D4LE, Stag Rooms: Sumai After-party (Open!)

[Makime Ayano]

"Sounds quite certain. It would be a huge feat, but such a feat requiring the clan's cooperation would only benefit the Empire." He smiled. "As well as the traders going through Lion lands, eh?"

"Traders going through any lands," Ayano corrected. "If my family benefits for being a crossroads then it is a credit to Lady Makime's foresight."

Dojihime smiled and said to Genji and Makime, “If it pleases you both, my brother Hadananzi intended to show Lady Ayano his many arts and skills and I was going to assist if you wish to join, Genji-kun, I would be honored.”

She smiled, "Ah yes, tomorrow in the gardens I believe. I am looking forward to seeing his work. And hopeful it might inspire my own hand or voice."

[Doji Dojihime]

"Voice... are you a singer, Makime-san?" she asked with interest.

[Hantei Genji]

"I would certainly love to join then, if I am not distracting anyone. My skill in the arts is quite basic, alas." He smiled and gave a bow to the Lioness. "Makime foresight, such a trademark. Did Hime-chan and Makime-san enjoy sumai tonight?"

[Doji Dojihime]

"I would certainly love to join then, if I am not distracting anyone. My skill in the arts is quite basic, alas." He smiled and gave a bow to the Lioness. "Makime foresight, such a trademark. Did Hime-chan and Makime-san enjoy sumai tonight?"

"You are always welcome," she said with a roll of her eyes.

"You are my favorite Stag cousin," she teased playfully. Then added about sumai, "I found the participants and their pageantry to be very satisfying and pleasing to the eye."

[Makime Ayano]

"Voice... are you a singer, Makime-san?" she asked with interest.

"As likely as not. I do not find my voice to be unpleasant, though neither is it the natural beauty of others. In truth my experience with the arts has been Lady Makime's. Well the one she is famous most famous for..."

Her green eyes shift to the room for a second.

"And a bit of calligraphy, but it was learned more for speed then anything."

Ayano cants her head slightly, "Ah...it was well done and hosted but such martial clashes are not my interest."

[Doji Dojihime]

"As likely as not. I do not find my voice to be unpleasant, though neither is it the natural beauty of others. In truth my experience with the arts has been Lady Makime's. Well the one she is famous most famous for..."

Her green eyes shift to the room for a second.

"And a bit of calligraphy, but it was learned more for speed then anything."

Ayano cants her head slightly, "Ah...it was well done and hosted but such martial clashes are not my interest."

Dojihime was unsure of what Makime was famous for but just nodded and smiled for the moment, she knew she was a favored servant of Akodo and chided herself for the shortcoming internally. She responded, “I enjoy writing as well, more for the elegance and the act of communication, but speed is important as well when one must respond to dozens of letters per day.”

“Well if you feel up to the task perhaps you could be persuaded to sing in the play?”

[Hantei Genji]

"Ah, writing. You ladies must write beautiful calligraphy." He winced. "My sensei broke a few reeds on me while teaching me. My calligraphy is still terrible, though I am told multiple people are able to read it now."

He laughed nervously. "Oh, a play Hime-chan?"

[Doji Dojihime]

He laughed nervously. "Oh, a play Hime-chan?"

"Yes, it covers the rescue of honored uncle from the festering pit," she responded.

[Makime Ayano]

Dojihime was unsure of what Makime was famous for but just nodded and smiled for the moment, she knew she was a favored servant of Akodo and chided herself for the shortcoming internally. She responded, “I enjoy writing as well, more for the elegance and the act of communication, but speed is important as well when one must respond to dozens of letters per day.”

“Well if you feel up to the task perhaps you could be persuaded to sing in the play?”

Ayano's smile wavered at that, "I am not sure my untrained voice, despite whatever untapped talent might emerge, would be suited to so austere a play."

"I write quite a lot actually...but it is not of the sort most find interesting. Just my thoughts on warfare, economics, architecture, and some other musings. Though I have thought to try my hand at critique."

[Doji Dojihime]

"I would gladly love to read any of those subjects, I cannot say I have a depth of knowledge in them but I would gladly read it all the same," she offered to the Lion.

[Makime Ayano]

"They are...exceedingly dry Doji-sama," Ayano raised a brow, "But if you have an interest in such subjects I can provide what I have written, once I have it copied. If you want something more immediate...I will be gifting my own copy of Leadership to one that suitably impresses me at a little display of skill with the handling of an army."

[Doji Dojihime]

"This one is not worthy for such a gift but I pray that whoever earns your favor appreciates the wisdom therein," she responded.

"My honored father swears by it, and I am familiar with it. As for dry subjects, I spend the bulk of my time reading letters from functionaries on the state of our granaries, supplies, and goods needed to survive the Winter. There is nothing more dry than logistics. Your work would at least challenge me," Dojihime said with a smile.

[Hantei Genji]

"Oh? Well, will see if Kenshiro-sensei's teachings at least give me a fighting chance against yours Makime-san." Genji smiled widely.

"A play, and a mock battle? It seems that this is indeed a busy winter. Busier than expected." He winked at Dojihime. "At least Hime-chan's boring letters can wait for her."

[Jiyo Sora]

Gusai nods. "No, you can't force-march folks away from their homes and expect no problems."

He pulls from his drink. "There're a lot of Seppun who yearn for their old homeland. Even the ones who don't remember it, as such. Some of the older Otomo, too, though a lot of us stay on the sea; it's at least the same sea that touches the southern shores as the central ones."

Another sip at the drink. "The Lady Hantei is...formidable, certainly. But the stories say you've had occasion to learn that already."

"You know the funny thing? My old homeland is now Scorpion Clan territory. And most of those who were Hikaru aren't there anymore."

Sip.

"A lot followed Kozan... er. Koyama-sama to the Ki-Rin lands."

All the displacement, all of the tribal wars stomped flat... it was frankly a miracle the Empire ran as well as it did.

He glanced at Kinsen when Gusai mentioned her and chuckled.

"I imagine the stories making the rounds and glorifying the old days leave out the fact that we've never gotten on especially well. Legends of heroism are often remarkably short on noting personality conflicts. And my personality, well..."

He adopted a stage whisper.

"You think I'm bad now, you should have seen me during the Tournament."

[Otomo Gusai]

snip

"Might've been something to that, then," Gusai allows. "But I've also seen a lot of old sailors who started off getting on poorly get on better as time went on. Something about fewer remembering before, when they talk about it."

He sips at the drink again.

"Not always often, to be sure, but what a body says seldom isn't less true for not being repeated."

[Jiyo Sora]

"Might've been something to that, then," Gusai allows. "But I've also seen a lot of old sailors who started off getting on poorly get on better as time went on. Something about fewer remembering before, when they talk about it."

He sips at the drink again.

"Not always often, to be sure, but what a body says seldom isn't less true for not being repeated."

"Ah, but the roads we've taken have done little to mend those fences. I think a polite neutrality is as improved as things are likely to get."

And she threatened to murder one of my best friends. Yes, she was under a lot of stress. So was literally everyone else on that march into hell.

[Otomo Gusai]

"Ah, but the roads we've taken have done little to mend those fences. I think a polite neutrality is as improved as things are likely to get."

And she threatened to murder one of my best friends. Yes, she was under a lot of stress. So was literally everyone else on that march into hell.

Gusai raises his hand and dips his head in acknowledgement. "Thank you for the correction," he says. "I try to keep in mind what those who know more than me say." He gives a puff of laughter and a grin and adds, "Sometimes, I even succeed."

And he refills the cups.

[Jiyo Sora]

Gusai raises his hand and dips his head in acknowledgement. "Thank you for the correction," he says. "I try to keep in mind what those who know more than me say." He gives a puff of laughter and a grin and adds, "Sometimes, I even succeed."

And he refills the cups.

"Lesson one: Old people like to ramble on. Lesson two: Go easy on that stuff, lest I cause a scene by passing out facefirst on the floor. Lesson three... which, as a captain, you already know- you don't need to particularly like someone to work with them. But it helps."

[Otomo Gusai]

"Lesson one: Old people like to ramble on. Lesson two: Go easy on that stuff, lest I cause a scene by passing out facefirst on the floor. Lesson three... which, as a captain, you already know- you don't need to particularly like someone to work with them. But it helps."

A smile from Gusai precedes "I'd had some experience with Lesson One, too."

But he does cap the bottle back off.

"Is there a Lesson Four?"

[Jiyo Sora]

A smile from Gusai precedes "I'd had some experience with Lesson One, too."

But he does cap the bottle back off.

"Is there a Lesson Four?"

"Oh yeah."

Sip.

"Lesson four is that there are always more lessons. Part of why I got on with Shinsei for the most part."