[D10, LM] The Blanche Dubois Method.

Kakita Masahiko · **Joined:** Sun Apr 19, 2020 5:04 am **Posts:** 272

Kakita Masahiko had prepared a rather out-of-the-way receiving room for their guests. Tetsuko had discounted his suspicions, and she was probably right, but still, a little distance from the beating heart of the diplomatic corps of the Embassy was probably a good thing for what needed to be discussed, here.

He laid out the tea service before sitting down, fingers drumming on his knee in anticipation.

Doji Monkhbaatar · **Joined:** Wed Apr 15, 2020 9:29 am **Posts:** 231

Monkhbaatar entered and nodded to his fellow Crane. "Good morning, Kakita-san." He took a seat out of the way. He imagine he wouldn't have a whole lot to offer as far as input was concerned, but if a plan was forming to recover their Champion he wanted to understand it.

Asahina Yuko · **Joined:** Mon Apr 20, 2020 5:12 pm **Posts:** 77

"Minna sama," Yuko said, as she joined.

Moto Akemi · **Joined:** Sun Apr 19, 2020 4:29 am **Posts:** 258

For the second day, the little Moto made her way to the Crane embassy. Dressed in a quite fancy kimono and safely under her blue umbrella she arrived, and was shown to the room where she was expected. There was a brief look of surprise as the room contained more people than she expected, but she bowed deeply.

"Mina-sama, good morning. I hope you are all well? Ano...how can I be of assistance?"

She entered, and found her place to sit.

Asako Ayanojo · **Joined:** Tue Apr 14, 2020 3:25 pm **Posts:** 132

Shortly afterwards a second guest also made their way in for the second consecutive day. The outrageous and unfair weather was beginning to weigh on his usual sunny disposition but it did not detract from his bow and greeting, which had been written out before entering.

Quote:

Good morning, I am Asako Ayanojo, Tensai of Air.

Kakita Masahiko · **Joined:** Sun Apr 19, 2020 5:04 am **Posts:** 272

Masahiko greeted each in turn, his massive frame illuminated by a brilliant smile. He offered his tea--obviously not brewed as part of any ceremony; Masahiko had fine points but serenity wasn't one of them--to each of the guests and kinsmen.

"Good morning!" he said cheerily to each. "We are only waiting on Daidoji-sama, but she is well aware of our purpose here today. Namely, Asahina-sama has informed us here at the embassy that our Champion, Doji Etsuo, may well be alive in the hinterlands behind the armies of the Steel Chrysanthemum."

He paused for effect, to allow their guests to absorb that information, and to allow for Tetsuko's arrival.

Mari · **Joined:** Sun Apr 12, 2020 4:43 am **Posts:** 702

There was a gentle rap at the door, but the person on the other side was not a Daidoji. Instead, a ronin stood there, a scroll satchel slung over her shoulder and dressed in simple robes. She had a look of very obvious concern and consternation, glancing occasionally in the obvious direction that scouts had reported the army was approaching from, her thoughts on the city gates. But one did not refuse an invitation.

When the door was opened, she bowed low. "Samurai-samas. I received a request to come to the embassy. This one is Mara, a priest of the earth and water. I hope that I will be of assistance."

(OOC: Received invite from Asahina Yuko's player, PM me if it won't be appropriate and I'll remove her.)

Asahina Yuko · **Joined:** Mon Apr 20, 2020 5:12 pm **Posts:** 77

Yuko stepped forward.

"Forgive me, Kakita-san. I heard tale of a capable ronin priest within the city and thought we might broaden our list of perspective allies. I was unsure if they would come."

Turning to Mari, Yuko bowed.

"Arigato, wolf-san. I hope that this will prove a fruitful use of your time," she said, smiling brightly.

Kakita Masahiko · **Joined:** Sun Apr 19, 2020 5:04 am **Posts:** 272

Masahiko blinked, but covered his momentary surprise with an enormous smile.

"Samurai-san! I am so pleased that you have arrived, and that Asahina-sama had the presence of mind to think of your talents." He bowed in acknowledgment of Yuko's wisdom.

"My name is Kakita Masahiko. Here assembled are Doji Monkhbataar, Asako Ayanojo, and Moto Akemi."

He indicated each in turn. "We had only just begun, so do not feel at all alarmed. It is my hope that we can resolve this business quickly, and then we can all go out and do what is required."

He offered her tea in recompense for her trouble.

Mari · **Joined:** Sun Apr 12, 2020 4:43 am **Posts:** 702

"Thank you, Kakita-sama. I am familiar with Asako-sama and Moto-sama," she said, though technically she hadn't ever gotten the Asako's name when they'd met the first time. Stepping within, she nodded once to the Asahina, who she had only just now met. It had been an intermediary that had summoned her.

Settling herself up near a wall, she waited to see what it was that they were being assembled to assist with. "I hope only that my skills will be of benefit in some fashion." Though she was keeping her water spells in reserve for the moment because... well, hell was coming, and people would need healing.

Kakita Masahiko · **Joined:** Sun Apr 19, 2020 5:04 am **Posts:** 272

Masahiko nodded. "I am sure that they will be. The issue at hand is that Asahina-sama and Daidoji-sama have learned that our Champion, Doji Etsuo, is at large somewhere behind the spirit armies, potentially with members of the Crab delegation to winter court."

He frowned. "His survival is important, not just for us, but for the stability of the Empire in what is a very...contentious time. We are in the process of planning their extraction from the warzone, but we need to narrow the searchable area. This is why we are appealing to you. Perhaps the kami can assist in divining his location?"

He looked to the shugenja. "This is not an area of expertise for me, but if it helps, we suspect that he is carrying Shukujo, which has within it the twinned soul of our Thunder..."

He held out his hands in supplication.

Moto Akemi · **Joined:** Sun Apr 19, 2020 4:29 am **Posts:** 258

Akemi looked concerned.

"I would be willing to assist where I can, although I would have to think how. I can call on the kami, they might be able to help. There's...just one question."

Akemi paused, looking more worried about how to phrase something, before she spoke again.

"How...long has Doji-dono been behind enemy lines?"

Kakita Masahiko · **Joined:** Sun Apr 19, 2020 5:04 am **Posts:** 272

"If our understanding of the situation is correct, about ten days, Moto-sama. You can see why we view this as frightfully urgent, among the other frightfully urgent things that we must do today."

Asako Ayanojo · **Joined:** Tue Apr 14, 2020 3:25 pm **Posts:** 132

Ayanojo looked thoughtful, chewing slightly on the end of his stylus before writing.

Quote:

The sword should stand out to any that can see such things but even so we will need some idea of where to look.

Kakita Masahiko · **Joined:** Sun Apr 19, 2020 5:04 am **Posts:** 272

"Unfortunately, our information is somewhat sketchy. He was last seen between Toshi no Omoidasu and Morikage Toshi ten days ago. I imagine that he has not remained stationary, but he can't have gotten too far with the army occupying much of the theater."

Mari · **Joined:** Sun Apr 12, 2020 4:43 am **Posts:** 702

She frowned. So, this was what they had summoned her for. It was close to casting a net into the wide blue sea out of desperation. Deep down? She gave approximately two shits whether or not the daimyo of the Crane lived or died. She couldn't bring herself to care about them on a personal level at all. She didn't actually actively want harm to come to them as a person, but she cared not one whit what happened to them.

The favor of local crane and their coin, however, had their merits. So, she closed her eyes and went over the list of her known magical tools. Thankfully, she did not need to consider any of her less than... public tricks. Those would not help this situation. But her own prayers she'd carried from home were not that likely to help either. Earthen spells were protection or binding for the most part, and this limited her options. She knew no air spells, and the prayers of fire kami... would do nothing more than summon thunder. That left Water, which the city needed for its defense. But she could consider them.

The reflections of P'an Ku would only help if she had this sword in hand... so, well... there were the animal spirits. Hmmmm.

"I have something I might be able to try," she said, her tone distant. "But I can't promise that it will give you anything but frustration, and I can't attempt anything water or fire related while the Chrysanthemum bares his fangs at our gates. I will be expected to heal and slay his forces. And even then... it is a remote possibility. I don't want to get your hopes up."

Asahina Yuko · **Joined:** Mon Apr 20, 2020 5:12 pm **Posts:** 77

Yuko nodded.

"Given the amount of time that has passed, I am certain none of us expect this to be an easy or necessarily fruitful venture. While I am certain that Doji-ue continues to fight, it does not mean we will necessarily be able to reach him.

"We simply thought to do what we can given the current situation. None of us are gifted with the kami, and so we turn to those who are blessed with their favor on how we might best proceed."

Mari · **Joined:** Sun Apr 12, 2020 4:43 am **Posts:** 702

She shook her head. "I would not be contacting the kami, but the spirits of chikushudo. Animal spirits," she said, giving a somewhat pointed look to the other shugenja in the room. She did not want to speak about how she knew how to contact spirits of chikushudo, given just how specialized the study was and that it would involve her past studies, but the fact that she knew them was still useful possibly. "I would prefer not to speak much on the matter, but I know prayers of supplication to animal spirits. I might be able to make progress with a bird, though it depends on if it even understands what I am asking. A bird is, at the end of the day, a bird."

"Frankly, praying directly to kami to ask his whereabouts would require knowledge of which kami he had trod upon most recently, which means that we'd need to narrow the search to begin with. Otherwise, it is like looking for the right grain of sand in the seashore."

Kakita Masahiko · **Joined:** Sun Apr 19, 2020 5:04 am **Posts:** 272

"Would it?"

Masahiko raised an eyebrow.

"Interesting. Well, the Crane Champion is likely to look somewhat distinctive, having come from Winter Court and being in the company of Crab bushi. I have it from other samurai that the spirit armies have few, if any, members that would be dressed as they are."

Moto Akemi · **Joined:** Sun Apr 19, 2020 4:29 am **Posts:** 258

"What is distinctive to an animal, or distinctive to a spirit, Kakita-san?" Akemi asked with a tilt of her head "if Mari-san is able to ask a spirit of Chikushudo to look beyond the walls for a distinctive human, they will find thousands. Or tens of thousands. Everybody in this room is distinctive in their own way, ne?"

[D10, LM] The Blanche Dubois Method.

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