She's going to carve a path in these gardens... [Day 1, EE]

Togashi Iko · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 3:00 am **Posts:** 408

The earnestness of Aya's tale took Iko aback a little but she used the time trying to recall such a story to compose herself.

"As one who once walked the streets of Tsuma as a child, and one who married into the Togashi a few years ago now, I can honestly say that I have not heard of this Oku. Although it sounds a fascinating tale," then her voice drops to a whispery conspiratorial tone, just loud enough for Aya and Tani.

"I can also confirm that such hair coloring would clash quite horribly with the powder blue of most Crane kimono. A friend of mine had an...incident with her dye and a Sakkaku trickster spirit, but that is another story entirely."

Matsu Tani · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 8:49 pm **Posts:** 493

Tani's eyebrow rose gently. "I'd know little of such things, Togashi-sama. I've little experience in the particulars of hair dyes myself, though some of my clan do like to dye theirs red in honor of the Kitsu." The conspiratorial tone seemed to mean nothing to Tani.

Yogo Aya · **Joined:** Sun Apr 05, 2020 12:42 am **Posts:** 719

"Hmm, shame. If you find yourself in possession of such knowledge that you can turn someone's hair pink, be sure to share it with Norikun. I'd love to see him try to pull off his badass vibe while sporting pink hair."

She smirks a bit to herself picturing that.

"Oh, but you were asking about casualties? I mean, besides the biggest one, I bet it'll take a few days to sort out. Not that I would ever cast wild aspersions on the character of people, but I expect the numbers of those reported to have died fighting, or committing seppeku or kanshi will be somewhat higher, and those reported dying because they were unable to stand the rigors of the trip will be lowered. Who knows, maybe it'll even out." she offered, apparently unconcerned about such numbers or the events in question.

Togashi Iko · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 3:00 am **Posts:** 408

"You're right, I'm sure Yogo-san. This tragedy will take people a good while to wrap their heads around, I imagine even the bureaucrats will take time to take stock of exactly what happened after the smoke clears."

Iko's right hand taps a gentle rhythm on the hilt of her katana as she speaks, almost as if not a conscious act.

Matsu Tani · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 8:49 pm **Posts:** 493

"Hopefully not too long," Tani spoke calmly. "If what I have heard and seen is to be believed, that army won't wait too long."

Yogo Aya · **Joined:** Sun Apr 05, 2020 12:42 am **Posts:** 719

Aya tilts her head at that.

"Oh? I'll admit, despite being assigned to Scorpion army, it was always as a support role, so I've never really thought about the tactics of the situation. What's your military assessment of the situation, Tani-san?"

Togashi Iko · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 3:00 am **Posts:** 408

"I think some will be forced to deal with the urgency of the situation much sooner than the rest of the Empire knows what is going on." Iko agreed with Tani, before waiting for a military assessment of the situation.

Her own position was largely new to her and she hadn't had as much experience in military campaign as the lioness.

Matsu Tani · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 8:49 pm **Posts:** 493

"I am not a master of Tactics by any stretch," she admitted, "but given the situation, if I were Hantei XVI, I would be swift to hunt down the survivors." She tapped her chin. "The more people that speak out against him, the more difficult it is for his claim to be successful. As such, were I in that position I would move quickly to remove as many from the field as possible."

Togashi Iko · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 3:00 am **Posts:** 408

"He has already shown a propensity for violence to solve his problems, a swift decisive strike is likely his next plan indeed." Iko agreed with Tani.

"I don't think he has enough of an army to surround this castle and lay siege to it effectively, or the supplies coming just out of Winter." SHe added her own thoughts to expound upon Tani's.

Yogo Aya · **Joined:** Sun Apr 05, 2020 12:42 am **Posts:** 719

Aya frowns a bit as she considers that.

"Huh.....that's probably a good point...you wouldn't really be able to launch a full siege until summer really...although...you don't really need an army to deal with the survivors, especially since most of them are here, and travel away from here is still difficult." she muses. clearly envisioning some other way that the SC might try to achieve his ends.

Matsu Tani · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 8:49 pm **Posts:** 493

"Right. In lieu of siege, he likely will try to take the city as quickly as possible with whatever forces he has."

Togashi Iko · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 3:00 am **Posts:** 408

"However he plans to do it, he will find the task harder than he imagines." Iko replies in solidarity with these two samurai, from the clans she most abhors. The three united by circumstance, for the foreseeable future anyway.

Yogo Aya · **Joined:** Sun Apr 05, 2020 12:42 am **Posts:** 719

Aya nodded a bit, though she wasn't solidly convinced on that.

"As long as the Lion and their guests remain vigilant against underhanded tactics, it should go well." she decides upon.

Matsu Tani · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 8:49 pm **Posts:** 493

She nodded. "We will have to rely on each other to be wary of such. I am admittedly better when I see my enemy in front of me."

Togashi Iko · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 3:00 am **Posts:** 408

"I am sure that they will find experts somewhere to advise them in all aspects of warfare that they may not be experts in themselves." Iko replies, tongue firmly in cheek, before turning to Tani and offering a slight bow of apology.

"As short as I am sure that list is."

Yogo Aya · **Joined:** Sun Apr 05, 2020 12:42 am **Posts:** 719

If the Dragon's tone had an affect on Aya, it wasn't clear.

She merely shrugged.

"Iko-san well knows that there is nothing the Lion clan does not know about fighting an honorable enemy. They literally wrote the book on it." she said dismissively. While she had had a thought on what they should actually be looking for, the Dragon's words had definitely chilled her willingness to share.

Matsu Tani · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 8:49 pm **Posts:** 493

Tani crossed her arms pointedly, waiting for the moment to see if continual sarcasm at each other would continue.

Togashi Iko · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 3:00 am **Posts:** 408

The subtle (for a Matsu) hint from TAni was enough to cause iko to cede ground to the Scorpion.

"Then I hope that their leadership and the co-operation of the rest of the clan representatives that find themselves here is enough to repel and maybe even destroy these forces."

Iko offers a bow to Tani. "Your Governor has my blade, my bow, and my life at his disposal to defend his castle from this threat Matsu-san."

Yogo Aya · **Joined:** Sun Apr 05, 2020 12:42 am **Posts:** 719

Aya didn't take hints well but the Dragon was already vanquished, so there was no more sport in it.

"Hmm, well my life is not mine to offer, it's my lord's." she allows (Ok, maybe a little sport)

She sighed a bit.

"Buuuuuuut, I do own the Lion clan a debt, so if they want to call that in, they need merely ask it." she admitted somewhat reluctantly.

Matsu Tani · **Joined:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 8:49 pm **Posts:** 493

"Such matters certainly are not up to me," she shrugged to Aya, but smiled still. "As long as we ultimately remember what we are fighting for, not much else matters I think."

She's going to carve a path in these gardens... [Day 1, EE]

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