Shintaro nodded, knowing one's birthname was often changed when a child became an adult or when adopted by another family or clan. In Japan commoners didn't even have family names, usually named after their profession but many had private names they used among family and friends. It wasn't unusual for children of samurai families to be adopted into other families either during hardships or for other reasons.

"Adoption is often done in Japan and not just with orphans," Shintaro said. "In fact we didn't really have orphanages, any young orphaned children were taken care of by older siblings or watched over by the community. Temples will also take in orphaned or unwanted children till they came of age."

Not all orphaned or unwanted children ended up being raised by caring families or at temples especially among the poor or those who lived in small out of the way villages. He certainly wasn't going to mention what often happened to orphaned or unwanted girls.

"From what I know about the Christian bible, it's written in Latin, a language I have only heard priests use." Shintaro had did some labour work on a church being built not far from where he lived in San Francisco and overheard some of the priests praying. A coworker told him it was Latin when he inquired about it.

"We do have castles but they aren't like the castles in Europe," he responded. Shintaro wasn't sure how to explain what the great castles of Japan looked like with their terracotta tiles and curving roofs. Looking around he spotted a stick and quickly drew a rough sketch in the dirt at what the main building of Nijo palace. "I can't do it justice but this is basically what Nijo Castle looks like, where the Shogun ruled Japan for over two centuries."

"The Shogun was our military ruler and handled the main administration of Japan, but the leader of Japan is Emperor Meiji." Shintaro wasn't 100% anymore about how his homeland was being ran but he knew the Emperor was still in charge but had a whole new and still developing government running things under him. "When I left my homeland the Shogunate was abolished and the Emperor ruled completely. Now, I don't know for sure how the government is ran, so much was changing when I left but I do know Western systems of government were being implemented."

Tully really didn't know too much about politics, she'd been too busy most of her life hiding and surviving, and besides, no one cared about what women thought anyway.  But she did know, mostly from listening to Mr. McVey and Miss Bowen that they had a President, and a new one at that!

"I hope whatever they got, it's good fer folks."  She knew people should be treated fairly, and that they weren't always, but beyond that, she didn't know how it all worked.

"Would ya go back if it's better?" she then asked as she opened her drawing pad to a blank page.  "There'd be a way ta find out eventually, wouldn't there?"  The Union had stories from around the world, but she wasn't sure what stories were picked for print.

Using a pencil, she made a rough sketch of the image Shin had drawn in the dirt.  "Tell me what more it needs an' we'll see if we can make a Japan castle!"

Shintaro wasn't sure if the Meiji government was good for the people or not. When he left there was still quite a bit of turmoil and suffering among the peasants and resentment among the samurai. Spending a few months on a ship with the Japanese delegation gave him opportunities to talk with some of its members which helped changed his perspective about the end of the Shogunate. Still, he doubted Japan would feel like home if he returned there now.

"I don't know if I will ever return," he admitted. "There is nothing for me there, what family I had died during the Boshin war or in the aftermath. I had hoped to start a new life here with my wife, but now that she's gone, I'm making due with what I have left."

He had heard some news from Japan in San Francisco but it was infrequent and often through Chinese traders or newspapers. Shintaro could have gotten ahold of a Japanese paper, quite a few had sprung up after the Boshin war but he didn't know if any were shipped to America. Now that he was in Kelispel he certainly hadn't seen any papers from China much less Japan.

"I don't know if I can recall enough details of a Japanese castle, must of my views of the castle was on the other side of the walls." Living in Kyoto during his time with the Shinsengumi gave him the opportunity to see several castles and the palace but he had never been able to go inside, his patrols were in the city itself. He had been involved in the defense of the Imperial palace when rebels attacked the palace in an attempt to kidnap the Emperor but his focus had been on other things than checking out the architecture. "I'll do my best with what I do know. At least I can describe what a typical tenshu, the main castle keep."

Shintaro did his best to describe typical Japanese castles, what the walls and roofs looked like and other details. He paused often to give Tully plenty of time to sketch things out as he described them. He knew he was mixing up a few different castles but he didn't think it would matter in the long run. Perhaps he'll have the opportunity to find a picture book of Japanese castles sometime in the future so he could show it to her. Then again if he did she'll know just how poorly he was describing Japanese castles.

If there was one advantage to her life, Tully reckoned, it was that she didn't have family to miss or worry about, or to cause her problems.  She realized, of course, that there were advantages to having family, to having that support, but that was support she was starting to find as she let her shields down and started to trust people.

"Sorry 'bout yer family," she muttered as she started to fill in the details of the drawing.  "An' sorry ya can't go home, but I reckon this'll be home now."  

"Don't matter that it ain't exact," Tully commented with a shrug, "it can be somethin' special, just ours, what we come up with."  As she shaded in the areas, she mused, "Don't know as I'd want ta live in a place so big, seems like ya'd risk losin' yerself there."  Then she grinned.  "'Sides, it'd be a powerful lot'a dustin' ta do!"

Shintaro grunted lightly in response to Tully's sympathy for the loss of his wife and inability to return to Japan. He understood and appreciated her concern but didn't feel any need to say anything. As it was the subject moved on to the drawing she was making.

Her next comment however did catch him off guard. He looked at her more closely, realizing this drawing did feel special to him, even though his description of a Japanese castle wasn't as detailed as he would like. She was right though, it wasn't likely anybody who had far more knowledge of Japanese castle designs would see it. Even so, art was from the heart and soul, it didn't need to be accurate.

"They are large sprawling structures but many areas are geared towards defense should an enemy attack. They also have plenty of servants to deal with dusting. The manor homes of the wealthy however are far more geared towards luxury and natural beauty." Shintaro had seen a few of the wealthy homes, the gardens were like nothing he had seen before. "I think you would find the gardens truly amazing. If I had my sumi-o kit with me I would draw one for you. Perhaps we can meet again and I can demonstrate Japanese brush art."

"Really?  I'd like that very much!"  Where art was concerned, Tully was fascinated and curious, and certainly wouldn't turn down the offer to learn something new.  And she was fascinated by the idea of someone else who was interested in drawing.

"If I had my own house, even a castle, I don't think I'd want anyone else there."  Other people, even servants, would mean, well, having other people around!  "I'd just do my own cleanin', an' maybe learn ta cook more, an' I could wander th' halls all night if I want to, an' sing at th' top'a my lungs, an' no one would be there ta say nothin' about it!"

Grinning, she looked at Shin.  "I can't sing worth a lick!  Makes th' wolves howl!"

"Then we'll meet up again in a few days and I will teach you sumi-o painting," Shintaro told her, realizing he was as eager to teach her as she seemed eager to learn. Of all his skills brush painting was the last one he expected to teach. He was no master of the art but he was skilled enough to show Tully the basics and go from there.

Shintaro studied Tully a few moments after she revealed if she ever had a castle she wouldn't want anybody else there. It sounded both understandable and sad at the same time. He could understand the need for solitude but he had a feeling his reasons to be alone weren't the same reasons Tully preferred it.

"We certainly can focus on painting and other silent forms of art instead of singing," Shintaro responded, smiling a little after she joked about her singing skill.

"Do you truly prefer solitude over the company of others? I realize most women would avoid the company of men like those miners who attacked you but I get the impression there's more to why you prefer to be alone." Shintaro hoped he wasn't being disrespectful about asking her directly but she had shared little bits of her past during their conversation thus far, so he thought she wouldn't be offended in any way. "You don't have to answer if you prefer not to."

"I don't mind," Tully murmured quietly, trusting that he wouldn't judge her or tell anyone else.  "Guess it's safer ta be alone,  no one ta hurt ya, ta tell ya lies, or make ya do somethin' ya don't want."  She shrugged.  "Before Mr. McVey, wasn't no one I lived with so good ta me.  There was a roof, food, but once I went on my own, I liked it better.  Wasn't always so good, but better than havin' someone else makin' me miserable."

Getting by on her own had been hard, but she was resourceful and had quickly learned how to spot soft hearts that would buy a sob story, how to steal clothes off a line, pies from the window sill...

"Just reckon it's safer.  Did ya say ya'd teach me some real fightin'?  More'n just kickin' a man in th' neathers?"

"It sounds like you just haven't found the right people to be around," Shintaro responds. Given the recent attack upon Miss Nevada by the miners, it was clear being alone was just as unsafe. "Mr. McVey seems to be the right kind of person to be around though I cannot say I know him myself. I didn't get much of a chance to talk to him that day when those miners attacked you."

"I haven't been in town long but I have met good people who would treat you with respect. Unfortunately I have met men who wouldn't treat you or other women with respect. These sorts of men exist everywhere and its a shame I couldn't get rid of them when they prove their low character in my presence the same way I would have in Japan."

"Yes I did," Shintaro confirmed. "I can teach you Jujitsu which provides a wide variety of unarmed close combat techniques. Some do require a certain level of physical strength but there are many which anybody can perform. Its not uncommon for samurai women in Japan to know some jujitsu to defense themselves with if necessary."

"If you're interested in learning I can teach you some of the basics now," he offered. So many techniques did require physically touching one's opponent and he didn't think it would be wise to get right into those techniques here in the alley. The last thing he wanted going around town was rumors he and Miss Nevada were doing anything inappropriate. However he could teach her the techniques every samurai learned which not only would prove beneficial in a fight but was the basis of Bushido, mastering oneself. He didn't think it would be difficult to teach Tully to control her emotions, to not let fear or panic rule her in a stressful situation and most importantly how to avoid confrontation. Unfortunately a lone woman would always seem an easy target for scum like the miners who attacked her recently.

"Well, if yer sure yer brave enough," Tully chuckled, "I might bloody yer nose!"  She might be a slip of a thing, but she'd lived on the streets and was a scrapper, and she was accustomed to swimming, climbing trees, and even getting up on rooftops to stay out of sight.  Maybe not so much recently, but she was still in decent physical shape.  

Of course, that didn't mean she could easily take on a man, especially one the size of Mortimer Greene, although she had somehow won that fight, through God's providence.

"So, now, whadda I need ta do?"