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Post by tsuruchi kasumi on Jul 8, 2014 12:28:25 GMT
Having not much to do at the moment, Kasumi decided she could do with a night off and after writing a short letter to her husband, she decided to walk around Kyuden Seppun to learn a bit more about the location. If she was going to spent some time here, she'd better learn the lay of the land. Trusting her ability to always find her way back, she started to roam the streets of the city below the main castle, a city which had grown in the time it had become the interim capital.
Walking around, she agreed with people that a more permanent capital was needed, as this place was not large enough, despite a lot of building which had been done recently. Also Kyuden Seppun was the site of a lot of large temples and the hustle and bustle of the capital city wasn't conductive to good meditation. She was sure the monks wouldn't say anything, but she was equally sure they wouldn't object if the capital would move to some other city.
Wandering around in thought she was surprised when it started raining. It had been good weather the past days, but now clearly that had come to an end. It started to rain harder and a quick look up at the clouds showed that it would be that way for some time, so she decided to go into an inn to wait until it stopped. She went into the first inn she saw, not a place she would have visited normally, but it would have to do. And maybe she could hear couple of things she could use in her function.
As she entered, she was requested to put her weapons on the rack at the door. Since this was normal for all inns in the empire, she did so, although she didn't say anything about the tanto hidden in the sleeves of her kimono. She requested some sake and sat down, looking around.
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Bayushi Izo
Scorpion Clan
Posts: 245| Likes: 75
Rings: Earth:5 Water:4 Fire:3 Air:3 Void:1
Scorpion Hatamoto
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Post by Bayushi Izo on Jul 18, 2014 0:37:47 GMT
Izo had overstayed his welcome and now the heavens were voicing displeasure. He could think of no other reason why it was raining in such an awful way. With a light grunt of annoyance he made way to a nearby inn seeing no point in getting more wet then he had too. Missives from other magistrates were starting to catch up with him, nagging at him in their way for information. He would have to travel again soon to avoid getting a bulk of letters all at once. Thankfully his yoriki took care of the vast majority of his letters and always returning polite if generic replies for all but those of higher station and a select few he designated as worth his time.
Grumbling at having to depart with his weapons if only temporarily. The large magistrate ignored the casual looks in his direction. he had already spotted someone worthy of his attention "Tsuruchi-san, nice to see you here. Sake tastes much better in the company of others. Would you mind if I joined you?"
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Post by tsuruchi kasumi on Jul 18, 2014 6:01:39 GMT
"Please, be seated, Hida-san," Kasumi said, "it's always good to talk to a fellow magistrate."
Not to mention the fact that just you being here will calm the others down, she didn't add.
"So, tell me," she said after he got some sake as well, "what have you been working on lately?"
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Post by Shiba Kaigen on Jul 18, 2014 8:01:17 GMT
Shiba Kaigen really didn't mind walking in the rain- he'd marched in far worse, and, if truth be told, he rather enjoyed the sound it made on his steel jingasa.
There was just one slight problem...
The letters he'd been ordered to carry north with him to the Phoenix lands were decidedly less enthusiastic about the sudden downpour.
One, in particular, which he had merely stuck through his obi, was now all but illegible.
Hope it wasn't anything too terribly important. Oh well. I'm sure the Master of Earth will understand. Or crush me with a boulder. No sense worrying about it now.
He ducked into the inn in order to avoid angering any more of his Clan's highest leadership and spent a few minutes filling the weapon rack to capacity with his naginata, daisho, a wide array of tantos, and what the Mantis Legionnaire he'd won them from had assured him were an excellently-crafted pair of kama.
He pondered the remaining tanto in his hand, and then the full rack.
Perhaps I am a trifle overburdened with weaponry... but as Hiruma Goto-Taisa used to say, you can never have too many knives.
He balanced the final weapon delicately and took a cautious step back.
Hopefully it won't collapse.
As he took stock of the inn, two things became readily apparent.
One, he was probably going to absolutely ruin the floor with the water running off of him. Two, Tsuruchi Kasumi was clearly not blessed with an overabundance of good fortune.
The poor woman was finally shed of me. And now...
"Hello again, Tsuruchi-san."
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Bayushi Izo
Scorpion Clan
Posts: 245| Likes: 75
Rings: Earth:5 Water:4 Fire:3 Air:3 Void:1
Scorpion Hatamoto
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Post by Bayushi Izo on Jul 18, 2014 14:44:32 GMT
He gave a nod to Kasumi before taking a seat. His eyes were drawn to the sake on the table and at her offering he poured himself a cup. No crab did not enjoy sake unfortunately he has to take off his mempo to enjoy it. With mental sigh he unclipped the face piece and helmet and set them down next to him, revealing the disturbing scars on his face and neck.
He was about to respond when a Shiba came upon them he offered a polite nod to the man and looked to his gracious just to dispense with the introductions. Once that was settled he finally returned to the Tsuruchi's question.
"As of late a bit of everything. Kidnapping, smuggling, lots of smuggling lately. Somewhat annoying as they tend to run instead of fight."
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Matsu Torako
Lion Clan
Posts: 17| Likes: 10
Rings: Air: 3
Earth: 3
Fire: 5
Water: 4
Void: 1
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Post by Matsu Torako on Jul 19, 2014 4:59:41 GMT
The cursed rain beat down on the city like a hammer. Torako was a samurai, and as such used to hard conditions. When she had worked in the fields during her Musha Shugyo she had toiled through worse. Then she was a humble ronin though, without a name or reputation and position to live up to. She was to meet with representatives of the Emerald Champion, and they could not be expected to meet her in this rain.
As much though, she was a representative of the emerald champion herself. It was a position that she was still getting used to, and she had not even been given her first assignment. She wondered if her year as a yoriki would have been enough, if she had learned enough not to walk with a sense of arrogant pride that she was worried was missing. What did she have to take pride in. She had done a job and been promoted, it wasn't as though she had gotten results. Maybe when the first bandits were defeated she would feel the sense of accomplishment that she longed for.
As she settled into a seat in the corner, Torako was glad that she had not worn her armour for travel, as was her usual wont. She had decided it would be best if she did not turn up to her important meeting not smelling like an unwashed soldier, and the rain would have made that ten times worse. There was nothing quite like the smell of rain on lacquered wood. It was not bad so much as overpowering.
As Torako seated herself, she asked for some tea, rather than indulging in sake. The idea appealed but it might have appealed a bit too much. She was still young and had not quite learned the temperance of an older woman.
Looking around the room showed a number of samurai, taking shelter from the rain. Two were sat conversing jovially, a large man and a wirey woman. Both looked older than Torako, but that was not unusual. Another man looked set to approach them. From the way her was dressed he seemed to be of the Phoenix clan. A fighters instinct for body shape and manner told Torako that all three were bushi like her, and as Torako sipped her hot green tea she wondered idly what had brought them all to the city.
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Post by tsuruchi kasumi on Jul 19, 2014 8:58:54 GMT
"Welcome, Shiba-san," Kasumi said after introductions had been made, "please, be seated and share some sake until the rain stops."
And maybe I can get you to open up a little bit more then on the road. Although that was probably not in the cards.
"Me and Shiba-san had a curious case when we came over from Yasuki Yachiki," she said to Izo, "we found an abandoned child next to the road and when we tried to hand it to a monastery, some ronin bandits who had killed the monks and taken their place tried to kill us. Now we have a mystery child on our hands. Well, I've checked with the Kuni and he's not tainted and I've requested assistance from a Kitsu to see if he can find out something about the childs lineage."
she noticed another emerald magistrate coming in, a Matsu from the look of it, but she went to sit somewhere else so Kasumi let her be for the moment. And not all Matsu were fine conversationalists anyways, but then again, neither are most Hida, although she had learned differently on the Wall.
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Matsu Torako
Lion Clan
Posts: 17| Likes: 10
Rings: Air: 3
Earth: 3
Fire: 5
Water: 4
Void: 1
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Post by Matsu Torako on Jul 19, 2014 9:57:05 GMT
The bitter liquid spread across her tongue as she took another sip of her tea. There was something between a rokugani's blood and a cup of tea, she was sure. Near anything could be weathered with a cup of the hot liquid inside you.
Seeing the three Samurai sat together, Torako struggled to decide if she was going to join them. On the one hand it would be nice to have some company, but on the other, it seemed they had some sort of pre-existing connection. It might be unfair to interrupt them. They probably didn't have much to say to a magistrate just starting out either. They looked like veterans of their field, each an experienced and confident samurai.
Deciding that a night of quietly listening to the stories of those more versed in their work would be a night better spent than one of solitude Torako decided to introduce herself to the group. She stood and bowed low with a smile.
"Greetings Samurai-sama," I greeted the trio "I have the honour to be Matsu Torako, recently appointed to the office of emerald magistrate. May I sit with you a spell and listen to your wisdom."
Everything about the way she was moving felt so formal to herself, the way a good lion should act her mother always said. She hoped they wouldn't laugh her out of the inn, the crab and the mantis were hardly the most traditional clans.
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Post by tsuruchi kasumi on Jul 19, 2014 15:08:26 GMT
"Please, have a seat," Kasumi said. From what she knew, she was the highest ranking samourai at their table, so if she said it was okay, the others would follow. "I'm Tsuruchi Kasumi," she introduced herself, "assistant to the emerald champion for all things Kolat related."
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Post by Shiba Kaigen on Jul 19, 2014 15:19:41 GMT
"This one is Shiba Kaigen of the First Imperial Legion."
Talented butcher of men and utter incompetent in most other fields of endeavor.
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Bayushi Izo
Scorpion Clan
Posts: 245| Likes: 75
Rings: Earth:5 Water:4 Fire:3 Air:3 Void:1
Scorpion Hatamoto
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Post by Bayushi Izo on Jul 19, 2014 15:22:11 GMT
If he was of a higher rank he didn't state it aloud any bureaucracy was complex in position and if the Tsuruchi wanted to be the cult of personality of their group he was more then happy to let it be so.
A Lion.. if the night didn't end in a fight or a duel he would consider it a good one. He gave a polite bow apt for one of an Emerald magistrate that he didn't know.
"Hida Izo." his voice intoned, regarding the woman with his disfigured face before returning to his sake. Enjoying the warmth it spread through his belly. As magistrates they might now of his reputation in dealing with criminals, his notoriety in being hard to keep track of and getting confessions at the edge of a sword, regardless he managed to be very proficient at his job. No doubt the odd bearing of the man that went beyond his scars no doubt contributing to that fact.
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Matsu Torako
Lion Clan
Posts: 17| Likes: 10
Rings: Air: 3
Earth: 3
Fire: 5
Water: 4
Void: 1
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Post by Matsu Torako on Jul 19, 2014 16:00:34 GMT
Torako bows again and sets down her tea tray at the table. Taking a seat she miles at each person of the group and takes another sip of her drink.
"I am afraid I was mainly planning to avoid sake tonight samurai-sama. I have not the stomach for it that my fathers clan do," As Torako speaks she nods to the large crab with something that might pass for a smile. "What brings you all to this rainy city if I might ask such a thing of you?"
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Post by tsuruchi kasumi on Jul 19, 2014 16:27:32 GMT
"I'm assigned here," Kasumi said, "as I have to coordinate all activities against the Kolat, it's easiest to do so from the capital. Also, it's here where the archives are and I had to check those to do my job correctly. It's not very exiting, but it has to be done."
Three magistrates and an imperial legionair. I doubt there will be a fight in this inn tonight, unless it's us starting it. She signaled the innkeeper to bring another round of sake. "If you prefer tea," she said to the Matsu, "we can order some of that as well."
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Bayushi Izo
Scorpion Clan
Posts: 245| Likes: 75
Rings: Earth:5 Water:4 Fire:3 Air:3 Void:1
Scorpion Hatamoto
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Post by Bayushi Izo on Jul 19, 2014 16:49:55 GMT
Regarded the matsu woman again after the smile wondering just what angle she was playing at. "One's duty requires seeing the Emerald Champion when one can manage it, or at least his subordinates." then that was that. He gave a nod to the Tsuruchi for getting another round. Well if it was on her why not?
His eyes drifted away from the table and looked around the place again. At least there was not any Crane about otherwise he had no doubt there would be trouble.
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Matsu Torako
Lion Clan
Posts: 17| Likes: 10
Rings: Air: 3
Earth: 3
Fire: 5
Water: 4
Void: 1
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Post by Matsu Torako on Jul 19, 2014 17:56:00 GMT
Torako smiles as another pot of hot green tea is delivered to the table. She takes another sip from her cup before nodding to the large Hida
"As you say Hida-Sama," Although they occupied roughly the same social station, Torako used the more respectful form of address in deference to the other samurai's greater age and experience. "That is what brings me here also. I have yet to meet with the Emerald Champion himself and receive my official duties"
Turning next to the Mantis Torako nodded again. The gesture seemed to be in place of a smile. "I only hope the duties that I am given can aid the empire as much as you all do. I am half worried that I might spend my remaining years overseeing a small backwater with only squirrels for company."
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