Sen Shi was, letting her hand trail in the water while Rome sat there nipping at the flowers. Sen Shi knew she needed to head back inside and finish up her work, but it was much more pleasant to just sit here and do nothing. She was comfortable and it was about time she had a relaxing moment to herself.

Well, to her bird and herself. It was always nice to take Rome to the garden. The little bird loved it so much.

Even as Sen Shi had the thought, there was a squawk and a flap of wings. Rome was aloft and flying away.

“Rome, no! Come back here!” She had trained her better than that! She knew better than to just fly away. “No come back here,” Sen Shi said, rising to her feet. “I won’t put up with this you know.”

She started after the bird, one foot in front of the other.

Another squawk as Rome settled in a tree nearby. “Come now, Rome, we need to head back to the room. I have much to do today.” Sen Shi sighed. She had to admit she didn’t want to go back in, maybe she should just sit out here some more. She’d…been planning to anyway, hadn’t she? “Fine then. We’ll wait for you.”

She sat down on a bench and sighed, putting her hand in her pocket. “Oh?” Her fingers felt something a little bit odd. A piece of paper. She pulled it out. A note in her own handwriting, but… words she didn’t recognize. “What’s this?” She turned the paper over in her hands, then over again.

It made no sense. “I’ll have to ask about this. For I certainly don’t remember writing it.” How very odd.