D2 EA: Academic Conference (Tomomi's room) Private/ask

Isawa Tomomi · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 11:07 pm **Posts:** 93

Tomomi had tea waiting, a dark oolong to keep one awake through the day, as she awaited her guest in her reduced room. Their was just room for the small table now that her futon was rolled and put away.

Asako Tamaki · **Joined:** Thu Apr 02, 2020 12:17 am **Posts:** 167

Tamaki gives a polite knock on the door.

Isawa Tomomi · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 11:07 pm **Posts:** 93

The door opened almost immediately. It wasn't like she had to travel far to answer it. Before she bowed, her eyes crinkled with the smile that only barely touched her lips after years in the courts. "Asako-san, welcome. The tea is hot though the space is a bit cramped. I'd apologize, but after seeing all those trekking through the snow I can't help but thank the Fortunes for a roof and tea today. The Fortune of Gratitude is foremost on my mind."

There is a cushion for her guest, and a tightly folded blanket for her own seat. Tomomi gestures for Tamaki to have a seat, and seats herself before pouring tea. "Spiritual matters have not been my main point of study, but I've been interviewing returned spirits all through the autumn. I hope that, even if we have no answers between us, it will help focus and direct research."

Asako Tamaki · **Joined:** Thu Apr 02, 2020 12:17 am **Posts:** 167

Tamaki bows to her Clanwoman. "Thank you for the invitation, Isawa-sama. I find the rooms the Lion gave us on the cozy side and tea would be much appreciated it."

Yojimbo casually stays outside by the door as Tamaki enters and takes a seat.

"I have studied Toshigoku since the fall of Kyuden Asako. I know much of it ompared to others, though I fear it still may be a drop in the ocean. But I would like to hear anything they have said or anything else you may wish share. I would also be happy to share anything you may wish here. After all, you never know what knowledge may be useful."

Isawa Hachi · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 2:42 am **Posts:** 401

A slight thumping can be heard approaching, then a clap is heard at the door. When it is answered, Hachi stands at the entrance. He has his staff holding him up, of course, and also a calligraphy box with him. A bow is given to both present.

"Apologies for my lateness." He will begin preparing to record anything of interest that is said immediately.

Isawa Tomomi · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 11:07 pm **Posts:** 93

Hachi is also granted entrance, and a cushion whose edges showed enough wear that it was probably slated for retirement before things got crowded.

After all are seated, she continues right along the trail Tamaki laid. "I confess, I had not known that the spirits were from that realm. Everyone seemed to consider them as returned watchful ancestors, and thus from Yomi. There were clues in their interests and their tempers. Many of the children seemed afraid of them. But they hid it well enough that I thought 'Well, short-tempered Lion are hardly rare, nor Lion with more mind for war than anything else.'" She pats the top of a small chest. "I have my notes here and plan to comb through the interviews for clues in the next few days."

"Asako-san, should such spirits have been able to hold such a masquerade for so long?"

Asako Tamaki · **Joined:** Thu Apr 02, 2020 12:17 am **Posts:** 167

Tamaki greets the other Isawa as he comes in. "Hello, Isawa-sam."

After Tomomi speaks, "Normally, I would say no. But with a powerful force controlling them, then it is certainly possible." Tamaki pauses. "Toshigoku is an eternal battlefield. Battles do have leaders. It is possible they have been led from the start. It was always odd they holed up in Kyuden Asako and not even a random stray spirit ever ventured there from recently." And Tamaki knew as she REALLY wanted an experiment subject.

"And from what we know from other Spirit Realms, those who come from it or have a piece of it's essence can hide their nature inclinations, at least for a time."

Isawa Hachi · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 2:42 am **Posts:** 401

Hachi listened to this, then had a thought. "Is it not said, the Court is a battlefield of another manner? Could that be *cough* Hantei the 16th's form of control?"

Asako Tamaki · **Joined:** Thu Apr 02, 2020 12:17 am **Posts:** 167

Tamaki nods. "Gusai was Champion of the Mantis. He debated the Emperor on weather the sword or the pen was mightier. He drew his sword and held it on the Emperors throat. The Emperor agreed he was right and gave the Mantis the Gusai name. Then, the Emperor asked Gusai if he could retort. Gusai nodded. Then, the Emperor signed the execution order." Tamaki thinks. "A tale from the Mantis's path, but there is more than one way to kill. And a pen can be just as deadly as a sword."

Isawa Tomomi · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 11:07 pm **Posts:** 93

Asako Tamaki wrote:

"And from what we know from other Spirit Realms, those who come from it or have a piece of it's essence can hide their nature inclinations, at least for a time."

Tomomi nods, rifling through her scrolls. "So, if they can hide their natural inclinations, they could readily hide among us, much as they hid in plain sight as honored ancestors for the past season." At Hachi's rendition of the founding of the Gusai, she notes, "Indeed, the Steel Chrysanthemum was a truly formidable courtier, and by all accounts similarly formidable in the force of his will even as he became more paranoid and brutal. I don't know if that's enough to keep a bunch of Toshigoku spirits pacified when spread around as they were, but it's about the only theory we have any information for right now."

She lifts one, "And they didn't keep things entirely contained. This was a family dealing with a lot of trouble from their peasantry as their ancestor was having some trouble not injuring or outright killing them for minor annoyances. At least I would assess them as minor. I was trying to ascertain if he was particularly ill-tempered or if standards for samurai-peasant interactions really were much more stringent in his day."

"So they're violent, may be slipping into the city with the refugees, and are certainly coming here to try destroying the city." She looks to Tamaki, "Do these spirits of slaughter return to their realm when killed in battle, or do they simply rise up again or return like...other ghosts?" She wasn't going to bring up the influences of Jigoku more directly than that.

(I have a question in ooc chat as to whether spirits are visually distinctive or not.)

Asako Tamaki · **Joined:** Thu Apr 02, 2020 12:17 am **Posts:** 167

"I cannot say with absolute certainty," Tamaki really wish she was provided with a few research subjects, "but I do believe they should return from Toshigoku. It appears to be that way with other spiritual realms and my research has not challenged that assumption."

Isawa Tomomi · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 11:07 pm **Posts:** 93

Tomomi sighs. "Well, that's not good. It means we have a never-ending foe, unless we can," she does a bad imitation of mystical hand-waving, "I don't know, bind them into something or shove them back into Toshigoku?" The pleading lilt of her question says that she hopes the shugenja have some idea, because it's waaaay outside of her fields of research.

"At least they're...a bit glowy. But you're only going to see that if the light is bad. That ought to be common knowledge with so many of them spread through Lion lands...but maybe we ought to make sure the Governor and his forces know this."

Asako Tamaki · **Joined:** Thu Apr 02, 2020 12:17 am **Posts:** 167

Tamaki shakes her head. "I am sorry Isawa-sama. I misspoke. I meant they should return TO Toshigoku. Though it may only be an inconvenience as long as the portal is still open. It should make beating them possible. As for the Lion, we should proceed with caution. Prepare, but make sure we are cautious about taling about Toshiogku lest they be offended."

OOC: Sorry. That was a typo on my part.

Isawa Tomomi · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 11:07 pm **Posts:** 93

Tomomi actually breathes a small sigh of relief. "Well that is a small break for us. Do we know how many of them there even are? I only had a list of some names that were willing to talk to me that was a few dozen people long."

Asako Tamaki · **Joined:** Thu Apr 02, 2020 12:17 am **Posts:** 167

"Any, including a whole contingent of Daidoji warriors, who went into Kyuden Asako never returned. Only the Master of Earth ever did and the castle was empty when she was found."

D2 EA: Academic Conference (Tomomi's room) Private/ask

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