Dragons' Lair [D10 EE, The Obvious Embassy]

Togashi Myo-en · **Joined:** Mon Apr 06, 2020 4:27 am **Posts:** 418

Myo-en stands with arms akimbo, fists planted on her tattooed hips just above the sash of her trousers, surveying the embassy common room. It looks barer than it had on her first day here, scrolls taken down from the wall niches and rolled up, incense holders and other delicate vessels bundled up in rice straw.

"This is all very well if the people survive to use these things again. But this house is not very defensible." Her usually-calm voice carries a plaintive note.

Mirumoto Wasako · **Joined:** Sun Apr 05, 2020 4:56 pm **Posts:** 945

Wasako had retreated back to the Dragon embassy at the conclusion of the day's battle. Despite their best defences and previous experience when it came to dealing with the forces of the Steel, they have tragically suffered some heavy casualties. It was far from over but it was going to take some work to dig their heels in.

She had tied her sleeves back and was ready to lend a few hands to help. "No...but I did see a few heimen board-up their shops earlier. We could do something like that?"

Togashi Myo-en · **Joined:** Mon Apr 06, 2020 4:27 am **Posts:** 418

"Hm. That is a good thought." Myo-en smiles slightly as she nods at Wasako. "All things come to ruin eventually, but this is a good house. It would be a pity to waste it."

The smile turns drier. "Maybe we'll still be here to live in it, or maybe someone else will get good use of it. Either is a greater good than letting it be ruined too easily, right?"

Myo-en had escaped real injury in the fighting at the walls, and any insignificant scratches and bruises are impossible to see among the colorful tapestry of tattoos covering her arms and back, but the scrapes on her knuckles testify that she, too, has been busy today.

Togashi Tsukimi · **Posted:** Tue Apr 28, 2020 4:00 am

After they had pulled back from the front gates, Tsukimi had found her vantage point for keeping watch on the embassy's roof. From up above, she had kept a careful eye on whether or not the fighting would spread further in.

So far, it seemed not.

The armored monk dropped down from her perch, landing gently in the inner courtyard before hurrying inside to join the others. The edges of the white cloth wrapped around her neck were lightly singed from the dragon fire earlier.

"Minna-san," Tsukimi greeted curtly. "There is no sign of the fighting drawing closer to this street, this embassy, or the other embassies. From what I could see."

Mirumoto Wasako · **Joined:** Sun Apr 05, 2020 4:56 pm **Posts:** 945

Wasako seemed to have escaped the worse of it on the battlefield today as well, although her boots and the hem of her robes were caked in mud. It was still crazy that it was still raining at the present and she feared that might make their next round far difficult than what they had already endured. Then again, could it be crazier than seeing live fire blaze in the heavy rain?

"I think it would be easy for a house to find itself reborn to another purpose. Then again, it's so a vassal to be filled with meaning than anything else. It can always become a fort if we wish it to be," she nodded and began to look around that was perhaps more decorative than purposeful to be used as a possible barricade. Having some actual carpentry skills would be very useful right about now.

She went tense for a moment when she saw movement in the courtyard before given Tsukimi a nod in acknowledgement. "That's a relief, at least. I don't think they've stopped because they've exhausted themselves, unfortunately."

Togashi Tsukimi · **Posted:** Tue Apr 28, 2020 4:11 am

"Probably not, but it seems they have not broken through the gates..." she wasn't fully sure however, and doubt crept into her voice for a moment.

Her alert eyes looked between her sisters, taking in their condition after the fighting earlier.

"... How are you two? Is everyone else alright as well?" Tsukimi worried for the two she knew were not fighters.

Mirumoto Wasako · **Joined:** Sun Apr 05, 2020 4:56 pm **Posts:** 945

"None of their combatants, at least," she said regarding the gates. There was some pervasive strangeness that took up much of yesterday that made it rather clear that the forces of the Steel Chrysanthemum weren't entirely made up of returned enranged souls and tsuno, they also had the favour of some ancestors. However, there was no political discord for them to assault today.

"I am well..." she said before she took a quick glance around, hoping the other Dragons would appear in a similar fashion as Tsukimi did just now. "I don't think I saw Agasha Poemu-sama around when I came in. I don't know if she has decided on finding safety elsewhere or might be preoccupied. I could make an effort to finding her later."

She took a glance at Tsukimi, wondering if she should hit the triage but said nothing about it for now.

Togashi Myo-en · **Joined:** Mon Apr 06, 2020 4:27 am **Posts:** 418

"I do not think either Poemu-sama or Mai-san were at the fighting. At least, I hope not." Myo-en rubs a palm over the fine stubble just visible on her scalp. She looks pleased to see Tsukimi safe, but mostly tired. "If they don't return tonight, we'll seek them in the city. A few Dragon will not be of great concern to the Lion governor here--we must care for each other."

The wry smile touching her lips doesn't reach as far as her eyes."Which is why I wish this embassy could be easier to fortify. Even though, if it could, it would have been a rather poor embassy."

Mirumoto Wasako · **Joined:** Sun Apr 05, 2020 4:56 pm **Posts:** 945

She nodded at the mention of Mai, not wanting to exclude her from the mentioned. It had been several days since she had seen Mai but she could only assume that she had been busy with her appointments and craft. "At the very least, it would be good to consolidate and consider our next court of action. I know since we last spoke, we weren't expecting a resurgence of support for the opposing forces...or the introduction of another."

"You'd think that some of these embassies were made for war in mind...at least in its foundations." she murmured. Despite not being Lion, they were in their lands and she would have thought these lands were at least architectured in their mindset. However, Lion were often the invaders and not the ones defending.

Togashi Tsukimi · **Posted:** Tue Apr 28, 2020 2:36 pm

"It was not originally a Lion holding..." she added in, but apart from that she didn't know much about the city and what conflicts it had seen in the past.

"We should maybe consider being more vigilant here? Just in case something happens?"

Mirumoto Wasako · **Joined:** Sun Apr 05, 2020 4:56 pm **Posts:** 945

"Oh, that's right..." she said softly on the matter as she recalled visiting the Crane and Phoenix shrine. Everything south of the Dragon lands had this strange habit of changing hands. Their lands were much more fluid when they didn't have many natural borders to speak of.

"I don't see why we shouldn't. Something is bound to happen sooner than later and we need to act on a short moment's notice. It may be extreme to say that we should always be in pairs but I'd like to think that Agasha-sama would welcome the escort. If she would allow it, of course."

Togashi Myo-en · **Joined:** Mon Apr 06, 2020 4:27 am **Posts:** 418

"I don't think we are in danger of knives in the night," Myo-en's slight frown is pensive. "Not directed at us But I heard there was fighting inside the city today, although we held the gate. Enemy magic, maybe. A stray blade can harm as surely as a deliberate one." She paces around the common room with an air reminiscent of an animal stalking around its lair, mentally measuring the screened windows that face out toward the street

"That is the likeliest threat we should guard against--general violence that could sweep Poemu-sama and the rest of us along with it. I am worried about the embassy servants, too--is it safer for them to stay here, or go home?" She casts a glance at the others, somewhat out of her depth here.

Togashi Tsukimi · **Posted:** Wed Apr 29, 2020 12:37 am

"Hmmm..." Tsukimi looked up, thinking. Unfortunately, all she could look at was the ceiling. "If it is possible to send many of them home, I think that would be wisest. But I don't think that is possible now. The enemy is beginning a siege."

Bringing a hand up, she rubbed her chin in thought. "And... while I don't think other samurai in the city will turn against us so soon, I am concerned that some might lose themselves in the political divide."

Mirumoto Wasako · **Joined:** Sun Apr 05, 2020 4:56 pm **Posts:** 945

She nodded in agreement. "I would prefer to send them on their way out of the city but that would depend on how much the army has learned from their previous siege. They haven't guarded Toshi no Omoidoso very well and allowed for our exodus to Nikesake...there's a possibility that they won't allow for such a luxury this time. We may have to investigate this at daylight...if we get any daylight. With that, we should consider our potential exodus as well. I recall Agasha-sama said the Imperial Capital might be the next settlement from here, outside of small towns and hamlets."

Wasako meander over to a table and lifted it up to put it on its side, that should provide an adequate piece to barricade a portion of the door. "I've noticed that there is a good share of convenient entrances to the embassy. Those likely won't be needed anymore if we get the servants to safety, although they should be free to remain here."

Togashi Myo-en · **Joined:** Mon Apr 06, 2020 4:27 am **Posts:** 418

Myo-en nods. "Many of them are local people, I think. Whether they are townsfolk or come from the countryside, I am not sure we'd be making them safer by sending them home. The Lion might give Agasha-sama refuge in the castle in an emergency, and even the rest of us, but commoners..." she trails off, sounding doubtful. "They could hide out here, even if we must leave. Inside the building, under the floors if they have to."

Then... "Aah!" This satisfied exclamation comes as her explorations locats the narrow cabinet concealing the sliding storm shutters meant to seal out blizzards and typhoons. "Good." She reaches in and slides one panel out a few inches, testing its thickness. "Not a castle wall, but better than nothing, neh? Maybe we can fasten them in place with something more than these little latches."

Mirumoto Wasako · **Joined:** Sun Apr 05, 2020 4:56 pm **Posts:** 945

"It seems right to return it to the locals, especially when we're only guests here and can easily move if need be. It is likely we will have to and they still have a home here." she said, also wondering if they were going to heckle them for making the embassy defensible while the redecoration was going on.

She seemed a little puzzled how she was supposed to mount a table on a window but could only assume that it had to lose its legs first. When she was about to stomp off its legs, the table (at least for now) was saved by Myo-En's timely discovery. "Oh, that's a good find! At the very least, minimizing signs of occupancy might give the residents here their best chance to avoid danger." She said assuming that they weren't going to be scouring every home here for survivors. At the very least, the Steel Chrysanthemum was on a clock to conquer the Empire.

Togashi Myo-en · **Joined:** Mon Apr 06, 2020 4:27 am **Posts:** 418

"Mm. The best thing for the local people might be that the spirit Emperor's army gives up on this city quickly...or takes it easily. Anything in-between will be harder on them." Myo-en frowns to herself as she considers this, tugging on the edge of the sliding amado panel. "What is best for the common people in one place might not be the thing a general would consider best for the whole war, though."

Togashi Tsukimi · **Posted:** Sat May 02, 2020 6:18 am

"We don't know what the army might do with the locals, but I don't think they will be kind. They were willing to eliminate all those who were in the port town of Toshi no Omoidoso," she added in, her face set in a grim expression.

Mirumoto Wasako · **Joined:** Sun Apr 05, 2020 4:56 pm **Posts:** 945

"No, but let's hope it doesn't come to that first," she said as she thought about Toshi no Omoidoso. Their fate was rather ambiguous, especially when it seemed the Lion in the city were mounting up a last stand. It didn't look too optimistic. She could only imagine it was the city and the rain that had kept the Steel Chrysanthemum at bay.

"I'm...a little unsure at how this is supposed to end. I believe there is the word that there is supposedly a legion might have been sent to intercept the Steel Chrysanthemum. However, with everything being in disarray, there might be the possibility that the legions never left their barracks, to begin with..." She frowned at the possibility.

Dragons' Lair [D10 EE, The Obvious Embassy]

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