So just where was Lady Ru? Tetsuya wished she would show herself soon, he really did not enjoy making small talk. It didn't help either that one of the people he was speaking to was a princess either, he didn't feel quite equipped to handle someone like her. Granted the Lady he was seeking was noteworthy too, but she hardly commanded the amount of respect and reverence that Eri did. That aside the conversation had left him all kinds of confused, questioning now what the purpose of the Naji heir and her instructor was in coming to Ru. Surely it was nothing malicious yet he couldn't help but wonder, finding the way that Rii spoke to be very vague. If he stayed around during the talks later he might find out, that was provided [i]if[/i] he was allowed to.

The sound of clattering boots off in the distance drew Tetsuya's focus away, looking towards the larger building to see what the deal was. Exiting the structure was a woman clad in clothing that left very little to the imagination, at least in his opinion. Though he managed to put two and two together he was stunned to find this was the woman he was seeking, again a ruler not being quite what he'd expected. She seemed both relaxed yet commanding at the same time, and the tattoos she bore probably told some kind of story he would imagine. Watching as she approached the trio alone his eyes widened slightly when Rii and Lady Ru spoke casually, certainly not having expected the two of them to know one another. Suddenly he felt awfully unprepared for all of this, like he was at a serious disadvantage for not knowing anyone here. Hopefully being a stranger didn't have any bearing on how his request might go over.

Thankfully Lady Ru had sorted out who he was fairly quickly, though a formal introduction should still be given. She was awfully lax with how she spoke too, making it sound more like she was speaking to someone about the weather than any potential politics. Right to the point, he could appreciate that, and he even gave a nervous smile when she mentioned dueling; Wouldn't it be terribly wrong of a guard from a neighboring clan to duel a leader? Would he even be a match for Lady Ru for that matter? He was good, but Tetsuya was skeptical whether or not he was good enough to take on the leader of a clan. Much to his chagrin the Lady made a pretty off color comment there at the end, the Neko's face burning up as he had to look at the ground awkwardly, not having any idea whatsoever how to react to that. Did a woman honestly just say that in front of him? And so carefree too?

Tetsuya thought it might have been that comment that made Eri hesitate to start, a fact to which he gave her a look of 'Why me?'. When she explained though he figured it was reasonable, it would be best to ask for the information while Lady Ru was in a good mood. Jeez, how in the world was he supposed to talk to Lady Ru after that though? When he looked back at the woman he felt his face heating up again, wondering if maybe he should just come back later and try again.

[color=39b54a]"Uh... Right... I guess I'm up,"[/color] Tetsuya said to himself, smiling nervously as he turned to Lady Ru. [color=39b54a]"My name is Tetsuya Ueno, and I'm one of Lord Shima's guards. I uh... I was sent here to ask you for some information,"[/color] he began, finding himself struggling to think as he looked into the Lady's eyes. Dang it, all he could think about was what she had said, it was really making this hard. Trying to find somewhere else to look in hopes of making it less awkward his blush intensified when he accidentally looked at her chest, quickly looking towards the gate and letting out a sigh. He was way too uncomfortable around women to be doing this right now, but he had to get the question out for his Lord. Running a hand through his hair he shifted his weight around a little, taking a big breath before finally turning back to Lady Ru.

[color=39b54a]"I was hoping you might have some information on a theft that took place in Shima. I don't know if you've gotten word of what happened yet or not..."[/color] Tetsuya explained, glancing over at Eri and Rii for a second. Was this okay to say in front of them? Asking them to leave probably wouldn't do much so he'd have to, like it or not. [color=39b54a]"It's about our relics. Someone has stolen Shima's relics and we have no leads as to who did it. So I guess my question is have you noticed anything suspicious in your town? Any unusual people passing through, or heard any rumors?"[/color]