be asking her to refill the fluids of something that clearly doesn't have them? She realizes she has no idea what the names are for most things back home are in riverspeak. Or forestspeech. Or flametongue.
Tepet Hinata	Tepet Hinata claps her hands together, leaving the oddness to the wayside, for now - after all, a good craftsman should be at least a little eccentric! Right? She turns to gesture at the shrine, suffering only mild disrepair and unpleasant appearance, though left to rot it would surely not last long in the elements. By now, her anima is dimming a bit, no longer an oppressive force on her surroundings, and no longer outlining her quite so starkly in blue. "Yes, well, they were supposed to pay you in advance to fix their mistakes. As you can see, they've damaged an important shrine," she mentions, gesturing again to the shrine. "Oh, do you speak Riverspeak well?" She switches things up, flowing smoothly into Low Realm. "Is this better? Are you from a satrapy, perhaps?"
Maheka Youko	The swap to Low Realm does seem to throw Youko for a moment- she never bothered to learn, to be frank. She nods, gesturing to the shrine a moment. "Apologies. The crowd was somewhat... worried, my new friend here made quite the impression upon them that may have caused them to exaggerate. Apologies for any misrepresentation that resulted." She steps back then for a moment, turning and looking over the final damage for a longish moment as the conversation turns apart from her understanding.
First Socket of the Heavenly Garden	The shift in language sertainly catches her by surprise. She looks curiously at Hinata as she shifts languages, and then seems excited for a moment as she speaks, at first seeming as though she follows, but she responds energetically still in riverspeak, "I don't know that one! What do you call it? Will you teach me? ... Later. Sorry, this is not my first tongue, but I don't think it was really that I couldn't understand the words they said." Socket then replies "They did pay me... something." She holds up the small purse that had been foisted upon her, "Though they didn't even properly explain what it was that they wanted repaired or the state it is in... and they were perhaps not in much of a state to properly explain." She looks over to Youko, as she adds on there, and then looks down at the sword, "Oh! That makes some sense. I see... the danger was to them, a threat, not a collapse." She laughs slightly.
Tepet Hinata	Tepet Hinata looks Socket over with a critical eye, sizing the woman up like one might size up a snack tray at an otherwise-boring party, and she seems to make a decision based on that, off-handedly offering, "I suppose I could offer lessons in civilized languages," before she lays a gentle hand on Socket's upper back, sort-of-guiding the woman to the shrine. "Do you work with stone, much? The dragon reliefs are the damage I'm most worried about - cracks like that... need to be fixed before the freezes, lest they get even worse. I'll pay you what those vandals couldn't, if you require more," she reassures, before stepping away to watch the woman carefully, checking for reactions and tics.
Maheka Youko	"Not even a full threat, really," says Youko, turning back. "Just some work to cow the rowdy crowd such that the situation did not spill out to violence. I much prefer it this way." She bows her head to the other pair for a longish moment, then tilts it as she looks up again. "In short, due to... religious differences, they defaced and damaged a small holy site. The idea was that they would tend to the repairs in one fashion or another by way of reparations."
First Socket of the Heavenly Garden	Socket is certainly somewhat nervous about what may be going on here, it certainly not feeling entirely right, though she is happy to move closer to the shrine in order to closer examine what had happened, rather than just focusing on the conversation, as she's guided over, looking over the things with Hinata, stopping and seeming to almost lean back not minding the soft touch certainly, not stepping away to investigate closer. She examines, commenting "I have worked with stone. But more as a building material, rather than in... art. Cracks in it are... troublesome to repair." She bites her lip for a second, then points elsewhere along the relief, "Though I can probably manage at least the sort of repair that was done there." Walking closer, and still more as she points, the oversized garment with its large sleeves rather fails at some of what it had been doing of hiding away her left hand, which looks a bit more like her horse than the dark skin of her left. It takes her a second to realize and pull her arm back down and up slightly into the sleeve. She looks back to Youko, "Ohh. I see. That makes some sense. Mmm, yes. Yes, I think I can fix things here."
Tepet Hinata	Tepet Hinata clasps her hands behind her back, circling Socket as the woman does her checks and looks. She has shifted demeanors, from the friendly woman-in-need to an investigator: too many things, now, have piqued her interest. Craftsmen tend to be esoteric and erratic but this, she decides, is a step too far. "You've an interesting means of travel", she posits, gesturing dismissively to the statue that currently has her own horse more than a little bit uncomfortable. She circles back to stand near Youko, hoping the other Dragon-Blooded woman will take her cues as she asks, "I haven't seen anything quite like it - where did you find it?"
Maheka Youko	As Hinata settles into place Youko nods slightly, acknowledging. She sets her jaw to the side ever so slightly. "Pardon my saying but it is a curious countenance overall. One cannot help but be curious. Even being of the Seventh Legion, I'm little familiar with those sorts of things that might be usable by mortalkind. A fortunate parentage, perhaps?"
First Socket of the Heavenly Garden	This is certainly not a turn of events and twist of social cues that Socket is particularly pleased about. Apparently now they're not even interested in her fixing things! After she'd hurried all the way out here, too! Socket takes a small step back, as she isn't quite certain how to respond to... well, any of it. "Um... thank you. Yes. I'm sorry, it had seemed urgent to be out here." She pauses, "It... was abandoned, broken, and needed fixing... far to the... " she switches languages just to say their respective languages, "South" and "West" then slips back into the language of Rivers. She pauses, "So that is how I wound up with it." If familiar with those other languages, they don't seem to be her mother tongue, either, her slightly odd accent matching the way it shapes riverspeech, too. Socket finishes with a big, somewhat nervous smile, looking back and forth, clearly at least very uncertain about this whole situation.
Tepet Hinata	"Found him and fixed him," Hinata summarizes, glancing between Socket and her horse, then finally to Youko. There's a long, pregnant pause in the air, before suddenly Hinata laughs, a lilting, gentle sound that might put songbirds to shame. When the laughter passes, she aims her smile at Socket. "Great Forks does attract the strangest people. And they say Nexus is weird..." she drifts off, gesturing to the shrine. "You and I should chat about it over drinks, after you finish. My treat."
Maheka Youko	"Certainly with such talents, I can imagine the forces I serve with may hold many opportunities, if you are so disposed," suggests Youko mildly, bowing her head- and there's a certain sort of sincere note to it. "But I agree with our Dynastic friend- it would hardly do if you were to do us this favour on such short notice and we were lax in showing gratitude." Her staff whirls about in her hand lazily as she turns back to the shrine, kneeling down to look over the deepest crack. A finger runs along it thoughtfully. "Or mayhaps help with finding more comfortable attire for the road."
First Socket of the Heavenly Garden	Socket replies with at first wih a simple, "Oh, no, this is very comfy." With a sort of pause, as she clearly has very little idea how to respond to the whole rest of it, but apparently the laughter and smile and offer for drinks, well, at least the tension in the air is relieved for the moment, "Um... yes, great. I... look forward to tha drink later?" she answers, though thinking back to other drinks she had found in Great Forks she's uncertain she actually looks forward to that and it did rather come out in her tone, she's not really much used to lying or even particularly deflecting and has largely little talent for it. She does turn back to take a closer look at the damage to the stone and what could even be done about it, following Youko's lead about that. And is very relieved to do so.
Tepet Hinata	Hinata doesn't have much to offer, at this stage of the negotiations. Once crafting starts, she's out, and so she busies herself tidying up bits of the shrine that she can tidy up: incense, vases, various and sundry items. When she's not tidying, she's watching the goings-on and fanning herself or generally growing more and more bored as time goes on. The dragon reliefs, for their part, are only mildly damaged, though it seems some of the damage is from a prior event, rather than this one - the ne'er-do-wells merely made existing problems worse. Cracks run deep throughout the reliefs, fracturing along stress zones, and it seems some of the outlying detail - snouts, whiskers, claws - will be gone before the end of winter, if nothing's done.
Maheka Youko	Youko assists somewhat with the cleaning- including, curiously, a little bit of forcing encroaching weeds and ivies to withdraw from the stonework. Curious creatures, those wood-aspects. She does seem content to let Socket work for the moment- perhaps a little less inquisitorial than the other blooded. And maybe less restless? "Oh, as a side note. Either of you injured on the road in some fashion? If possible I would be happy to ensure no lasting concerns for your roads back home. I so infrequently get to practice my skills living so alone as I do, now."
First Socket of the Heavenly Garden	The rather superficial damage and weird ways they're looking at Socket makes her a little uncertain about just what she should go about doing to make this repair.On the one hand she could do quite the fix upon this shrine to restore it. She sighs and collects some of the pieces and goes about putting them where they should be, as she comments, "Do you have anything that could work as a binding agent... um, something sticky that can hold pieces in place?" she inquires towards the others. She pauses, "No..." she's very confused by that question, "But... oh! Can I see what you have for... mending wounds? I'll bet some of those things would work for my repairs!" She seems to go very swiftly from somewhat put-off by the question to very excited to see her supplies.
Maheka Youko	"Ah, most certainly. I could likely supplement with some of the local flora, as well. But I am... well stocked of late due to my accomodations, so please feel free to peruse." On that note Youko unshoulders her medical satchel, laying it in the dusty road and opening it up to lay flat, various vials and bundles and dried leaves and such. A fairly... remarkable collection, given the local area. Most anything one might want for a wound, infection, or injection.
First Socket of the Heavenly Garden	Socket grins, "That would be great! I haven't really figured out all the things that are around here, as far as that... it's quite a ways from home and there are many strange things that I look forward to knowing more about but am somewhat less prepared than might hope for." She looks over to the medical satchel and starts opening and taking a look at the impressive collection, and starts setting a few of the things to the side, "Yes... we can use these... that should work pretty well, though we'll need some water and... well, finely ground bone would really work well for having it set but that's likely a bit much to ask for"
Maheka Youko	A faint chuckle from Youko, and she sets herself down cross-legged next to the open satchel. "Yes, my line of work is more often focused on the bones remaining inside the patients. I would perhaps consult a sorcerer before myself. Not that I could say whether Hinata is one such or not." A hand runs through her hair in an unfamiliar fashion- tracing new paths between the freshly-growing leaves interspersed in the strands after her recent shaving thereof. "Though might I suggest scraping to the earth below the surface, for possible more densely packed and sturdy material, in the place of such... bone?"
Tepet Hinata	Tepet Hinata snorts, waving a hand dismissively. "I wouldn't do something so passe. Sorcerers never get invited to the good parties," she informs, before taking a flower in hand, cradling it gently and seeming to 'pluck' some invisible thread in front of the flower. With a glittering mote of energy, she pulls on this invisible thread she's plucked, intoning, "I have to borrow a little. Sorry," as she draws dew and water from the flower. "Pure and fresh," she declares, once she has a little ball of the stuff. "I'm sure we can mix it with some clay or something, right?"
First Socket of the Heavenly Garden	"Of course, though it seems like that would be a useful material to have on hand, it... of course would unlikely be human bone, but rather that of any sort of animal. Is it not dried and pulverized for use in all sorts of such things here? It seems like it's used for all sorts of things in the direction of flame, at least." she says, sharing little things she has found in her travels, "I'm not sure why you would think it would need to be... well, I think that some... ground pumice or the like would probably work instead but that wouldn't really be a thing you could find by digging... probably. I haven't really evaluated the loca..." she stops, then looks back over to Hinata, "Um... what?" she looks curiously at the odd way she's playing with the flower, with essence, which is itself a sort of method that feels new to her. "Yes... water, we'll need some of that"
Maheka Youko	"I am afraid I could not speak to building practices beyond temporary fortifications," admits Youko, head shaking. "And bone for medicine invites too much risk of cross-infection. But I digress. Water and sand or earth... sounds workable for the impromptu measure?" "Curious thought on sorcerous affairs. Perhaps it's the military focus but we consider them valuable. Perhaps off-putting though? I suppose I can see some of the logic."
Tepet Hinata	Tepet Hinata tilts her head to the side, watching Socket carefully, then glances up at Youko. "I think we're making her nervous, Shonai." She slips her hands back into her sleeves, no longer trying to interrogate anyone. "Why don't we let this rest, for now. In the coming days, I'll pay for the materials we need to repair it... and our new friend here can make the repairs at her leisure." She fires a smile at Socket, eyes heavily lidded, screaming in body language. With a short breath, she says, "And I think we ought to look for a good place for drinks... I don't think we caught your name?"
First Socket of the Heavenly Garden	First Socket of the Heavenly Garden says, "That sounds great. It'll be easier to just get the things first now that I know exactly what I need to do here, anyway." She answers, looking back at it almost a little longingly, liking the idea of a project she should complete right there. Then she realizes that she's instead about to need to do something far more difficult than merely reversing damage and the passage of time - more social interactions. Where she's fairly certain she should be careful. But doesn't know much about that. Nobody had kept books about it in old realm for her to go through. "Drinks... yes, um, I'm certain you know better than I where to find them.""
Maheka Youko	A long pause from Youko- and she busies herself reorienting her physician's pack. In moments her practiced ease brings it into order, closes the pack, and rises once again. "Well, I must confess. I think you two may outpace me- I am unmounted on this day. But if you should like to go on ahead, please do not hesitate. I believe there are a variety of options in Great Forks."