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Post by Daidoji Kousei on Feb 7, 2014 0:59:38 GMT
3.) Gold for Stone The time has come to properly repair the Kaiu Wall but the Crab need cash to pay their workers and get materials. Meet with delegates of the Mantis or Crane to get an exorbitant amount of money from them. Note that the Lion are already in debt and the Crane are in a very powerful bargaining position right now as a result. Any Crane involved in the thread have the honorary distinction of “Holding Debt” that can be used in bargaining conflicts. OOC: This is a semi-open thread between Crab and Crane. If anyone would like to join, please PM one of us explaining your ideas.
The four of them sat in a small room in one of the quieter areas of the court. Tea had been brought and everyone had been made comfortable, in body if not in mind. The meeting had been organised by Odai and Hatosenshi, and each had requested the presence of another of their clan during the negotations. Daidoji Kousei wasn't entirely sure why he had been selected, although he was wondering if it had something to do with the fact he had spent some time amongst the Crab and knew them better than most of his clan. That and he had mentioned fighting by Satomi's side to the elder Kakita earlier this morning... In fact, he was pleased to see the Crab general. The memories of the Dragon monk had cast a rather maudlin spell on the session in the sake house and Kousei had excused himself fairly swiftly once he had seen the Satomi had been attended to by a shugenja. He smiled and nodded at her. "Satomi-sama, it is good to see you again. This wasn't quite the drink I was expecting when you mentioned it last night, but it is a pleasant enough brew." Actually, the tea was exquisite, made with rare leaves and crafted to perfection by the servants, but Kousei wasn't much of a connoisseur.
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Bayushi Satomi
Unwanted Betrothed
Scorpion Clan
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Post by Bayushi Satomi on Feb 7, 2014 1:27:22 GMT
It wasn't exactly a surprise that she was appointed for subsequents negotiations with the Crane, this time along Yasuki Odai.
Meeting you, Daidoji-san, is turning recurrent. She smiled, At least, it has been always a pleasure... Three times and you arrival was quite useful to me. I hope to reciprocate, somehow...
She was referring not only the last casual meeting, in the book signing, but the other two encounters in the day before.
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Bayushi Satomi
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Scorpion Clan
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Rings: Earth 4 * Fire: 5 *Air 3 * Water 1 * Void 3
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Post by Bayushi Satomi on Feb 7, 2014 10:43:02 GMT
As always, every Crab always prefered to deal with a Daidoji in every aspect of a negotiation. They were the exact opposite of the Doji, in this sense.
Not smiling, the Kaiu general spoke:
You may start, Kousei-san, detailing to me, Odai-san and Hatosenshi-sensei, your old duties at The Wall. I have in mind you are the epitome of the strenght and capability of an Iron Crane and how your compatriots can be of use for the Empire's service, when stationed in Kaiu Kabe.
That was a clue, of course, for Kousei do not spare details or follow the easy track of humility; he was representing his family's skills in defending the Empire, in this meeting. But the Crab General also had promised him she would make all in her reach to bring him back to the Wall. Something the Daidoji could have in mind, in his response.
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Doji Hatosenshi
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“We tell the tale of heroes to remind ourselves that we also can be great.”
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Post by Doji Hatosenshi on Feb 7, 2014 16:03:21 GMT
Hatosenshi raised a single eyebrow at the conversation between Satomi and Kousei. With a aside glace at Odai, he shrugged lightly and let a small smile slip.
"Odai-san. The tea you brought is excellent."
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Post by Daidoji Kousei on Feb 7, 2014 18:01:09 GMT
*A samurai's duty is to serve," Kousei said dryly. "But how may I be of assistance today?"
He smoothed out some wrinkles in his kimono, trying to appear as civilised as possible in front of the old Crane sensei.
The young Daidoji cast his mind back. “I was assigned to a unit of Iron Crane who were being sent to assist the Crab at the Wall by Kaiten-dono shortly after my gempukku. We started off with basic sentry duties close to Kyuden Hida – no offense, Satomi-sama but I think your compatriots wanted to get our measure before we handled anything more risky. I had a slight advantage over my comrades in that my mother was a Hiruma, and during my training she had arranged for a Hiruma sensei to give me extra lessons after hours. I was well schooled in subjects that many Crane find… distasteful, although it was still a shock to see them in real life. The odd raiding party by the Lost was one thing, but the first time an oni stormed out of the wastes… I think more of us survived that encounter by luck than judgement. Some of the things I saw that day…” Satomi recognised the far-off look in his eyes; occasionally she got it herself. There was honour and glory to be found in combat against worthy opponents, but nothing could prepare you for a twenty foot tall monstrosity stamping on your friends and reducing them to a pulpy stain on the floor.
After a momentary silence, Kousei continued. “After about a year, those of us who remained were hardened and trusted enough to be assigned alongside the Crab wherever our skills were most suited. I was assigned to the Hiruma scouting parties – I’m a good hunter and worked well as part of a small unit. That’s when I really began to learn. We spend days, sometimes even weeks, on our own in the Shadowlands, tracking the movements of some of the more dangerous creatures, hunting and killing some of the lesser ones and harrying the Lost. Eighteen months passed, and one day as we were enjoying some recuperation time back behind the Wall it came to me that I was the only survivor from my original unit. I was ashamed. I was so focused on survival that I hadn’t noticed less and less of my kinsmen around each time I came back.
“I think that was why when a new unit of Daidoji arrived, I volunteered to join them and pass on some of my experience. It required an adjustment of mentality, fitting back into a line of heavy infantry after spending so long as a skirmisher, but old skills never truly die. Unfortunately their taisa did, in short order. He was brash, and it was a bad place for it. An oni tore him in two, and I vowed to kill it in his name. I leapt from our parapet onto its head, using both katana and wakazashi to climb up its back. The thing was being peppered with arrows and didn’t even notice the additional wounds until I arrived on its head and plunged both blades into its eye. Of course, it didn't do much but it did distract it long enough for a group of Kuni to finally finish it off.” He was speaking almost in a monotone, but it broke and he smiled briefly. “I wouldn’t care to repeat the journey down to the ground again.
“O-Ushi-dono herself presented me with a beautifully tempered no-dachi that day, which I still treasure. The rest of the Iron Crane asked me to be their new taisa, and after making a formal request to Rekai-sama, I took up the position. They were good people, and I kept as many of them alive as I could. Eventually tensions between our two clans began to grow and we were recalled back to Crane lands. We were well received and I was given the honour of becoming yojimbo to the esteemed Doji Hanashimi, governor of Hashi no Toshi.” Kousei made a valiant attempt to keep any colour from his voice during the last sentence, but the experienced courtiers in the room could see that there was more to the issue than he was revealing.
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Bayushi Satomi
Unwanted Betrothed
Scorpion Clan
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Rings: Earth 4 * Fire: 5 *Air 3 * Water 1 * Void 3
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Post by Bayushi Satomi on Feb 7, 2014 19:05:36 GMT
Satomi listened with interest then glanced significatively at Hatosenshi and Odai:
So... Nothing like a well placed asset... Feigning a further thought.. Doji Hanashimi is not being harmed anymore, is he? I mean... He surely was facing great threats, to have a so overqualified yojimbo assigned to protect his life ... But I'm glad he had your help to survive the perils of ...Hachi no Toshi...
Turning to the other Crane: Your clan is remanaging some Iron Cranes back to kaiu Kabe, right Hatosenshi-sensei?
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Doji Hatosenshi
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“We tell the tale of heroes to remind ourselves that we also can be great.”
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Post by Doji Hatosenshi on Feb 7, 2014 21:31:51 GMT
Hatosenshi nodded at Satomi's words, his eyes meeting hers.
"Indeed. As with our previous conversation, we had agreed to increase the forces the Crane had committed to the Wall in support of the Crab."
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Bayushi Satomi
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Scorpion Clan
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Post by Bayushi Satomi on Feb 7, 2014 22:17:41 GMT
She held his gaze, and it was obvious that, besides the obvious signs of sleepless nights, she was in a good mood.
Daidoji-san could return with them, maybe...? Satomi threw the question. I'd like to know we have a Dadoji veteran leading some units and teaching newcomers what to do...
She was pushing her interests before the true negotiation about money.
This part, of course, was something beyond her abilities, and delegated to an specialist: Yasuki Odai.
But she knew Hatosenshi was able to judge by himself the bizarre situation of this warrior relegated to a total waste of his true talents. Even if performing his current duties with total zeal.
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Doji Hatosenshi
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“We tell the tale of heroes to remind ourselves that we also can be great.”
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Post by Doji Hatosenshi on Feb 10, 2014 16:25:11 GMT
Hatosenshi let a small smile touch his lips.
"That is a conversation for later. We are here to discuss assistance to the Crab in repairing the Kaiu wall. If, sending Daidoji-san to the wall would assist in that, please, I'd be happy to arrange it."
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Bayushi Satomi
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Scorpion Clan
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Rings: Earth 4 * Fire: 5 *Air 3 * Water 1 * Void 3
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Post by Bayushi Satomi on Feb 10, 2014 20:24:09 GMT
Of course it will, Hatosenshi-sensei. If Daidoji-san wishes to, of course. The Doji was acting a bit weird today, but maybe it was because the Yasuki... and the Daidoji... were in the room. She never really understood a Crane who wasn't in a battlefield. What is happening here?
Anyway this meeting includes many things. She would talk more, but looked askance to Odai, expecting him to lead the business matters.
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Post by Daidoji Kousei on Feb 10, 2014 22:25:53 GMT
Kousei drew in a breath to chime in on the conversation about his future, then thought better of it. Court was its own battlefield, and in this terrain he deferred to the expertise of the elder Crane. There would be a time to involve himself, but the exchange between the two courtiers would need to be taken into account first...
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